Faith does not rely on feelings, but it absolutely does foster them. It is what we feel strongly about that happens in our lives. Only in the realm of strong conviction can we weather storms that arise. Our beliefs and our strong feelings must be intertwined to form a powerful seed for change.

Strong feelings could accurately be described as passion. Passion is a mixture of what a person loves and what he hates. Sometimes it’s a love of something that drives his passion to change the world, but at other times, it’s what angers or disappoints him about the world that leads to a passion to change it. All great achievements must be maintained through passion; otherwise, criticisms, setbacks, and pressures will eventually wear achievers down. In order for passion to exist you must be burning with an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right.

Without passion you will never stick it out when the going gets tough. It’s passion that keeps you going in the face of insurmountable odds, and it is the same passion that keeps one refusing to quit no matter how painful the journey to the top is. It is the energy that commits to a goal and stays with it.

This is the eternal question asked by humanity all over the earth and especially in Westernized societies! Satan to this day is utilizing the only tool he has available…deception. He attempts to pervert the word that God has given us. Ephesians 6:11 tells us to be aware of the devil’s schemes. In fact, we are mistaken if we think we must fear the power of the devil! He has no power but that which we give him when we distrust God’s Word.

We are encouraged to take a stand against Satan’s schemes, strategies, deceits, wiles, and tricks. We are not encouraged to take our stand against his power. Satan has only one tool, and that is to pervert God’s truth and convince us not to believe what God has told us in His Word. Essentially the plan of evil has not changed from the first day until now!

We find people today are looking more than for a job. They are looking for a life of meaning and a work they can commit themselves to. At a young age with a certain degree of success and friendship, I had a question in my mind: Is this all there is? What I found was beyond my wildest dreams! A life without limits was being offered to me! This same life is offered to every person. Today people are scrambling for a job and glad to have one, but security is not satisfaction.

The good news is that every job is a joy if you see it tied to something bigger and more significant for your quest of life. Jesus came into this earth from the Father and Creator of all things. He said you can have life like My Father and I have life. You can let go of your limitations and enter a place where the source of all things is not limited by economy or government or education or country.

Jesus opened the door when He said: “Have faith in God. I assure you that you can say to this mountain, ‘May God lift you up and throw you into the sea,’ and your command will be obeyed. All that’s required is that you really believe and do not doubt in your heart.
Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it.” Mark 11:22

The possibility stands before you. Go for it!

The most important opinion you will ever have is the opinion that you have of yourself.  You might say, “I wish I would have known that when I was younger.”  It’s not too late! If you’re 20 or 40 right now, it’s wonderful to know this and to practice it. It will take you to amazing places! Even if you’re old, you still can really benefit from this knowledge.

There was a man named Alfred whom the newspaper mistakenly published an obituary of.  Alfred read this obituary that told all about his life, and decided that he didn’t like what it said.

Alfred was the man who invented dynamite, and he didn’t like what the obituary said about him and his invention, citing all the people that had been killed because of it. So he made the decision that he would change his obituary. He decided that when he died, this would not be what people said about him.

Do you know what he is known for now? Alfred’s last name was Nobel, and he became the creator of the Nobel peace prize.

Alfred was the inventor of dynamite, yet most are unaware of this and instead know him as a man of peace. He decided to change his obituary when he was old, so you can change too! Begin to see yourself differently. This may require some time, but it’s very significant.  We’re not talking about becoming prideful. Self-pride is not wrong, self-arrogance is.

Today’s miracle reality is that you are seated at the right hand of God, far above all principalities and powers. Literally, the mystery that as you go about your day you are physically present in this earthly realm, while at the same time you are seated in heavenly places in Christ at the right hand of God.

How can this be? We are living in two places at once reigning in life and reigning in heaven through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

There is a fish in South America that has two sets of lenses, one for looking above the water’s surface and one for looking below it. This fish is physically present in one place with one set of eyes, but has vision in two separate spheres. We are like this fish in that we may view life through our spiritual lenses and through our natural lenses.

It is an amazing reality that we are seated in heavenly places—right now—above our circumstances! Yet, we are physically present in this natural world looking into the heart of our circumstances!

Where’s the power? It is in us, it is around us, it is upon us, and we are seated at the right hand of this power! Hey, if God be for us, who can be against us?

Today keep your focus clear in both worlds! It helps and it is possible!

