It was dark and treacherous. The wind and waves were beating against the boat as the disciples were making their way across the Sea of Galilee.
With their hearts already racing, they notice a strange figure moving towards them. They thought it was a ghost, but it was Jesus walking on the water.
Then Peter said the craziest thing, "If it's really you, command me to come to you on the water." And Jesus said, "Come."
Based solely on the command of the Lord, Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on the water.
But as soon as he considered his circumstances and surroundings, he began to sink.
Faith only works when you are laser-focused on one thing: what did Jesus say?
As soon as you pollute your mind with circumstances, experiences, and surroundings, your faith loses its ability to work.
It is a severe discipline of the mind to live a life of faith.
It's not how much you read that makes you a good student of God's Word.
It's the reverence you have as you read.
If you approach the Bible to prove your own ideas, God will turn you over to your worthless thoughts. You'll think you're right when you are far from it.
If your reading is a check on the list of things you do to stay on God's good side, you'll become a Pharisee with an outward display of godliness but no power to back it up.
But if you approach the Word of God with great humility, realizing that you cannot grasp it without the help of the Holy Spirit, every word comes alive.
What was written thousands of years ago becomes God's message to you right now. It corrects. It instructs. It encourages.
A few words might be all you need that day. Or maybe the Holy Spirit draws you to keep reading chapter after chapter.
Every day, ask your Heavenly Father to lead you to the place where your nourishment is for today.
Those who preach prosperity in God are not false teachers.
They are an irritant to one of the devil's favorite schemes to keep wealth from the hands of the righteous.
Even if they are preaching Jesus for personal gain, the Apostle Paul would tell us, "So what. Christ is being preached, so let's rejoice!"
Interestingly, most who bash "prosperity preachers" do so for their own personal gain. It's entirely hypocritical.
It's time for the body of Christ to move past this nonsense. We must stop opposing God's wealth so we can fund the end-time harvest.
Is God for great wealth? According to the Bible, yes.
Starting from the beginning, God created an abundance of what we need before He created us.
Even when we messed that up, God made a covenant with Abraham to bless him greatly.
Then came Solomon, the wealthiest man to ever live, made possible by God's wisdom.
How about everyone's favorite, Job? He started out wealthy and then became even wealthier.
Jesus is no exception. He was loaded down with wealth at birth, hand-delivered by the wise men.
So, what do you have against all these wealthy men the Bible speaks so fondly of?
Those who preach prosperity in God are not false teachers. They are an irritant to one of the devil's favorite schemes to keep wealth from the hands of the righteous.
It's time for the body of Christ to prosper. Get ready for the wealth of the wicked to make its way to the righteous.
How would you grade yourself when it comes to resisting the devil?
When temptation comes, do you respond with discouragement or confidence?
When symptoms come, do you rise up with resistance or roll over and ride it out?
The enemy comes to trouble you. So you might as well learn to return the favor.
Train yourself to respond to every temptation with joy. Joy is where your strength comes from, and it's an irritant to the devil.
When symptoms show up, and even when they persist, stand your ground. Don't you ever give in to sickness, whether it's a cold or a terminal illness.
No matter how long it takes, remain steadfast in your confession that by the stripes of Jesus Christ, I am healed.
Get your mind off the sickness and focus on what Jesus already provided for you. This will produce peace that will run off the devil.
Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Stay in that place, because that's where the devil suffocates.
So many are standing at the door of salvation, but have yet to enter.
They've been sold a partial gospel message: "Just receive Jesus by saying this prayer."
Receiving Jesus is part of it. It's what gives you the right to become a child of God. It's what opens the door to salvation.
But salvation only comes to those who then walk through the door by faith.
Walking through the door means you are stepping into a new life. You don't get to take your old life with you.
Salvation requires that you enter God's house to become His son or daughter.
God's house has a different set of rules than we're used to. But as we gladly submit to Him, He helps us do things His way.
There's no such thing as a rebellious child of God. True believers are known by their strong desire to obey God.
