THE LORDS PRAYER

It was taught by Jesus himself, who is God, Philippians 2: 8. And let’s look at this context, I have 2 kids, and I thought one of them a life style and the other another. When I want to send the same message to the two of them, do you think I will say it the same way? Now God gave the law to the Jews, and in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. Now Jesus who is the word has been there from the beginning, so he knows all the things that have happened between him (God) and man. So God wanted to teach his disciples who were Jews, who received the law how to pray how do you think he would have thought them, than teaching them to pray the way he told them? The same man who was meant to take away the sins of the world, and give the gift of righteousness to mankind (Romans 5: 17) is saying they should pray for forgiveness of sins? There is a way God relates with the Jews and the gentiles that is why scriptures encourage us to rightly divide scriptures. James, Peter, John were sent to preach to the Jews (circumcised) (Galatians 2: 8-12), and since all scriptures is breathed of God for all reasons, and the same power that worked in them also worked in Paul and barnabas, God talked to the Jews through this 3 people in a way, and to the gentiles through Paul in another way preaching the same thing, passing the same message. I’m not saying he said different things, and will judge them differently, but (confessing their sins), it was meant for the Jews, not the gentiles, because they (the gentiles) did not receive the law, but they all (Jews and gentiles) became sinners because of adam. So which sin did they (gentiles) do that they have to confess?

                                                                FORGIVENESS

Okay now the death on the cross, Jesus said “father forgive them for they know not what they are doing” hey, look at the statement for a minute. “Forgive them lord for they know not what they are doing”, he interceded for sinners who were mocking him before they believed and asked for forgiveness. But nowadays people say you have to ask for forgiveness before God forgives. Jesus did this symbolic act before he died. Hebrews 7: 25 made us understand that because he has saved us who came to God the father through him (believing in him unto righteousness and confessing it unto salvation) he is alive to make intercessions for us. So it’s alright to ask for forgiveness, it will help your body know that God has forgiven, but spiritually and scriptural, he had forgiven you even before you committed the sin as long as you came to the father through believing in him. FORGIVENESS IS YOURS THROUGH CHRIST JESUS.   

QUESTION why would the bible say it is impossible for those who have experienced God’s spirit, and worked in his grace if they fall away to be renewed? Hebrews 6: 4 but Romans 11:23 says “if they don’t continue in their unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again”. It all boils down to the heart, because Hebrews 3 : 8-18 talked about hardening the heart as a serious issue in unbelief, a believer who falls away from grace is one who works according to his own strength, and not acknowledging that he doesn’t have a strength of his own. Then after a while his heart hardens because man can’t just do it by themselves so he hardens his heart out of anger and nothing you preach enters his ears and because of that you can’t bring him unto repentance, not that he cannot get saved again.                                                                                                                                   

 By Mista_lene

ACTS OF SIN

Let’s look at the acts of sin from the 2 points, the old and New Testament, or we can say covenants, because, a testament is a seal, that shows a covenant, and without a testator, there is no testament. Okay let’s go. God had a covenant with man on Mount Sinai, and the agreement was, Israel said to their earthly intercessor (Moses) go up, whatever the lord says we should do, we will do. But in the original Hebrew, it says, and I paraphrase go and inquire of the lord, whatever he says, we can do. So God gave the 10, and said keep the whole 10, and we can talk one on one, you will be found blameless, but fault in one, it means you have faulted all of it. The 10 laws were holy and righteous, but because God knew that men cannot keep them, he gave men holy laws, to make their sinful nature show more, (Romans 5: 20) and so every mouth would shut (Romans 3: 19). So any one who faults the laws commits an act of sin, and must face the consequences, slaughtering an animal as a sacrifice for all the wrong he has done, and this was done yearly, by the high priest in the temple, who cleans himself first before entering into the holy of holies to offer the sacrifices, but God had a better way ahead that he revealed to man, the new covenant he will have with man, he was showing man even when he was operating with the old covenant. Isaiah 43:21-25. Verse 25 stated ”I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, FOR MY OWN SAKE, AND REMEMBERS YOUR SINS NO MORE” (NIV bible).

