“Beloved, now are we the sons (and daughters) of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).

There is no ‘if” in this verse. It doesn’t say we qualify if we are good enough, if we pray enough or if we give enough. He has qualified us by His sacrifice, His blood, and His victory over Satan.

When do we become more like Him? The key is to see Him and practice His presence. As we see Him here in this life, we are changed into His likeness in word and deed!

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!

If we could get God’s perspective of people then we would win the world, but we see people through our own eyes. We like to keep records on people and hold the books.  We know who is a sinner and who is a saint.  God looks on the heart while we look on the outside, but we still think we know people better.  We look at a prostitute, an addict, or a hardened prison inmate and label them with a big sign that says, “Sinner.”

Have you ever asked how much that ‘sinner’ is worth?  How much God paid for him or her?  It was the price of His Son.  How much are you worth?  The same.

There is no difference in value between the criminal and the evangelist. The mafia boss is called of God as much as a pastor, and probably is a pastor but just doesn’t know it!

All are already paid for. The only difference between them and you is that they don’t know it and you do.  When we truly understand this, we will be motivated to tell them.

Religion teaches people to stop thinking for themselves.

One thing people do not want to do is THINK.  They will do almost anything to avoid the trouble of thinking.  Indoctrination is when someone starts to do the thinking for you, and that’s why so many churches that were once alive are now dead.  The leader taught them doctrine rather than how to think.

Indoctrination is the process of being copied in the image of humankind rather than in the image of God.  Your goal is subtly changed from following Christ to following Christ’s church.

Satan has reserved this last trip for the most sincere of Christians.  If he could not get you to live in sin and promote the flesh life, then he takes your zeal for God and turns it into a weapon of religion to enforce a religious bondage on the people rather than a fleshly vice. Those most hungry to please God are the ones who fall for this trick.

I remember a dream God gave me back in 1984 when I was wearing a long black robe and trying to run with my pastor, but I kept falling over my robe.  I woke up and God spoke to me and said I was getting religious.  I thank God for the warning, and you should be warned as well!

Paul wrote a letter to the Corinthian church and tried to capture the idea of what God has done for them.  He was grasping for the best idea to convey how God saw them in the earth today, and of all the ways he examined, he decided that the best description of a Christian would be that of an Ambassador (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Wouldn’t it be strange if the American ambassador to another country was afraid to stand up and say, “I represent America”?  What would the American government do if the ambassador was afraid to state its point of view?

An ambassador is the sent one of the U.S.A.  Do we think he or she is being arrogant if they declare that they are sent to a certain country on behalf of the U.S.A.? No!  That’s a good thing and we expect them to do that! So why do people in Christian circles accuse others of being proud or arrogant when they do the same thing acting as an ambassador of heaven?

As an ambassador I have a right to speak for the Kingdom as long as I am speaking the message of the Kingdom, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  These are the words of my country.

The devil knows you are an ambassador, and God knows you are an ambassador. When are you going to realize that you are an ambassador?  In Acts 19:15 the demon spoke to the seven sons of Sceva, “Jesus I know and Paul I know, but who are you?” The devil will know you if you take a stand.

An Ambassador does not have to pray to act as an ambassador.  He does not need to pray to exercise his or her authority.  All they need to do is act like who their government says they are.  They don’t need to pray to get their passports stamped or have their visits approved.  No, an ambassador has the power to act and they don’t wait around to do their job.  Don’t wait on heaven anymore.  Act today!

Matthew 18:20 promises that where two or three are gathered together in the name of Jesus —He is there in our midst. When the Word is preached, His presence is preached, and His presence fills the atmosphere around us.

In Luke chapter 4 Jesus says, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor, to declare freedom for the prisoners…” Mark 16 says that He sends us to do the same thing!

Declare with me today, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for He has anointed me; His Holy Spirit is upon me.” When we speak His Word, His power and His incorruptible presence is in that Word.

When we are born again He dwells in us, His presence is in us, and we have the mind of Christ. He is there wherever two of us gather together. His presence is here in our midst and upon us, dwelling in us and surrounding us.

Now what does this mean to Christians? It simply means that we are not seeking to find a manifestation of God; we are living in the manifestation of His grace and His presence.

I no longer have to beg God for a miracle, because I am a miracle; He’s come to dwell in me! I no longer have to beg God to show up and present Himself, for I know the miracle of His presence exists in His Word!

Second Corinthians 2:14 says, “Now thanks be to God, who always causes us to triumph in Christ.” Hallelujah! He always causes us to triumph! Always! Always!

Not, “I win sometimes, I lose sometimes,” not, “well, I’ll see…maybe it will work, maybe it won’t work…” No!  Thanks be to God, who always causes me to triumph! Always! Always!

I don’t care what the government says, I don’t care what the people say, I don’t care what religion says, I don’t care what my finances say, I don’t care what the economy says!

Thanks be to God, who always causes me to triumph. ALWAYS!!

I believe there are moments that transform a life.  Your future doesn’t always hinge on the long hours you put into building your present. A new person, new opportunity, or new thought can set you on a dramatic new course.

One of those moments occurred in my life over 30 years ago when a small, $1.25 book called “The Believers Authority” was put into my hand.  I had already made my decision to follow Jesus, but a few words from that book shot into my heart: it was not a special anointing, or special education, or special will of God that would change my future. But rather, it is the authority God has given to me already that must be exercised over the devil, the flesh, and circumstances that will be the major determining factor. He had already defeated my enemy, and it was up to me to do something about it!

This took me from stagnation to action. This empowered me for today instead of waiting for tomorrow. This energized my value of decision for destiny, over resignation to circumstance. Understanding what God has done for you and in you, and that His expectation is for you to use it, is a defining moment. He will not do what He gave you the right to do.

Discover this, and you are on your way to an exciting life!

Jesus had 3 ½ years to show us how to live and minister. Why did He only need a little over 1,277 days to establish the pattern for mankind? Some church leaders preach for 20 years to try and get their people ready for service, but Jesus wrapped it up in a few years.

He was confident in His finished work, called redemption.

He was confident of His Spirit in us continuing the training.

He was confident in the new nature we received from Him through the new birth.

He was confident of God’s favor on us and our new right-standing that connected us to Him and God forever.

What does the world want? The world wants deliverance from the emptiness of life. The world wants dignity based on self-worth and inherent value. The world wants a destiny—a greater purpose for living. The Creator is offering all three to every person.

God has called us to live, not just exist. We live when we discover our purpose, our potential, our power, and our position. We are seated in Christ at God’s right hand without shame, guilt, or inferiority, but with power and authority! We are co-heirs with Jesus to the throne of the Almighty!