Category Archives: faith

Examine the Fruit

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“Search me Lord and know my heart, try me and know my ways and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).

We can determine the condition of our heart by observing the fruit our life has produced.   To measure fruitfulness, you look over the past season or over the past year and see what has been produced.  In the fall a farmer looks over the previous growing season to determine the condition of the field.  We can also look at the past year of our life and determine the condition of our heart by looking at the harvest.

Jesus taught His disciples that their life should produce fruit – from 60 to 100 per cent.  A fruitful Christian is one that receives God’s Word and the Word that is planted in their heart produces a harvest even up to a 100 fold return.

You may have a Word from God, but if it is not given to another in love, it will not produce a harvest.  This is why the condition our heart is so important and it determines the fruit we produce.  By observing the fruit our life has produced, we can tell what condition our heart is in.

Pray this prayer daily and watch what happens: “Search me Lord and know my heart, try me and know my ways and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).

Awaken Your Faith?

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“Aroused by faith, Moses, when he had grown to maturity and became great…” (Hebrews 11:24).

awaken my faithIt is interesting that Moses had to be aroused by faith.  The word “arouse” means to be awakened; to be stirred up and awakened from slumbering.  We can get so consumed and overwhelmed with the struggles of life that we become discouraged to the point that our spirit slumbers, or shuts down and sleeps.

When you give in and are overcome by discouragement, you have a slumbering spirit.  An awakened spirit keeps you focused on what God is doing; even in the midst of trouble, you see the light.  There is so much bad news today that many are overtaken with discouragement.  We need to ask God to awaken our spirit.  All those who are called to be a modern day “Moses” need to wake up.  Those who are called to be a modern day “Elisha” or “David” all need to wake up and take their post.  It is not a time for some to sleep and some to work; it is a time for everyone to wake up and do what they were born to do.  We were born in this time in history for a reason.  It is time for everyone to face this reality and embrace who they are, and what they were called to do (Romans 13:11).

Pray this prayer: “Wake me up Lord – I want to discover my divine calling, and know what I am to do in the work of the Kingdom.”

Making Important Decisions

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Making Important decisions require much prayer and reflection.  If you want to make the right decision, it is vital that you seek the right source.  We want to encourage you to take every decision to the Lord.

Order My Steps

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord…” Psalm 37:23

order my stepsThe Lord delights in giving His children revelation. He seeks a man traveling an ordinary road, and “suddenly a light from heaven” (Acts 9:3) shines on him. And a “stairway resting on the earth” (Gen. 28:12) can reach from the marketplace to heaven, transforming a life from one of drudgery to one of grace.

Ask your heavenly Father to fellowship with you through your everyday work and service, and be your companion as you take an ordinary journey. As God orders your steps, your life will be transformed by His presence.

Ask the Lord to order your steps and then wait upon Him to do so.

I Shall be Planted

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“And he shall be like a tree planted by the river of water: that bringeth forth his fruit in his season: his leaf also shall not wither: and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Psalms 1:3

 

I shall be planted“…they shall be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.” Isaiah 61:3

As you spend time daily meditating upon the Word of God you will become strong like a huge oak tree firmly planted.  Secure and deeply rooted so the storms of life will not blow you away.

A tree that is planted beside a river has a constant water source. As you stay planted by the river of God, your life will produce good fruit. So don’t move; stay firmly planted.  Do not get discouraged, fruit is not produced overnight, fruit is produced over time.

 

“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: Those that are planted… shall flourish in the courts of our God.” Psalms 92:12-13

The river of God is a life source; it will never run dry.  The river of God is His unconditional love.  As you experience His love and forgiveness you receive more and more life.  God’s love produces abundant life (A lot of life).  All you do is continue receiving His love, and as love flows through you to others your life will produce fruit.

Stay firmly planted by the fresh water source.

Drink until you are refreshed with the water of His Word.

 

The Power to Move a Mountain

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“You will know and understand the hope to which He called you and the greatness of His power.” Eph 1:18

Faith to move a mountainWe have access to His great power when we are in His will.  The power to create the universe, move a mountain and change history is in His hands.  He has placed me as His child, His representative on the earth, to call on Him to create, move or change something. Sometimes we get so preoccupied that we forget our purpose.

Have you ever gone into the grocery store and forgotten what you intended to buy?  After a couple of steps into the store you have a thousand voices speaking to you!  You see all the brands of cereal and the sales, and you forget what you wanted to purchase.  The same is true in our daily life.   The calls, the options, and the sales grab for our attention.

What happened to the still small voice that spoke into your spirit the moment you woke up?  Was it drowned out within the first few steps into your world?  We must realize how Christ was able to carry out His assignment on planet earth.  He set His face like a flint towards the cross and He didn’t let anything distract him.  The world could not hinder, discourage, slow down nor stop Him.  Know what your purpose is and rely on the greatness of His power to accomplish it.

The Power of God

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“Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” Luke 23:34

power of GodHave you ever had to suffer because someone else disobeyed God? This was the life that Jesus lived on earth. His entire purpose was wrapped around paying a price He did not owe. Therefore, you can go to Jesus and talk to Him about you suffering because He completely understands how you feel.

Jesus suffered and died for the sins He never committed. He was innocent and never sinned, yet God required him to suffer and die.  What kept Him from saying, “It’s not my fault”, or, “It’s just not fair, why me?”  What kept Him from self pity? I believe that forgiveness was the “Power of God” that kept Jesus on the path headed to the cross.

Jesus walked on planet earth, feeling all the pain that we do, yet He did not give in to the pain. He walked before us and showed us how to walk daily in the Power of God as He walked in forgiveness. At the moment when He could have called down ten thousand angels to help Him, He instead cried out, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

This same power from God is available to you right now. Choose to forgive and you will see the “Power of God” released in your situation.