      Now let’s look at the happening of the New Testament, the new agreement. Hebrews 10: can we look into it together? If yes, read on. Before I start you must know that God didn’t change, he just changed his agreement with man. The change of the covenant is littered all over the book of Hebrews, the writer seriously stressed on the new covenant in many chapters. Hebrews 10: 1- the law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeatedly endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. /So you see that even the blood of animals didn’t do anything, it didn’t wash away their sins for sure./

Hebrews 10: 2- if it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshippers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty of their sins. /The question is why the sacrifices?/

Hebrews 10: 3- but those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, /this answers it./

Hebrews 10: 4- because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Now, let’s skip to verse 8

Hebrews 10: 8- first he said, “sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them” (although the law required them to be made).

Verse 9- then he said, “here I am, I have come to do your will,” he set aside the first to establish the second. / first what? The first covenant, to establish another covenant, the second/

Hebrews 10: 10- and by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. /and by the will of God, we have been made holy, righteous through Jesus’ obedience, not till the next scenario where I fall short, or exhibit a fleshy desire, but I’ve been made holy once for all, for all time. So when I say I’m righteous, I mean it, because I didn’t earn or deserve it, one man’s sacrifice did the whole thing for me/

Let’s go to verse 12- but when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God./oh oh! Did I just hear one sacrifice for all time? To remove the feeling of guilt from my heart? So my heart can be freed from the consciousness of sin to transform to what God wants it to be?/

Now to what this era is in its real sense drop down to verse 15- the HOLY SPIRIT also testifies to us about this. First he says:/..The Holy Spirit testifies, not me/

Hebrews 10: 16- this is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” /the laws of God are in your heart, in my heart, how can you read it now that it’s in my heart/

Hebrews 10: 17- then he adds “THEIR SINS AND LAWLESS ACTS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE” /this didn’t happen because of you, it’s all for his name sake. God is not keeping any record of your sins, they have been blotted out, Colossians 2: 14/

Hebrews 10: 18- and where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.

But you see, the fear is “oh! If we preach “your sins are forgiven you for his name sake, once and for all, and the great high priest is sitting down, so there is no more sacrifice for sin” will the people, congregation, not go on committing acts of sin, and saying they have been forgiven?” So teachers add the fact that the congregation needs to be sin conscious, but Hebrews 10 just told us that the high priest Jesus Christ offered his body, to remove sin consciousness. They don’t know that sin consciousness brings the laws of Moses to you, because where there is no law, there is no sin, and scriptures also made us understand that cursed is everyone who is under the law (Galatians 3: 13). Look the book of Hebrews also encouraged us to draw near to God, have our hearts sprinkled (with the word, not with sin consciousness) and spur one another, tell one another “you are God’s righteousness,” because 2 Corinthians 5: 21 says he made him (Jesus Christ) to be sin who knew no sin, so that we might become God’s righteousness in him.  So you there, thanks for reading this, because I’m teaching and spurring you, reminding you of your identity in Christ, making you Christ conscious, and not sin conscious. For any person who wants to get born again after reading this, the book of Romans 10:9-10 says that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be SAVED. For it is with the heart you believe unto righteousness, justification and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. With a sincere believe in your heart, you are justified, you are righteous, and with your mouth you speak your salvation. I bet you know what to say, Romans 10:9.

If you have just done this welcome to the family, you should know that you are saved, and you have the Holy Spirit in you according to Ephesians 1: 13- in whom you also trusted, after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel (the news that is too good to be true) of your salvation, in whom after you believed (unto righteousness with thy heart), you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. So work with your spirit according to Galatians 5: 22-23. Stay blessed and Christ conscious, salvation is already yours.

