"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"- Luke 11:13

This scripture is a staple of the church. We use it all the time to talk about the nature and character of God. It comes in the context of a discussion on the simplest idea of parenting- when your children are hungry, you feed them. You don’t hurt them, poison them, or starve them. You give them the food they so desperately need.

Luke quotes Jesus saying that if we, being evil, give our children good gifts, there is an even greater degree to which God will give us the Holy Spirit. I believe we often miss a connection though. This is more than simply “we do right by our kids, and God does right by us.” Yes, God does do right by us. Yes, God does want to bless us. Yes, God gives us gifts because, like an earthly parent, He delights in being able to do us good and see us benefit.

This word, though, comes in the context of feeding your children. Jesus is talking about giving children the sustenance they need for life itself. In the next breath, he says that God will give us the Holy Spirit if we ask. That doesn’t seem coincidental. That seems like Jesus is saying the Holy Spirit is the thing that we, as believers, need to sustain our very lives. God sending us the Holy Spirit is precisely equal to making sure we have enough food.

If I didn’t eat for a single meal, I would be out of sorts. If I missed two meals, I would be cranky. A whole day? Watch out! Yet it is astonishing how often the believer tries to go without the Spirit from Sunday to Sunday, or maybe a quick Wednesday meal to carry them over. I believe that the Church (big C, not this church, specifically) is chronically malnourished in the Spirit.

What happens when we are malnourished? We feel weak. We waste away. We have poor balance. We are prone to disease and infection. Our bones are brittle. We avoid tasks that will cost us, physically. We don’t think clearly. The opposite is also true, and praise God that it is! If we regularly get filled up with God’s Holy Spirit, everything changes. We become strong. We have vitality. We are stable and unmoved even in trying times. We stay healthy. We have clear thought and good discernment. We take on any challenge with confidence in a positive outcome.

There is nothing like being filled with the Holy Spirit. He is yours for the asking, so ask for him every day. Ask for him with every meal. As often as you pass natural food into your body for strength and health, ask for God’s Spirit to fill you, dwell in you, strengthen and empower you. Pray in the Spirit and activate your faith. Accept the fundamental gift of the good Father above, which He offers you every day. Amen.

Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves’.” Mark 11:17

We all know that every prayer prayed does not produce immediate results, but what do we do when the results are not immediate? The promises of God are there for us, but when they have yet to manifest in our circumstances, what should we do
in the meantime?

In Mark 11:14, Jesus showed us what to do. After He had cursed the fig tree, the tree did not wither immediately. What did He do then? He went to the temple in Jerusalem and cast out the money changers saying that it should be a house of prayer and not a den of thieves (Mark 11:15-17). After that when the disciples saw the same fig tree the next day, it had dried up from its roots (Mark 11:20-21).

Well, today, you and I are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:6).
And your temple should be a “house of prayer” or it becomes a “den of thieves.” These thieves, or powers of darkness, will steal and rob from your temple, which is your body (1 Corinthians 6:19). They will steal and rob you of your strength, health, youthfulness, wisdom, hopes and dreams.

So, we need to make our temple a house of prayer by praying in the Spirit (in tongues) frequently (Ephesians 6:18). When you pray in the Spirit, you are praying perfect prayers. This is because the Spirit Himself makes intercession for you when He prays through you in tongues (Roman 8:26). Some ask, “how long must I pray”?
Well, how often in a day does the enemy attack you with fears, anxieties and worries? How often does that disease in your body remind you that it is still there? How healthy and whole do you want to be?
 
Friends, as you make your temple a house of prayer, the powers of darkness that have been stealing or robbing from you will be driven out of your life completely. You will see the manifestation of what you have spoken over your circumstances, and you will see the withering of what you have cursed. Thank you, Jesus!

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41

So many believers are not aware of this truth, but it is your spirit that is instantly changed at salvation. Your spirit is actually PERFECT (Hebrews 12:23). It literally cannot sin (1 John 3:9). Everything that is true of Jesus is true of our born again spirit. Your spiritual salvation is already totally complete. At salvation, you receive the same spirit that you will
have throughout eternity.

It will not have to change or be cleansed again. It is sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13) and therefore, is sanctified and perfected forever (Hebrews 10:10, 14; 12:23). Now, that is some wonderful news. Glory to God. The Bible teaches us that salvation is a life changing and life transforming experience. Change is one of the distinguishing characteristics of a true believer.

But again, so many believers fail to understand that this change takes place in the spirit first, and then is reflected in our outward appearance through our thoughts and actions in direct proportion to the way we renew our minds. This has at times caused quite a bit of confusion in some believers. This change has to take place in our born again spirit first.

Now, why is that? Just like if you had a temper before you were born again, you still will have a temper after you get born again, unless you’ve done something specific to help with your temper. The same with your hair color, your weight and any other physical characteristic. Your body doesn’t instantly change and neither does your soul or mind. For the remainder of our Christian life, we must not try to obtain faith, joy or love from God, but rather we need to release what we have in our spirits (Galatians 5:22-23) into our soul and body.

Failure to understand this has caused some people to get discouraged when they don’t see sufficient change in their life after coming to the Lord for salvation. It must be understood thoroughly that the change is an eternal change in our spirit and the outward change will take place as we renew our minds through God’s Word (Romans 12:2).
This is why for so many years now I have put so much emphasis on our minds being renewed. We can’t receive or experience the truth of God’s Word in this area without our minds being renewed. And that is why we put such emphasis on the Word as it is the only thing that will renew our minds to where it will agree with our spirit man. 

…God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; Romans 4:17

Many times, when we look at ourselves, we do not see what we can become. But when God looks at us, He does see what we can become by His grace. When Jesus first saw Simon, He changed his name to “Peter,” which means “rock.” But did Peter immediately become someone with the characteristics of a rock. Of someone who was solid, stable, and unshakable? No, as we have seen, he continued to act like a reed that bends every which way the wind blows.

