I love what Paul said, “…I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”
(2 Timothy 1:12 KJV) This tells me that God can only keep what we commit to Him. How about this, why not take that problem, commit it to the Lord, and let it go. What have you got to lose?

The apostles asked Jesus to “Increase their faith.” Yet Jesus never tells them how. He tells them, “If you have faith as a grain of
mustard seed…” So can we deduct from this, that what they were asking is impossible? Can our faith be increased?

Paul writes that God has given every man a measure of faith. (Romans 12:3) He then tells us that faith comes by hearing, and hearing, by the Word of God. (Romans 10:17) Why is this so important to our faith? Our minds are constantly being bombarded, whether it is
at work, in from of the television, reading a newspaper, or what others are speaking to us. These things fill our minds, and begin to shape and mold us, whether we believe it or not. No wonder Paul would tell us that transformation comes by renewing our minds. (Romans 12:2)

How can we renew our minds? By filling our minds with the Word of God. When we fill our minds with God things, we find instruction, correction, and it becomes profitable in our lives. Our faith begins to grow and become as we renew our minds with God’s Word. When God shakes the earth, so what, we are standing on God’s Word. When life’s trials and tribulations come our way, we will be able to handle it, because we are standing on God’s Word.

A victorious Christian, a conquering Christian, a devil stomping Christian, a soul winning Christian, a Christian filled with Joy and
Peace, is one who is seeing their faith grow, by constantly renewing their minds with the living Word of God.

Now that is a powerful verse, especially for those like me who were born and raised in the church. How many of us had the law, (our performance), shoved down our throats? Oh, we started out our salvation by faith, but it wasn’t long before we put our performance as the basis for our salvation. No wonder there are so many believers walking around so depressed.

The greatest message of all is the message of Grace. And when you finally get it, your whole Christian life will change. Suddenly, when it dawns on you that it’s a finished work, the joy of our salvation overwhelms us. Listen…Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. (Galatians 3:13) Let’s kick the devil in the teeth today…quit looking to yourself to maintian your salvation…in other words, just quit trying and simply believe.

This fits when you look at what happened to the church on the Day of Pentecost, and what they were doing from that moment on. The early church gossiped the Gospel, as they prayed for God to give them the boldness to share His Word. The Great Commission has been God’s eternal purpose for the whole church, for the whole church age.

How many believers are still wondering what God has for their life? I can tell you…He wants you to tells someone about His Son. You have been strategically placed where you are today to be the light and salt to those God has placed around you. We don’t need to go to another country…we are missionaries right where God has us.

I heard a frightful statistic…here it is; ony 2% of born again believers surveyed, have ever led somoene to the Lord…while only 4% have ever invited and brought someone to church.

Let’s do something different today…let’s share this wonderful message. If each one would reach one just one, we could turn this world upside down for God’s Kingdom. Don’t wait…tell someone today!

For some reason, when we begin to think of spiritual growth or spiritual maturity, our thoughts go to something that is mysterious, or intangible, or even incomprehensible. Yet, scripture declares that we are to get off the milk, and get past the baby stage, spiritually speaking. How? It doesn’t come easy.

Peter would use the word diligence, which means; constant, careful effort, perseverance. It takes a lot of hard word to bring about a change in our lives. Someone once said that the meaning of insanity is this; doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results. That really is insanity, isn’t it?

Anything good in life, requires a lot of hard work and effort. To make good grades in school takes a lot of effort and hard work. To be successful in business, takes hard work. To have a successful marriage, takes hard work. To grow and mature spiritually is no less demanding. It takes a lot of hard work and effort, to not only maintain our spiritual walk, but to see growth. Jesus would tell us that whatever measure we give, the same measure will be given back to us. Whatever measure we put in to our Christian walk the same measure will be given back.

What kind of effort will you give in the home or the work place today? It will take at least that much or more, to see a difference in our lives spiritually.

All of us are looking for a deal, when it comes to what we purchase, whether it is buying homes, cars, appliances, or even clothes. Why pay full price when we can get it for a discount. The rich young ruler was even looking for a deal when he came and asked Jesus what he had to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus would tell him to go and sell all he had and give it to the poor. This rich young man walked away sorrowful, because the price of eternal life was just too much for him to pay.

Jesus would tell us that no one can become His disciple, without giving up everything for Him. Over and over again, Jesus confronts us with the challenge of the Christian life, and the cost of following Him. Unfortunately, for many, what He asks us to do is just too great of a price.

What is that price? We will have to deny ourselves. In every area of our life, we will have to say no to our desires, and yes to His. We will have to take ourselves off the throne of our lives, and allow Jesus His place on the throne. It will cost us a life of sin. For many, it will cost our families. It will cost us getting persecuted. It will cost us our friendship with this world and all it has to offer. What Jesus said, is really true, it will cost us everything.

For many that will be too much. But for others, like you and me, it is going to be well worth it. For no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him. (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT)

If you were to see an artist’s conception of Samson, or if you were to put your thoughts of how he looked on Canvas, he would probably look like Mr. Universe. He would be seven feet tall, with huge muscles. Yet, if he was this big and muscular, why would the Philistines want to know where he got his strength.

Obviously, Samson was just an ordinary man. Yet, if he was ordinary just like us, where did his strength come from? In the story of Samson, we find that his strength came when the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him. It was then we find Samson tearing apart a lion, and slaying thousands of Philistines with a jaw bone of a donkey.

We too are just ordinary people until the Spirit of the Lord moves in and takes up residence in our hearts and lives. It is here we begin to walk with power! The power to reach out and witness; the power to pray for someone at work, at home, or in the streets. It is here we find ourselves operating in the gifts of the Spirit, in the hour they are needed.

The Philistines were not afraid of an ordinary person. But they were afraid of Samson when the Spirit of God moved upon him. Satan is not afraid of an ordinary person; He is not afraid of anyone with potential. What he is afraid of, is an ordinary person filled with the Holy Spirit. Yes, I’m talking about you.

Joy is independent of everything in this world. What does that mean? It means that there is nothing in this world, that will bring real joy, and there is nothing that can take our joy away. Now Satan will do everything he can to make us think we have lost our joy. And he does this because he knows that the joy of the Lord is our strength. (Nehemiah 8:10) But we have got to remember, he is a liar.

There are so many of us who need everything to go right in life, to be filled with joy. Yet if we think about it, those times are few and far between. Jesus would tell us that His joy is in us, and that our joy is full. This doesn’t mean that our lives will be absent of trouble. What it means is that God is performing His perfect plan for our lives. It means that whatever we are faced with, it will work out together for our good. (Romans 8:28)

Now if this is true, and it is, then no one, nor nothing, will ever be able to take away our joy. We can face life, regardless of what life brings our way, filled with overflowing joy. So the question is simply this; “Where’s your joy?”

Our lives are not to be visible just in the Church, but everywhere we go. It should shine not only in what we say, but what we do. Our light should shine in the way we treat the waitress. It should shine in the way we treat our employees or serve our employer. It should shine in the way we speak to the telemarketer. It should shine in what we read or watch. It should shine in the way we drive, and react to other drivers. And most important, it should shine in our home.

Is your light shining? Or are you hiding it under a basket? When we allow our light to be visible for all to see, it brings Glory, Honor, and Praise to the Heavenly Father.