Now if you are getting scared and asking yourself, or telling yourself will Christ not turn away from me if I fall short and don’t pray the prayer of forgiveness? Romans 5: 8 tells us that God demonstrated his own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. /he demonstrated his love for us?/ what can now stop, or separate us from the love of God? Romans 8: 35 asked a question “what can separate us from the love of Christ? Read through to verse 39, and it assures you, after listing many things now concludes like this “neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our lord. But it is alright to pray the prayer of forgiveness. Look at a scenario where I have a sign on the door to my room saying “pull your shoes before entering” when you enter the room with your shoes on, and you say “I’m sorry” because you saw the sign, and you entered with your shoes, at first I will be angry but on hearing I’m sorry I can forgive you. But when I remove the sign, and you enter my room mistakenly with your shoes on because your mind is set on “remove your shoes before entering”, on looking at my face, the first thing you’ll say is “I’m sorry”, but because there is no sign on the door anymore, I won’t slap you for saying I’m sorry, I’ll just laugh and say come on in. but why shouldn’t you wear your shoes in? So you don’t stain my rogue, because you love me. Even if there is no sign. Romans 10: 4 for Christ is the end of the law, so there may be righteousness to everyone who believes./Christ stopped the directions, so that there may be a supreme direction for everyone who believes/.  He loves you forever, because there is no condition for his love, he just loves you. You’re saved by grace through faith it is not you’re your reward for keeping tabs on sin; it is a free gift from God (Romans 5: 16-17), so that no one may boast in himself. (Ephesians 2: 8 and 9).

HOW TO FIND FREEDOM FROM INSECURITY.

We have an epidemic of insecure people in our society today. Many people have an identity crisis because they don’t really know who they are and they base their worth and value on all the wrong things – what they do, what they look like, who they know, what they know or what they own.
What do you think of yourself? How do you feel about yourself? Do you ever compare yourself with other people and feel belittled if you can’t do what they can do or be like them? Have you ever said “I wish I looked like her” or “I wish I had what they have” or “I wish I could do what you do”?

Everyone experiences insecurity at times. I know what’s it’s like to feel inferior to others and insecure about myself. I grew up in a very unstable, volatile home environment and never really felt safe and secure throughout my childhood. That’s why it’s very important to me to feel safe and secure in my life now.
The good news is, we don’t have to live insecure lives because it’s God’s will for us to be very secure and not to live in fear. We were created to feel safe, secure, confident and bold; it’s part of our spiritual DNA as born-again believers in Christ. But the key to living a secure life in Christ is knowing who you are in Christ, really receiving God’s love for you, and basing your worth and value on who God says you are, not what you do.
One thing that really helped me get a revelation about this is Isaiah 54:17: “But no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall show to be in the wrong. This [peace, righteousness, security, triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord….”
This scripture clearly states that as servants and children of God, it’s part of our inherited, blood-bought right through our relationship with Jesus Christ to be secure. We are joint heirs with Jesus and whatever He has, we get. But we have to take it by faith, which means we believe it before we see it. And since we believe what we say about ourselves more than what others say, we each need to speak what the Bible says about us as children of God to overcome the negative, defeating opposition in the world that wants us to see ourselves compared to others, not who we are in Christ.
Another thing I needed revelation about was the love of God for me. The first message I preached in my public ministry was about God’s love for us. I didn’t really want to do it because I felt like it wasn’t a powerful, new message and people already knew God loves them. But the Lord impressed on my heart that many people don’t understand His love for them, and if they did, they would act a whole lot different than they do. They wouldn’t get caught up in competition, compare themselves to others, be afraid of their mistakes or afraid of admitting weaknesses if they were secure in God’s love.
First John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love…but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror!”
This opened my eyes to the fact that I was one of those people. So for the next year, I focused my Bible study on the love of God, and during that time, I received my own personal revelation of God’s unconditional love for me and acceptance of me.
Getting a revelation of God’s unconditional love helped me understand that my worth and value are based on the fact that I’m a child of God, not on what I do. This is so important because if we believe God loves us based on what we do or how well we perform, we will never be truly secure and stable in our relationship with Him.
I’ve had to remind myself at times that I am more than this ministry. And if a time comes when God asks me not to do this ministry anymore, I will be just as important and valuable to Him then as I am right now.
The same thing is true for you. No matter what you do for a living, whether you’re single or married, have children or not, you’re well educated, rich or poor, you are just as important to God as everyone else. We are all equally valuable to God.
God is love. And He really loves you! I pray that you will experience God’s love for yourself every day of your life. Then you can have the life of peace, joy and true security that He’s planned for you.

