Encouraging Notes

Trying to believe when there is no hope in sight can be a daunting task! There are times when everything seems to be the opposite of what you're believing God for. There is something extraordinary about those who can be in the valley of the shadow of death and fear no evil! So, what is so special about them? They are those who believe what God has said to them no matter what! Wow! Witnessing those who dare to believe God when they see nothing is so inspiring! The greatest blessing is for those who believe when there is nothing in the natural to give them hope.

Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

John 20:29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

King David believed God, even though his circumstances looked as if he would die (valley of the shadow of death). He did not have a plan B or C; merely convinced that God was with him, he lived fearlessly. Wow! Do you know that God is with you?

God is so in love with you and is so excited about you trusting him no matter what! He knows that you will step into the same power that created the universe and raised Jesus Christ from the dead when you believe! When you know that you are righteous and perfectly loved by God, you can believe him even when everything around you looks the opposite of what you're believing! When God has said something, he will surely bring it to pass! You can take that to the bank! He understands and knows everything and will make a way for you!

Today, if you are settled in your heart that God is love and that his passion is focused on you, you may not see the answer yet, but on the inside, you know the answer is already yours! You see, when you believe God, it causes you to see what is unseen! Dr. Oral Roberts often said, "If you can see the invisible, you will do the impossible." How true this is! This is why the Bible repeatedly tells us to fix our eyes on what is unseen. The Bible is filled with heroic stories of those who did the impossible because they saw the invisible! They believed God!

2 Corinthians 4:18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

God's amazing promises are for anyone who will believe! No title is necessary. Race, size, color, or creed has nothing to do with God's desire to come through for you! Oh, yes! You can be assured; this is for you! One thing I am confident about; if you can see the invisible, you also will...

DO THE IMPOSSIBLE!

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One of the greatest secrets in all of life is the secret of seeing the unseen! This is the life of faith. Many times faith is a foggy area and sorely misunderstood. Most people walk by sight instead of by faith and do not understand how to get faith. Look at what Apostle Paul revealed in Romans 10:17.

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

Faith comes through the word of God! Romans chapter 12:2 tells us that the renewing of our minds can transform us! This means that you can become something completely different than you are right now by renewing your mind through the word of God. The word of God is the very DNA and genetic code of God himself and has the power to make you like him. Inside of a seed is all the DNA and genetic coding to not only produce a tree but a forest or even a content of trees. Consider the power of the following scripture.

1 Peter 1:23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

Because the word of God is seed, it has the power to create. The seed of a tree is not a tree in all its fullness but is indeed the fullness of the tree. The word of God is not God in all of his fullness, for this would require all of space, time, and eternity, yet it is the fullness of God.

James 1:18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

For a person to be birthed into the unseen world of the kingdom of God, they must believe the Word of God. God has called us to live our lives in the unseen.

2Cor 4:18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Most people live their lives by what they can taste, touch, feel and see, but God has called us to live in his supernatural life of the unseen by faith. Are you ready to live in the exciting world of the unseen? If you are, you will experience another powerful key to…

LIVING HEAVEN'S LIFE RIGHT HERE

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It is so fascinating how God doesn't do things the way this world does. As an example of what I'm talking about, you may remember the story of God sending Samuel to anoint a king to rule over Israel. God told Samuel the prophet to go to the house of Jesse (a family of little clout or recognition) and anoint one of his sons. When the oldest son, Eliab, stepped forward, Samuel thought for sure he would be the one for he was tall and very handsome. But look at what God said to Samuel.

1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, Look not on his appearance or at the height of his stature, for I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.

Man always looks at how the situation appears in the natural, but God is continually assessing everything through the eyes of His Spirit. God does not look for people with great talent or ability; instead, he is interested in a person's availability. The provoking thought is this; are you available? Are you someone who will believe God? More than anything else, God is looking for those who will launch out into the deep based upon the instruction of His Holy Spirit!

