All My Nothing
God uses broken vessels. When it comes being used by God, it’s not about how gifted you are, it’s only about how surrendered you are. The key to the anointing is surrender. Put your nothing in the hands of Jesus, and it will soon become all that you need.
Divine Rescue
Peter, on several occasions, found himself in impossible situations. With confidence, he could tell you this: an impossible situation is the perfect setting for a miracle. Peter was divinely rescued from a prison cell:
How to Change the World
Begin to talk about changing the world, and you’ll be met with cynicism, skepticism, mockery, and disdain. But be totally convinced of this: it’s possible to change the world. “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes–the Jew first and also the Gentile.” – Romans 1:16
The Secret to Anointed Ministry
Unless you’ve gone out of your way, you’re reading these words on a digital screen. Your eyes are scanning across these letters that are presented upon a plain backdrop. What you don’t see, and what you’re not currently thinking about is this: behind this simple-looking display of words is a complex combination of technology that works to achieve the visual. This display shows up on your computer or device screen, and you don’t have to understand it to benefit from it.
I Will Not Be Moved
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” – Romans 1:16
3 Keys to Befriending the Holy Spirit
When I first learned the wonderful truth of the Holy Spirit’s personal nature, I desired to cultivate a friendship with the mysterious third Person of the Trinity. I found everything about His essence to be alluring, magnetic. As I examined the scriptures, I sought for clues and insights to His nature and personality. I wanted to understand His every nuance, familiarize myself with His every quality.
A Shadow of Healing
Now many often quote that verse and assert that “Peter’s shadow healed people!” But that’s not exactly what the scripture says. The scripture tells us that the people were the ones who brought out the sick. Peter didn’t tell them to do this; this is something they did on their own. And why would they do this? What odd occurrences might have led these people to believe that Peter’s shadow could heal? It’s because the healing presence of Jesus was so intense on Peter that people were healed just by being around him!
The Holy Spirit: Heaven’s Greatest Evangelist
But there is no substitute for the genuine power and presence of the Holy Spirit. You cannot duplicate His craftsmanship. We have to stop limiting His timing to our Church calendars and schedules. We need to stop confining His power to back rooms and “special services”. Methods cannot replace miracles. Programs cannot replace power. Structure cannot replace Spirit. And our pursuit of attendance should never become more important than our pursuit of the anointing.
Simply the Gospel
It’s so easy to become distracted. It may seem like there are just too many problems to address. This isn’t so. Jesus said, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” - Matthew 6:33
He’s Near to You
We don’t need to wait to die until we can begin to experience Heaven here upon the earth. For the very mention of the name of Jesus has the power to transform the atmosphere. When you describe Jesus, you think about Jesus. And it is the thought of Jesus that is the awareness of God.
3 Keys to Clearly Hearing God
In scripture, when looking at the God’s mighty prophets and anointed ministers, you’ll notice that it was rare for any of them to doubt that they were hearing God. Sure, they sometimes doubted situations, and they were met with many of the same inner struggles that we face today. But those men were confident in their ability to hear God. Compare that confidence with the uncertainty of many of today’s believers, and you’ll be forced to ask yourself this important question: why do believers today struggle to hear God?
Understanding Salvation: Faith or Works?
I want you to picture a tree. See its leaves, branches and stems. Imagine its thick trunk and twisted roots. Allow yourself to see through the dirt and visualize the tree in its entirety, from the highest point to the far tip of its deepest root. Now, let us say that this tree represents your salvation. Only a real tree can bear fruit. But is it the fruit that causes the tree to grow? No, it is the root system that causes it to grow. Good works are the fruit of salvation. They are not the root of salvation.
3 Keys to Financial Breakthrough
And I have good news for you: even in these times, God wants you to be fruitful. To His children, God gives peace during the storm, clarity during the chaos and prosperity during the famine. But there are three Biblical keys to claiming this God-offered fruitfulness.
Partnering with God
You must show faithfulness. And you have to give Him something to bless. You can’t expect God to bless your ministry if the only hard work you do is to keep yourself from hard work. There are no shortcuts in God’s kingdom. Quick works will quickly fail. God gives visions AND plans. The vision is the heart; the plan is the action.
The Hiding Place: Where Power is Cultivated
David was anointed, and that anointing caused him to be hidden for a season. Whatever thought it was that ran through Jesse’s mind, ultimately it was God who kept David hidden. Like a developing baby is protected in the womb, so God will hide his anointed until their time.
Carry Your Cross
But we’ve also been blessed with a cross. We have the honor of sacrificial response. (And I use “sacrificial” hesitantly, for the reality is that we end up being blessed anyway, so there really is no such thing as sacrifice for us – we always come up with more than we put in.)
Your Jordan River
Isn’t that just like us sometimes? We find ourselves in difficult circumstances. But, instead of obeying the wisdom of Heaven, we opt to try to fix things ourselves. We find it difficult to obey God – to wash in the Jordan.
The Power of Impartation: 7 Quotes That Changed Me
I am very intentional about cultivating and preserving, within myself, both a willingness and an ability to learn from others. Everybody knows something that you don’t. So it is wise to glean the good from within people. I have received from people of varying personalities, cultures, mindsets and expressions. Many great men and women of God have spoken mindset-altering words into my life.
“Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,” - Proverbs 1:5
Are You Too Spiritual?
There is no such thing as being too spiritual. You can be too emotional. You can be too chaotic. You can be too weird. You can be too strict. But you can never be too spiritual. The essence of spirituality is not strictness, seriousness, silliness or spookiness. Do not equate such characteristics with what should be your highest goal. Being spiritual is simply being aware of and in fellowship with the Holy Spirit. And He marks those who spend time in His presence with distinct characteristics.
My Dream of Heaven
As I stood there mesmerized by the lively underwater scene, I felt a breeze move passed me. It was cool enough to be refreshing without causing me any discomfort. At that moment, I looked up at the blue sky filled with white billows of clouds. I can’t really explain this, but the sky seemed so much larger than in real life. And the sky, like the water, was also very clear. Though it was daytime, I could see faint displays of stars, colorful galaxies, shining through the sky. That display, in particular, was so awesome that is was borderline terrifying.