LEARNING TO FOLLOW THE SPIRIT OF GOD.

I spent years doing life my own way, not really following God. At the time I thought it would make me happy to do everything I wanted to do. But the fact is I was miserable.
You see, if we’re not following God’s plan for our life, we’re never going to feel peace or joy on the inside. You may have some fun, but I’ve learned that having fun and having joy are two different things―and I would much rather have joy on the inside of me.
Fun is based on what you’re doing in the moment. You can go to the mall with your credit card and spend a bunch of money, and you might even enjoy doing it, but then when you get back home, the fun is over and you’ve lost your joy.
See, the enemy will tempt us to have a little fun, but after we do the very thing he tempted us to do, he’ll accuse us of doing the wrong thing.
Fun is expensive; joy is free. Joy is based on your relationship with Jesus Christ. When we do what His Word tells us to do, then we have the peace and joy that comes from being close to Him.

Finding Your Pathway to Joy

Romans 8:1-2 says, “Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has freed me from the law of sin and of death.”
If we want to have and enjoy the freedom that Jesus died to give us, then we need to learn how to follow the Spirit of God.
One of the ways you can tell if you’re following the flesh instead of the Spirit is that you have no peace and you’re struggling. If you’re thinking about doing something and you have no peace about it, just don’t do it.
For example, you may have a deep desire to get married. But if you’ve gotten yourself into a relationship based on the flesh and you’re convincing yourself you’ve got to get married because this could be your only chance, all you’re doing is setting yourself up for a lifetime of misery.
Here’s the thing: If your mind is troubled and you have that uneasy feeling that says, I don’t know about this, don’t do it!
Very often we try to reason ourselves into something we don’t have any peace about in the first place. In the example above, the reasoning would go something like this: “Well, I can’t think of anything wrong with him. He’s a believer. He’s got a good job. He’s handsome. He’s nice to me.”But no matter how nice he is, if you don’t have peace about getting married, you’re better off being by yourself.
This same principle is true whatever your situation may be, whether it’s about accepting a job offer, choosing a church, deciding where to live, establishing healthy boundaries in relationships…and the list could go on. Always make it your goal to follow the wisdom and peace of God.

It’s Okay to Make Mistakes

Life can be so fast-paced, and it’s easy to make mistakes when you’re in a hurry. Sometimes we need to slow ourselves down so we can discern between the desires of the flesh and the desires of the Spirit.
What should you do when you realize that you’ve made a mistake?
First of all, you don’t ever have to be ashamed to back out of doing something you thought was God once you realize it’s not. You can simply say, “I’ve made a mistake,” and move on. We all miss God at certain times of our lives. Actually, that’s one of the ways we learn how to hear from God correctly. Sometimes you will need to step out and try something to find out whether or not it’s really God.
Remember, when you follow His leading, you’re going to have peace and joy, not guilt and condemnation. In Christ, we are free from sin and can have abundant life, full of joy and peace. We just have to follow His lead.

IF YOU LOVE GOD....

No one should be satisfied with a mediocre, barely-get-along kind of life. God has a great plan for every single person, and I want to encourage you to go for the very best life He has for you. If you want to get to that life, the key is obedience to God and an understanding of His great love for you!
I used to have to hide teachings about obedience under a different title because people honestly get hung up on this word. But I decided I didn’t want to hide it anymore, because obedience to God truly is the path to the greatest life possible.
But it’s pointless for me to teach you to obey God more without teaching you how to love God more and to let Him love you. Because the only thing that is truly going to compel you to be obedient is your love for Christ.

