High And Royal Places

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High, Royal, Royal places

“Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.” Psalms 91:14

Have you ever looked around in your life and stand amazed at where you are?  Especially, when you consider the fact that you don’t possess any of the requirements for the place or position that you find yourself in.  I mean you don’t have the education, the finances, the influence, the connections or the know how to be where you are, yet you are.  You can’t help but be amazed.

Yes, I am amazed and in awe at what the blood of Jesus Christ has done for me.  It’s because of the blood of Jesus that I am no longer just flesh and blood.  I am a divine spiritual being with divine blood.  I Peter 2:9 says, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.”  With the divine blood of Jesus Christ running through us we are royal, holy, and peculiar.  We have been called out of darkness into His marvellous light.  Because of the blood of Jesus, we belong in royal places.  God has set us on high and placed us in royal places. Hallelujah!

This means that we belong in these high and royal places. Not only that, but it means that we can stay there because the same God that give us the right to be there is the same God that will keep us there. He has given us all that we need to continue and thrive in these places. We have His mind, His power, His ability to stand and be in these places. So walk around in them like you belong because you do.

God is Wait Worthy

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faith, God is wait worthy, grace, Jesus, Receive, rest, wait, worry anxiousness

“Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He will strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord” Psalms 27:14

If you’ve ever been in the midst of a situation where you have to wait for someone or something to happen before you get relief then you know what it means to be anxious. 

Nobody likes to wait when they are in dire straits.  We want instant results or instant answers. Especially when you have people pressuring you.  Like when the landlord is pressuring you for the rent, or when the utility company is threating to cut you off. Or when your children are pressuring you for their needs or you’re waiting to hear back from a job.  You want relief now.

David tells us in the above scripture to “wait on the Lord.”  Why do we find that hard to do in trouble times?  I think it’s because we’re not waiting on the Lord at all.  We’re actually waiting on people to help us and not the Lord.  Why do I say this?  It’s because when you’re truly waiting on the Lord there will be peace and strength to settle your heart so that you’re not full of anxiety.  Waiting on people will cause you to make the wrong decisions and comprise your faith.  Saul made this mistake when Samuel told him to wait till he return but when Samuel was delayed Saul because of the pressure from the people made a decision that would cost him the kingdom and ultimately his life. 

            “And Samuel said, What has thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash:  Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt-offering.”  I Samuel 13:11-12

Samuel was the voice of God to Israel.  Saul not following Samuel’s instructions was Saul not waiting on the Lord.  Now let’s contrast this with Job.  Job lost his children, his house, his wealth, his health and all that he had. His friends were telling him that it must be his fault that he was in the predicament that he was in.  His wife even told him to curse God and die.  But here what Job says:

            “If a man dies, shall he live again?  all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.” Job 14:14

Job was waiting on God not man.  It didn’t matter how long it took Job knew that God was wait worthy.  He didn’t comprise his faith or make a bad decision because Job was waiting on God.

God is wait worthy!  He has been tried and proven never to fail.  Regardless of what you might lose or have lost while you’re waiting know that He will restore to you more than hundredfold. Therefore, our posture should be, while I wait on Him, I will continue to worship Him. 

Faith To Endure

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Endurance, Endure, faith, Father, God, Jesus, joy, rejoice, Temptations, Trials

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations: knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:2-4

In order for us to continue in whatever we have purposed to do this year we’re going to need endurance.   We won’t be able to continue unless we’re able to endure.   

First, we must realize and come to grips with the fact that at some point we are going to come into divers temptations.  It’s a biblical fact, the above scripture tells us so.  But somewhere along the way we believed the lie of the enemy that as Christians we’re not supposed to have any problems or that if we do, they won’t be of long duration.  My Friend, this is the lie the devil wants us to believe so that when trouble and problems come, we’re so focused on the problems and trouble that we’re not using our faith.  And if we’re not using our faith, how can we endure or stand up or hold up under the pressure?  You see endurance is an outflow of our faith.  Jesus is our faith.  We don’t use our own efforts to endure, it’s not our own strength, it’s Christ in us.  We have His endurance to continue pursing the promises of God.   Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  Christ endured the cross, despised the shame so that you and I could have victory in the midst of it all.

However, if you continue to believe the lies of the devil and cry and complain when trouble comes as if some strange thing is happening to you, how can you see victory?  You’re too busy looking at the trouble.  Listen to what Peter says,

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you; But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” I Peter 4:12-13

In other words, get up from that place of pity and petting and start rejoicing.  Because while the devil is meaning it for evil God is working it for your good.

