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.”

When You Don’t Do What You Should Do

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be calm, living victorious, mistakes, victory, when you don't do what you should do

What do you do when you’re in the midst of trials and temptations and you don’t do what you know to do? You’ve heard all the sermons, you read the books and you brought the CDs and you may have preached the sermons. But now here you are in the middle of it all and the pressure is pressing in on you but instead of doing what you’ve been taught to do you freak out. Yes, you freak out!

Each of us at some point in our walk as believers can relate to what I’m saying. We don’t always do what we know to do. We don’t always apply the truths we’ve learned to the situations we’re facing. Sometimes we just lose it. Like Peter, sometimes we look at our storms instead of keeping our eyes on Jesus. Or like Moses we allow our emotions to get the best of us and we don’t follow instructions. Yes, sometimes we take our eyes off of Jesus and we don’t obey His instructions. But here’s the good news, its okay.   God knows we’re human and He knew that we would face these times in our life so He made provision for us through Christ. Even when we’re not faithful to God He is still faithful.   There is great joy and relief in knowing that God’s faithfulness is not contingent upon our faithfulness to him. He continues to be God in our lives even when we are too weak to fight the good fight of faith. He is Christ in us and He will never fail us. I know because I’ve been there many times. His grace is sufficient His strength is perfected in us when we’re weak (I Cor. 12:9).

The devil wants you to look at your inabilities and failures. And if he can’t get you to do that he’ll try to get you to look at your natural abilities and strengths. His goal is to get you to look at yourself instead of looking at Jesus.   Scripture says he is the accuser of the brethren and that he stands before us night and day replaying in our ear our inabilities and failures. Or he stands before us to try and get us to rely on our own strengths and abilities.  We should never look at what we do but at what Christ has done. I Corinthians 10:12 says, “Wherefore, let him that thinkest he standeth take heed lest he fall.” It’s not we do but what He’s done.

When we rely on Jesus during those times of temptation He makes a way to escape. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape; that ye may be able to bear it. Wherefore, my dearly beloved flee from idolatry” (I Cor. 10:13-14). Anything you place before God is idolatry and that includes yourself. It’s not about how well we do or how strong we are, it’s about Jesus. It’s about us allowing Him to live out His life through us.

I Corinthians 12:9 says, “…My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” When I fall or when I don’t do what I know to do I don’t have to throw in the towel and quit because it’s in those times that I know my strength is weak and that I’m not standing in my own strength but I stand by the power of God.

God loves it when we cry out to Him for help. He wants us to throw up our hands in surrender to His will and to His power. James 4:6 says, “…God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

Remember, God’s faithfulness is not contingent upon your faithfulness to Him He is faithful that’s who He is. So even though you might not do what you know to do Jesus is perfect and He does all things well. He is with you leading and guiding you lifting you back up. He will never allow the devil to triumph over you. Micah 7:8 says, “Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.” Even when we don’t do what we know to do we are still victorious in Christ.

Victory Isn’t Always Pretty But It’s Always Sweet

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pretty, ugly, victorious, victory, victory is always sweet, victory isn't always pretty, winners

What do you see when you think of victory?  Do you see flags flying, whistles blowing, people cheering? Do you see yourself well dressed, standing strong and tall?  That’s what we all want victory to look like but sometimes, most times victory isn’t pretty but it’s always sweet.

When Jesus went to the cross He didn’t look human.  Isaiah 53:2-3 says, “…He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.” Yet in the midst of all of this He cried out “It is finished.”  He proclaimed and declared victory.  He didn’t wait until He presented the blood to the Father when He would have been in his glorified body, but there while we turned our faces from the grotesqueness of His appearance, there while the enemy was rejoicing, while everything in the natural said defeat, He proclaimed victory.  It wasn’t pretty but it was sweet.  Victory is always sweet!

I Corinthians 15:57 says, “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”   This means that regardless of where you are how good or bad you feel you are victorious.  You have the victory because you’ve been given the victory through Christ.  Even though things might look a little ugly right now it doesn’t change the truth of God’s word.  You just need to do what Jesus did and begin to proclaim and declare your victory.  Yes, the situation is ugly but you’re still living.  It was meant to destroy you but you’re still here.   Things the enemy did to cause you to stop didn’t work you’re still going.  You’re still pursuing your dreams, you’re still working your ministry, you’re still writing that book.  Regardless of the circumstances you’re still moving forward.  So I say to you that’s what victory looks like.  No, it’s not pretty.  I know you were expecting something different but right now right where you are you are victorious.  Now, as you do what Jesus did and proclaim and declare victory you will see your situation change.  God will give you beauty for ashes and joy for your pain.  He will cause all things to work in your favor right in the face of the enemy.  Now that’s sweet.  Sweet Victory!

Having The Right Perspective

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afflictions, glory, light, Suffer, Sufferings, Trials, trouble, victory

II Corinthians 4:17
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

A telescope is something that is used to bring an object closer to view. However, in other to see that object you must look through the small end of the telescope. At first glance it might appear that looking through the larger end would give you better results but not true. Looking through the larger end of the telescope makes the object so large that you don’t get the full picture. Likewise, when we focus our attention on the sufferings and afflictions that we must endure for the sake of the gospel, we’re looking through the wrong end of the telescope. Therefore, we’re not getting the full picture we’re not seeing the glory that awaits us.

I Peter 4:12 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.”

Listen, he’s not just talking about His glory when Christ returns but His glory right now that awaits us on the other side of every affliction and persecution we face. As a matter of fact that’s why we face them because of the word of God (Matt. 13:21).

When we focus our eyes upon Jesus we see that His glory out weights any affliction that we might endure. Focusing our attention upon Jesus puts things in the right perspective. Therefore, rejoice because if you are a partaker of Christ’s sufferings you are a partaker of His glory.

See Yourself Victorious

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conquerors, triumph, victorious, victory

Romans 8:37

“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.”

In seeing yourself victorious you must first realize that God is with you to help you. Hebrews 13:5-6 says, “…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” Second, you must realize that because you have the Greater One in you, helping you; you’ve already overcome. 1 John 4:4, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He that is in you, than He that is in the world.” Third, you must realize that you are victorious because the all powerful God living on the inside of you helping you always causes you to triumph therefore you are never defeated.  2 Corinthians 2:14 says, “now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.”

We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.  God who loved us gave us His victorious Son, Jesus Christ to be our victory.  I John 5:4 “for whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.  Our faith is Jesus Christ and His victory is our victory therefore we are victorious.  Declare it today.

Victory Is Jesus Christ

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celebrate, victory

Psalms 41:11
“By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.”

If we didn’t know we have victory we would easily give up, but since we know, we might as well celebrate!

Victory is not only what Christ gives to us but it is who He is in us.  Therefore, we can celebrate everyday regardless of what we’re facing because victory is in us.  Knowing this takes the power out of whatever problem or situation you are face because you know are the winner.  And winners celebrate!

Let me let you in on some inside information; over 2000 years ago Jesus Christ hung on the cross and said “It is finished.” He spoiled principalities and powers, made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it and give us victory (Colossians 2:15).  Furthermore, 1 John 5:4 says, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith.  Faith is Christ in us and Christ is the victory that overcometh the world.  Therefore, since you know you have the victory you can celebrate!  Celebrate what?  Victory! Celebrate Jesus Christ! He did the fighting so you and I don’t have too, our job is to thank and praise Him for who He is and what He has done.

When we celebrate victory, we are magnifying Jesus Christ and putting our problems in its proper place, underneath our feet.  We see that our enemy the devil, no matter what weapon he fashions against us cannot triumph over us. So celebrate today!