Encouraging Notes

The greatest cry of God’s heart is that we would trust him! His ultimate purpose is that we would live in, and fully experience, all that he is! That statement alone is mind-blowing! But for us to come into the fullness of God, there is a breaking that is necessary. God allows trials to destroy the outer man, thus bringing forth the fruitfulness of the inner man.

John 12:23-24 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 I tell you the truth unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

People go to the gym to put their muscles through testing, and that testing produces increase.

The trials you’re facing are all about your faith. Look at what Apostle Peter said.

1 Peter 2:7 “These (trials) have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Know this, the life that God has to offer is exceedingly, abundantly, above anything this world has to offer! God longs for you to come into His life of faith! The life of faith is not about something that will happen in the future but about the trials you are currently facing? Those trials are, as I said yesterday, “the weight room of life!” God wants you to believe!

John 6:29-28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” 29Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

If you are going to do what God wants the most, you are going to believe! Jesus said, “In this world, you will have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33 The Apostle John wrote, “This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.” 1 John 5:4

What does it mean to believe God? It means to confidently rest your life upon what God has said is true. My dear friend, it is time to lay back in the arms of God and receive his undeserved empowerment to conquer! Remember, when by faith, you rest in God, God will fight your battles! The most outstanding work you will ever do for God is to rest completely in God!

Right now, right where you are at, God is with you and has a detailed plan for your success! Your trials are for a reason and for a season. God is faithful; he will not let you down! Oh yeah, in light of that trial you have been going through – you can be sure that it is your divine…

OPPORTUNITY TO GROW

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When God is getting ready to release an outpouring of his Spirit upon the earth, he will impress upon his people to set themselves apart unto himself in preparation. I believe we are in that season; great things are getting ready to happen! I sense the day of God’s power is at hand! Daniel said, “but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.” Dan 11:32 (KJV)

Joshua 3:5 Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.”

God is no respecter of persons. He wants his eternal glory to flow through anyone who will set themselves apart unto him! Renewing your mind with the love and grace of God is how you can prepare for God’s greatness to be released through you! Apostle Paul said, “If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For Christ’s love compels us because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” 2Cor 5:13-15

The love of God was the driving force of apostle Paul’s life! He was convinced that every person he saw was someone that Jesus died for and also who died with Jesus at the cross. He was so overwhelmed by a love that would do such a thing for a world filled with sinful people like you and me! Paul was so overwhelmed that he wanted to tell everyone the truth of God’s incredible provision for them!

Like apostle Paul, you and I must be driven by the love of God! It is of utmost importance that we train ourselves to live continuously in the revelation of that love! Sometimes people construe God to be one who only uses people with great gifting and talent, but this notion couldn’t be farther from the truth! God uses those who believe him, those who have been transformed by renewing their minds with the truth of his love!

Time is short, and we must be ready for what’s coming upon the earth! So how do you set yourself apart in consecration to God? Please understand that it is not something great that you’re going to do but rather something great that God will do in and through you! The kind of preparation you need is the preparation that comes from humbly receiving the love and grace of God and choosing to live continuously in its truth. Learn to do everything inside of that truth! When you wake up in the morning – when you eat breakfast – when you go to work – etc. Everything you do must bring from the wonder of being loved, forgiven, and free! This simple act of faith will be the key that unlocks the profound future God has for you! You can be confident that the transformation process that happens by renewing your mind with God’s love is true preparation! I don’t know about you, but I am feeling a stirring! I feel like today is my day and that now is the time to…

GET READY!

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Most of us are not interested in going through hard things – right! I mean, who wants trials? But it is often those hard times that bring about the most significant change in our lives. When experiencing challenging times, it can feel like you are going through a baptism of sorts that is driving you towards change. The Bible speaks of multiple types of baptisms, but they all carry the same root: a person going through something that will forever alter their life!