It is Time to Receive the Truth

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Do not believe the lies that the enemy throws at you.

Trust God, for his word is True!

“Receive and welcome the Word, which implanted and rooted [in your hearts], contains the power to save your soul.” James 1:21 Amp

receive the truthOne morning, I overslept.  The sun was already out, shining brightly through the window.  I ran to the garden, and as I ran down the sidewalk I saw that the dew was gone.  I had missed meeting with God.   I immediately had an old thought, a lie I had believed for years.

The lie was: “If I mess up, God will not speak to me.”  To my surprise, when I set down in the swing, I saw one drop of dew on the tip of a leaf.  I reached my hand out and the last pearl of the morning dropped into my hand as the Lord lovingly said, “I have been waiting for you.”

The enemy could not use this lie anymore. God did love me, and He wanted to bless me.  The truth I received had finally replaced the lie that if I messed up He would not be there for me.  God’s presence was there.  The lie was exposed and the enemy was defeated.

The enemy plants many lies in our minds. One lie is connected to another like a chain; that’s why one thought leads to another, and then another. If you did not receive affirmation from your father as a child, you may have believed the lie of rejection. “There is something wrong with me” is just one example. If you have this lie, it is hidden away from sight, but is silently working to convince you that you are not good enough.  If you struggle with this lie, it must been seen as a lie and not the truth.  You must recognize the voice of your enemy and stop listening to him.

Fully receive the truth, deep in your innermost being, that you are deeply loved and fully accepted by God.  God is for you, and He accepts you because of who you are, not because of your accomplishments.  With this truth deep in your spirit, the motivation for everything you do will change.  From this point on, you will serve God because you are accepted and not in order to be accepted.

Each lie has a structure of set behaviors and responses. We are transformed daily by the renewing of our mind.  We tear down the old house and replace it with a brand new house full of the promises of God. Every thought that comes from a lie must be replaced with truth if you want to live in peace.  Taking one lie at a time and replacing it daily with truth is key.

Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:16 that if we renew our mind daily, we will not faint when adversity comes.  Today, you can begin to tear down the lies that the enemy has planted in your mind.

Wait For The Lord

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Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalm 27:14

My hope is in you Lord!

Many times, the things that you are hoping for may require a time of waiting. Patiently waiting is a spiritual discipline.  This means it must be practiced in order for it to be established as a part of your nature.

By nature we are impatient and want things to happen quickly.  When you run ahead of the Lord instead of waiting patiently for Him, you will find yourself tired and weary.  When you wait until He releases you, then you will go forward in His strength and not your own.  The great reward for those who wait upon the Lord is their renewed strength.  You may be tired, weary, and need to stop to rest awhile.  If you are serving others, a time of rest is essential to wait on the Lord for the next step or the next assignment.

To wait does not mean you are inactive in your daily life, but means you are waiting for clear direction and renewed strength.

And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee. Psalm 39:7

An eagle will wait patiently on a mountain cliff until a warm, upward wind current comes and then he spreads his wings as he is lifted up into the heavens.  We, like an eagle, can enjoy the benefit of soaring high if we acquire the discipline of waiting.  Learning to wait only comes with faith and hope in the Lord.

He is the one who holds the world in His hands and He is the one who knows your next step.  If you will wait and listen, He will tell you when to jump in again.  Then, when your feet hit the ground, you will run and not grow weary.

Pray this prayer…Lord, I cannot see the next step. Take me up to the mountain and I will wait on you. As I wait, like an eagle waits, I ask you to renew my strength so that when you release me again I can soar effortlessly. Then, whether I walk or run, I will not grow weary.

Do Not Give-in To Fear

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The Lord has a path paved out before us that we are to walk on. He wants us to walk in His ways regardless of our circumstances. The ways of the Lord are very simple and written out plainly in His Word. It’s when we veer off track that our life gets complicated.

God has said, “Fear not, for I am with you…” This is not just a suggestion; it is a commandment and it is for our ultimate good.

If you give in and become fearful, you are focusing on the circumstances and not trusting that God will take care of you in your present situation. Fear shuts your spirit down and actually hinders you from hearing God’s voice. Fear will cause you to become inactive and even miss opportunities when God opens doors. If you are fearful and your spirit is slumbering and shut down, you will be unable to walk through the door God has opened for you.

Another way fear affects our life in through anxiety. If you become anxious over your circumstances and take things into your own hands instead of listening for the prompting of the Lord, things will not work out right. Trusting in the Lord does not mean you sit down and become inactive; it means you are moving in accordance with the instruction of the Lord.

His still small voice within will let you know which way to go and what to do at all times. The children of Israel watched for the cloud to move and then they moved. We don’t need to watch clouds, but we do need to listen for His voice, the inward witness of His presence. Apart from the leading of the Holy Spirit we will veer off track and go our own way.

Need Strength? Wait on the Lord

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Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles.  Isaiah 40:31

Are you waiting on something and wondering why it is taking so long?  Waiting is required of us for spiritual maturity.  A child who has not yet matured, can’t sit still, they are impatient and can’t wait.  A child that can’t wait patiently demands their way, they want what they want, and they want it right now!  But God requires us to wait so we will mature in our faith.  He knows that during the waiting period we will grow stronger in our faith if we don’t give in and give up.

Think about the abundant blessings that came from waiting: Mary the mother of Jesus waited nine months and then our blessed Savior was born.  Mary and Martha waited for Jesus and saw their brother miraculously raised from the dead.

Is God requiring you to wait?  Don’t get impatient and give up prematurely; wait upon the Lord.  A person who lives in submissive obedience to the Lord must be willing to wait upon Him.