Encouraging Notes

When situations in life get difficult, the enemy tries to influence our thoughts to imagine reasons why God might not be there for us. Perhaps we have done too much wrong – maybe we have not prayed “enough,” or the enemy will tell us, “because of your past mistakes, you’re finally getting what you deserve.” People often think that God looks for our performance, not realizing that he is most interested in our faith. I often contend that the most important word in the Bible is “believe.” Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith (believing) it is impossible to please God, for those who come to him must believe that he is and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

The power of God is released when someone dares to believe him! No doubt, actions follow genuine faith, but you can be sure that trying to look at your performance to determine whether God wants to bless your future or not is a bad idea! The most righteous thing you will ever do is believe! God longs for you to rest in his finished work at the cross through Christ! Look at what Apostle Paul said.

Galatians 3:10-11 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” 11 Clearly, no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith. If our works can obtain right standing with God, then faith is unnecessary and useless! Jesus said, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63

Jesus must be the complete answer to our life. When a person declares Jesus to be the Lord of their life, they declare him to be their complete answer.

Romans 10:9-10 If we confess Jesus as Lord and believe that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved. For with the heart man believes and is made righteous with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

God’s provision for our righteousness far exceeds any virtue we could muster up to earn a relationship with him! Isaiah said that all of our righteousness is as filthy rags. Isaiah 64:6 The answer for our life is acknowledging God for who he really is – our complete answer and source for all life!

Hosea 6:3 Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.”

The one thing you have control of today is your mind. What you allow to run through the corridors of your mind will determine your future! This is why Apostle Paul encouraged the Colossian church to set their minds and their affections on things above!

Colossians 3:1-3 Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts (or affections) on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Dear friend, I want to challenge you to set your mind on what God says is true about you and him today! As your thoughts line up with the truth of God’s word, peace will enter your heart, and victory will be your way of life! Trust in him with all your heart today! Today is your opportunity to press on to…

ACKNOWLEDGE HIM!

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There are times in life when you face challenges that seem far beyond your ability to bear! Have you ever been in a situation that was so difficult that all you wanted to do was crawl in your bed, pulled the covers over your head, and cry? Have you ever, during one of those trying times, decided to thank and praise God anyway because you knew faith is what moves the hand of God? In Psalm 23, when David said, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,” he was not declaring God’s faithfulness because of the situation, but because of who he knew God to be. Usually, when things are difficult, our natural reaction is to focus on and speak about the problem. But to see a real breakthrough in our situation, we must determine to meditate on and speak God’s promises instead of the problems. King David said; “I WILL bless the Lord at ALL times, His praise will always be on my lips.” (Ps 34:1)

There is something powerful about saying “I WILL”; taking control of all feelings and making them bow to the truth of God’s word! No matter how you feel, determining to praise and thank him anyway.

Acts Chapter 16 records the story of the punishment Paul and Silas received for preaching the gospel. After being severely beaten, apostles Paul and Silas were thrown into prison. Instead of talking about their dire circumstances, they were singing and giving glory to God.

Acts 16: 25-26 25 About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly, there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once, all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.

Paul and Silas received a breakthrough for themselves and all those in the prison by praying and singing hymns to God. Even the jailer and his whole family were delivered from the kingdom of darkness and translated into the kingdom of light! Wow!

The only way to have abundant increase is to believe God no matter what your situation looks like! You must trust that he loves you and will never let you down! Remember what God has said – “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Heb 13:5b

When you praise and thank God during difficult times, it’s a sacrifice because your trust in self has to die. Check out these two powerful scriptures!

Hebrews 13:15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.

Psalm 50:21 He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way that I may show him the salvation of God.

When you choose to thank God in the middle of your trial, it is a sacrifice of self-preservation and self-trust! Make no mistake; thanking and praising God during difficult times is the fastest way to see God’s answer to your problem! Oh yes! We must believe God no matter what the cost! We must trust God even when it makes no sense! I promise you, God is trustworthy and will never let you down!

Come on! Let the praises of God be stirred up within you right now! Like King David, make up your mind right now to declare an unconditional…

I WILL!

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When you sincerely believe something, actions always follow! You always know when someone is walking and true faith because they will be busy doing what they believe.

James 2:20-26 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

One of the greatest mistakes well-meaning Christians make is focusing on their actions instead of the faith that produces those actions. People can act like they have faith, but it will only be short-lived because it does not come from genuine inspiration. Those who have real faith are inspired, and corresponding actions come naturally! So how do we get genuine faith?

Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

When you set your mind on the truth of God, your heart will change, inspiration will come, and a life that looks like Christ will become your reality. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4

God is speaking; are you listening? We used to sing this song as a kid that said, “Trust and obey for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” You can be sure; your actions declare your faith! May the word of God dwell richly in you, and may the life of God flow through you! Hearing the voice of God is the…

BEGINNING OF TRUE FAITH

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It is rare to find someone whose relationship with God is such that what they speak to you flows from God’s throne! Money, gold, and precious stones are available and all around but to have someone in your life that truly speaks the knowledge of God is rare, profound, and powerful. Treasure the preciousness of hearing words from God and receiving the knowledge of the truth; it is truly extraordinary! IT’S RARE!

Prov 20:15 Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.

Proverbs 8:33-36 Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it. 34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. 35 For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord. 36 But whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death.”

Many have a lot to say, but few are endowed with the words of heaven. Make sure you don’t underestimate how important this gift to you is! Because God loves you, he has placed certain people in your life who inspire you to go higher and bring divine instruction and correction where needed.

I believe God is trying to speak to someone today – maybe you? Don’t take for granted the precious opportunities God has given you! God is gently working in your life to bring powerful insight that will inspire and uplift your spirit. This is a great blessing from God! You can be sure of this; people who reveal God’s truth to you are...

RARE

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Earl Nightingale said, “The strangest secret in the world is that we become what we think about the most.” Our future is determined by what we have chosen to behold within our minds. As soon as a person is born into this world, they immediately become burdened by the never-ending nagging thoughts of having to perform good enough to feel right. As they get older, they become increasingly aware of all righteous requirements and their pitiful lack of fulfilling them. Sadly, some ladies are married to husbands who are like the law. They are meticulously accurate and perfectly neat, and they expect their wives to live up to their unrealistic standards while not being willing to lift a single finger to help. In the same way, the law of God demanded ultimate perfection while giving us no solution to live it. Look at how apostle Paul explains this concept.

Gal 3:10-11 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” 11 Clearly, no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.

The law was, and still is, a curse to those who try to gain right standing with God by obeying it. Trying to be good enough to deserve God promotes a life of failure. When Jesus came, he released a law with a much higher standard, a law far beyond external works. His law dealt with the very motives of the heart. Contrary to the law of Moses that gave no help to fulfilling its requirements, Jesus not only gave us the higher law of love but is the one who carries out the perfection of that law within us!

2 Corinthians 3:15-18 Even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (NIV)

Apostle Paul told the Philippian church, “Being confident of this that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.” Philippians 1:6 Who is doing the work? It is not you who will fulfill the righteous requirements of the new law of love, but it will be God in you! I love what Paul later said to the Philippian church.

Philippians 2:13 For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Only when we behold or constantly look at God, do we experience His life of righteousness and true fulfillment! Our focus is no longer on the law and trying to fulfill it but instead on Christ. As we behold him, our life is transformed by his love, and His perfection naturally begins to flow through us. Because of the blood of Jesus, God has already declared us perfect in his sight. The more we meditate on that truth, the more our actions line up with that truth.

Be sure of this; the most significant changes you will experience in your life will seem effortless when they happen because it will not be you doing the work but rather Christ in you! Wow! The authentic life of Christianity is fully realized only by those whose thoughts are constantly on what God has declared to be true. Oh yes! It is so essential to recognize that your dominant thoughts determine where your life is heading.

What are you constantly looking at within your mind? Is what God has declared about you? My prayer for you today is that your life will continuously increase because you understand that…

AS YOU BEHOLD, YOU WILL BECOME

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I have often shared the principle of first things first, second things second, and third things third. Have you ever thought about what or who holds the trophy of first place in your life? Luke 19:10 says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” The highest priority of God’s people – he’s in love!

I believe that the natural response of a person infected with the wonderful love of God is the desire to fulfill his great commission and purpose on the earth! My dear friend, there are so many who have not been introduced to his incredible love! Look at what Jesus said.

Luke 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

As we see the day of the Lord approaching, we must be stirred to fulfill God’s great commission! My dear friend, we must focus on what really matters! There is nothing more important in life than knowing God and fulfilling His heart’s desire! The great evangelist Reinhard Bonnke coined this great quote, “Make the great commission your great ambition.” Here is the great commission Jesus gave us:

Mat 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

This great commission wasn’t for a select few! No! This was given to all of us! You are one of God’s ministers! You are called to be a part of God’s great plan!

Your effectiveness as a minister of the gospel is determined by how much you are infected with God’s love! Christianity is all about God living through us, not about us living for him. May you be stirred to trust God as never before! May nothing in your life come before God – may he be first in all that you do! May this Encouraging Note inspire us to do all we can to fulfill God’s great commission! It is time for us to launch out to do the great things God has called us to do! I believe the best way to do that is to be determined to keep…

FIRST THINGS FIRST

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