If you love God…

John 14:15 says, If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands.Notice Jesus didn’t say, “If you keep My commands, I’ll love you.” He already loves you perfectly, and He could never love you more than He does at this very moment.
Now, I’m not saying we can buy more of God’s love through our obedience, but our love for Him will grow as we live in obedience to Him and as we experience His faithfulness. I obey God much more now than I did thirty years ago, but I also love God and His Word much more than I did back then. I love Him for who He is…because He’s beautiful and amazing. And it’s because of that love for Him that I want to obey Him.

Are you living in obedience?

“ It's pointless for me to teach you to obey God more without teaching you how to love God more. ”

Is there any area in your life where you are being disobedient? When I taught this at a conference once, almost every hand in the building went up when I asked that question.
I want to encourage you with the same advice I gave them. Just like a parent with a child, God is saying to each of us, “Why don’t you just do what I tell you to do? I’m telling you this for your own good.” The truth is, whatever God asks us to do, it’s for our benefit, so we need to take it seriously and submit to His direction.
He’s not taking things away from us to be mean or giving us a long list of impossible rules. He’s teaching us what things are going to benefit us and what aren’t, because He wants us to live the very best life we can. He doesn’t want us to be bitter, hurt, resentful, and lost, which often come as a result of disobedience. He wants us to have righteousness, peace, love and joy.

How do you obey Him?

First, make a commitment to obey His Word. In other words, anything you read in the Bible that tells you what to do or not to do—do that. If you don’t understand some of it, focus on the things you do understand first. Start with the clear instructions like, Forgive your enemies; pray for those who hurt you. And remember that even though the instructions are clear, you’re still going to have to be determined to do it. It may not be easy to forgive people who hurt you, but it’s actually a lot easier than being bitter and resentful your whole life. And remember that whatever God asks you to do, He will give you the ability to do it.
Second, obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit for your life. God doesn’t lead every individual in the same way. The Bible applies to everyone, but the Bible doesn’t give every detail of everything we need to do. That’s why we also need to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in our heart.
My prayer is this teaching is an encouragement to you. No matter how many things you need to work on, give them to God one by one and let Him do the work in you. As you step out and become more determined to obey Him, He will help you do what needs to be done. And not only will you experience more peace and joy, but your love for God will grow and grow.

Breaking the Approval Addiction - Part 1

Do you live under a burden of guilt and condemnation…feeling unrighteous, unworthy, and insecure? Are you a people-pleaser, always looking for the approval of others?
If the answer to any of these is yes, then God wants to help you move beyond those feelings, Why? Because they not only affect your personal relationships, but also your prayer life and your ability to be promoted. And I can tell you from personal experience, they certainly steal your joy and your peace—and that is not God's will for you or anyone else.
I believe there are two states that can cause us to desire the approval of people: being emotionally wounded and being caught in a pit of self-pity.
Wounds that won’t heal
Because I grew up in an environment of sexual and verbal abuse, I thought I was wounded beyond healing. Worse, I projected the personality of my earthly father onto God and was sure that, like my father, God was impossible to please.
If you have been hurt and wounded by people who were difficult to please, you may think God is the same way. He isn't! It is not as difficult to please God as we may think. Simple, childlike faith pleases Him. He already knows we will not behave perfectly all the time. That is why He sent Jesus to pay for our failures and mistakes.
God has no problem with the knowledge of what we lack; we are the ones who have problems with it. We often find it difficult to admit to ourselves or anyone else that we are anything less than perfect.
Remember, God is not surprised by your inabilities, your imperfections, or your faults. He has always known everything about you and He chose you on purpose for Himself.
Once we understand how God sees us through Christ, we can refrain from being oversensitive to what people think about us, and feeling bad about ourselves. We don't have to be addicted to their approval, because we already have God's approval!
Self-pity: The Self-curse
When we’re living to try to please others, we see our weaknesses as “curses.” They’re the things in our lives that we just can’t do anything about and will surely be our downfall in the end. It’s easy to see how this way of thinking can turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The cure for this is simple: Give God not only what you are but especially give Him what you are not. It is easy to offer Him our strengths, but we should also offer Him our weaknesses because His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses.
The Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “’My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.” Don't hold anything back; give God everything!
For years, I struggled with guilt and condemnation…and feeling like I had to "pay" for my sins by feeling bad about myself. If it was a "little" sin, I might feel bad for a few days. But if I really blew it, it would send me on a two-week guilt trip.
During one of these particularly bad episodes, the Lord spoke to my heart and asked, "Joyce, do you believe the blood of my Son Jesus paid the price for your sins?" I said, "Yes, I do." He replied, "Well, if you plan on receiving this forgiveness two weeks from now, why don't you just receive it now and begin enjoying your life again?"
I learned that feeling guilty over my weaknesses doesn’t accomplish one single thing! I don't believe I have to add my guilt to His sacrifice. His sacrifice was complete and perfect, and no work of my flesh can improve on what He has done.