The first baptism Jesus went through was the baptism of water. While being baptized by John in the Jordan River, Jesus had a profound experience with the Holy Spirit. Jesus saw the Holy Spirit descending upon him like a dove, and he heard God say, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him, I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17 Immediately, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by the devil in the wilderness. Somebody once said, “For every new level, there is a new devil.” I assure you that Jesus’ experience in the wilderness wasn’t for nothing for, when he returned from that experience, he was walking in new power.

Luke 4:14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.

What the enemy meant for evil God had already planned for good. What Jesus went through was preparation for the mighty things that would flow through his life. There was another baptism that Jesus would also face, and that was the cross. Speaking of the cross, Jesus said, “But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! Luke 12:50

Jesus fully understood why he had come to this earth and knew he had to undergo this final baptism. The outcome of this final baptism would be so great that it would produce God’s ultimate plan on earth – the church. Yes! The result of Jesus’ final baptism of the cross was you and me. We are now God’s powerhouse in the world. God’s Holy Spirit within us is the hindering force stopping the spirit of the antichrist from taking over the world. We will continue to be a powerful force until we are taken out in the rapture. ( See 2 Thess 2:7-8) Also, you and I can now come to God’s very throne with confidence (Hebrews 4:16) because he is no longer counting our sins against us. (2Cor 5:19)

You can be sure that there is a testing ground for everyone God will use greatly! If you are going through a trial in your life right now, know that it is for a reason and only for a season. Just like Jesus, if you choose to trust God, your trial will also increase the presence and power of God in your life!

James 1:2-4 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

People pay money for gym memberships and are willing to endure pain because they want the health and physical benefits it can bring. I often refer to trials and tribulations in our lives as our spiritual gym. God longs for us to increase in every area, but that increase does not come without going to the spiritual gym. Remember; after Jesus came back from his testing in the wilderness, he walked in a new dimension of power that caused the purpose for which he came to this earth to be launched.

My dearest friend, are you being tested? Hold on… Because it’s Power Time! As I mentioned earlier, God tests everyone that he will use greatly! Every vessel that God will use will go through the process of molding, making, being tried by fire, and waiting. Are you ready to go to the next level? If so, you can be sure that you also will face a baptism. What do you need to do during this baptism experience? Just believe God! That’s it! Promotion comes from God, and all you need to do is trust him! You can’t lose! God is crazy in love with you and is in total control! Will you trust him? If so, it is time to get excited because we are in the last days, and I am sensing that it is…

POWER TIME!

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As our revelation of eternity and the love of God increases, our motivation for life also changes, and what we live for takes a new shape. When I think of people in history that had a grasp of the incredible love and grace of God, my mind often thinks of the apostle Paul. The revelation of God’s love drove Paul to such a passionate and intense place that many thought he was crazy or out of his mind. He indeed was crazy for God, and it was God’s love that transformed his life. During Paul’s farewell the leaders of the church in Ephesus he wrote the following:

Acts 20:22-24 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city, the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.

Wow! Apostle Paul was a man wholly consecrated to God and his purpose! When apostle Paul wrote this, he had already experienced a lot of persecution for preaching the gospel and bore in his body many wounds to prove it. Very possibly, even his looks had been altered by being stoned and beaten so many times. Wow! God’s love is so transforming for Paul that he no longer looked at people not through human eyes but through the lens of God’s love! His willingness to be beaten and stoned for the cause of Christ made people think he was crazy or out of his mind. Apostle Paul’s response to them was the following:

2 Corinthians 5:13-16a 13If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For Christ’s love compels us because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 16So, from now on, we regard no one from a worldly point of view.

Wow! To me, those scriptures are so riveting and convicting! Absolutely astounding! I can assure you; God is drawing you and me into having the same heart! So here’s the question; what are you willing to lose for the cause of Christ? Is there anything more important to you and God and his purposes? I don’t know about you, but I see my great need to go to another level in the love of God! As I see the signs of the end times being fulfilled before my very eyes, I am stirred. I am unwilling to be halfway in like the foolish virgins in Matthew 25. It is time to go all out for Jesus! Would you pray with me? We need God more than ever before!