But you remember when Peter saw Jesus' walking on water, he took a bold step of faith and said, “Lord, if it is really You, allow me to come to You on the water.” Then, as he was walking on the water, he saw the boisterous wind, got scared and when he began to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me.” (Matthew 14:28-30).
At another time, he said, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death” (Luke 22:33). Then, a few hours later, he denied knowing Jesus not once, but three times (Luke 22:54-62).

Yet, throughout his reed like behavior, we notice that Jesus kept calling him “rock” until one day, how Jesus saw him began to take root in him. And don’t forget that day, on the Day of Pentecost, Peter stood up to preach and 3,000 people were saved (Acts 2:41). So, we see that Peter had indeed become a rock, a pillar in the early church.

That was how Jesus transformed Peter. And that is how God wants us to change the people and situations in our lives. Now you may be wondering, But Pastor Don, are you telling me to call my job situation a blessed, successful, and prosperous job even though it is nothing like that in the natural?
 
Are you telling me to call my marriage a blessed and blissful marriage. It is nothing like that at all. And are you telling me to call my body healthy and whole even though my last doctor visit said just the opposite?

Friends, God did NOT tell us to call those things which exist as they exist. What is the point of stating the obvious? It is not going to change anything. No, God tells us to call those things which DO NOT exist as though they did, AND THEY WILL. You have God’s Word for it. Begin to practice the Word and watch God work wonders and do what seems
to us as impossible. Glory to God.

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”  John 3:17

In John 8:1-12, you notice that Jesus didn’t condemn the woman caught in adultery. Notice also that He didn’t say, “Don’t stone her. Show mercy to her.” No, what He said was, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” And on their own the Pharisees and religious bunch left. Notice also that Jesus did not ask the woman, “Why did you sin?” No, what He asked was, “Has no one condemned you?” It seems as if Jesus focused more on the
CONDEMNATION of the sin than the sin itself.

He made sure that she walked away not feeling the condemnation and shame. Let’s not undo God’s order. When God says something should be first, it must be first. God says “no condemnation” comes first, and then you can “go and sin no more.” Religion has it the other way. It says, “Go and sin no more first, then we won’t condemn you.” What we need to understand is that when there is no condemnation, people are empowered to
live victorious lives, lives that glorify Jesus.

Grace produces an effortless empowerment through the revelation of no condemnation. It is unmerited and completely underserved. But we can receive it (this gift of no condemnation because Jesus paid for it at the cross). The story of the woman caught in adultery demonstrates something very important. What enables someone to have the power to overcome sin? The threat of the law obviously didn’t stop the woman from committing adultery. But receiving Jesus’ acceptance, knowing that even though
she deserved to be stoned to death, He did not condemn her.

THAT gave her power to “go and sin no more.” Truth be told, none of us could have cast the first stone. We have all sinned and fallen short. In Christ, we are all on equal ground. If a brother or sister gets tangled in sin, our place is not to judge them, but to restore them by pointing them to the forgiveness and gift of no condemnation that is found in Jesus. The only person who is without sin and who could have exercised punishment on the woman was Jesus, and He did not. Jesus was in the flesh to represent what was in God’s heart. It wasn’t judgement. His heart is revealed
in His grace and His forgiveness.

You can also say it this way when describing what happened as the Pharisees waited to stone the woman. The Pharisees WOULD have condemned her if they COULD, but they could not. Jesus COULD have condemned her if He WOULD, but He WOULD not. That’s our loving, compassionate Jesus. Don’t you love Him? You’re totally free of condemnation today because you’re in Christ.

Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.  Luke 22:42

For us to pray, “Lord, if it be thy will” in response to a promise that God has given us is nothing but unbelief and is not even remotely related to what Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane. Some have thought that since Jesus prayed this way in the Garden that this is the proper way to pray, every time we pray, regardless of what we’re praying about.

It appears we’re showing humility to always end our prayers with, “If it be thy will” but actually as I stated, it’s total unbelief. One of the foundational principles of answered prayer is that we must believe that we receive when we pray (Mark 11:24). There is no way that we can fulfill that condition if we don’t know God’s will in that situation.

Praying, “If it be thy will” takes us out of the active position of believing and puts us in the passive position of waiting and letting circumstances rule our lives. If we are seeking direction in an area where God’s will is NOT already expressed through the Word, then we should pray James 1:5, and ask for wisdom. Then we can believe that we receive when we pray, and with that knowledge continue our prayer of faith.

Jesus knew it was the Father’s will for Him to be made an offering for the sins of the world. This is true because He prophesied His death and resurrection many times before. But, because of His unique relationship with God, Jesus was asking God if at all possible to accomplish His will some other way, but at the same time affirming His commitment to do His Father’s will and not His own.

He was not at a loss to know God’s will and therefore, left this time of prayer trusting that whatever the Father deemed best for Him would happen. Jesus knew, when He began praying what the Father’s will was and He knew at the close of His prayer, that God’s will could not be accomplished any other way. Ephesians 5:17 tells us that we should not be ignorant but understand what the will of the Lord is.

There really is only ONE appropriate time to pray, “If it be thy will” and that is when we are dedicating ourselves to the service of God, regardless of where or what that may be. We could say that it’s appropriate to pray, “If it be thy will” when we are consecrating ourselves to the Lord or to His service. It’s very important that we understand this so often misunderstood way of praying. It’s important to pray correctly according to the Word of God.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.  Ephesians 1:7

The good news of the gospel is that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, came down from heaven to earth and sacrificed Himself at the cross. His perfect, sinless blood provided forgiveness for all our sins. You and I cannot pay for our own sins, so He did it for us. Now, whosoever believes in Him will never die but will receive the gift of eternal life. Glory to God. Think about it. The moment you invited Jesus into your heart as your Lord and Savior, ALL your sins were forgiven, past, present, and future. Once you are born again, you are in Christ.

You do not have to try to get forgiveness. You HAVE the forgiveness of sins through His blood, and this forgiveness of sins that you have is not according to what you have done, but according to the riches of God’s grace, His unmerited, unearned, and undeserved favor. The Bible tells us that “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). In other words, the punishment for sin is death. It also tells us that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Heb. 9:22 NIV). Blood is therefore necessary for the forgiveness of sins.

