When I arrive in a new country and the plane lands, I walk out on to the ground with the full expectation that I will change that nation. People will find Christ. Leaders will discover a new inspiration for life and thousands will be physically and mentally healed.  It does not matter how many witch doctors, thieves, or corrupt people want to stop me. I come with the Hope of the World in my heart. The Gospel we bring is the power of God that produces salvation in every single person who will receive it.

During World War II, a military governor met with General George Patton in Sicily. When he praised Patton highly for his courage and bravery, the general replied, “Sir, I am not a brave man…the truth is, I am an utterly craven coward. I have never been within the sound of gunshot or in sight of battle in my whole life that I wasn’t so scared that I had sweat in the palms of my hands.” Years later when Patton’s autobiography was published, it contained this significant statement by the general: “I learned very early in my life never to take counsel of my fears.”

If you are to do anything in life you will face the risk of failure. There are healthy fears that protect you, like a fear of jumping off the garage roof. These type of fears protect you, but there are many unhealthy fears that paralyze you, like fear of tomorrow, fear of poverty, fear of sickness, fear of failure, etc.  We have been given the weapons to live a fear-free life, but we must use those weapons to address the fears. Patton had it right, don’t take council of your fears!

“…And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith” (Mark 11:22).

Jesus is saying that there is a force inside the heart. It is a force so powerful that even a natural obstacle as large as a mountain cannot withstand its power. This power is called heart-faith, and every day people are using it for either their benefit or their destruction.

Faith is as natural to the heart as air is to the lungs. Most people think it is something only for the super spiritual or saintly, but in reality all of us have it. Where we put it in action will determine our future outcome to our joy or dismay.

What counter-force will short circuit this power? Doubt. When doubt is operating in your heart then fears rise and sleep is lost. Nervousness, sickness and anger spring up, causing wrong decisions with bad consequences. Keep doubt out by using your words to keep your dreams alive!

Deep in the quiet of the soul, when the sun sets over the last mountain range and the warmth of the day slowly dissipates into cool breezes that chill the sweat from your day’s labor, you hear His voice whisper “I WILL PROVIDE.”

At the end of the day, when the clamor of ideas has quieted and the energy of people’s interaction is spent, you stand alone with only your thoughts and the mission before you. It is in this moment you hear His voice, “I WILL PROVIDE.”

The “how” is in His Hands.

You wake up each morning like a diligent farmer ready to milk the cows, feed the chickens, and plow the fields. You do the natural, and let Him do the “super” so your life has a supernatural flavor to it. Paul’s conviction becomes your conviction when he says, “The Lord shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). You are resting with no evidence, no sign, and no prophetic word. Faith arises in your heart as sure as the sun comes up in the morning. All is well, “I WILL PROVIDE.”

Today you must find your place of rest in Him and in His Word. The days may change. Government may change. The economy may change. But you do not change, knowing that He said, “I WILL PROVIDE.”

Examine your life today. In what areas are you not hearing the Lord say, “I WILL PROVIDE”? Believe, and He will be faithful to His Word.

Inspired living is not an option. Negative thinking is as natural to living on earth as the effects of gravity. So if a human is not aware of the pull downward, they could wake up one morning in a state of paralysis from all the negative thoughts that bombard the spiritual and natural airwaves.

In my car, the GPS was picking up street signs while my radio was picking up satellite programs, and my phone was receiving a signal from an overseas conversation. All this was happening at the same time in the same car! The air is impregnated with signals that we can now capture with our state-of-the-art electronic devices. Likewise, we also pick up feelings, ideas, and insights from the spiritual realm we live in that are both good and bad.

We must choose to live an inspired life just like a plane is required to start its engine before it can move to break free of and overcome the law of gravity. When we put on Christ and walk in the Spirit, we are living an inspired life.

Staying inspired is also our choice, because the people of the world are tired and hurting. Hurting people will naturally take something out of you. We are here to give to them, but we ourselves must be up to lift them up.

It is your choice whether you live an inspired life or are dragged and held down by negative thinking. Listen to your vocabulary…is it up or down?

This question can be one of the most informative or one of the most destructive questions we can ask. When it comes to discovery, this question has opened the door to fabulous inventions and modern technologies. But when it comes to life and death, the question “Why?” causes many a soul to sink to levels of depression never before experienced. Some aspects of the question “Why?” which pertain to death, dying and destruction will never be resolved until one day when we stand before the creator of humanity.