So, listen when you find yourself in the midst of divers temptations know that your faith is being tried. And if you would focus on your faith who is Christ.  You will find that from your faith there will be an outflow of strength and power so that you are able to endure through it all and not only endure but continue pursing your dreams.  Rejoice my friend and again I say rejoice.

Continue

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Continue, faith, grace, help, Jesus, New Year Resolutions, power

“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.” John 15:9

If I had to give you one word to focus upon this year it would be Continue.

Continue in what you might ask?  Well, here are a few things.  Continue to believe that you are loved by God.  Continue to believe that you are accepted in the beloved.  Continue to believe that you can do all things through Christ.  Continue to believe that you are part of the body of Christ and therefore undefeatable. Continue to believe that you have the power of God and the wisdom of God to execute the will of God in your life.  Continue to believe that you are blessed and highly favored by God.  Continue to believe in miracles. Continue in the word of God. Continue to pray without ceasing.  Continue to ask big of God because there is nothing impossible with Him.  In short continue.

This year as you’re making your resolutions be resolved to continue regardless of what happens or what comes your way, or how things look, or how you feel.  Continue.  As you do you will find that nothing you set your heart to do this year will go undone.

Rolled Away

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Away, faith, grace, help, Jesus, Move, Rolled, Rolled Away, Stuck

Ever feel like you’re stuck?  Like there’s something in front of you that’s stopping you from moving forward and getting to where you want to be in life?  Well, I’ve got good news.  It’s rolled away! Yes, everything that the enemy was trying to put in your way has been rolled away.  The way is open for you to move forward.

Mary Magdalene and the women that went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus thought about the stone that was in front of the tomb.

 St. Mark 16: 2-4

“And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came to the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away; for it was very great.”

They knew that a stone would be placed at the entrance of the tomb because that’s the way it was done, whether they physically saw it or not.  In their minds the stone was there.  I can image that when they rose up in the morning they thought about the stone and while they were walking and talking the stone was the topic of discussion.  But when they got there, they saw that the stone was rolled away.  They saw that all their concern and worry was for nothing because God had sent an angel to roll the stone away. 

Likewise, when the children of Israel got to the Red Sea all they could see was the sea.  They too felt they were stuck and couldn’t move forward.  But God told Moses to tell the people to go forward and for him to lift up his rod and stretch out his hand over the sea and divide it.

Exodus 14:21

“And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land and the waters were divided.”

While Israel was resting, God caused the sea to be divided and the land to be dried.  They may have gone to sleep with the sea on their mind, but when they rose up, they saw that all their concern and worry was for nothing.  God had cleared the way for them to go forward.

Sometimes all we need to do is to take another look, but not with our natural eyes but with the eyes of faith.  When we do, we’ll see that grace has gone before us and has moved every stone and cleared the way for us to go forward.

Equipped

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church, equipped, glory, grace, Jesus, power

2 Peter 1:3

“According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue.”

What was happening in the church during the time of Peter’s writing  is much like what is happening in the church today.  People were turning away from the truth of the Gospel.  The enemy had planted false teachers in the church to sway believers away from what the apostles were teaching.  Today, we have more motivational speakers than we have revelation teaching and preaching.  This is seen not only in Peter’s letters but in Paul’s and John’s letters as well.  It seemed to be an underline theme of the New Testament after the gospels.  There were those that refused to let go of the law for grace.  They were trying to convince believers that they still had to keep the law even while being under grace.  We still have this today.  They were teaching that there was no redemption and that Jesus was not coming back.  Sound familiar?  It’s still happening today.  Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:1-5

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lust shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

Peter in seeing this warns the church and teaches them what they needed to do to guard themselves against the murderous lies, and tricks of the devil.  He starts by saying,

“Simon Peter a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.”  2 Peter 1:1-2

We are equipped with the Faith of God

Precious faith is faith that comes from God’s Holy Word.  Not men, but God’s Holy Word.  Paul said in 1 Cor. 2:4-5

“And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power:  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

Faith that comes from the Word of God can conqueror anything.  1 John 5: 4

“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith.”

Faith that is born of God is faith that comes from the Word of God.  Romans 10:17, “So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”  We have been given the faith of God.

We are equipped with the glory of God

Let’s look at what Peter says again in verse 1.

“According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue.”

We have been called to His glory.  His glory that shines brighter than the sun. Hebrews 1:3,

“Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” 

And Jesus said in St. John 17:22

“And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.”

We have been given the glory of God. Hallelujah!

We are equipped with the power of God

We have been called to His power.  That’s Dunamis power.  Power that is explosive.  It’s the power to breakdown, breakthrough and breakout. Eph. 2:19-21

“And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.”