That is why even under the old covenant of law, sin was covered temporarily through the blood of sacrificed animals. Please notice friends how David describes the blessed man or woman whose sins are forgiven. “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, who sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin” (Rom. 4:7-8). Oh, what joy and what a blessing it is to receive the forgiveness of sins. But on the other hand, when believers start to question if they are truly forgiven, it leads to all kinds of insecurities, fears, and destructive bondages.

Fear and insecurity cannot exist in a healthy relationship with God. In a marriage relationship, for example, if a wife never feels secure in her husband’s love for her, she will never draw strength from or find joy in her marriage. Instead of thriving, that marriage will disintegrate over time. Similarly, our heavenly Father does not want us to live trapped the rest of our lives being insecure because we are never sure of our forgiveness. Today, based on the Word of God, rejoice and thank God for the blessing of His forgiveness, so dearly paid for and so freely given to us. Let this truth of the gospel bring stability to you and put strength in your heart, and drive away every fear and sense of insecurity. His blood did the work for us.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

It’s absolutely paramount that we as believers respond in the Biblical way to the storms of life when they come. When the storms of life rage, refuse to focus on what you see and hear in the natural. Refuse to go by your negative feelings and emotions. We are faith people which means we live by the truth of God’s Word, which encourages you to “be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid and do not panic, For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you” (Deut. 31:6 NLT).

Notice that this verse says that the Lord will go ahead of you. He goes ahead to make way for you to overcome each obstacle, hindrance, adversity or opposition that you might face. Hallelujah. Such awesome news to know. We’ve all heard talk of the storms of life. We all know of them personally. At times they actually overwhelm us. Wave after wave that keeps coming that knocks you off your feet till you don’t know which way to turn.

It seems like every ounce of energy is used up and you feel so weak, abandoned, and left all by yourself. Maybe you’re caught in one of life’s storms right now. When the disciples of Jesus were out at sea, caught in a turbulent storm and tossed by the waves, WHO was it that came to them in their darkest hour? It was Jesus Himself (Matt. 14:22-33). Jesus came to them walking on the raging waters. The loving Savior came to them at their
EXACT POINT OF NEED to rescue them.

Now, this should tell us something very important that can be of such a great help and source of encouragement. This tells us that He is ABOVE the storms. He walks above, He is GREATER than every adversity and opposition that you may be facing right now, and He has come to RESCUE you. Notice also that with the waves beneath His feet, His first words to His disciples were,

“DON’T BE AFRAID. Take courage. I AM HERE” (Matt. 14:27 NLT).
What comfort those words must have brought to the disciples who were exhausted and shaking with fear for their lives. Let’s learn from the disciple’s experience and walk by faith and refusing to go by what you see and hear all around you. Don’t judge your situation by your negative feelings and emotions. Be strong and courageous without fear and panic. God is a personal and loving God who is with you in your boat right in the middle of the raging storm. He knows how to lead you to victory every time. He cannot which means He will never fail YOU.

He will ALWAYS bring us through to total victory. PTL

‘And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him.’
Mark 11:2

Thank God for the gifts of the Spirit, but what if there were no gifts of the spirit and the Lord established that the only way we could receive from Him was through our own faith? There would be some individuals who would get born again who already had terminal diseases but didn’t have enough time left to mature in their faith and receive healing. Well, they would die if it wasn’t for others interceding for them or someone with the gift of
healing praying for them.

That’s why the Lord gave these gifts, to keep us encouraged and alive so we can mature. It is also wrong for an individual not to mature in his personal faith in the Lord and become dependent on the gifts. It is not right for someone to receive a miracle through someone with the gift of miracles and then just struggle along until the next time that gifted minister comes through town. The gifts of the spirit are not meant to be a substitute for our own
faith in the Lord.

We are not to depend so completely on some individual with a spiritual gift that we neglect our own spiritual growth and maturity. We can receive anything we need from the Lord without a gift of the Spirit operating through another individual, IF we know how to believe. Dependance on the Lord directly is far superior to dependence on the Lord indirectly through someone operating in one of the spiritual gifts.

The Lord wants us to receive His power through these gifts, but then we must grow, develop and mature so that we can walk in God’s best on our own. We are able to mature beyond a total dependency on the gifts to where we can hear and receive from God directly. But none of us will ever reach such a level of maturity in the Lord where there is nothing left to learn or receive.

I want to encourage you to always work at staying teachable. There’s always more to learn if you continue to seek God and His Word. God will teach us line upon line and precept upon precept if we’re willing and always open to receive more truth. I’m also encouraging all of us to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal and teach us through the Word daily. Thank God for the awesome Word that transforms and matures us continually. Hallelujah

Who was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification. Romans 4:25

I want to share an illustration with you to help you understand the significance of Jesus’ resurrection. Let’s say that you are living in a foreign country and one day you happen to break a major law of the land. You appeal to the King for mercy, but he says that a rule is a rule and he can’t bend it for you. But then he says, if you can find a substitute to take your punishment, three months in jail, I will allow it. By the grace of God, you find a willing substitute.

He goes to prison on your behalf and you don’t see him for some time. Weeks and months go by. Now, how or when will you know that your crime has been fully paid for? When will you be able to rest easy about your crime? It is when you see your substitute walking free again. When you see him out of prison, you will know that the sentence has been fully served. You will know that you are now justified and no one can bring a charge against you for your old crime.

No longer will you be afraid of the King or his guards coming after you because you know that the one who was punished in your place is now walking free. The Bible tells us that Christ was delivered up for our sins and raised from the dead for our justification. You may already know why Jesus died for our sins, but do you know the significance of God raising Him from the dead? Friends, Jesus, your substitute, paid the debt you could not pay.

We used to sing a chorus many years ago, “He paid a debt He did not owe, I owed a debt I could not pay, I needed someone to take my sin away. So, now I sing a brand new song, AMAZING GRACE. He paid a debt for me that I could never pay.” You see, on the cross, He bore the sins of your entire life. God put it all on Jesus and then He punished Jesus for every single one of those sins until He was fully satisfied that the price had been paid.

