The Bible says that there is none righteous – no, not one. That is why people live in sin and are under oppression and bondage. In the book of Judges, a pattern existed where as the people lived in oppression, they cried unto the Lord and repented and God would heal and bless them. However, the cycle continued and once they were free and blessed, they had the tendency to forget God and live in sin again. Generations have come and generations have gone, however, this cycle is obviously still seen in our lives today. It’s as if there are activities that are set into motion that becomes cycles of events that cut you off just when you are about to break through.

We cannot separate breakthrough from brokenness. Let’s begin with repentance (changing our way of thinking). God’s perspective is different with ours. What is highly valued in this world is detestable in the Kingdom. God doesn’t want you to be smarter, better or stronger. He wants you broken.

Isaiah 57:15, “For this is what the high and lofty One says — He who lives forever, whose name is holy:
“I live in a high and holy place,
but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit ,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

True success has nothing to do with your accomplishments. It has everything to do with your heart’s condition — who you are in secret before the Lord. God uses our brokenness, vulnerability, and humility to promote us. I am not talking about singing humility or brokenness songs — we need to experience it.

God is saying, “I am not looking for a flawless performance, I am looking for brokenness. I am going to even use the repeated failures in your life to show you how much you need Me. I am not going to beat you, I am going to embrace you to Myself. I am going to empower you in your failure. Your failures don’t disqualify you, they can actually launch you. Your best is not enough. I am going to use you in your weakness. I love you so much, I want to be so close to you. I will continually arrange circumstances to show you how weak you really are, and that you need ME and you will run to ME. In MY mercy I am going to prove that you are weak and you need ME and when you call out to ME, I will come to rescue you and heal your wounds. Your success is not based on what you do. It is based on what I have already done and what I am now going to do through you. Get your eyes off of yourself and look at ME. Your sin is not the problem — it’s been paid for. It is what you do when you see your sin that’s the problem.”

We usually wait until we are strong and then believe that God can use us. That’s not right. The weaker you become, the stronger you will become in HIM. You must be emptied of yourself — you can’t fill something that’s already full. Weakness guarantees intimacy with HIM. We have this tendency: Weakness means rejection, pushed away, inferior, low self-esteem. But the Lord is completely different — weakness means being brought in and held in a way that you’ll never be held when you are full of your own strength. Do not run away from HIM, embrace your weakness and run to HIM.

Scriptures Study: Rom. 3:10, Lk. 16:15b, 1 Cor. 8:1

Jesus always meets people at their point of need. Coincidence is not in His vocabulary. He knows the time and season from the beginning of life. When He met the woman at the well, He talked to her the very need of her life. When Lazarus died, He waited four more days before He raised him from the dead. He’s never too late nor too early. His time is always perfect. He makes everything beautiful in its time. All this to say that God gave us a timely word to bring us to the next level. When Pastor David Kiteley ministered to our churches last weekend, it was like the Lord gave encouragement and exhortation for all of us to move on.

The word “teach” in the original language means to repeat, like running water. That means what we have learned last weekend is worth re-digesting. The Word of God gave us the secret of a blessed life, which is to meditate the Word day and night. It is for that reason I want us to revisit what was preached.

“He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Heb. 10:10, NKJV)

Many times we are too comfortable with the old — the familiar things, the old habits, and old ideas — that we are unwilling to take the risk to move to the new that the Lord has prepared for us. People who fail to take risks will fail to change. We like to talk about the new but still live in the old. The older we get, the less willing we are to change. We want to play it safe. But God wants a people of action. God wants more than just weekend Christians. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith without works is dead. When you take the risk and obey what the Holy Spirit tells you to do, you move in faith. If you fail to embrace the new, you will die in the old.

We are a royal priesthood, meaning that after we pray, worship, and enjoy the presence of the Lord, He wants us to function in our kingly role which is to minister to the people around us, to our community, and to the lost. God will give a strategy to take back inch-by-inch what the enemy has stolen. Priesthood speaks of worship and intercession. Kingship speaks of dominion.