Breaking the Approval Addiction - Part 2

Fear of Rejection Robs Us of Joy
I was terribly afraid of the abuse I suffered in the past coming to light. What would people think? Would they reject me? Would they blame me or hate me? The devil had lied to me for at least twenty-five years about how people would view me if they knew about my past, so I worked hard at keeping it a secret.
The effort it took to conceal my past was draining. I can understand why people who are always trying to please others are often anxious, unhappy and tired much of the time. The effort to please others takes a lot out of them, and they feel guilty taking any time for themselves.
People-pleasing is Bad for Your Health
Some people-pleasers rarely focus on themselves in a proper manner. When they do take a moment for themselves, they feel selfish, indulgent, and guilty, which is why they are often on the go, rushing to get things done, striving to keep everyone happy.
This becomes a vicious circle: Because they stay so busy doing for others, they usually work harder than most people. Because they accomplish so much and are so easy to get along with, they are often the first to be asked to do things. As a result, they are vulnerable to being taken advantage of because they have difficulty saying no. They usually don't even consider that saying no is an option for them. They just assume that they should do whatever anyone asks them to do, no matter how unreasonable it is. When they do venture out and say no to a request, they often change that no to a yes if people act angry or displeased.
People-pleasing Leads to Missed Opportunities
In John chapter 12, we see a group of people pleasers who missed out on the greatest opportunity in history, the chance to walk alongside Jesus. John tells us that many had seen Jesus’ signs and knew that Jesus was real. They believed in Him, but they were afraid that the Pharisees might throw them out of the Temple. Their love of approval would not permit them to have a true relationship with Jesus.
I wonder how their lives turned out. What did they miss because they said yes to people and no to God? I wonder how many of them were never mentioned in the Bible again. I wonder if they faded into oblivion and never fulfilled their destiny because they loved the approval of men more than the approval of God. How many of them spent their lives disrespecting themselves because they were people-pleasers?

Break Free from Those Bonds!
Everyone needs affirmation, especially those who have been emotionally wounded or hurt by someone. But we have more power than we realize we do.
We don’t have to live life in fear of what others think of us. In fact, we can help people when we’re willing to share our hurts. Right words spoken at the right time have the power to heal. Testimonies of how God has healed the hurting can be those inspiring words others need to hear.
Live to please God, not people. You have His approval, and that is all you really need!

How to Reach the Others God Has for You to Reach

Jesus began His public ministry in Nazareth. It was the town where He grew up, where all His close friends and family lived―where any one of us would have expected plenty of hugs and hand claps of encouragement. But for Jesus, it was not a good experience.
The crowd was happy with Jesus’ teachings to a point, but when His words became a little more direct and corrective, the Bible says they became so enraged that they actually tried to kill Him (see Luke 4:28,29). Jesus didn’t even try to defend the validity of His ministry. Verse 30 says, “But passing through their midst, He went on His way.”
Now, the next place He went was Capernaum, where He preached to large crowds, performed miracles and cast out devils from among the people. And they were just so happy. They said, “Stay with us, Jesus. This is Your spot!” Well, who wouldn’t want to stay where everybody loves and appreciates you? But Jesus didn’t hang around there either because He knew there were others who needed to hear His message.
There’s a major lesson to be learned here. See, Jesus wasn’t moved by people’s rejection nor was He moved by their acceptance. He was moved by the Spirit of God.
If you can learn how to follow God whether you’re accepted or rejected, you’re well on your way to fulfilling the call of God on your life to reach out to others.