When Jesus was being interrogated by the chief priests and elders of Israel, he told them the following parable.

Matthew 21:28-32 "What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' "'I will not,' he answered, but later, he changed his mind and went. "Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. "Which of the two did what his father wanted?" "The first," they answered. Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

The prostitutes and the tax collectors knew they were sinners and were willing to believe Jesus. The religious leaders would not believe Jesus because they trusted in their own righteousness. In John chapter 4, we see the story of the woman at the well. At the time of her encounter with Jesus, she had been married to five husbands and was currently living with another man. But consider this; because she was willing to believe Jesus and his words, the whole region heard the good news of Christ through her!

Wow! That is so encouraging! God is not even looking for those who are doing it all right; he is looking for those who will believe him! Without a doubt, right believing always precedes right doing.

Again, here's the provoking question; will you believe God? Have you put the full weight of your trust in the fact that you are loved, adored, and highly valued in God's sight? Are you living your moments with the recognition that God is in you and all around you?

Trust me on this one; God uses people who believe him! Today is your day to take your faith to another level by meditating on what God has said is true! My dear friend, today is your day to step into God's perfect plan for you! Yes! Now is the time for…

Living Heaven's Life Right Here!

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I believe most of us have had great dreams and goals for our lives at one time or another, but because of negative words, discouraging setbacks, or personal failure, some have abandoned those dreams to follow something other than their true destiny. God wants you to know that you, by faith, have the power to raise the dead and bring back to life the dreams God has put in your heart. Any God-given dream will have times of discouragement that will make it seem impossible to reach, but in the middle of it all, God is God, and he will make a way even when there seems to be no way.

Genesis records the mesmerizing story of Abraham’s life. If you remember, God gave Abraham the dream that he would be the father of many nations, but it would be 25 years before even the beginning of that dream would come to pass. In the middle of what seemed naturally impossible, Abraham chose to believe God and continued to think and speak of the reality of the things that were not yet a physical reality.

Romans 4:17-22 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet, he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Though the childbearing years for Abraham and Sarah were long gone, Abraham chose to believe in a God who gives life to the dead and calls those things that are not as though they already were.” Wow! What always gets to me is where it says, “Yet, he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what he had promised.” Absolutely profound!

Maybe you are in one of those situations right now that seems like an “against all hope” situation. Maybe there are dreams in your life that have died and need to be raised back to life. John chapter 11:1-44 reveals the story of Lazarus dying and four days later being raised back to life by Jesus. Though Jesus loved Lazarus and knew that he was deathly ill, he continued to stay away for several days. Jesus did this so that the glory of God would be revealed through Lazarus’s resurrection. John 11:4

If your dream has died and you are no longer pursuing God’s plan for your life, I can assure you that there is power to resurrect it back to life! No matter how long your dream has been in what may seem like a grave, God can bring it back to life! How can that happen? The answer is faith! God is longing for you to believe him! He wants to bring to life the dream he has put inside of you!

My dearest friend, it is time for you to begin to think and speak according to God’s will and call those things that are not as though they already were! Oh yes! It is still possible to see God’s great purposes accomplished in your life! If you choose to believe God and commit to thinking and speaking, and according to God’s dream for your life, I can confidently say that you will see your dream come alive, and you will step into one of the most significant ways for...

Living Heaven’s Life Right Here!

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God wants you and I to live in freedom! Freedom is not being able to do whatever you feel like, but is the power to do what you know is best! Have you ever had a habit, addiction, or tendency that you struggled to get rid of, often finding your willpower too weak to resist? These types of things are crippling and often cause people to live in shame and defeat. Believe it or not, one of the most gracious things God can do for us is to let our own willpower completely defeat us! It is only then that we can let go of ourselves to rest in the finished work of the cross and therefore access the power of God!

In Mark chapter 9, a boy was being tormented by an evil spirit; look at what happens.

Mark 9:14-29 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them.

15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.

16 “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.

17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech.

