Hands Raised

A Bridle In A Horses’ Mouth

Are you going through a situation that seems beyond your control? I want to encourage you today that even when we can’t see it, God is working behind the scenes. He is doing a new thing. He is making a way for you even when there seems to be no way. He wants to lead you out of that dry, desolate place into a place of peace, safety and abundance. He wants to take you from a season of drought into a season of abundance.

Your part is simply to trust Him and switch over from an attitude of fear and doubt to an attitude of faith. But, how do you change your attitude? You start by changing what comes out of your mouth. Instead of speaking about your situation, speak to your situation.

Every day declare, “This is the day that the Lord has made. He is taking me into seasons of increase. I’m moving forward with strength through the joy of the Lord!” When you start speaking like that, soon your mind and heart will grab hold of the truth, and it won’t be long before you’re walking in the increase God has prepared for you!

It’s like putting a bridle in a horses’ mouth. If you can turn his mouth, you can turn his head and then end body will follow, heading in the right direction. If you get your words headed in the right direction, your head (mind and thoughts) will turn and eventually you will be headed in a positive direction.

A Bounce Back Mentality

Do you remember those bounce back clowns? You could punch it, kick it, or push it down but it would always bounce back up. It was amazing.

Life is full of things that try to push us down. We all face disappointments and setbacks. Maybe you received bad news concerning your health, or maybe a past relationship didn’t work out. That was a setback.

It’s easy to get discouraged, lose your enthusiasm, or even be tempted to just settle where you are. But if we’re going to see God’s best, we have to have a “bounce-back” mentality. That means when you get knocked down, you don’t stay down. You get back up again. You have to know that every time adversity comes against you, it’s a setup for a bounce back!

I love this scripture, “For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again”  (Proverbs 24:16a, NIV)

As a believer, the same power that raised Christ from the dead lives on the inside of you. There is no challenge too difficult, no obstacle too high, no sickness, no disappointment, no person, nothing that can keep you from your God-given destiny.

If you stay in faith and keep a good attitude, you will rise again. God will turn those stumbling blocks into stepping-stones, and you’ll move forward into the victory He has in store for you!

The greatest secret to victory is simple…just get up one more time than you have been knocked down. Have a Bounce Back spirit.

Looking Out For Your Future

God desires to bring you increase. He’s provided you with seed so that you can invest into the lives of others. There is tremendous potential in any seed. A single seed can produce harvest of 30, 60 or 100-fold return! But that seed has to be planted.

You can have a package of seeds sitting in a drawer for years and nothing will happen. But when you plant that seed in the ground, water it and then keep the weeds out, that seed will begin to grow. It won’t be long before the harvest is ready to be received.

Remember, you have seeds of greatness inside of you. God has placed within you everything you need to be successful. But, you have to step out and sow those seeds. You have to boldly declare your faith and put action behind it.

Keep an attitude of expectancy and go out believing that great things are coming your way. Be obedient because the seeds you sow will produce an abundant harvest of blessing all the days of your life.

Be a blessing and watch God pour out his honor and blessing upon you!

A Blameless Heart

I love to read 2 Chronicles 16:9 out of the Amplified version, it says, For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him…

Are you looking for God to move in your life today? The Bible says that God is actually looking to show Himself strong in the Earth. He is looking for those who have a blameless heart toward Him.

When you open your heart to Jesus, and ask Him to forgive you and cleanse you by His blood, He gives you a blameless heart—then you are the person the Lord is looking to work through!

When you understand the fact that God longs to work in your life, your faith will increase. Your hope will increase. And God’s work in your life will increase! Have confidence in God today. Begin to thank Him for giving you a clean and blameless heart. Thank Him for choosing to work in you.

As you thank and praise Him, expect Him to act! Expect to see Him move mightily on your behalf in every area of your life!

Letting Go

The word of God plainly teaches us to NOT dwell in the past (see Isaiah 43:18, NIV)

You see, every person, no matter how much faith they have or how good they are, will face disappointments. It may be something simple like not getting the promotion you hoped for, or not closing a business deal you worked so hard on.

Maybe you didn’t qualify for a house you really wanted, or maybe something more serious happened like a relationship not working out, the death of a loved one, or some kind of illness in your body. Whatever it may be, the reality is that we’re all going to suffer some setbacks. I believe one of the main keys to overcoming disappointments is learning to let go of the past.