And because He was so pleased with what Jesus had done, He raised Him from the dead. Today, Jesus’ tomb remains empty. He is not there for He has risen. His resurrection and empty tomb will forever be our assurance that we have been fully justified. Glory Hallelujah, you NO LONGER have to be afraid of God judging you for your sins. His justice is on your side today. PTL

‘And Jesus, when he had found a young donkey, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Zion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on a donkey’s colt.’ John 12:14-15

I can imagine you’re wondering how this scripture ties in with the title of this article. Well, I’m going to do my best to show you. This is something the Lord has been teaching me over the past decade or so. In these verses, notice that not only was it a miracle that Jesus knew about the donkey and its colt, but also where they would be found. God also worked some kind of miracle in the owner of these animals so that he would be willing to release them. It is possible that the Lord also revealed to this man that Jesus would need his animals.

It’s possible also that he was just a devoted follower of Jesus who gladly surrendered them when he knew Jesus was the one wanting them. Either way, it was just as much a miracle that the owner was willing to surrender them as it was that Jesus knew exactly where they would be. This happening spoken of in John 12:14-15 is the fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy in Zechariah 9:9. In reading this, you notice how specific Zechariah’s prophecy is and how exactly it was fulfilled. Zechariah prophesied Jesus not only riding a donkey, but also a colt (unbroken), the foal of a donkey.

Zechariah also mentioned the people rejoicing greatly and shouting which certainly came to pass on this day. All four gospels include a triumphal entry, but only Matthew records a donkey with a colt. There appears to be a possible contradiction here but there is an explanation. And it is that Jesus rode the colt while the other donkey went along beside its mother. No doubt, He rode each animal part of the way. There is no indication that He made previous arrangements with anyone there to obtain this donkey and its colt. This was nothing less than supernatural knowledge imparted to Jesus through the Holy Spirit.

As Jesus did, we need to know and let God work in all areas of our lives at all times. Around fifteen years ago the Lord began to show me how he was working miraculously in my life nearly all the time, doing things behind the scenes that would reveal His touch at a later time. God showed me that He was sending people into my life to impart something to me and also for me to impart something into their lives as well. If you’re truly living your life for God and have made Jesus the LORD of your life, then you can be sure that there are supernatural things happening at all times for specific purposes regarding you.

There are areas that God is working in that you wouldn’t think He would or even need to. But He is arranging things that touch your life so they will bring about His perfect will in your life and bring bountiful blessings to you but also enable you to carry out the CALL upon your life. Always, every day, know that God is not afar off but that He is actively involved in you to produce extraordinary happenings in your life continually. Glory to God.

For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.  Romans 5:17

The word righteousness is a legal term. It means to have right standing before God. Study Bibles define righteousness as “that gracious gift of God to men whereby all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are brought into right relationship with God.” In other words, your right standing before God is based upon Jesus’ right standing before God. If you struggle, as many believers do, with whether YOU deserve to be blessed, favored, and victorious, you are actually asking the WRONG question.

The question you should be asking is, does JESUS deserve to be blessed, favored, and victorious? Because you are in Christ, having a blessed future is not based on how much you strive to be perfect or how hard you work at changing yourself. It is based on the person of Jesus. The Bible proclaims, “As He is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). Does Jesus deserve to be blessed, favored, and victorious? Then so do you.

This is what being IN Christ means. It means that today, God evaluates you and sees you based on the perfection of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ righteousness is your righteousness. In fact, the Bible explains that because Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us, we are NOW the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). Today, you are as righteous as Jesus because your righteousness is from Him.

He purchased it for you at the cross. When you received Him as your Lord and Savior, He took away all your unrighteousness once and for all and gave you HIS gift of righteousness. This righteousness is something that you can never obtain or achieve through your right doing. It can only be RECEIVED by your right believing in Jesus. And do you know what happens when you receive this gift of righteousness? The Bible declares that “those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will REIGN IN LIFE through the One, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17).

So, this means, when YOU reign, YOUR addictions don’t. When YOU reign, sicknesses doesn’t. When YOU reign, fear, depression, and every obstacle that is obstructing you from living your life to the fullest will be torn down and done away with. Glory to God. How wonderful is this gift of righteousness? PTL

He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.  John 1:23

I have been thinking and meditating on John the Baptist ever since we started the Sunday morning series, “Do you value the church”. I have really drawn from John’s words in John 3 where he said, “I must decrease, and He must increase”. That has so touched my heart as the Lord has revealed to me that we have to do the same thing. We are constantly focusing more on Jesus and less on this world.

Daily, the pull and influence of the world needs to be less and less and the pull of the Spirit of God on our hearts should become stronger and stronger. Our desires are constantly waning from this world’s glitter and our hunger is to only be about our Father’s business. Hallelujah. God has a plan for your life just as surely as he did for John the Baptist.
To be successful in life, you must find God’s plan for your life and then devote yourself to fulfilling that plan. It is not enough to simply DO YOUR OWN THING and then ask God to bless it. Pay close attention to what I’m going to say: Once you know that you are doing God’s will, you never have to ask Him to bless it. Some may have a problem with that because they’ve always been taught that unless God blesses something, there’s no value to it. And although that’s true, the actual TRUTH is, God’s will is ALREADY blessed.

Let’s think some more about John the Baptist. He knew who he was and what he was called to do. This was one of the keys to his success. Unlike most of us, John did not have an identity crisis growing up. He knew God’s plan and purpose for his life from the beginning and he literally spent his entire life preparing for it.

The Lord created you with a purpose in mind. The moment you were born, God already had a plan and a divine purpose for your entire life. The talents and seemingly natural abilities that you have were given to you to fulfill His purpose. Now, although you may find limited success using these talents for your own personal uses, you will never find your true potential until they are directed and anointed by and for the Lord.

Here is an awesome thought to know, behold, and never lose the impact and effect of it’s truth. GOD WANTS TO REVEAL HIS PERFECT PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE TO YOU MORE THAN YOU WANT TO KNOW IT. You can rest assured that if you ask for knowledge of His plan for your life, you will receive it (Matthew 7:7). He will also show you His good, acceptable, and perfect will for every move you make in this life (Romans 12:1-2). Friends, this is very good news for us all who are seeking God’s best for our lives. Thank you, Jesus.

