“Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.  They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing.” (Psalm 92:13-14).

God wants you to be planted in a local church; He does not want you to be transient and move from place to place. God intends to grow you and the local church is where are hearts are challenged to rise up to new levels in Christ.  Statistics from Barna Research Group state that 11% of people who claim to attend church at least once a month plan to change their place of worship in the coming year. That represents 15 million people changing their church homes in the next 12 months.  Evidently, many people are not devoted to their current church and feel it is okay to move from place to place but what will this accomplish?  God’s desire is that every Believer get plugged into a local church body, support it in every way they can and grow in their faith and in  their relationship to the Lord.

God’s blessings will be upon those who are planted, who don’t move from place to place. The spirit of God is there to guide you and help you to recognize your place in the body of Christ and use your gifts and  talents to minister to others around you.  They need you and you need them.  The church is made up of many members but all belong to one body with Jesus Christ as the head with all authority.  If you are still searching for the place God has for you, ask Him to lead you to the one place where you belong.  Once there, allow your roots to go down deep and your walk with the Lord will be amazing.

God has given the church a powerful gift, a supernatual gift to fulfill His will upon the earth.  It was first received on the day of Pentacost and because of it the early church was able to convert thousands to Christ and perform miraculous signs and wonders.

God’s gift of the Holy Spirit enabled the church to overcome the resistance against them and the evil of that day.  Believers were persecuted and killed because of their faith but the Holy Spirit caused them to keep moving forward and do the will of God.  That same gift and that same power enables Believers today to rise above the many problems of this world and live in victory and peace.  Ebola is causing fear among many people but Christians have something within them that makes them different from the rest of the world.  People are looking for an answer that the government does not have.  God is the answer and if you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you have this free gift from God available to you.  The spirit of God will enable you to hear the voice of God who will lead you, protect you, provide for you and take away all fear.  God is bigger than any problem this world has and without God, people will live in fear and do all kinds of evil things while the children of God will respond to the challenges of life with boldness.

God wants Believers to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit immediately after salvation and all you need is a repentant heart.  Once received, the Holy Spirit or fire of God, will allow you to be used by God to further His kingdom on this earth.  You will act differently.  You will think at a higher level than before and you will accomplish much more than you could ever do on your own.  Don’t live without this gift.  If you do not already possess it, ask God for it for this is His will for your life.

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.  Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.” (Romans 13:1-2)

God is the author of creation, including man, and all things are to function the way He designed them because He is the ultimate authority.  To man He gave the authority to subdue the animals and birds of the air and Believers are to submit to the authority of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Every one has to submit to authority but some people in authority allow their pride to  take over and they abuse their position of authority.  Pride was the original sin.  Lucifer became self-centered and wanted to exalt himself above God and was therefore cast out of heaven.  On the other hand, some people have a problem submitting to authority.  They consider themselves better than the person above them so they rebel which leads to their own demise.  Miriam got leprosy after Aaran and she began to think that they were just as important and just as holy as Moses. You must remember that when you rebel against authority, you are rebelling against the author of authority – God.

Authority was established for our benefit and it is not to be taken lightly.  The Bible commands us to submit to the authority of man or suffer the consequences.  It works the same way in the kingdom of God.  There are consequences to disobedience because obedience in the kingdom of God is not optional – it is mandatory. God demands uncompromised allegiance to Him.  Believers are to be humble, open and teachable like small children if we want to become great in the kingdom of heaven.

The kingdom of God is the realm in which Jesus Christ rules and reigns in your heart.  He is your Lord and how well you submit to the authority of Christ will determine how well you learn and grow within the kingdom of God.  If you want God’s best in your life, do His will and submit to the authority in your life and this will honor God and He will open the windows of heaven over you and pour out a blessing on you such that you will not be able to contain.

Will a man rob God?  Yes.  How is this possible?  Anyone not giving back to God one-tenth of what God has blessed him with is robbing God of what rightfully belongs to Him.  It isn’t a matter of God needing your money, rather it’s a matter of where your heart is.  The Bible instructs us to bring our tithes into God’s house for tithing is the means by which our local churches are to be supported so that they may carry out the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Furthermore, it is for your personal benefit that you honor God in this way to show Him that you are submitted to Him and that you are obedient to His Word.

