The Most Powerful Person On The Planet

Jeremiah 1:18-19 "For see, today I have made you strong like a fortified city that cannot be captured, like an iron pillar or a bronze wall. You will stand against the whole land- the kings, officials, priests, and people of Judah. 19  They will fight you, but they will fail. For I am with you, and I will take care of you. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

When we do what God has called us to do and walk the path that he has laid out for our lives, something amazing happens. We, like Jeremiah become like a city that can not be captured. The most powerful person on the planet is the person that is doing what God called them to do. That person, if their heart stays right with God becomes an unstoppable force, that is able to stand against anyone and win the battle. The issue is not will there be resistance, there will be resistance and usually a lot of it. But the issue is, can you win the battle and the answer is yes, if you stay true to what God has called you to do. There is no obstacle that you can not overcome and no enemy that you can not defeat if you are doing what God called you to do.

Getting Un-Stuck

Proverbs 23:6-7 "Do not eat the bread of a miser, nor desire his delicacies; for as he thinks in his heart so is he. "Eat and Drink" he says to you, but his heart is not with you"

In this scripture Solomon gives us a great revelation about the connection between our heart and our mouth. He uses the example of a miser, who says "eat and drink" but in his heart he really doesn't want you to eat or drink anything, because he is a stingy miser. Solomon then declares "for as he thinks in his heart so is he". He is teaching us that our words have no value unless our hearts mean or believe what our mouth says.

I believe in the power of confession, death and life are in the power of our tongue. I believe that we can have what we say and that we have not because we ask not. But I also believe that as Romans 10 teaches us, we must believe in our hearts and confess with our mouth in order to experience what God has for us.

So here lies the struggle for many people, they never change their confession because in their hearts they lack faith. When they speak in faith about their lives they feel like a hypocrite because they know in their hearts they don't really believe anything good is going to happen to them. So they are stuck between what they want to happen and what they really believe will happen.

Romans 10:17 says "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God". The way to change the heart is to change the mouth, we renew our minds with the word of God and as we speak Gods word over our lives it releases faith into our hearts. You got born again because you heard the truth of the gospel and it released faith into your heart to believe. Then out of your belief you confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and you were saved.

You can not sit around and wait for your pastor to preach the right sermon for your need. You have to go to the word of God and find out what God says about your situation; then begin to speak the word over your life. As you speak his word and declare his truth over your life, faith comes. You start out with a declaration of faith but as it releases faith in your heart, your declaration becomes a confession of faith. Now you believe what you are saying and your words have power and what you say begins to come to pass. Why? Because as a man thinks in his heart so is he.

The Real Danger

Psalms 55:10 "Its walls are patrolled day and night against invaders, but the real danger is wickedness within the city."

Eleven years ago our nation was invaded by terrorist, who took the lives of precious Americans. Today we remember those lost and those who rose up to rebuild and restore what our enemies tried to take from us. Today we pray for the families who lost their loved ones and we honor the everyday heroes who came to the rescue.

In Psalms 55:10 David speaks about his city, he says "it's walls are patrolled day and night against invaders", but he recognizes an even greater danger than the invaders from without. He says "but the real danger is wickedness within the city." Today we remember 9-11 and we understand the threat of terrorist attack, but the greatest threat against America is not foreign invasion, it is wickedness within our nation. When God is so far removed from our lives and our hearts that he has to be amended into the Democratic Party Convention, then our nation is in trouble. When same sex marriage is not only supported but celebrated in the White House and even in some so called churches, then our nation is in trouble. When unborn babies are killed and now our Government wants us to pay for it, then our nation is in trouble. When the pornography industry is a billion dollar business, then our nation is in trouble.

The greatest threat against American is not a foreign invasion, it is spiritual and moral decay. Today as we remember and honor those who died and served during 9-11, let us also pray for this nation. May we rise up as our nation did on 9-11 and say we need God in America Again! And may we, the proud citizens of this great country return to God in spirit and truth! God Bless America!

Your Bucket

Proverbs 10:24 "The fears of the wicked will be fulfilled; the hopes of the godly will be granted"

Fear and Faith are both spiritual seeds that will produce a harvest. Fear is an open door to the enemy that allows him to steal, kill and destroy. Faith is an open door to God that allows him to bless your life and fulfill your hopes and desires.

Fear and Faith are both choices that we make. Will you choose to believe the report of the enemy, your circumstances or your flesh or will you choose to believe the promise of God and the inner witness of the Holy Spirit. 