Now the God of hope fill you with all JOY and PEACE in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Romans 15:13

I heard a man speak of being diagnosed with terminal cancer, but after tapping into the PEACE and JOY of God, he was divinely healed. There is a place God desires for all of us to live and it’s a place of supernatural JOY and PEACE that no matter what harmful or deadly situation you face, you don’t lose hope to stand and completely overcome. Does that sound like a place you’d like to live? You may think it’s too good to be true, but it isn’t.

I want to talk to you about three specific things if you desire to live in God’s JOY and PEACE: (1) Do you find it hard to believe what the Word says about you? If you aren’t experiencing JOY and PEACE, you may have this problem. According to our text above, God wants you to abound in JOY and PEACE, but if your believing is wrong, then your life will reflect that. What you think about God, yourself, and the circumstances is the determining factor in
how your life will end up.

If you want to walk and live in this JOY and PEACE, then you must change your thinking to match God’s Word. (2) Take advantage of what you’ve been given. We’re told in Galatians 5:22 that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, and so on. This is saying that if you’re born again, you can experience this fruit regardless of circumstances. The reason being is because you have the Spirit of God in you. The love of God was shed abroad in your heart
(Roman 5:5).

You can access what has taken place within you at any time. This is a spiritual work, but you can see the effects of it in the natural realm as well. You can live  from the Spirit and enjoy the fruit of God’s JOY and PEACE every day, all day. You are ALREADY equipped to handle every problem you will ever face. Stop believing that God doesn’t care, that you aren’t equipped, and that the circumstances are bigger than you are. None of these things is true.

(3) Fellowship with God. Psalms 16:11 tells us that “In God’s presence is fullness of JOY.” I heard someone mention once about being in a prayer meeting before a service. When the prayer was over, everyone left with faces that looked like they had been sucking on lemons. He said, “well, I know WHO wasn’t there, because in God’s presence is fullness of JOY and there wasn’t any JOY on those folks at the prayer meeting.

When you continue in a place of fellowship with God, there will be a JOY that naturally rises within you. You don’t have to be miserable. God lives in you and wants to bless you. You can smile knowing that you already have the victory. Friends, be sure you know this for an absolute certainty. IT IS POSSIBLE TO REMAIN IN GOD’S SUPERNATURAL JOY AND PEACE AT ALL TIMES. The enemy doesn’t want you to know that, much less BELIEVE it. Hallelujah

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”, that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.      Galatians 3:13-14

In our text above, we see that our Lord Jesus redeemed us from EVERY curse of the law so that the blessing of Abraham might come upon us. Now, Deuteronomy 28 has a long list of curses, and I want to major on the curses that cover sicknesses and diseases that Jesus has redeemed you and me from.

• CONSUMPTION: diseases that cause your lungs to waste away, accompanied by fever and inflammation (Deut. 28:22)
• BOILS, TUMORS, SCURVY, “the itch, from which you cannot be cured” (Deut. 28:27 NLT)  
• MADNESS, blindness, and panic (Deut. 28:28 NLT)
• SEVERE BOILS that cannot be healed (Deut. 28:35)
• GREAT AND PROLONGED PLAGUES, and serious and prolonged sicknesses (Deut. 28:59)

Are you aware today that Jesus loves you and has borne every imaginable disease upon His own body on the cross so you don’t have to suffer them? I want you to see today that you can turn to the cross for ANY and EVERY medical challenge and condition. Christ has redeemed you from EVERY SINGLE ONE of the diseases and sicknesses mentioned here. If you think your particular condition is not covered, the Bible goes on to mention “all the diseases of Egypt” (Deut. 28:60). Egypt is like a picture of the world.

As the people of God, we do not have to be afraid of the diseases the world suffers because He has brought us out of the world, and now we may be IN the world but we are not OF this world (John 17:11, 14). And not only that. It goes on to include “every sickness, disease and plague which is not written in this Book of the Law” (Deut. 28:61). Glory to God, can you see that EVERY disease and EVERY condition is part of the curse of the law and that Christ has redeemed us from every curse?

God wants you so blessed in your health that just as He put all your sins on Jesus’ body, He also put all your diseases on Jesus’ body. God loves you SO much that He allowed His own Son to BECOME A CURSE so you can be redeemed from the curse of the law. Now, that doesn’t mean the enemy won’t try to enforce symptoms of the curse in your life. But whenever the enemy tries to bring on a symptom of the curse, you can reject it. Refuse to accept it. You already have been redeemed from that symptom in Jesus’ Name. Praise God we are the healed. From the top of our heads to the tip of our toes, WE ARE the healed of the Lord. Thank you Jesus.

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.  Psalm 141:3

For whosoever shall SAY unto this mountain, be thou removed and be cast in the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart but shall believe that those things which he SAITH shall come to pass, HE SHALL HAVE WHATSOEVER HE SAITH.  Mark 11:23

Whatever you might be believing God for at this time, I want to encourage you to open your mouth to speak His Word. Pray to your Father and proclaim the blood of our Lord Jesus over your situation. The presence of blood means that there has already been a death. It signifies that a payment has already been made. Today we can stand upon the unshakable foundation of God’s promises because the Lamb of God was sacrificed at Calvary and His blood is on the doorpost of our lives.

Do you remember when Jesus cursed the fig tree in Mark 11:22? He said, “No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever.” And the next day when they passed by the fig tree again, Peter said, “Rabbi, look. The fig tree which you CURSED has withered away.” You notice Jesus didn’t actually use the word “Curse” when he spoke to the fig tree but He also didn’t correct Peter when he did use it because Peter was right. The negative words spoken were equivalent to a curse.

Now, that’s very important. Just because we don’t use the word “Curse” doesn’t mean we’re not cursing something by other negative and demeaning words. Many times people don’t realize that they are unintentionally cursing themselves and the people around them with the constant flow of negative words that they speak about themselves and others. Words of defeat, anger, bitterness, and complaint are toxic.