Dear precious Father, I want to have a heart that is overwhelmed with who you are and all you’ve done! Lord, may you increase my revelation of your love so that I, like apostle Paul, would be willing to lose anything or even everything for the sake of Christ and those he died for. Father, draw me into the place of being so intoxicated with your love that I could honestly say, along with apostle Paul, “I consider my…

LIFE WORTH NOTHING

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Come on – tell it like it is! You know, just like me, you don’t deserve it! We have all done it wrong and deserved punishment! But because of God’s great love for us, our mistakes and failures are paid for!

Rom 5:7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a (exceptionally) good person, someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

There isn’t one of us who has done it all right! That is why this is so beautiful! None of us have earned or deserved the goodness of God. God’s love and grace for us are beyond comprehension!

Rom 11:30-36 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

Doxology

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Who has ever given to God that God should repay them?” For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

There are no good works that can make you right with God or get you into heaven! It is by faith alone that we can tap into this staggering favor of God! God’s provision of Jesus and his blood is the only acceptable payment for us to be righteous in God’s sight! Oh, how freeing! How blissfully wonderful!

I pray that your spiritual eyes will clearly see this amazing truth! He loves you and me intensely! In fact, outside of God, no one has ever known, thought of, or experienced love like His! Yes! His love is for you and me and everyone you meet! Don’t keep quiet; let’s tell about it today! People need to know about God and his amazing love for them! This I know for sure; we are all the same— not one of us deserves him! He came because he loves all of us…

YEAH, ALL OF US!

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It is possible to live as a Christian, going to church every Sunday and yet living in a spiritual funk where life seems cloudy and confusing. A life of clarity and freedom is a choice, not a stroke of luck. Because of the law, our self-righteous, old nature pressures us to hide areas of sin and failure, but hiding these issues does not fix them; instead, it enables them to continue and even expand their covert destruction in our lives. The truth and love of God inspire us to trust Him enough to face our issues so that we can be set free. It is of utmost importance to understand that unconfessed sin is cancer and will eventually cause death.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

On the other hand, a clear conscience is when you can be face-to-face with God or anyone else and truthfully say, as far as I know, I have not sinned against you without confessing it and making it right. We never need to ask God for forgiveness because he forgave all our sins when he dealt with them at the cross. Instead, we must own up to our sin before God and call it what it is – sin. Confession, or owning up to our sin before God, clears our conscience’s spiritual connection with God. This is why King David said, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; Psalm 66:8 It is not that God does not hear but rather that the relationship has been compromised because of our sin. Sin makes us not have confidence before God. Apostle John wrote, “Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.1 John 3:21-22 That is why we must clear our conscience by confessing our sins to God. That is why Apostle John also wrote, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

Notice it says confess – not beg for forgiveness. Oh yes! Our debt was forgiven at the cross! Thank you, Jesus! On the other hand, when we have wronged our fellow man, we must go to them and ask for forgiveness; this is the only way we can clear up those things that are violating our consciences and producing a lack of confidence and separation between God and us. Please know that your conscience affects every area of your life, including your faith and, therefore, your ability to connect with God.

1 Timothy 1:19 Cling to your faith in Christ and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked. (NLT)

When a person’s conscience is not clear, there is a constant inward struggle to feel right – right with God and right with oneself. If not dealt with, it will eventually shipwreck a person’s faith. Holding on to offenses towards others or onto any sin is a dangerous place to be! Don’t allow the ugly things of the past to keep you from the blessing of God for your future!

Is it worth your whole life of intimacy with God being destroyed so that you can hold on to a particular sin? My dear friend, God is here to help you clear things up! Go ahead and get ahold of that person(s) you have wronged; confess and make those things right! Know this; a clear conscience will cause you to hear from God in a new dimension, giving you the direction and clarity to move into the great things he has in store for you!

My dear friend, is it possible that God is wooing you towards new freedom today? God’s heart is to bless you in every way possible! Your best life is ahead of you, and it will be accessed when you…

CLEAR IT UP!

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