Christ is the head we are the body, if all things have been put under his feet, then all things have been put under our feet because we are the body.  The feet is a part of the body.  His power is our power!  We have been given the power of God.

We are equipped with the promises of God

Peter goes on to say in verse 4,

“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:4

Now, it’s by His glory and virtue (His divine life and power) that we have received these great and precious promises.  Why?  Because Christ is the fulfillment of all the promises of God. 

I Corinthians 1:30 (Amplified version)

“But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus Whom God made our Wisdom from God, (revealed to us a knowledge of the divine plan of salvation previously hidden, manifesting itself as) our Righteousness (thus making us upright and putting us in right standing with God), and our Consecration (making us pure and holy), and our Redemption (providing our ransom from eternal penalty for sin).

Right here is where you must use that precious faith to believe that Christ is in you.  You are not just flesh and blood.  You are a divine spiritual being because Christ is in you.  Jesus prays in St. John 17:20-21,

“Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou; Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that they world many believe that thou hast sent me.”

Christ in us is salvation, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. Christ in us is the fulfillment of all the promises of God.  “For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” 2 Corinthians 1:20.

We are equipped with the Word of God

Peter goes on to tell the church how to avoid being deceived by satan’s murderous lies through being diligent in exercising their faith.

“And beside this giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.”

We exercise our faith to develop what has already been given and is living in us.  What you believe you will act upon.  You will live out what you believe.  If you believe that Christ is that virtue in you, and you’re not trying to become virtuous in your own strength but believe that He is virtue in you, then you will live virtuously.

It all starts and ends with faith.  We should be moving from faith to faith; from glory to glory.  Paul teaches us how to move from faith to faith in Romans 1:16-17

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”

From glory to glory in 2 Corinthians 3:18,

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

We move from faith to faith and glory to glory by giving all diligence to the Word of God. We have been given the written Word to reveal to us the living Word all we need to do is open it up and see His grace and glory.

What God Has Given

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gave, Give, given, land, Pay, promises, What God Has Given

“Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.” Joshua 1:3

Whatever God has given we don’t have to pay to receive.  All we need to do is to take it by faith.  And since we don’t have to pay for it, we don’t have to work for it.  It is given.

I think that one of the reasons why we are not taking it by faith is because we are still thinking as the world thinks.  The world’s way of receiving is that you must work for it.  I know you’ve heard the phrase “You can’t get something for nothing”.  Well, that’s the world’s way of thinking.  Romans 12:2 says, “and be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”  God’s good and acceptable, and perfect will is for us to take all that He has given us by faith. 

The world sets boundaries between you and what you want, need, and can do.  And those boundaries will always be based on your efforts or works.  But Christ came and removed the boundaries between us and our wants, needs and abilities.  The children of Israel going into the promise land was a foreshadow of what Christ would do for us.  They went into a land that flowed with milk and honey, a land that they didn’t have to work or pay for, a land where there were vineyards that they didn’t have to plant and houses that they didn’t have to build.  All they had to do was to take it by faith.  Unfortunately, of the twelve spies that Moses sent out to survey the land, only two received by faith.  The other ten only saw the boundaries.

Numbers 13:31:33

“But the men that went up with him said, we be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.  And they brought up and evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, the land, through which we have gone to search it is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great statue.  And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.”

These ten men infected a generation of people with doubt and unbelief so that they missed out on that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God for their lives.  

So how do we remove the boundaries?  We removed the boundaries by seeing what God has done for us through Christ.  Romans 8:32 says, “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall he not with Him also freely give us all things?” This takes care of our wants and needs and, Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” This takes care of our abilities.

Now, the only thing left for us to do is to take it.  We take it by declaring with thanksgiving that it is ours!

Entangled

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affairs, Bondage, Bound, Entangled, Entanglement, grace, Sweetness, war, world

2 Timothy 2:4

“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”

As we’ve talked about previously, the devil is after our faith.  He knows that if he can get us to step away from our faith in the promises of God, we won’t see them manifest in our lives.  He therefore uses the affairs of this life to entangle us and hinder us.  But thank God Jesus came to set us free from the devil and everything that he uses to entangled us.

When you are entangled, you are caught up in something that has you bound.  While some parts of you may be free, you’re unable to free yourself from the trap.  The place of entanglement is the mind. We can become so preoccupied mentally with the things of this life that we’re not focused on the things of God. It’s impossible for us to do what we’re commissioned to do when our minds are entangled.  As believers our one focus should be going into all the world with the gospel of Christ and the love of God.  Because the only way to change the hearts of men is through the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Politics, rules, and laws won’t change men’s hearts only Jesus Christ the Son of the living God can give men a new heart.  2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.”  When a man’s heart is new, he has the ability to live a new life. His old way of living is passed away and all things have become new.