“But God, who is rich in mercy…Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ… And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus…” Ephesians 2:4-6

It’s another Monday morning, and you’re back at your job after a wonderful weekend. Physically you’re behind your desk, but your mind is still clinging to the freedom and pleasures of the past two days. You like your job, or maybe you don’t like it, but most miss the days off. So you hang in there because by the time you go home Monday night, Saturday and Sunday will be just a memory!

Now, work and labor are a good thing. It’s how we survive and prosper. But how we carry out that work is equally important. What do our co-workers see when they observe us at work? Are we enthusiastic? Impassioned? Committed? Or do we simply go through the motions, doing what we have to do to collect a paycheck?

“Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than people.”  Ephesians 6:7 NLT

As Christians, we are to work in such a way that separates us from the rest of the world. Our attitude must be entirely different by being positive and infectious. They must see a difference in us because we work from a supernatural perspective knowing that the natural will be taken care of. Remember, our focus is set on things above!

As your work week begins today, don’t forget that the eyes of your co-workers are on you. Do you show them Jesus on the job or someone else? Will they want what you have, or will they just see more of what they see in the world? Let’s show them the best way!

I remember traveling to Mexico and working with the Oaxaca Indians in the remote mountain villages. After many days of outreach the time came for a brief break from our activities, so we headed to the city for a day of R&R. I awoke the morning of our city adventure with the room swirling around me. I couldn’t believe it…I had food poisoning! I finally had the opportunity to relax and WHAMO! I was fighting horrible symptoms.

Over the years I have learned that when symptoms attack my body, I begin speaking. My flesh wanted to be sick and stay in bed. But I got up and started declaring, “I am healed by the stripes of Jesus! I thank you Lord. You are touching me with Your healing power – right now! And body, listen to me… “By His stripes I am healed!”” (Isaiah 53:5 emphasis mine)

I declared His Word not once, not twice, but for nearly an hour. Suddenly, faith arose in my heart and as quickly as the symptoms came they disappeared.

Several years ago while driving across the farmlands of the Southern Ukraine we stopped to purchase fuel. Our team leader would not heed the sticker that said our car required high-octane fuel for high performance and we proceeded to fill the car up with the cheaper gas. Fortunately for us, our car had a special shut off valve and after driving just a few miles the car shut down. We were so glad that our Russian team was familiar with siphoning gas and we were able to transfer this fuel to another car and walk back to the station for a new container of the HIGH-OCTANE gasoline. Reality set in for this team—there was no substitute for the real thing!

In our lives, let’s remember, time spent with God is time spent fueling your high-performance engine with the most efficient, cost effective, eco-friendly power source available! Lord, we ask you to inject us with your heavenly fuel today!

“The Spirit is a help to our feeble hearts… And we are conscious that all things are working together for good to those who have love for God, and have been marked out by his purpose” (Rom 8:26a, 28 BBE).

“We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose” (Romans 8:28 AMP.)

WOW! I get excited when I read this passage. God is a partner in our labor working things together for us! What a pleasure it is to trust in Him, knowing that He is working behind the scenes on our behalf.

Recently in prayer I heard myself saying, “God, YOU are my partner and I have total confidence that You are bringing in the resources, people and establishing the plans in Your time frame!”

There’s a lot of change surrounding each one of us due to difficulties in this natural world; however, in this time of transition we use our faith and our passion to latch on to God’s will, and to the wealth that is available for transfer into the hands of those in the kingdom of God!

We are not down and defeated without hope or alternatives, BUT WE ARE UP, EXPECTANT AND DREAMING OF NEW POSSIBILITES IN CHANGING TIMES!

There is no time like the present for worldwide reflection on what the future will hold for us as we peek over the edge into the New Year. Some are holding on in fear and trembling, many are afraid to predict anything good as the media pundits continue their barrage of bad news.

I can with confidence, however, predict that we are more than conquerors in every situation as the scripture declares. That is not written for fair weather economies, but for all time.

Why do people fear if they believe that the Creator of the universe lives inside of them?

Why do people expect the worst when all things are possible to those who believe, as Jesus has spoken?

Why do people think it will be a time of isolation, when Jesus said I will never leave you nor forsake you?

Our greatest days are right ahead of us as we navigate the waters in these rapids of the river of life. Every river has a little rough water but no concern. The boat was designed for the rapids. This is when it performs its best!

Relax in God’s boat. Jesus is in the boat with you, so enjoy the ride as it takes you through some twists and turns this coming year. You will be the better for it!