Just as important as it is to tithe, it is important that you do so with a cheerful heart because God loves a cheerful giver.  No one is to give grudgingly but giving should be done in the spirit of love and gratitude.  When you take into consideration the fact that Jesus Christ willingly laid down his life for the forgiveness of your sins, tithing is the least you can do to show that you are grateful for His sacrifice.  Do not give to be saved, but give because you are saved.

God has told us to test Him in tithing because we will see that a life that is lived in total obedience to giving back to God, will be a life that is tremendously blessed.  God has promised to rebuke the devourer for your sake and He will bless the work of your hands and bless your family all because you give back to Him that portion that is His.  God can make the remaining 90% of your finances go much further than if you kept 100% all for yourself.  What’s more, offerings are to be given only after the tithe has been given.  Offerings do not take the place of tithes but is received as a gift by God.

Do you trust God?  Do you trust Him enough to supply all of your needs?  Trust God no matter what your financial condition may be.  Whether your 10% amounts to a lot or very little, it is all equal in God’s eyes.  Obedience makes us equal with one another.  Make tithing one test you will pass and allow the windows of heaven to be opened over you.  Remember, when you give to God, He will give back to you exceedingly more than you gave to Him.  This is a promise that you can always depend on.  Do not rob God but give God your tithes and offerings willingly and cheerfully.

God is a problem solver.  He desires to help you solve the problems in your personal life, your marriage and your business.  There is no more important activity than prayer.  Talking with God and knowing that He is listening is an awesome experience and is available to you so that your joy may be full.

Jesus Christ made communicating with His heavenly Father a major part of his life and his disciples witnessed first hand the impact it had on his ministry that they asked the Lord to teach them how to pray.  The pattern for prayer is found in the 6th chapter of Matthew and many people are able to recite the Lord’s prayer by memory.  Prayer causes your heart to be sensitive and tender to God and it should never become a ritual.  God wants His children to spend time with Him, praising Him, thanking Him and petitioning Him for their needs.  What’s more, prayer is a time when God speaks to those whose hearts are open to hear Him.  There is no time limit on how much time you should spend in God’s presence, but whether you spend five minutes or five hours, you will be forever changed.

Everyone needs the Lord and when you discover that you can do nothing without Him, you will recognize that your dependence is not a sign of weakness but it draws you to the one whose strength is made perfect in times when you commune heart to heart with God.  The Bible says that if  we draw near to God, He will draw near to us.  Approach God in total honesty and humility and you will find the help you need.  Unlike man, God will not condemn those who come to Him seeking to fellowship with Him.  You do not have to hide your feelings.  Share with God your happiness and your sorrow and allow Him to supernaturally solve your problems.

The Lord’s prayer starts off by addressing God as “Our Father in heaven.”  Lift up your head, your eyes and your heart to your Father who is higher than any problem or heart ache in your life and He will direct your steps, and you will experience Jehovan-Shalom!(peace).

Many people like to read because not only is it educational but it is also a form of relaxation.  Just as the body needs exercise to stay in shape, reading exercises the mind which benefits the human body in many ways.  No matter what your field of interest, there are a variety of choices of books to read relative to science, history, biographies, fictional or non-fictional, but there is one book that few people actually make a point to read and that is the Bible.

The Christian religion is based on the Bible and is the infallible word of God.  Society has many different opinions about the authenticity of the authorship of the Bible but to the Believer it is the inspired word of God.  The Bible was given to us to to teach us the ways of God; to inform, correct and give us hope.  More importantly, the Word of God sets man free – free from sin and free from being controlled by the enemy of our soul Satan.  If you want to live a life that is pleasing to God, you must know what the Bible says and be obedient to His Word.

Many people have at least one Bible in their home, yet fail to read it consistently, but that is not God’s will.  God want us to be equipped to handle the storms that come into our lives so He has given us example after example of what to do and what not to do in His Word. The Christian is to be forever changing becoming more Christ-like in his walk with the Lord and the only way to be successful in that area is to know what the Bible will have you to do in your life, marriage, and your relationships.

