Hoping Will Not Get Your Prayers Answered | Great Faith Will

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Faith is just trusting God to be God.

Faith is just trusting God to be God.

There is a difference between hope and faith. We pray and give our requests to God, and hope that He will answer, because we know that He can. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean. (Mat 8:2) The leper had hope of being healed because he knew that Jesus had shown the power to do it. He just didn’t know if Jesus would do it for him.

We pray like that a lot. We know that God has the power to do anything for us. We’re just not convinced that He will. What happens when we pray knowing that God will answer? Doors will open. We can pray like that because we know that God loves us immeasurably. He dotes on us. He’s just waiting for us to trust Him to be the amazing Father that He is.

The woman from Cannaan went to Jesus and begged for her daughter to be delivered. She was relentless, because it was so important to her and she knew that Jesus could do it. At some point, she knew that Jesus would do it. Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour. (Mat 15:28)

He gave the woman her heart’s desire because she believed, she didn’t hope. Know that God wants to bless your desires. Stop hoping that He will and start believing that He will.

 

Read the first chapter of my book Crucible Heart

 

Religion Can Be A Very Dangerous Way Of Life | How To Stay Safe

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It’s almost startling how clueless the scribes and Pharisees were when they talked to Jesus. Like this question: Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? (Mat 15:2) Jesus related their question to the prophetic word from Isaiah: And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. (Mat 15:9)

The thing is, the scribes and Pharisees didn’t see it that way. There were very religious in what they did. For some it was probably political and career building, but for others, it was what was taught to them and what was right. They weren’t trying to offend God. They thought they were obeying Him by following all their rules.

The truth will keep you safe.

The truth will keep you safe.

Danger, danger, danger. When religious people fail to see God right in front of them, you see how easy it is to be misguided. Good intentions are not the same thing as godly obedience. That’s why we are told: Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1Jhn 1:4)

How do you test the spirits? By being very comfortable with the Holy Spirit. When you recognize Him, you know when it’s not Him. How to you get to know the Holy Spirit? You ask Him. Look up all the references to the Holy Spirit and see how He operates, then look to see Him in your own life. He will lead you in truth and keep you from deception.

 

Read the first chapter of my book Crucible Heart

 

Keeping Your Communion With Jesus When You Travel

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Jesus is always waiting to hear from you.

Jesus is always waiting to hear from you.

Jesus – Don’t leave home without Him. Of course, the reality is that as a believer, He is with us always. He said He would never leave us or forsake us. But we forget about Him all the time. We get busy and caught up in activities and suddenly our time to spend with Him disappears.

And it’s really easy to forget Him when we travel. Any time we change-up our schedules, we risk losing our communion with the Lord. That’s a problem, because there is no time that’s ok to not be mindful of Him. And having grace for our travels is a really good idea.

Your communion time is vital, but don’t make it rigid. He’s not that concerned if you spend twenty minutes or seven minutes with Him. He doesn’t care if you read a whole chapter of the Bible or a few verses that speak to your heart. He just wants a connection with us. We’re the ones who make an issue out of how long and what that looks like.

If you get busy and really can’t spend the time with Him that you’d like to, then shoot up a quick prayer of thanksgiving and ask Him to bless your day. Come back when you can. He’ll be waiting.

 

Read the first chapter of my book Crucible Heart

 

Hell Is Your Future Unless You Choose To Be Saved

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Hell is a lake of fire.

Hell is a lake of fire.

Fire and brimstone is not a popular topic nowadays. We don’t like to offend anyone by alluding to the fact that they may go to hell. That’s because we don’t want to think about hell and how horrible it is. Who wants to think about the very worst thing that could possibly happen? No one, and that’s why it’s not polite to discuss.

But hell is a reality, for eternity. It’s hard to comprehend, but it’s a fact. It’s not a place you think you can manage because you can’t be bothered to go to church. If heaven is more wonderful than we know, then hell is far more terrifying than we know. There’s no reason to go there, so don’t.

Denying hell is as stupid as denying God and it’s not worth your soul to gamble that you’re right. Maybe you are, but what if you’re not? Hell is a lake of fire and Jesus describes it repeatedly as a place of wailing and gnashing of teeth. There is no time out. It is eternity.

Hell is a reality you do not want to face, and heaven is a reality that is yours for the asking. All you have to do is ask. Jesus is a heartbeat away from answering.

 

Read the first chapter of my book Crucible Heart

 

Be A Faithful Manager Of The Kingdom | There Will Be An Accounting

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I think we may be as confused about the kingdom of God as the disciples were. They expected God to set up a king like David again. They wanted freedom from Rome. They wanted to be great in the region. They had no idea what Jesus really meant when He said the kingdom of God has come near you.

Even today, we look at the kingdom of God as a place we go to when we die. We don’t look for the kingdom here. Here is where we get the car washed and buy groceries and pay bills. But Jesus told stories to try to illustrate what His reality is.

Be faithful with what you've been given.

Be faithful with what you’ve been given.

A nobleman went into a far country and left his business to his servants to run. He expected them to carry on and be faithful. (Luke 19: 11-27) The message is that God has given the “business” to us. It’s our job to manage it for Him. How we will be rewarded for that is for another time, but know that He will come back to see how we did. The faithful will be given more, and the unfaithful will have what they had taken from them.