So, we can change our WORDS and thereby change our life. Refuse to speak the negative words in your life. Only speak the words of God’s grace, love and power. Something else very important to know is that when Jesus spoke to the fig tree, IT DID NOT WITHER AWAY INSTANTLY. This was because when Jesus spoke to the fig tree, it first dried up AT ITS ROOT before death reached the leaves. So don’t be discouraged when you speak to your challenge, and nothing seems to be happening.

BELIEVE that you are speaking directly to the ROOT of the problem and that the outward manifestation of your faith is on its way. You will see it. Hallelujah. God’s Word works. We just have to work it by aligning our believing and our speaking with the Word of God. A miracle may be waiting on your Words of faith.  

“He who has seen Me has seen the Father.”  John 14:9

I am going to show you an absolute awesome truth to aid you in your faith to believe God for healing. Notice what’s in common in these verses.

(1.) And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. Matthew 4:23-24

(2.) Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them.  Matthew 15:30.

(3.) When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  Luke 4:40
Throughout the Gospels, what do we see Jesus doing more than anything else? In the verses above, isn’t the common thing that Jesus did was to heal everyone who came to Him. How do you know it is God’s will to heal you? Just look at what Jesus did during His earthly ministry, such as in the verses we just read. When we look at Jesus, we see our Heavenly Father’s heart for us, for Jesus said that anyone who has seen Him has seen the Father.

Over and over again, the Bible records how our Lord Jesus “went about doing good and HEALING ALL who were oppressed by the devil” (Acts 10:38). He caused the lame to walk and the blind to see. He opened deaf ears. He cleansed people with leprosy. He even raised the dead. And do you know what our Lord Jesus said about all that he did?

He said, “The words I say to you I do not say on My own initiative or authority, but the Father, abiding continually in Me, does His works (His attesting miracles and acts of power)”  (John 14:10 AMP). Notice Jesus said it was THE FATHER who worked (through Him) wonderful healing miracles everywhere He went. Can you see that it is truly your Heavenly Father’s desire for you to be completely healed of every disease? Take your healing today. Praise God.

For He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.  2 Corinthians 5:21

There have been so many Christians over the past decades become victims of false teaching based on a lack of understanding about the Apostle Paul’s teaching on Communion in 1 Cor. 11:27-30. So many have been taught and even warned that if there was ANY sin in their lives, including ones they didn’t know about or had forgotten to confess, that the sin made them unworthy to partake of Communion.

They thought this would bring judgment and sickness on them, and possibly even die. But how could they ever know if they were worthy enough? Some folks aren’t living in sin but they know that to God, sin is sin, and if anyone fails in even one area, they are considered guilty of all according to James 2:10. Well, as a result, they were so fearful of taking Communion that they just didn’t partake for many years.

I mean, you can understand their thinking. After all, people aren’t so foolish to risk taking Communion if it’s going to have such an adverse effect on them and maybe even cost them their lives. Why would they risk it? I believe to some degree that I was robbed of my inheritance because of well meaning but false preaching and teaching regarding Communion.

This just put an invisible fence around what was meant to be a SOURCE of health and healing and a blessing for God’s people. A fence was put around it saying, “Don’t come near unless you are worthy.” This is why the message of RIGHTEOUSNESS is so vital to the believer. We have to know without a shadow of a doubt that we have a perfect right standing with God because Jesus bore in his own body on the cross the guilt and shame and all that separated us from Him so we could be the righteousness of God without the sense of guilt or inferiority.

But you don’t have to let ignorance of the Word rob you like it did me for many years. You can know that Communion is there for you to partake of because you are as worthy as worthy can be. You will never be more worthy than you are at this very moment. This is what the Word of God says. Jesus’ blood has already been shed for us, and as believers, we ARE the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). We are completely righteous and worthy not because we are perfect, but because HE is perfect. He paid the full price for the forgiveness of our sins, which alone makes us worthy. His sacrifice at the cross has fully qualified us to receive His healing and victory over sin and every kind of bondage that is robbing us of health, healing and LIFE. So, receive Communion today with full confidence that you are worthy in God’s eyes and receive healing for your body in Jesus’ Name. PTL

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting (eternal) life,…..  John 3:36

John 3:36 along with John 5:24 which says, “Verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting (eternal) life,….” shows us that eternal life is a present tense possession of the believer. The eternal life mentioned by Jesus is speaking of the Life of God that is resident within us and is meant to have a profound effect on our life each and every day.

In John 5:26 we’re told, “For as the Father has Life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have Life in Himself.” Also, in John 10:10, Jesus said, “I am come to give you Life and have it more abundantly.” The Word Life mentioned these several times are all a reference to the Life of God that came into the believer at the new birth.

We are to live our lives drawing DAILY from the Life of God. This Life will empower and enhance our lives in ways we could never imagine. It’s what gives us the ability to live our lives aligned with the Word. In other words, we don’t just get to read about all the wonderful happenings and miracles in the Bible, we can actually live them out DAILY in our own lives.

In John 15:2, Jesus defines eternal life as knowing God the Father and Jesus Christ. For us to fully understand what eternal life is, it actually helps to understand what it is not, Eternal life is not living forever. Everyone is going to live forever, believer and unbeliever alike, either in heaven or hell. Also, eternal life is not living forever in the blessings of heaven as opposed to being tormented in hell.

Again, Jesus showed us in John 3:36 and John 5:24 that eternal life is a PRESENCE TENSE possession of the believer. In John 15:2, the word “know” is speaking of intimacy instead of mere intellectual knowledge. Therefore, eternal life is having an intimate, personal relationship with God the Father and Jesus the Son. According to John 3:16, this intimacy with God is what salvation is all about.

Forgiveness of our sins is not the point of salvation, intimacy with the Father is. Now, of course Jesus did die to purchase forgiveness for sins because unforgiven sins block us from intimacy with God. Sin was an obstacle that stood between us and God. It had to be dealt with and it was. Anyone who views salvation as only forgiveness of their sins and stops there, is missing out on the awesome benefits of eternal life.