18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”

19 “O unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered.

22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

23” ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.”

24 Immediately, the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently, and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.”

27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

Jesus wanted them to know that faith alone releases the power necessary to cast out devils! The power to conquer demonic strongholds is available for anyone and is accessed by the faith that comes from the word of God in prayer. Jesus said, “everything is possible for him who believes.” When David was facing the giant Goliath, he said, “This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD’S and He will give you into our hands.” 1 Samuel 17:46-47

King David knew he did not have the power to conquer the giant that he knew God did, and all of his trust wasn’t him. Oh yes! Everything is possible for him who believes! God longs for you to live in complete freedom, and the only way to truly step into that freedom is to believe! Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

The truth has the power to give you complete freedom! Conversely, living in your own strength is a sure path to defeat! No matter what you’re facing, faith alone is the access to the power to live as who you really are – more than a conqueror!

Remember, the word of God is where faith comes from. Rom 10:17 So, let today be a day where your mind is wholly surrendered to what God says is true about you! May the enemies of your soul crumbled before you as you live minute by minute inside of God’s love for you! Today is your day for freedom – today is your day for…

LIVING HEAVEN’S LIFE RIGHT HERE!

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Faith-filled prayer is a non-negotiable when it comes to victorious Christian living! Though God has made it possible for you to experience heaven’s life right now, it is not possible without prayer! When Jesus told us to pray, Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven Mt 6:10, he wasn’t kidding! He wouldn’t have told us to pray for his kingdom to come if it would come without prayer. Do you have mountains in your life that seem impassable? Are there obstacles that are in your way that are preventing your success? Well, it is declaring God’s purposes by faith that can remove them for you! Consider these powerful words of Jesus.

Matthew 21:18-22 Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Jesus said, “if you have faith – if you believe.” Prayer that avails much is always marked by genuine faith. Also, sometimes people think that prayer is always asking God, but prayer often is declaring God’s will.

Someone once said, “Much prayer, much power. More prayer, more power. No prayer, no power.” Make no mistake; it is not simply prayer that brings breakthroughs. No! It is prayer that is offered in faith! Apostle James wrote, “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.” James 5:14-15

Not the prayer offered in I hope so, or if it be thy will, but the prayer offered in solid, genuine faith. Prayer that hopes for the answer is not what accesses God’s power – it is the prayer of faith! I cannot pray, “God if it be your will,” and still pray in faith. Why? Because if I pray, if it be thy will, that means I do not know what his will is. Faith is not genuine unless you know for sure what God’s will is. Therefore, if a person does not know God’s will, they cannot pray in what the Bible declares as faith!

In Exodus 15:26, God gave himself the name Jehovah Rapha, which means, I am the God who heals you.

Exodus 15:26 He said, “If you listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.”

How do I know I can pray for healing and know for sure that it is God’s will? It is because I know God has declared in his word that healing is his will. The above Scripture in James did not say, “Could make the sick person well.” No! It said, “will make the sick person well.” It was not a maybe or an if; it was absolute! What was the criteria? It was prayer that was offered in faith.

You might ask, then why did Jesus pray to God, saying, “If it be thy will?” It is important to note that no place in the Bible encourages us to pray “if it be thy will.” Why? Because God has given us his written Word so that we would know beyond the shadow of a doubt what his will is. Jesus, in desperation, was hoping that there was another way but concluded his prayer, saying, “Nevertheless, not my will but yours be done.” If we know for sure what God’s will is, based upon his eternal and forever settled Word, then we can pray with absolute confidence and faith!

My dear friend, God wants you to step into heaven’s type of living! Authority and power are available for those who tap into God through faith-filled prayer. I always contend that the most important word in the Bible is “believe.” Only faith can tap us into the wonderful life God has made possible for us. Yes! The life of heaven is available to you right now, and faith-filled prayer is one of the essential keys that God has given us to tap into…

LIVING HEAVEN’S LIFE RIGHT HERE!

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