You Have the Victory!

This year our church has declared to be our year of victory. We have been praying, preaching, meditating, and singing victory since January.

As Christians, we have been given the victory through Jesus Christ. Many of us claim our victory, but fewer of us obtain our victory. Why? Because victories are only awarded after a fight, and many of us don't fight the good fight to obtain our victory.

We see the issue before us and claim defeat before we step on the battlefield. Or, we enter into the fray only to lose hope after it seems like we will never win. The devil resists us, and we take his resistance as superiority.

Even though we've been promised the victory, the devil is going to do his very best to keep us from getting the victory. He's going to use every weapon he has to discourage us from fighting. He wants to keep us bound, he wants to keep us down, and he wants to keep us from beating him.

We can't forget that the battle is fixed. We can't forget that we've already won. No matter how strongly the devil resists our advances, we have to remember that greater is God on the inside of us over our enemy! (1 John 4:4) We have to remember that we have the Lord of All assisting us in our fight!

Don't just claim victory this year. Don't allow the devil's resistance to keep you from overpowering him. Your God is stronger, wiser, and better than any imp that crosses your path.

You have the victory!

Now, go out there and fight for it.

Verse of the Day: But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:57, 58

It's Holy Week!

Yesterday was the beginning of Holy Week in the body of Christ. We are now remembering week leading up to Christ's death on the cross. It is a time for us to remember His great sacrifice. It's a time to remember the great love that purchased our salvation.

So, this week, I want to focus on God's Word concerning Christ's sacrifice. Today, let's look at Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem:

The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the king of Israel!”

Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:

“Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;

see, your king is coming,

seated on a donkey’s colt.” 

At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him. Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign,

went out to meet him.

John 12:12-18

I am always amazed at how from Jesus' birth to His death, His life consistently fulfilled the prophecies in the scriptures. Even a verse speaking of the Messiah arriving on a colt - not a noble steed - came to pass. Here, Jesus is greeted by the people as a king. He is praised and exalted as the king of Israel.   I also find it interesting that those who witnessed Lazarus' resurrection were the ones passing the word that Jesus was in town. Imagine them saying, "The one who can even overcome death is coming into town!"   Not many days later, Jesus would show what overcoming death really looked like.

Let the Lord Fight For You

So many of us right now are facing battles and obstacles in our lives. Many of us are spending our days going through the motions of life while trying to figure out how to overcome roadblocks. We spend our nights lying in bed trying to figure out how to make ends meet. We can't relax because we are consumed with strategizing how to make things work.

Today I would like to encourage you to give it to God.

As believers in Christ, we don't have to allow the trials of life to overtake us. As joint heirs to the throne we don't have to figure out how to make things work. As children of the King of Kings we don't have to fight one battle in our own strength.

The Lord Himself has promised that He will fight for us. And any battle He fights, He has already won.

We don't have to struggle, stress, strategize, or worry. All we have to do is take our burdens to the Lord and leave them with Him. We have to leave them in His care trusting that He will work it out for us.

Too often, though we trust our own ability over the Lord's. We say we trust God to deliver us, but then we allow the discomfort of our situations to sway us. We take our eyes off of Him and start looking at the storms. We grow weary of standing on the Word and try to walk forward on our own strength.

Allow the Lord to be your fighter. Allow Him to be your deliverer. Give Him the opportunity to fulfill your miracle. Stop sabotaging your own breakthrough.

Yes, it may take more patience than you might expect. It may cause you to spend more time in prayer and fasting than you had anticipated. You may have to do some things that you weren't prepared to take on.

But the end result is victory! The final chapter is the fact that you win! It's guaranteed! Why not let God do His thing?

Today, give your battle to the Lord and leave it with Him. No matter how much you are tempted to take matters back into your own hands, use your faith and allow the Lord to work it all together for your good. It will definitely produce a better outcome than you can ever devise on your own.

Verse of the Day: The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. Exodus 14:14

A God Kind of View

The Apostle Paul went through a lot in his life after he dedicated his life to Jesus. He was ridiculed, jailed, whipped, put under house arrest, questioned by other Christians, undermined in his ministry, as well as a host of other things. Yet Paul was able to go through all that he went through because he kept his mind on Christ.

Paul knew that in the larger picture, it was more important for him to spread the gospel than to be swayed by the circumstances around him. Paul recognized that he could not give up or give in. He saw that the temporary pains and disappointments could not compare to the joy and reward that he gained in following Jesus.

I often look at my father who is going through a great battle right now. Despite being unable to walk or use his hands, my father still does so much! He is still preaching and teaching the Word of the Lord on Sunday mornings. He still takes care of what business he has with our family and church. My father has not lost his joyful spirit or the great love in his heart.