If you feel “stuck” today, you may want to examine what you’re holding on to. Be willing let go of past disappointments by choosing forgiveness. Who hurt you? Who wronged you? Release it to God.

Do you need to forgive yourself? Do you need to receive God’s forgiveness? Make the choice today to forgive. Let go of the past so you can overcome disappointments and experience the bright future God has in store for you!

Moving Forward In The Good Plan

Are you facing a situation that seems dark today? Troubling? Unfixable?

As a believer, God promises that your path will shine brighter and brighter as you seek His truth and righteousness in every situation (see Proverbs 4:18).

What is righteousness? Righteousness is simply being in right standing with God. Now, being in right standing with God is about submitting your life to Him. It’s about obeying His commands and seeking His plan for your life on a daily basis.

As you seek Him, the light of God’s Word will guide you in every decision you have to make.

No matter what you may be facing, ask the Lord to shine His light on you. Ask Him to confirm His plan for you. As you continue pursuing His truth and righteousness, as you continue to make His Word a priority in your life, you will experience more of His blessings. You’ll see those brighter days as you move forward in the good plan He has in store for you!

So, rise up, face your fears, and move forward in the good plan your Heavenly Father has for you! Go get it!

Jesus, Don’t Sit Down On Me!

In John chapter 11, Jesus’ friend Lazarus is sick, so his two sister Mary and Martha send for Jesus. But when Jesus hears the report about Lazarus, instead of going to his aid, He stays where He is for two more days. One translation says, “He sat down.” Don’t you know that was the opposite response that Lazarus’ family was looking for?

“Jesus, don’t sit down on me when I need You the most.” In other words, “Jesus, don’t sit down on me when my finances are this low.” “Jesus, don’t sit down on me when my problems are this big.” “Jesus, don’t sit down on me.”

But in the end, Jesus not only healed Lazarus, He raised him from the dead!

Your mind may be telling you it’s over, it’s too late, it’s never going to happen. No, you’ve got to know there is a reason for the delay. Jesus is planning something greater. You’re thinking of a healing. He is thinking of a resurrection. You may be thinking how can I just survive, but Jesus is thinking how you can thrive.

Remember, His ways are higher than your ways, and you can trust that He is going to amaze you with His goodness in every area of your life!

Reckless Words And Wise Words

“Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Proverbs 12:18; NIV)

It’s easy to see how words can be used as a weapon. We’ve all either been “cut” by the words of others, or we’ve used words to put someone “in their place.” The truth of the matter is when we use words recklessly or in a way that cuts others, we are not being wise. God’s word tells us that the tongue of the wise brings life and healing to others.

Today, look for ways to be wise. Find something nice to say about someone or share an encouraging word. You never know how you can bring healing to a person’s heart by sharing a kind, gracious word. And remember, words are like seeds. When you plant words of life and blessing into others, you’re sure to reap a harvest of blessing in your own life in return.

Are You Protected?

Throughout the bible, God commands us to love. In fact, the Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians that love is the greatest thing. Love is all that matters on this earth, and it’s all that will last in eternity. But do you realize that we are protected when we walk in love?

When we are selfish or self-seeking, the scripture tells us that it opens the door to confusion and every evil work (see James 3:16). But when we walk in love, when we choose to put others first, when we choose to be patient and kind and walk in unity, we are protected by love. We close the door to the plans of the enemy in our lives.

Today, check your love walk. Read 1 Corinthians 13 and see if you emulate the characteristics of love. Remember, love is not a feeling; it’s a choice. When you choose love, it’s like you are covered by a force field of protection that cannot be penetrated.

Changing Your Mindset

We serve a God of abundance! He doesn’t want you to have just barely enough to meet your own needs; He wants you to be so blessed that you have more than enough to meet the needs of the people around you. He wants you to be so blessed in your finances that not only can you pay your bills and accomplish your own dreams, but you can be a blessing to others.

In the same way that a parent loves to see their children doing well and excelling, God wants you to do well and excel in every area.

“Let the Lord be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant” (Psalm 35:27, NKJV)

But the key is that you have to make room for it in your thinking. You have to expect that He wants to bless you.

