Jesus paid every penalty and removed every judgement that was against us. He was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. By the stripes He received on the whipping post, we were healed! “The Lord has taken away the judgments against you; He has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil.” (Zephaniah 3:15)

Many people, including some preachers, say that God is completely sovereign and therefore whatever happens is His will. But does a farmer reap what God sows? What kind of crop will the farmer get if he takes the year off and just tells God he will take whatever crop God produces? No, the farmer reaps what he himself sows. If this principle is true for the farmer, isn’t it true for us also?

When King Nebuchadnezzar observed the three Hebrew children in the flames of the fire he threw them into for not bowing to his image, he was shocked to see a fourth man walking in the flames with them (Daniel 3:25). Regardless of the kind of fire you may be in—whether it’s a fire of some type of sickness or disease, or a struggle in your finances—there is another identity in your midst! The Lord Jesus Christ is with you in the midst of every struggle, abiding IN you, operating THROUGH you and working FOR you each and every day! “The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil” (Zephaniah 3:15).

Don’t waste your precious gift of speech by declaring that you’re in agreement with evil, failure, depression, sickness, or fear. Regardless of how bad circumstances may look in the natural, you aren’t required to participate in them. Why? Because you are redeemed and are now in Christ, and the curse has no claim on you anymore! Spend some time in your bible and allow the Holy Spirit to renew your mind to the truth!

Each and every day of our lives we should arise acknowledging our identity in Christ, not our old man! We don’t come crying to God telling Him who we used to be, we come to Him thanking Him for who we are now, hidden with Christ in the Father! (Colossians 3:3)

As believers, faith is a lifestyle we are all called to embrace. Three times in the New Testament we are told “The just shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38). What does that mean? It means that our decisions are not solely based on our senses. It requires that some steps be made without having all the facts, resources, or people in place, but God will make the difference!

When you were born again, you instantly became holy and blameless in God’s sight, because He sees you in Christ! In God’s eyes, your past is removed and your sins are forgotten as if they never happened. You have been released from all condemnation and shame, because Jesus bore it all for you. Don’t take anything back from the devil that Jesus paid with His life to remove!

Paul had an interesting view of himself. He thought of himself as a man who had died and awakened to a new life in Christ. He considered himself a dead man, yet still breathing. Dead men do not get offended at people. Dead men do not scream back when they are screamed at. Dead men can be poked, kicked, mocked and spit upon, and they still do not respond. The devil and his followers have no weapons left when Christians do not respond in fear or anger to their evil threats and actions!

Simply stating you believe something in God’s Word isn’t what produces results. Results are seen through being convinced of the reality that His Word is operating in your heart, your mind and your soul, along with the recognition that as you release your faith, this faith works by love. Not our ability to love God, but rather His amazing ability to love us!

Joy is an important part of life and is something God wants His children to experience and live in every day.  It’s a fruit of the Spirit and a strong feeling of the heart. In this very negative world where bad news is screamed at us from all sides, joy must be encouraged, protected, and cultivated. How do we find it? God’s Word is full of truths for you that produce joy! Believe them, meditate on them and speak them over yourself!