My dad is able to keep his sweetness because he sees things in terms of eternity. He recognizes that God's plans for him will ultimately prevail. He knows that God's Word is sure. And because of that rock solid faith, my father can face each day with a smile.

So this week let's challenge ourselves to look at things in the scope of eternity. Instead of focusing on what's going on in the natural, let's acknowledge the spiritual. Instead of accepting the devil's negativity, let's adhere to what God says about us.

Yes, we all have trials and circumstances that we have to face. But we can face them head-on knowing that in the end we overcome! We don't have to be sad, depressed, or downtrodden. God's Word tells us that we win in the end! Have faith, and believe God's Word.

This week, let's strive to be kingdom minded. Nothing should be able to steal our joy or keep us from enjoying our lives.

Verse of the Day: We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed... For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:8, 9, 17, 18

God's Got Ya!

Yesterday we talked about our unconventional God. Because we serve a God who loves to do the extraordinary and because He promised us that He would never fail us, there is no situation that we could ever face where we should be fearful of losing. Whatever situation we face - no matter how crazy it is, no matter how much of a long shot it might be, no matter who we are coming up against - God is going to make sure that things work out in our favor. (Romans 8:28)

As a result, we can face everything with confidence. We can rest assured that we are safe and secure. Whatever big, ugly devil that tries to rear its head, we can just laugh in its face and send it back to the pit in the name of Jesus. God Almighty has our back.

From our human nature, things may appear grim. Our brains may not be able to calculate how we'll get out of our dire situation. Experts may be pointing to the 'evidence' that we should throw in the towel.

BUT GOD...!

Remember Who has the final word! Remember who holds the world in the palm of His hand. Remember the One Whose promises are sure. Remember the One who turns the heart of the king whichever way He chooses. (Proverbs 21:1) Remember the One who sparked life into every being on this planet. (Acts 17:24-26)

He's the same One who loves you beyond measure. He's the same One who sent all He had so you could be saved.

So, stand confidently assured in the face of trouble. Stop worrying and fretting about how things will turn out. You win! Your Heavenly Father won't let you fall! The more complicated the situation, the more glory God is going to get turning things around.

Don't lose hope. Don't let go of your faith.

God's got you.

You can be confident of that.

Verse of the Day: Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ... Philippians 1:6

Unconventional God

We serve an unconventional God. He doesn't do things normally. He likes to be creative. He loves to show off His power and might.

When He wanted to bring forth His chosen people, He selected a previously barren couple who were well into old age. In looking for a leader to help deliver His people, He chose to use a scared young man who only had 300 men to fight with him. God plucked a shepherd boy off the country hills and turned him into a mighty man of valor and Israel's greatest king.

Our God can take nothing and turn it into greatness.

What situation are you facing? What's looking impossible in your world? The very thing you think can never come to pass is the very thing that God may use to show off His spectacular power. Your crazy situation can very well be an amazing testimony in the making.

You serve a God that can do anything with anyone! Plus, He's always looking for opportunities to show off. He's just looking for someone who believes that He can make it happen. All God needs is your faith.

Don't let your circumstances tell you that you've lost. Don't allow your surroundings to say what you can't do or who you can't be. God Almighty is your Father! The King of Kings is your Lord! You can do and be anything.

Verse of the Day: Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 1 Corinthians 1:27, 28

Old Demons...

Do you have a problem or bad habit that you've been dealing with for what seems like your entire life? Have you tried numerous times to get rid of said bad habit over and over again only to repeat the offense at every turn?

That is my issue with procrastination.


I don't know what it is, but I always seem to wait to the last minute to get things done.! Or, worse still, I never get it done. Something in my brain always has convinced myself that I work best under the pressure of a ticking timeline, and I fall for the okey-doke every time.

I've tried everything I can think of to motivate myself to be more proactive, but all of my efforts have not made a lasting impact. No one's more disappointed about it than me.

Can I tell you the devil knows our numbers? Not to blame my procrastination on the devil. Lord knows, he only acts up as far as we let him... But he knows exactly where to hit us where it hurts. He knows the precise demon/distraction/confusion/heartache to send our way that will put up the best blockade against us reaching a goal.

There's a reason why you wrestle with the very thing you've been fighting all your life. Just imagine what you could accomplish if you finally vanquished that thing. I know my own life would improve exponentially.

Let's go before God and seriously get a strategy for dealing with our major issues. And then let's implement the plan. A lot of stuff God has already told us lies dormant due to lack of execution. (Procrastination, anyone?) We can do this! We can do all things through Christ! Let's kick that bad habit out of our lives once and for all!