How do you carry on His business? You heal the sick, bless the poor, and honor your boss, your neighbor, and your ruler. You love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. You live in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. The kingdom of God is here and now and in your hands to manage. Manage well, my friend. The world needs you.

 

Read the first chapter of my book Crucible Heart

 

Keep Your Heart From Growing Dull And Stay Safe

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Complacency will kill you.

Complacency will kill you.

There’s such a danger in being complacent. Jesus warned about this: And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them. (Mat 13:14-15)

It’s not that God doesn’t want to heal them, the people can’t be bothered to ask for it. Sadly, I understand some part of this. It takes a mental effort to press into the Spirit and see what God has to offer. I have to want it and sometimes I’m just too tired.

But that’s where the danger creeps in. When we can’t be bothered about the things of God because we’re required to understand what may not be clearly spelled out, it’s too easy to pass. And then we lose out. We never receive what is our to have. Our hearts grow dull and we stop hearing the voice of God. Very, very dangerous.

Never allow complacency to get a foothold in your life. You can’t afford it.

 

Read the first chapter of my book Crucible Heart

 

What Do You Really Think Of Yourself? Does It Match God’s Image?

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Most people don’t feel comfortable about how they look. That’s why the cosmetic industry is massive. But it goes even deeper than that. We don’t tend to see ourselves in the same positive light as other people do. This is an interesting experiment to watch.

As believers, we don’t have the freedom to think badly about ourselves because Jesus paid the ultimate price to redeem us. When we are covered under His blood, we are made new. God sees us as perfect, because we are. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (Jam 1:4)

Don’t feel perfect? That doesn’t matter. What you think does not affect what God has done for you. And if you continue to think badly about yourself, then you are saying, in effect, that what God did for your isn’t very good. That’s not the truth. What He did for you is fantastic and you are perfect and wonderful because you’ve been redeemed.

God does not want you to live with a poor self-esteem. You are His now, a royal heir, and you need to live like it. Allow Him to start changing your self-image and you’ll feel better inside and out.

 

Read the first chapter of my book Crucible Heart

 

The Focus Of Your Life Is Incredibly Important

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Where is your focus?

Where is your focus?

Nothing in life is more important than your relationship with God. Nothing. And not just because you need to confirm where you go when you die. Salvation begins when we ask Jesus into our hearts. Our life begins then, not later.

How do we know this? Because Jesus taught us to pray, on earth as it is in heaven. That means that your life now should reflect heaven. How will that happen if God is not your number one priority?

God must be first. Jesus said to him,  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. (Mat 22:37) This is not a suggestion. This is a command from God and always has been.

And when we do line up our priorities with our focus on God, He promises to bless us and take are of all. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Mat 6:33) ALL these things to be added to you are all the things you need for your life. It’s a promise, and God cannot lie. When your focus is right, everything in your life is blessed. You just need to be honest about where you focus is.

 

Read the first chapter of my book Crucible Heart

 

How To Manage Your Resources In The Kingdom

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You have unlimited resources in the kingdom.

You have unlimited resources in the kingdom.

Aren’t we always taught to live within our means? Don’t spend more than you make. It’s what makes for good stewardship, because it’s the smart thing to do. What about your spiritual account? Yes, you have a spiritual account. For all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. (1Cor 3:21-22)

God handed the works over to us. He provided the way to live through the model that Jesus was and gave us the power through His Spirit, then He gave it to us to manage. All of heaven is at out disposal to manage the kingdom. That’s a lot!

What do you see that needs to be done? Pray into it. Wisdom is available. Do you need income to see it accomplished? Pray into it. God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and a lot more. Do you need safety? Pray into it. There are armies of angels to war on your behalf.

Managing the kingdom is ours to do, and we’ve been given divine assistance to it. Living within our spiritual means almost has no meaning because the resources are infinite. Spend away. There’s more where it came from.

 

Read the first chapter of my book Crucible Heart

 

If Love Believes All Things, What About The Lies?

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Love is the foundation of the kingdom of God.

Love is the foundation of the kingdom of God.

What does this mean, Love  believes all things? (1Cor 13:7) Does it sound to you like being stupid? You know you can’t believe everything, because there are people out there who lie. Why would you purposely believe a lie?

To be honest, this passage puzzles me, but I do believe it has some meaning in not doubting everything you hear. We don’t want to be taken advantage of, so we doubt what we cannot see, taste, or prove.

That’s a problem, because the things of the spirit can’t always been seen, tasted or proven. That’s what faith is all about. Jesus said it’s ok to be taken advantage of. If someone wants your sweater, give them your coat too. If they slap your face, let them. You don’t have to defend yourself.

We are to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. It’s ok to be submissive when our hearts belong to Jesus. He sees and knows. If you accept someone in love and they betray you, He sees it. You don’t have to defend yourself. God will do that. It’s your responsibility to love. Love bears all things. Love is awesome. It will take you through situations that would make you crazy otherwise.

It’s ok to believe. God wants you to. He’ll take care of it if it turns out to be messed up. Just love.

 

Read the first chapter of my book Crucible Heart