Fear and Faith produce results, they manifest in the flesh what is established in your heart. Fear and Faith are spiritual buckets that draw out what is in the well of your heart. If you want to change the outcome of your life then you have to change the bucket that you are lowering into the well of your heart. If you lower the bucket of faith it will draw out the well spring of life that God has placed within you. 

A Fresh Work

Ezekiel 33:12-20 “Son of man, give your people this message: The righteous behavior of righteous people will not save them if they turn to sin, nor will the wicked behavior of wicked people destroy them if they repent and turn from their sins. 13  When I tell righteous people that they will live, but then they sin, expecting their past righteousness to save them, then none of their righteous acts will be remembered. I will destroy them for their sins. 14  And suppose I tell some wicked people that they will surely die, but then they turn from their sins and do what is just and right. 15  For instance, they might give back a debtor’s security, return what they have stolen, and obey my life-giving laws, no longer doing what is evil. If they do this, then they will surely live and not die. 16  None of their past sins will be brought up again, for they have done what is just and right, and they will surely live. 17  “Your people are saying, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right,’ but it is they who are not doing what’s right. 18  For again I say, when righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and turn to evil, they will die. 19  But if wicked people turn from their wickedness and do what is just and right, they will live. 20  O people of Israel, you are saying, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right.’ But I judge each of you according to your deeds.”

Many people in our Churches are filled with the same mentality as the children of Israel. They thought God was being unfair, because they were suffering for their current behavior. They thought that because they had done righteous acts in the past that it somehow covered the unrighteous acts of today. But they had to learn the hard way that the righteous acts of yesterday do not cover or condone the wicked acts of today. We will be rewarded according to our deeds.

We have too many Christians that talk about what they used to do for God, but they are currently disengaged from the work of the Kingdom and many are living lives of compromise. Stop talking about what you used to do and start doing a fresh work of righteousness. Our churches and our culture need to experience a fresh work of righteousness in our land.

The greatest testimony is not a testimony of yesterday's glory but the greatest testimonies are the ones that declare what God is doing now. It is the fresh work of righteousness that transforms a culture and creates an undeniable witness for Jesus Christ. If your story is a story of yesterday's glory, then reengage your heart and your hands to the work of God that is before you and let's allow God to produce a fresh work of righteousness, Today!

Good Is Not Good Enough

Psalms 37:29-31 "The godly will possess the land and will live there forever. 30  The godly offer good counsel; they teach right from wrong. 31 They have made God’s law their own, so they will never slip from his path."

This scripture gives us insight into the characteristics of the godly and the benefits of living a life that pleases God. The godly possess the land and live their forever, this teaches us that godliness produces a generational blessing, that leaves an inheritance to our children's children.

The godly offer good counsel, they teach right from wrong. This shows us that the godly have influence in their society, they are sought after for counsel and they teach others the difference between right and wrong. Godly people are not afraid to draw a line in the sand and define right and wrong.

They have made God's law their own, the godly are submitted to God, his ways become their ways. They are powerful leaders because they are submitted followers. Their feet will never slip from his path. Their paths are secure and their future is bright. The godly prosper and succeed when others fall by the way side because their feet are firmly planted on God's path.

So what about you, does this scripture define your life. Are you passing down a generational blessing, are you an individual of influence taking a stand on the issues of our day, are you submitted to God's laws? We all can falter and fail along they way, but let's make a refocused commitment to be Godly. Our world is full of good people who go along and get along but our world needs Godly People who will reestablish the truths of God and turn our culture back to Jesus Christ. Good is not good enough, God calls us to be Godly.

Common Ground

1 Corinthians 9:22-23 "When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. 23  I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings."

Paul said he did everything he could to save people from hell and spread the good news of Jesus Christ. He tried as the NLT says " to find common ground", common ground is a place connection not a place of compromise. Jesus was a friend of sinners but he didn't sin or compromise to reach sinners and neither should we. Our world doesn't need churches that look like, smell like and act like the world. Our world needs to experience the presence and power of God to change their lives. Our culture is recklessly headed toward hell and we the Church should be doing everything we can to share the good news of Jesus Christ with them.

Many times the common ground of connection is their place of need. The great thing about the message of Jesus Christ is that no matter what a persons need is, Jesus is the answer. When you begin to talk to people about their problems, struggles and disappointments you move to a common ground, because people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. Once they realize that you care, then the doorway of their heart is opened to message of Jesus Christ. Every time you meet a need (common ground) it opens the door to sow a seed (share the gospel).