Salvation is intended to be the way to come into harmony with God. Instead, it is often presented as the way to escape the problems of this life and the judgement of hell later. Most non believers are so occupied with their “hell on earth” that they don’t really think or care about their eternal future. They are fed up with religion and are looking for something that will fill the emptiness inside. But, only an intimate relationship (eternal life) with our Father can do that.  

Then they said unto Him, what shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, this is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.  John 6:28-29

If you have read this passage before, have you ever wondered what it meant to “work the works of God?” Many may have thought that it meant to pray more, fast more and bind the enemy. But that is not the answer Jesus gives.

In Johns gospel, we find Jesus being asked the same question by the multitude who had been amazed by His miracles. They ask Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” The people had seen Jesus healing the sick and feeding 5,000 men with a little boy's lunch.
Take special notice of how Jesus answered their question. He said, “This is the work of God, that you BELIEVE in Him who He sent.” Friends, the greatest doing of works is BELIEVING in Jesus the sent One, who had done it all for you at the cross.

If you are asking, “What must I do to receive my healing?” The answer is this: BELIEVE in Jesus, who “Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses” (Matthew 8:17). Many have been delivered from life threatening conditions such as cancer and heart disease just to name a couple. They had simply BELIEVED that Jesus bore their diseases on His own body. There was nothing left for them to do except to BELIEVE.

Do you remember in Acts 16:30-31 when the jailer asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They said, “BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” The greatest miracle in your life happened not by you working and trying to save yourself, but by you simply BELIEVING in Jesus who died to save you from eternal damnation and to give you eternal life. Why then, should the lesser miracles of healing or financial breakthroughs be any different?

Friends, what is the miracle you need today? Whatever it is, there is nothing left for you to do, but everything for you to BELIEVE, because Jesus has already done it all for you. This is a revelation every child of God needs to receive so they can be free of everything that Jesus redeemed them from. I love the old chorus that says, “Only BELIEVE, Only BELIEVE, all things are possible, only BELIEVE.”

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.   John 16:33

Absolutely and for sure, we CAN rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS (Phil. 4:4) because rejoicing is an action, not a reaction to our situations and circumstances. Joy is a gift from God that was given to us at the new birth. It was placed within our born again spirit and it doesn’t fluctuate or diminish, it is CONSTANT. The Lord has put the joy inside us and we are to express it by choosing to obey this command in Phil. 4:4.

Now, it’s all together different for the world. They experience joy in direct proportion to their current situation and circumstances. Bad circumstances bring about depression and sorrow, while good circumstances bring about joy and peace. Well, actually, this is living a life in bondage but that does not have to be the case of the believer.

Our joy is not dependent on things, but rather on the person of Jesus Christ. He IS our joy and peace. How does the believer take advantage of this joy and peace in the midst of tribulation? By keeping our hearts and minds stayed on things above and not on things of this earth (Col. 3:1-2). The invisible things of God are eternal while the visible problems on earth are only temporary.

All the problems of this life grow very dim when we compare them to the glory of God that is ours through Jesus. I’m reminded of a song we use to sing when I pastored in Pulaski. A portion of the song said, “When all things that surround me become shadows in the light of YOU.” That again is how we can rejoice right in the middle of tribulation.

Notice again in Phil. 4:4 that we’re actually commanded, not just encouraged, but commanded to REJOICE “IN THE LORD.” So many Christians are not experiencing true joy because their joy is in their circumstances. Or their joy is totally dependent on their circumstances. That means that they’re waiting to rejoice only when things in their lives are going good, and that doesn’t happen very often.

But friends, we are suppose to REJOICE in the Lord ALWAYS. Say that word ALWAYS several times. Now confess, “I WILL REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS.” That means that we are supposed to rejoice in who the Lord is and what He has done for us at ALL TIMES. He never changes (Hebrews 13:8) and His mercies and compassions are brand new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). Wow, what an awesome truth to behold and apply to our lives. Let’s be sure we’re REJOICING ALWAYS.

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Hebrews 12:2  NASB

One thing is for certain, for a Christian to live a successful, happy and overcoming life to the fullest, they must know that they are righteous and that they have a perfect right standing with God. And it takes faith to see yourself that way. It takes faith to believe that He does not see you in your sins, that He does not observe sin or iniquity in you. It takes faith to believe that He means what he says when He says, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Heb. 8:12). It takes faith to believe that God will not remember your failings, shortcomings and mistakes.

It takes faith to believe that God will not remember your failings and mistakes. As humans, not only do we have a tendency to focus on every little flaw in our physical and emotional makeup, but we also have a tendency to know, remember, and replay in our minds the sins, failings, and mistakes we have made. We condemn ourselves for even our smallest flaws instead of focusing on how God really SEES US and that is PERFECT IN CHRIST.

Now, you might be wanting to say, “But Pastor Don, my sins are constantly bombarding me and staring at me. How can I have faith to believe that God doesn’t see them”? Well, friends, a major key to faith is found in looking to the source of faith, The Lord Jesus. As the Bible says in our text above, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith”. Your faith to believe is found in Jesus.

The AMPC Bible puts it this way: “Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection].” In other words, you have to turn your eyes away from your own failings, imperfections, flaws and mistakes, and just fix your eyes on Jesus.  
The more you see Jesus and His finished work, the more faith arises in your heart to believe that all your sins are truly forgiven. You can start on a clean slate and have a brand new beginning in Christ THIS  VERY DAY. The old is gone, and the new has come. This is the revelation that brought about the biggest change in my life turning my entire way of thinking around. I never feel condemnation or an unworthiness that I constantly dealt with in my earlier years, even in ministry.

But I received a supernatural revelation to my spirit from the very heart of God that Jesus took all of my sins past, present and future on the cross with Him and in exchange, gave me His perfect right standing with God. Ever since that day of revelation, I have continued on an upward climb to bigger and better things in God. He wants to do the same for everyone. God bless you and keep you throughout this coming New Year. Believe for fresh and brand new revelation from God this year. Glory to God forever. Wonderful things are awaiting you in 2024.