Today, begin to thank Him for His abundance in every area of your life. Declare that because you walk in obedience, God’s blessings are going to chase you down! Don’t just settle for a “good enough” mentality; develop an overflow mentality because He delights in your prosperity!

Stop, Look, Listen, Act

It’s interesting that many of the miracles Jesus performed weren’t planned or scheduled. Oftentimes, they happened when He was interrupted.

Walking down the street, a blind man hollered out, “Jesus! Have mercy! Come over and heal me!” Jesus didn’t say, “Don’t you know I’m the Son of God? I’m important. I’ve got a lot to do.” No, Jesus stopped what He was doing, went out of His way, and healed the man. Jesus was willing to be inconvenienced to help other people in need.

We have to remember that as believers, we are the hands and feet of Jesus in the earth. We are His ambassadors. We may have a lot on our “to do” lists, but we have to be willing to make time for the people God has placed in our lives.

That means not only your friends and family, but people you encounter on a daily basis. Today, keep your heart and mind open because God wants to do something in and through you when you choose to make time for Him.

Leaving A Legacy

Jesus went before us and paved the way for victory. Because He lives, we can live in victory in this life and in eternity. But not only can we live in victory, we can help others live in victory, too. We can help the people around us, and we can help the people who are coming after us. We can store up mercy, peace and blessings for future generations.

The life we live should make it easier for the people after us. By living a life of excellence, we are leaving a mark for future generations. And really, that’s what matters most in eternity. It’s good to leave an inheritance, but the most valuable thing you can leave on this earth is a legacy of faith.

Lost Your Fire?

Do you ever feel like you’ve “lost your fire or enthusiasm?” We all have times when we feel overwhelmed by the pressures of life, but that’s when you need to stir up what God has placed on the inside of you.

Remember, there are no disadvantages with our Heavenly Father. You have everything you need to succeed. No weapon formed against you is ever going to prosper; you just have to stir up the gift inside. How do you stir it up? By speaking God’s truth and meditating on His word.

Start right now by simply declaring, “I am going to see God’s favor in a greater way. New doors are going to begin to open for me. Supernatural opportunities are coming my way. God is setting up divine connections for me. I’m always at the right place at the right time. I am going to overcome every obstacle and defeat every enemy. I’m going to see every dream, every desire that God has placed in my heart come to pass, in Jesus’ name!”

Interrupted On Purpose

We all have times when our plans don’t work out. We get delayed, interrupted, and inconvenienced. It’s easy to get frustrated and fight against everything that doesn’t go our way. But have to understand that every interruption is not bad. Every closed door doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong. Every delay doesn’t mean you’re not where you’re supposed to be.

Sometimes God interrupts us on purpose. He will delay us to protect us from an accident (this has happened to me before…when I arrived at where I should have been a major accident happened at the time and place I would have been).

On purpose, God will close a door because it’s not His best. Sometimes, God will allow us to be inconvenienced so we can help someone else in need. We have to be willing to press through difficulty so we can be at the right place at the right time.

The next time you’re interrupted, delayed, or inconvenienced, don’t start thinking, “This is a pain. This is getting me off schedule.” No, get a new perspective. Look for what God wants to do because it could be divine interruption or divine protection. Trust Him today because He is directing your steps.

Read Proverbs 3:5-6

Victory Is Your LAST Name

Do you know that God has already recorded every part of your life from the beginning to the end. He knows every disappointment, every loss and every challenge. The good news is that even though you’ve had some challenges, even though you’ve faced some setbacks, your story ends in victory. Your final chapter concludes with you fulfilling your God-given destiny and experiencing His eternal restoration as long as you KEEP following Him in obedience.

Any time we face a disappointment in life or go through a loss, we have to remember there’s another chapter in front of us. We can’t stop on that page, we have to keep moving forward. Instead of focusing on what didn’t work out, wondering why we went through a marriage that didn’t last, or why we didn’t get that position we worked so hard for, focus on the future. Let go of the past and press forward because your story ends in victory, and God will restore everything that has been stolen from you!

We could have stopped many times in the early days of Cross River Church but we persevered and pushed forward. We kept believing that we would soon see the light at the end of the tunnel. Because we didn’t quit, I story didn’t end…it’s still being written…everyday. Keep moving forward because your last name is Victory!