What to Do When Others Reject You

Have you ever tried to help someone who didn’t really want to be helped out of their situation? You know, we tend to think that if we could just explain things a little more clearly or be a little bit better witness, they could be helped. But honestly and truly, we’ve got to know when to break free from the burden of false responsibility.
In Matthew 10, Jesus was sending out His disciples, and He told them that if they went to a town and the people didn’t accept them, they should shake the dust off their feet and go to the next town.
What does that mean for Christians today? It means if someone doesn’t want to be helped, we can continue to pray on their behalf, but we are not obligated to try and change them.
The world is full of hungry, hurting, needy people who would love to get any little bit of love and encouragement you have to give them. So when one person rejects you, don’t let that stop you. Just do what Jesus did. Move on to the next person and the next person until somebody wants what you’ve got.

What to Do When Others Ask Too Much

Now, there are going to be others in your life who love and appreciate you and won’t ever want you to leave their side because of who you are and what you do for them. And it’s tempting to stay around people like that because they genuinely care about you. But if you choose to stay in that same small circle, you won’t be able to reach out to others in need―and “on others” is where God wants our focus to be.
I think it would absolutely set the church on fire if every Christian would realize they have what it takes to make a difference in the lives of others.

Pursuing God’s Wonderful Plan for You

Now, if you’re a new Christian, you should take some time to learn about who you are in Christ before you really start ministering to people. And those of us who do know the Word and who we are in Christ, it’s time to step up and say, “Okay, I’ve been in the Word and I’m filled up with it. Now it’s time for me to start giving out what God has given to me.”
Just as God said to Abraham, “I will bless you and I will make you a blessing, causing you to dispense good to others,” He will also do the same through us (see Genesis 12:2).
When you go to church, go with a purpose. Think about how you can help others and lift them up. Then go out armed and ready, prayed up and looking for someone to bless.
The truth is, if you will regularly reach out to help people, edify them, encourage them, and treat them the way you want to be treated, then you will be one of the happiest people in the world today.

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Why Trying Harder Won't Change Your Life

Change is necessary – it’s part of life.
And most people would say they want change in their lives. They want circumstances to change, people to change, the world to change… And it seems it rarely occurs to us that we need to change.
The truth is, you probably have a lot more to do with change happening than you realize. You can’t keep doing things the way you’ve always done them and hope or expect to get a different result.
For years I tried to make things in my life change and didn’t get anywhere. I would read the Bible and try. I would go to church and hear a message and try. Then I would tell God how hard I was trying, thinking maybe He’d feel sorry for me. And then I would go into my “drama” and say, “I just give up, God…”
The problem was, I was “trying” in my own strength, and I needed God’s help. I needed to realize the truth about myself and my situation before I could get His help and see results.

How to Change Your Life

I’ve discovered that things in your life will change when you first change your mind. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world…but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God…” (The Amplified Bible).
So how do we renew our mind? With the Word of God! It is full of life and has power to change us. But we can’t just read it and expect to be victorious Christians. We have to study it.
Think of it this way. You wouldn’t go to a doctor who didn’t study, would you? And no one expects to become a doctor without studying.
It’s the same way for us. To really know the Word of God and be changed by the Truth, we have to study. And we have to be patient and persevere. I thank God for what I know, but it’s taken more than thirty years for me to know it. And I’m still learning every single day.

What Are You Meditating On?