Purpose in your heart that beginning today, you are going to read at least a verse every day and I promise you that the more you do this, the more you will want to do it.  You will find that you are moving closer to God because you will get to know Him on a personal level and you will discover the love God has for you.  Think of the Bible as God’s love letter to you.  Hide His word in your heart and watch how your life will change for the better and this will bring glory and honor to God in a profound way.

Baptism is the public demonstration of a sinner’s act of repentance and declaration that he/she has accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  After being submerged in water, a person is signifying that they are emerging as a new creation and that they no longer will be controlled by their sinful nature but has now embraced justification that is available to them.  Water baptism identifies a person as a child of God and is just the beginning of a life where old things have passed away and everything has become new.

There is another gift available to everyone who belongs to the body of Christ, but unfortunately not everyone has taken advantage of.  This gift is the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit was called the comforter by Jesus who told His disciples that it would come after His ascension and it did.  The Holy Spirit is the source of power that makes one different than anyone else. It is super-natural and it strengthens our relationship with God; guides, teaches and counsels believers and is accompanied by the gift of tongues.  This is God’s gift and will for every person.  In order for God’s will to be done on earth, believers must allow the Holy Spirit to manifest Himself so that the world will see that God is alive and miracles are ever present in our world today.

In our human nature we are limited but what sets a believer apart from the rest is the ability to hear the voice of God and carry out His commandments.  Whether healing is needed in the body, marriages, families or finances, nothing is impossible because God’s power cannot and will not fail.  The Holy Spirit is a promise from God for us and all future generations to those who believe.  Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and that is why God wants believers to walk in the spirit and to honor Him in everything we do and everywhere we go.

If you have a relationship with Jesus Christ and are not yet walking in the Spirit of God, ask Him and He will not withhold what He has already promised.  Salvation is the only requirement and you will be empowered to live your new life at its fullness which will bring glory and honor to your heavenly Father.

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We all have had the experience of having someone make a promise to us that they failed to follow through on.  Not only is this hurtful to the one who lived with expectation, but it also speaks to the character and integrity of  the one who made the promise.

People are known not only by their deeds but with their words.  Your words reveal who you are and the failure to keep a promise reveals the nature of your heart.  A heart that  doesn’t care about the affects of devastating another person is found only in a selfish individual.  This type of person fails to realize that they are building a reputation where their integrity will always be questionable.

Our heavenly Father is a promise keeper and has from the beginning of time kept every promise that He has ever made.  His word is true because He is faithful and the Bible is a testament to how He has always followed through on every promise He made.  Sometimes we are called on to wait for the fulfillment of a promise.  Abraham had to wait 25 years for the son that God promised him but in the fullness of time Isaac was born.

If you are waiting on God to fulfill a promise that He has made to you, keep believing for it will surely come.  Unlike man, God cannot lie.  He will do whatsoever He says, and you can be fully persuaded that in due time you will receive everything God has promised you.  Don’t let circumstances cause you to lose hope.  God created this universe by His words and there is nothing impossible for Him.  Keep the faith and guard your heart and mind and let God take control and you will inherit the desires of your heart just as so many others have.

As you know any house that is built to last must be able to withstand pressures – pressures from the weather and anything else that could cause its ruin.  The foundation has to be solid; it has to be secure and once it has settled and become solidified, the rest of the house can be built on top of it.  The same is true with our walk with the Lord.  The foundation must start with the act of repentance.  All of us have sinned and need to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our one and only Savior because He is the only one who can save us and make forgiveness and reconciliation possible.  Once we acknowledge our need for Jesus, we must purpose in our hearts to turn away from the life we use to live where we selfishly did whatever we wanted to do, and begin to live a life that honors God and gives Him first place in our life.

The second brick that must be used in the foundation of building a Christ centered life is faith.  Faith is being assured of something you can’t see but you firmly believe that it will come to pass.  The Bible tells us that without faith we will not be able to please God.  Faith is so important because you will need it for the rest of your life.  You must believe that God is.  You must believe that His Word is true because when the wind blows against your house, you will be able to withstand the force of any storm.  In this life you will have to go through test after test and if your foundation is not built on faith, you will succumb and lose the battle.  Your faith will enable you to persevere and hold you steady when all else is crumbling around you.

Build your house upon the rocks of repentance and faith and one day you will hear “well done thy good and faithful servant.”