Encouraging Notes

The good news granted to us by God through Jesus Christ is wonderful beyond description. But it is important to note that what a person believes will determine whether they experience this amazing good news or not. God has declared you and I righteous through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Apostle Paul wrote, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 That is why the Scripture says, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Jn 8:36 No more shame and no more guilt! Yes! A life of glorious freedom and victory is in store for those who believe!

As I say so often, the most important word in the Bible is the word believe. It is so crucial that you take careful inventory of what you genuinely believe! What you genuinely believe is determined by the thoughts that dominate your mind. Your most prevalent thoughts are a declaration of what you believe and where your life is heading.

Are your thoughts positive because they are based on the truth of Jesus Christ, or are they negative? Negative thoughts are thoughts that are based on what is visible – positive thoughts are those that are based upon the unseen. What have you put your hope in? When you are suddenly faced with challenges, who or what do you go to for help? Is God your answer, or are you trusting in something natural?

Those who choose to put the total weight of their trust in God are those who will find their heart at peace and at rest. The rest that we are talking about is so vital that the Bible clearly warns us to ensure that we don’t fall short of it through unbelief.

Hebrews 4:1-3b Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did, but the message they heard was of no value to them because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. 3 Now, we who have believed enter that rest.

Good works will never be the avenue through which one can please God! Pleasing God comes down to simple, childlike faith! Jesus was very clear when he said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Mat 18:3 What a mistake it is to expend our mental efforts trying to figure out God or impress him with our works. Jesus shed his precious blood to free us from self-righteousness and give us the opportunity to enter into the promised land of rest. When we believe God, the Spirit of his rest comes upon us, and the application of all Christ has done for us becomes our way of life!

How extremely vital it is to carefully consider what you are trusting in! While many base their life upon the shaky ground of jobs, spouses, families, or even their churches, God calls us to put our complete trust upon him and his forever settled word! Graphic disappointment lies ahead for those who put their trust in the things of this world, while those who put the entirety of their life in the Lord’s hands can look forward to a life of peace and rest!

Don’t allow this Encouraging Note to pass you by without carefully considering what you are trusting in? Oh my dearest friend, what a wonderful life of sweet rest is awaiting those who will…

JUST BELIEVE

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Obtaining the favor of God is always about believing! The more you accept and know you’re right standing with God through Jesus, the more God’s favor and success will be yours. Yes! Setting our minds on the truth of the gospel is the secret to God’s divine favor!

2 Chronicles 1:1 Solomon, son of David, took firm control of his kingdom, for the Lord his God was with him and made him very powerful. (NLT)

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith, it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (NIV)

During Solomon’s early years, he chose to believe God, and consequently, he was blessed in everything he did. Some people call this phenomenon “the law of attraction.” When you genuinely believe, you feel different and act different, and that difference causes God’s prosperity to be yours! True prosperity does not begin with anything external but rather internal. The life of blessing all comes down to the word believe! Here is a truth that you can take to the bank; when by faith you have obtained it on the inside…

YOU TRULY HAVE IT!

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When you sincerely believe something, you will act upon that belief. Everyone knows when a person believes by what they do. Wholehearted believing produces wholehearted actions! It is interesting what wholehearted translates to in the eyes of God. What you believe and therefore do has the power to gain God’s attention.

A great example of this is Caleb. Caleb is one who obtained the favor of God because of his wholehearted obedience generated by faith. When the children of Israel came into the promised land under the leadership of Joshua, Caleb, by faith, confronted him, and here is what transpired.

Josh 14:6-9 Now the men of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb, son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, said to him, “You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. 7 I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the LORD, sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, 8 but my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly. 9 So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever because you have followed the LORD, my God, wholeheartedly.’

Wow! Caleb had a radical faith! When the other ten spies failed to trust God and brought discouragement to the nation of Israel, Joshua and Caleb were fully convinced in the power of God to deliver nations into their hands and give them the land he had promised! Because of this faith, at 85 years old, Caleb was just as strong and ready for war as he was when he was 40. So Caleb went on to say, “10 Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11 I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. 12 Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day.” Josh 14:10-12

Caleb knew what God had given him and was not about to give up on his promise! The Bible goes on to say, “Then Joshua blessed Caleb, son of Jephunneh, and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. 14 So Hebron has belonged to Caleb, son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the LORD, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly.” Josh 14:13-14

I am praying for you today and believing that you, like Caleb, will believe and serve God faithfully and wholeheartedly. Yes! May the spirit of a conqueror also be upon you, and may you, like Caleb, be one whom God would declare as…

WHOLEHEARTED!

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God’s love is beyond amazing! His love that afforded our forgiveness is so astounding that it is hard to grasp and assimilate. God longs to bless us with the very life he lives in, the life of complete provision in every way, including being loved, forgiven, and perfectly free! Those who experience this lavish life offered through Jesus Christ are those who tap into heaven’s secret life of prosperity, purpose, and significance. Although once a murderer and adulterer, King David understood something that you and I need to get a firm hold of.

Ps 32:1-2 Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins a covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.

Psalms 103:8-13 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west him, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him

Can you put a price tag on the eternal forgiveness of God? Understanding that your soul is your mind, will, and emotions, is there anything worth more than the state of your soul? There have been many, though naturally wealthy, that hated life because of the poverty of their soul. Do you know that the goal of your faith in Christ is the salvation of your soul?