Paul admonished the believers in Galatians 5:1 to “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”  The reason being is that God doesn’t want His people to go back and be entangled in anything He has brought them out of.  God wants us free.  The Galatians had become entangled in the law even though they were now under the new covenant of grace.   And because of that they lost the sweetness and blessedness of grace.  As believers when we become entangled in the affairs of this life, we too can lose the sweetness of grace and our effectiveness as salt and light in the world.    While this doesn’t mean that we’re not involved in the world, it simply means that even in our involvement our focus should be to bring souls to the loving arms of our Father God through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Stand Firm In The Faith

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devil, distractions, faith, Father, Firm, help, Jesus, power, stand

Our faith is most precious because without it we cannot please God.  It is therefore of the utmost importance that we guard it with our entire being. There can be no breaks when it comes to guarding our faith.  We must be alert and on our guard at all times. 

The devil is constantly trying to get us to move out of faith because he knows that we cannot possess the land without faith.  The children of Israel didn’t possess the promise land when they could have because they had no faith.  Likewise, we cannot possess all that Christ died for us to have if we have no faith.  I Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”  Make no mistake it’s the devil who is walking about seeking whom he may devour not people or things.  He will use whoever and whatever lends itself to him to come after your faith.  Guarding your faith may mean that you will have to separate yourself from people, places and things in order to stay stedfast and firm in your faith. David separated himself from his army and encourage himself in the Lord after the enemy had invaded Ziklag and captured their women and children. I Samuel 30:6, “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters; but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.”  David had to remove himself from all the negative talk and space in order to hear from God.   Peter said “be sober, be vigilant.” About what you ask?  About knowing who we are, what we have, and what we can do in Christ.  For a person who knows who they are; what they have and what they can do in Christ cannot be devoured.

Faith is both offensive and defensive.  We use it to gain and to defend.  I Peter 5:9, says “whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”  Notice it says, “whom resist stedfast in the faith”.  While we are using faith to lay hold on the things of God, we are also using faith to resist the things of the devil.  Our faith rejects and resists the things of the devil and accepts and receives the things of God.  This is why the devil comes after our faith so hard.  He knows that if we stand firm in faith we will accomplish our goals, realize our dreams and fulfil our destinies.  We need only remember that our Father God has never failed or gone back on His word.  He has proven over and over again His faithfulness.  As we read and reflect on God’s faithfulness it strengthens our faith and empowers us to stand firm on His word.  You are not alone.  All who will to possess the things of God are faced with the same distractions and many are standing firm and possessing all.

The God Of Heaven Prospers Us

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desire, Dreams, faith, Goals, hope, prosper, prosperity, The God of Heaven, victory

Nehemiah 2:20

“Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, He will prosper us; therefore, we His servants will arise and build; but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.”

I think when we think of God prospering us, we think of God being far off in heaven and only prospering us to be where He is one day.  However, Nehemiah said “the God of heaven He will prosper us” while embarking on something that was well beyond his qualifications and experience. Nehemiah was aware of God being present there with him to help him prosper in accomplishing the greatest thing he would ever do.

Paul said in Romans, 8:31 “…If God be for us, who can be against us”. Imagine that, God is for us not against us!  God is for and not against our dreams and goals. He is for and not against you starting that business, getting married, writing that book, or having that baby.   He is right there with you to see that you prosper in all these things or whatever you desire to do.   He is your heavenly cheerleader.  Hallelujah!  No one wants you to prosper more than God.  So much so that He Himself came to live in us to assure us of prosperity.   Now ask yourself, has God ever failed? Of course not.  Therefore, you cannot fail.  Paul goes on to say in Romans 8:32, “He who spared not His Son but delivered Him up for us all how shall He not with Him freely give us all things”.  My friend, “all things” includes prosperity.

Listen, regardless of what you have to face as you work towards your dream or desire, know that you are prospering and the devil is in a constant state of defeat.  Think about that, if you are prospering anyone or anything that opposes you is defeated.   Romans 8:37, “Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.”  The key here is knowing that you are not alone.  That God is with you to prosper you.  You must persuade yourself of this very fact as Paul did.  Paul said “I am persuaded …”  Romans 8:38. It might take you some time to become fully persuaded but don’t stop, keep confessing what you want to see until you can say “I am fully persuaded that the God of Heaven prospers me.”