Part of studying is meditating – rolling something over and over in your mind or pondering it. If you know how to worry, you know how to meditate. It’s usually not hard to meditate on a problem all day long, if you let yourself. I call this kind of thinking “stinkin’ thinkin’.”
We don’t really know how messed up our thinking is until we study God’s Word and realize what we should be thinking. The Word is like a mirror – it shows us the way we should be and the way we are. Until I looked in the Word, I thought everybody else was the problem, not me.
So, what’s been on your mind lately? Stop and think about what you’ve been thinking about. If it’s stinkin’ thinkin’, change it. The good news is, you can think whatever you want to think.

You can change. Everything is subject to change except God Himself.
But you have to stop wasting your time saying things like, “My life is never going to change. My finances are never going to change. My marriage and children will never change…”
Start saying what the Word says: “All things are possible with God. And I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!” And think about good things so there’s no room for bad things.
Do your own thinking – don’t let the devil do it for you.
Finally, be daring in your prayers. Be bold and tell God, “I want You to change me. I want You to use me to change anything in the world that you want to use me for. I believe that You can change anything – me, my circumstances, my family, my marriage, my finances – there’s nothing You can’t change. I know change won’t be easy, but I’m committed to be where You want me to be at all times. I won’t sit here and give in to stinkin’ thinkin’ anymore.”

We Can't Rely on Emotions to Lead Us the Right Way

It’s easy to make decisions based on what we want, think and feel―or what our emotions tell us is the right thing, right now. But we have to be very careful not to be led by emotions. We need to follow something much wiser and much more dependable―and that is the Word of God.
Hebrews 4:12 says that God’s Word is sharper than any two-edged sword, dividing soul and spirit and judging the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. In other words, God’s Word gives us wisdom to know right from wrong, and keep our thoughts and attitudes in control.
Even after years of study we may still not be able to apply every bit of wisdom God’s Word has for us, but we will have made considerable progress―and we’re covered by God’s grace and mercy as we continue to learn and grow.

How to Know God’s Will from Your Own

It’s challenging sometimes to discern if what we want is in line with what God wants for us because when we feel strongly about something, we can easily deceive ourselves into thinking it’s God’s will―and the devil will help us do it. He will even lead us to take Scripture out of context if it will keep us deceived and living in sin.
First Corinthians 2:14 says that to those in the world, truths revealed by the Spirit sound like foolishness. Only spiritual people can understand the things of the Spirit. And sometimes it’s even very difficult for spiritual people to do!
I can tell you that when you’re truly being led by the Spirit, your head can have a hard time understanding what God’s doing because He often seems unreasonable. He will do many things in your life that you just cannot understand.
I used to be so confused about some of the things God allowed to happen in my life. But when I look back at them today, I can say, “Now I know why that had to happen. Now I know why that took place.”
God knows more than we know, His ways are above our ways, and He has a better plan for our lives than we do. Instead of being led by our feelings, we need to be led by God, even when we don’t understand.

How to Manage Unstable Emotions

If we want to improve in this area, we have to let God show us some truth about ourselves. We need Him to reveal the root of our problem because if we see it, we can deal with it, and then we can avoid the feelings that come from it. So we can pray for God to reveal those things to us. But feelings are unpredictable by nature, so we also need to learn how to manage them when they change unexpectedly.
It’s amazing how you can straighten up your attitude just by having a little chat with yourself. Your family may not be everything you’d like them to be, but you have a family. Your house might not be everything you’d like it to be, but you’re not on the street. You may not like your job, but somebody out there wants it. You may not even like your spouse, but I guarantee you there’s someone out there who would be happy to take them off your hands.
Victory is pretty much impossible until we learn how to live beyond our feelings.
They can change so quickly! Feelings make us cry one hour and laugh the next. They behave better when circumstances are good, and they act up during periods of waiting and change. I want you to master your feelings. I want you to own your emotions, not let them own you.
Colossians 3:2 says we should set our mind and keep it set on things above. If you will make a decision today to live by the Word instead of how you feel, I guarantee that a year from now you will be a different person―and I hope, very pleased with your progress.