How do we come to grasp with these issues of ‘why’?  First, understand that God is not the creator of evil, but it issues forth from the heart of humanity that is separated from God by sin. Second, recognize that from the very beginning of time there has been a force of evil (Satan) determined to destroy the very creation that God holds as the apple of his eye. Third, realize that it was only the deepest love that created humans different from all creation giving us the faculties of reason, will, humor, imagination, words and decision-making capabilities—and with these abilities come great responsibilities for life, family, country and even our earth.

So today, let’s turn our ‘whys’ in life into a “Why Not?” and turn the negativity of depression into the positivity of expression! If you’re down and don’t understand, choose to release this situation to the Lord and find the good that remains in the life or lives around you!

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Prov 18:21 NIV).

The resurrected Jesus saw His followers out fishing. They needed to make some money. They needed to eat. What did He say to them? “I know where the provision is.” The Kingdom of God is provision. Jesus says to us, “Throw your net on the right side. You’re looking in the wrong place. I know where you need to go. I know what you need to do. I want to give you my ideas.”

What does that mean?  God knows where all the provision is for your ministry. And when you pray, He is giving you those ideas.  He is saying, “Cast your net on the right side. I know where it is. I know where all the gold is buried in the earth. I know where to find all the opportunities around you. Believe in Me! Respond to My words!”

There is no lack in the Kingdom of God, and you are in that kingdom.  I am not like the unbeliever who is nervous, worried, and fearful saying, “I don’t have enough! I can’t do it! I don’t have the people! I don’t have the favor! I don’t have the knowledge!”

No! I have God! God knows where everything is, and He is bringing it across my path!

GOOD NEWS STARTS WITH GOD!

He revealed Himself to us as “I AM”:

I am what you need me to be.

I am your comfort.

I am forgiving.

I am not mad.

I am healing.

I am loving.

I am delivering.

I am a giver.

I am a friend.

Always keep your song even when all looks lost.

The loss of expectation is a tragic path to walk down. It makes the days seem so long and your purpose so empty. If the devil can’t steal your soul He will try to steal your song.

For example, in World War II a Nazi submarine blew up a passenger ship.  The ship went down in the freezing water and many life boats were launched. Among the life boats was one with 12 women inside.  After floating many hours in dense fog and ice water with no one coming to save them, the people in the boats gave up hope.

However, one woman of the twelve in her boat lifted up her voice and began to sing. She kept singing all night long in the dark and silent fog. Her voice was finally heard which led a rescue team to the raft. All the other boats were lost. Don’t lose your song in the dark!

How many have had a moment of inspiration for an invention that would bless the world, but talked themselves out of it because of age, education, or fear and never took the step to make it a reality? How many saw an illness ravage a loved one, friend, or even themselves but resigned themselves to the limits of medicine and lived with their pain? How many have wanted to study abroad and envisioned a life of service to another culture but allowed the ceiling of financial shortage to kill that vision?

The potential of a new Creation in Christ is as far superior to human potential as human potential is superior to animal potential. Jesus said “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).  He is saying that following His success will make you someone that others want to follow. Men will be caught by your posture, words, peace, and authority in the midst of challenges. That is true leadership!

We want His type of success and level of success. We want a success that goes beyond a dollar amount into a human value amount. It needs to go beyond a benefit to one generation to an eternal benefit. That is the lifestyle and leadership only He can offer.

Nothing is impossible to the new creation!

Freedom is never a reality until it is tested.  In the Constitutions of most countries you will see flowery words of individual rights and freedoms but they mean nothing until they are attempted by individuals in that society.  Freedom of speech, freedom to travel, and freedom to work are assumed rights, but they are often challenged by controlling people.

At the turn of the century America’s freedom of religion was tested by a foreigner named Alexander Dowie.  He came from Australia with a healing message for this country which prides itself in its freedoms, and he was arrested over 100 times for all sorts of reasons, like practicing medicine without a license or disturbing the peace.  All those arrests were illegal, but someone had to pay the price to test the system to see if the freedom written in the books was in reality a freedom you could experience.

Egypt kept Israel in bondage for 400 years.  It was long enough to make them forget how a free person thinks.  When they had an opportunity to be free men they wanted to return to the security of the chains in Egypt.

If a Christian is in bondage it is not because the devil is so strong, but rather their will to walk free is too weak.  They will need to continually hear that Jesus has set them free and that they can stand in that freedom, until it gets down in their spirit and reprograms their thinking.

After the Emancipation Proclamation first ordered the freedom of over 3 million slaves, they were given the opportunity to become legally free if they escaped the control of their slave masters.  However, many died on those same farms under the whip of the owners because they were afraid to risk failure as free people.  Remember, who the Son sets free is free indeed!