1 Pet 1:8-9 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

The end goal of your faith in Christ is that you would step into the life he lives in. In other words, your thoughts, feelings, and emotions line up with the truth that declares that you are loved, forgiven, and free!

God’s precious love received taps a person into a better life than anything they could have ever dreamed of! When you are fully convinced that all of your sin, mistakes, and failures are paid for, never to be remembered again, you will soar on the wings of God’s very life! How beautiful – how wonderful!

I pray that you are convinced of your extreme value in God’s sight! I pray that you can comprehend that you are everything he has ever wanted! I pray that not one more second of your life will be wasted through thoughts of condemnation– today is your day to truly live! This life of living loved, forgiven, and free is so amazing that words fail to define its fullness! The only way I know how to describe it is to say that…

IT IS BEYOND AMAZING!

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In Joppa, a woman named Tabitha had died and was placed in an upstairs room in preparation for burial. Upon hearing that a man of God was nearby, they called for him to come as soon as possible. Here is what happened when he went into the room.

Peter sent them all out of the room; then, he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes and, seeing Peter; she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. (Acts 9:40-42 NIV)

Because of this one miracle, a lot of people in Joppa believed in the Lord! How many people do you know who desperately need a touch from the Lord? We are in the last days, and much needs to happen to fulfill what God has told us regarding the bride of Christ. I believe that we are coming into a time of God manifesting his power on earth as never before! People will soon have a clear picture of God and his love because of his bride! Apostle Paul said, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing b her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. Eph 5:25-27. God is the one preparing his bride for himself, and therefore, the job will get done! God is going to do something in us that’s amazing and powerful – take a look!

Ephesians 1:18-21 “18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

Wow! That is so intense and exciting! The same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is available to you and me (those who believe)! Yes! God is calling us to walk in what he has already given us! Do you hear him calling? Oh, that the world would get a taste of how good he is!

In the first scripture above, it said. “This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.” Make no mistake; when God’s power shows up, a lot of people will experience great change, and many will come to the Lord! I believe it is time for us to live in the power that God has already declared to be ours! Remember, Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” Mat 16:18b. The power of God is not something we can make happen; God is going to finish the work he started! Without advertising or special promotions, Jesus had crowds so large that no building would have sufficed. Soon, I believe that we, as the body of Christ, be more skilled in the power of God than we are at advertising and promoting our churches through social media! Oh yes! We are going to be a church that reflects the heart, mind, and nature of God! As you go about your day today, please don’t forget this encouraging thought…

A LITTLE POWER = A LOT OF CHANGE!

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We have discussed how pain is necessary for gain. Do you know that suffering is necessary to fully experience God’s glorious plan of salvation? It is probably not the suffering you’re thinking of – it is the suffering of surrendering the control of your life to God. When your life is no longer about you because of surrender, then your life will become all about God! When the purpose of God is of greater importance to you than anything in this life, you will have succeeded in the suffering that is necessary to see God’s power and amazing life flowing through you. Sin will no longer have a hold on you, and you will live the rest of this earthly life for the will of God and by the power of God.

1Pe 4:1-2 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires but rather for the will of God.

A person’s greatest struggle in this life is that of self, living by one’s own righteousness. One of the most significant places of sacrifice that you will ever experience will be in the area of self and self-righteousness. Those who think that their righteousness or lack thereof determines God’s love for them will go through a death process before they can experience the genuine life of God. Look at what Apostle Paul said regarding this.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 KJV

In other words, Paul was saying, Since God gave his life for me, my life is over; I have given my life entirely to him. For Apostle Paul, the life of trying to do things good enough to deserve God was over, and he had now stepped into the glorious freedom of living in the righteousness that God provided through Jesus Christ.

Letting go of our own righteousness is the beginning of living in the good news of Christ! It’s time for a real sacrifice that is pleasing unto God – your life and self-righteousness! May your life be a sweet sacrifice to God. May you be done with the life of self and fully given over to the life of Christ! There is no life more fulfilling than the life of surrendering to God and his love!

In all of the world, there is nothing like living in God’s grace! The grace of God empowers us to live in the life of heaven, right here on earth. Jesus was very pointed about this when he told us to pray by saying, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is being done in heaven.” Mat 6:10 Jesus would never have told us to pray like that if it wasn’t possible to live with heaven’s will being accomplished right here on earth. If you study what heaven is like, you will know what his will should be like on earth. There is no sin in heaven – no depression – no sickness or disease – no bitterness or anger – why? Because God’s will is being done! God longs for us to step into the revelation of what he has provided for us through Jesus Christ! Jesus said, “I came that you would have life and that more abundantly.” John 10:10 The life Jesus came to give us is profound and truly extraordinary!

So what is holding us back? It is sin – the sin of self. The worst sin in the Garden of Eden is still the most dangerous sin of all – living according to one’s own righteousness! Adam and Eve were tricked into becoming intimate with the law and the life of self, but Jesus came to free us and give us the life of heaven based upon love!

So why suffering? Because in our carnal nature, we want to be in control of ourselves and be righteous on our own. Therefore, there is suffering and death that must take place in a person’s life who will experience the glory of God. God is calling us as the body of Christ to let go of everything about us and accept the life that is all about him!

Oh, my dear friend, one thing I’m sure of is that the suffering of letting go of self will be the…

MOST REWARDING SUFFERING YOU WILL EVER KNOW!

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