Verse of the Day: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds: Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ... 2 Corinthians 10:4, 5

You Are Great...Believe It!

Good Morning, Everyone! Still happy to be in the land of the living!


You know I couldn’t let the State of the Union pass without giving my observations, right?

I was pleased that all of the attendees chose to mix up their seating in a show of an effort to change their ways and show a greater sense of unity. However, I hope they don’t just make moves in appearances alone but actually choose to change the way they interact on a regular basis.

What really stuck out to me was President Obama’s call for more American innovation and global leadership. Contrary to popular belief, we do have the biggest economy, we do have the best colleges and universities, we have produced some of the most impactful inventions and processes that have revolutionized how we live (Facebook, anyone?).

Despite the hardships our nation is currently going through, we are a nation of greatness. We hold the keys that the rest of the world wants. We set the trends that the rest of the world follows. We are still a world leader!

We just have to believe in ourselves again. I’m so grateful the President reminded us of this fact.

The devil likes to trick us into doubtful thinking every chance he can get. We go through trials or periods of difficulty, and we start looking at the doubts and indecision the devil holds up in our view.

Why should we continue to trust in God? Why should we keep working towards the goal? If God was really with us, wouldn’t we be overcoming not failing?

The devil is one crafty serpent. Yet, we must keep remembering who we are in God. We must keep His words of promise before us always. God never fails, it’s up to us to continue to believe on Him.

So, don’t let difficulty steer you off course or deter you from pressing forward. You are still great because the great One lives in you! You can still reach your goals in God!

Verse of the Day: God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Numbers 23:19

Choose To Lose the Attitude

Can I be a bit transparent today? Thanks.

I can catch a negative attitude pretty quick. All it takes is something happening that is not according to plan, and I’m liable to get in a sour mood.

I like things to be neat and orderly… in their proper place… running on schedule. So, when things are helter-skelter… in disarray… late… I tend to get frustrated and aggravated which causes me to slip on a negative ‘tude.

Now, they say the first step in recovery is recognizing you have a problem. So, I believe I can be rehabilitated. Lately I’ve been keeping myself alert to my changing moods and emotions, and I have started to rein myself in when I felt the urge to go there.

Yesterday evening I had one of those moments. Nothing even really happened to set it off. I was just sitting and thinking about some things that were happening in my life that I felt were not right, and I started to dip into a negative and depressed state of mind.

Thanks be to God I was on my way to having my study time! The scriptures that I looked over spoke directly in to my bad-attitude-self!

I took a break from reading and gave myself a good talking to, handed my worries to the Lord, encouraged myself, and chose to be positive and happy. I literally had to slap myself with the joy of the Lord.

Sometimes life’s happenings can cause us to be discouraged, but we don’t have to take on the bad attitudes, feelings, and mindsets that try to latch onto us with that discouragement. We can choose to be positive. We can choose to be joyful. We can choose to take God’s Word to heart and apply it to our very situations.

Our God loves us so much! Let me repeat: Our God – the Master of the Universe, the Creator of the World, the King of Kings – loves YOU so much! His love will not let you fail. You’re not going to lose. You’re destined to win!

So no matter what seems to be falling apart, running behind, or missing in your life – God is still in control. He’s going to make sure that you make it to your destined end. Don’t let your attitude slip because of what you see. Constantly remind yourself that God’s got you – the one He loves – safe in His arms.

Choose to believe that, and you can’t help but have a great attitude about life!

Verse of the Day: Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God… John 14:1

You Are A Champion!

This morning I woke up to Darwin Hobbs’ song Champion ringing in my spirit. I had a smile on my face and joy in my heart as I got up and prepared for the day.

It’s so good to know that we are winners! No matter how the situation may look, because we have Jesus Christ on the inside of us, we are already assured of victory. All we have to do is stand strong and fight. We are Champions!

The Holy Spirit has been revealing to me some projects and programs that I need to take on. The Old Me would be a bit apprehensive about starting down some of these paths. They are bigger, more involved, and seem more intricate than anything that I have ever organized before.

However, the New Me is Excited! I know that God won’t put anything on me that I can’t bear. And any opposition or need is already taken care of by God’s strength. I’m an Overcomer marching toward my fulfilled destiny in God.

Today, get the outlook of a Champion. Champions don’t hesitate to get back in the ring. They’ve already won! They know they can win again. Champions aren’t afraid of their competitors; they crush them. Losing is never an option.

You too have already won when Jesus died and rose again. He defeated death so that you can reign victorious in life. So, stop talking yourself out of the victory you already have. You’re a Champion! Act like it!

Verse of the Day: For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. I John 5:4