The Bible (primarily the New Testament) gives us the reasons for fasting and they are: (1) To minister to the Lord. (2) To lay hands on ministers to send them forth. (3) To draw close to God in perilous times. Although the New Testament does not tell us "to fast", it certainly does not mean that we should not.

There are not iron clad rules in the Bible regarding fasting and that is because the need for fasting is as the occasion arises. It's very important to note that fasting does not change God nor His will for your life and specific situations. God is going to be the same before, during and after your fast. The purpose for fasting is to change you and me. One of the hardest things to do in life is keep our flesh under control.   1 Corinthians 9:27, Paul admonishes us to "keep our bodies under control instead of our bodies controlling us". Fasting will also help you become more sensitive to the Spirit of God which is something we all need to make a priority in our life.

Many believe since Jesus fasted forty days that we should too, but unless you know for sure God is directing you to do so, that may not be a wise thing. Fasting for extended periods of time is not going to make something happen anymore than a shorter fast could do, unless, again, you feel strongly led of the Lord to do so. Nowhere in the New Testament are we admonished too fast for 40 days or any other specific length of days. There are some who have thought that fasting will defeat the devil, but why would that be necessary when Jesus has already defeated him? Jesus has already won that victory for you and me.

Fasting short periods of time consistently will help in keeping your body under. It is important to have a specific reason to fast. Like already mentioned, to set someone apart for ministry, to be more sensitive to the Spirit and in times of extreme hardship when you need specific guidance.
DIFFERENT KINDS OF FAST: Daniel fasted 21 days (Daniel Fast). He did not eat anything he wanted but he did eat some. We are told he ate no pleasant bread or food to be desired. He also did not eat meat or drink any wine. (Daniel 10:3) It's most commonly thought that Daniel ate vegetables, fruits, nuts, and such like. There are other kinds of fasting such as only eating broths, soups without meat for an example. The purpose is to keep our bodies under and not allow them to dictate to us what we eat.

We also can fast things unrelated to food such as television. If you are prone to watch a tremendous amount of television, then that might be a way to control the flesh while depriving yourself of so much TV. You need to be sure that the time you're taking away from TV is used in prayer. You can do a complete fast with only water, but I would advise you to only do that for a small, limited number of days unless you are sure God is directing you to do more. It is wise to consult your doctor should you do an extended fast. We can and should use common sense in regard to fasting. When fasting correctly, it can really be a blessing to us.

He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world.  1 John 4:4  AMPC
We belong to our Heavenly Father. We are HIS. We are not like sheep without a shepherd. So, everyone of the blessings, promises, and protection that belong to the righteous “are Yes, and in Him Amen” (2 Corinthians 1:20). All we have to do is receive them by grace through faith. They are not received through our works, so no man can boast, but purely through faith in His unmerited favor (Eph. 2:8-9).

We need to take the promise in Proverbs 11:21 that says, “The seed of the righteous shall be delivered.” This means that your sons and daughters shall be kept safe and protected in Jesus’ Name.

When adversity approaches because of an issue in your life, fear tries to work its way into your heart and you begin to get anxious about the negative possibility. That is the time when you need to claim this promise in God’s Word and say out loud, “Lord, I thank you that I am the righteousness of God in Christ, and You promised in Your Word that the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.” When questions come to mind that try to put doubt in your heart about your righteousness and qualification in Christ, I encourage you to say out loud, “By faith I have been made righteous and the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.”

And on top of that, Psalm 112:2 declares this of the believer: “His seed shall be mighty upon the earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.” PTL. We need to be sure and take the message of grace seriously. There is a real enemy and his aim is to deceive you into thinking you have to work for your righteousness, so he can keep you constantly feeling unworthy, inadequate and disqualified.

But the truth is this. New covenant righteousness is a gift received by faith, and the blood of our Lord Jesus has qualified you. Today God’s Word, God’s power, and His protection over you are far stronger than anything the enemy can throw at you. The devil is the ruler of this world, but don’t forget what God’s Word proclaims over you.

“He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world” (1 Jn. 4:4 AMPC). You are so thoroughly cleansed by the blood of our Lord Jesus that today the Holy Spirit, God’s own Spirit, lives in you. And He Who is in you is GREATER than any demon, any source of adversity or bondage. Hallelujah. We have dominion and authority. Let’s not live beneath our privilege, let’s use it and be the overcomers God means for us to be. Praise His holy Name.

He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world.  1 John 4:4 AMPC

We’re told very clearly in John 10:10 that our Lord Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly, to the full till it overflows (AMPC). But Satan is a thief and he also comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy. The world we live in today is a fallen world. We’re told in Genesis the moment Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, sin and death destroyed their dominion and control on earth.

So many people including Christians think that God has full control over the world today and thereby blame God for disasters, tragic accidents, and sickness and disease. (This is without a doubt possibly the most dangerous teaching in the church today. That God has everything in control). There have been some Believers who turned away from God because they say they can’t serve a God who would tolerate Children in the suffering of terminal diseases.

But what they don’t understand is that there is a real devil who is very active, and destructive in this world. But God is NOT the author of calamities and diseases. He has absolutely nothing to do with them at all. Adam and Eve gave up their control of this world to the devil. Satan is called “the prince of the power of the air” in Ephesians 2:2, “the god of this age” in 2 Corinthians 4:4, and “the ruler of this world” in John 12:31.

Now, please understand me. This DOES NOT MEAN that Satan rules the world in the complete sense having unlimited power in the world. Listen very closely to what I’m fixing to say here. It’s vitally important that you know and thoroughly understand that believers of the Lord Jesus Christ are no longer under the dominion of Satan’s power and influence in this world.

In John 17:11,14, we’re told that we are IN CHRIST and that we may be IN this world, but we are not OF this world. The Bible teaches that we belong to a higher power and His Name is Jesus. The Bible also tells us, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

This is why we can stand firm, stand strong, and stand proud upon the promises of God and say out loud, “IT IS WELL” over every area of our lives. We are HIS. We are not like sheep without a shepherd. Glory to God. This is the end of part 1 of this message. Please keep this bulletin to refer to or to re read as we will conclude this article in the next weeks bulletin. May God’s richest and best be yours.