There are three different kinds of people:

• People that don’t know what to do – they need to be equipped.

• People who know what to do and don’t do it – they are the most frustrated people. They are hearers but they don’t do anything.

• People who know what to do, step out and take the risk and do it.

Which one are you?

It is time for you to make a declaration to come out from the old cycle. Break the cycles of setback, non-accomplishment, injustice and hardship in order to release the manifestation of the prophecies and promises spoken. We start from the finished work of Jesus on the cross. He did the impossible and the difficult part. He wants us now to do the easy part.

The currency of the next move is desperation.

Let us continue to digest the Word, listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, and move out from our old cycle.

Scripture Studies: Heb. 4:15, 1 Cor. 9:24-26, Eccl. 11:4

________________________________________
Use video conversation to talk face-to-face with Windows Live Messenger. Get started.

“But if we [really] are living and walking in the Light as He [Himself] is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another.” (1 John 1:7, AMP)

One area of our lives that we believers need to particularly guard is in the area of our relationships. We simply need to obey what the Word of God says. Let us not argue or criticize one another so much that we hinder the power that God has given us to make us successful in this world.

Unforgiveness causes trouble in the spirit realm. It opens the door and makes a gap for the devil. It keeps our prayers from being answered. In Matthew 18, Jesus tells a parable about a servant who owed his king a large amount of money. He begged the king for extra time to pay the debt, and the king had pity on him and cancelled the whole debt. The servant then went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He grabbed him by the shirt and demanded immediate payment. The fellow servant pleaded for more time, but the servant refused and had him thrown into prison.

The king discovered what had happened and called the servant in. “I forgave you a large amount of money and you couldn’t forgive a much smaller amount? I showed you mercy but you could not show mercy to another? In anger, his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart. If you choose not to forgive, you can be tormented with confusion, frustration, depression, and other ailments brought by the demons of hell.

“If we really want to love we must learn how to forgive.” (Mother Teresa)

Bitterness and conflict also cause trouble in the spirit realm. It leaves the door wide open for the devil. It keeps your prayers from being answered. Bitterness starts out like a small root. Have you ever seen a sidewalk where the roots had pushed up and cracked through the concrete? It started with just one little root. We should not let small issues build up into larger ones. We must forgive quickly and fully. Until we forgive, we are the prisoner of the person who has offended or hurt us.

Peter wrote to husbands in 1 Peter 3:7 to live considerately with their wives. He said, “ … husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.” Husbands and wives. Parents and children. Co-workers. Fellow church members and CARE Cell members. All of us need to wake up to the dangers of strife and start walking in love.

Shed the light of God’s Word on your relationships. Get a revelation of the fact that we are all part of each other. Recognize that, as Ephesians tells us, we are one Body and one Spirit, and be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of that Spirit. (Eph. 4:3-4)

Let the power of God flow in all of your relationships.

Scripture Study: Ps. 133:1-3, Rom. 15:1-7

“He who being often reproved hardens his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” (Prov. 29:1)

To obey the Lord produces a joy that only those who obey really understand. Some people have the mistaken idea that when the direction of the Holy Spirit comes to them, they can just ignore it for a while if they want to and then obey Him later in their own good time. They think to themselves, “I know what I’m doing is wrong. I know my lifestyle is not right, but I’m just going to do it a while longer. Then I’ll get things straightened out with the Lord later.”

That is what happened to the people of Israel. God told them what to do, but they did not want to obey. God wanted to bring them into the Promised Land. He told them to go in and possess it, but they bluntly disobeyed. They wanted the Promised Land experience without obeying the One who gave the promise. That’s why they went through the wilderness for forty years. God could not lead them into the blessings He planned for them. In fact, God had to raise up a whole new generation of soft-hearted people before He could take them into the Promised Land.

Delayed obedience is disobedience. This is actually a dangerous thing to do. Why? Because God says that when you refuse His guidance, your heart will eventually harden. Jesus says that because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. The heart of men does not grow cold instantly. Little by little, because of lawlessness, the heart of men becomes hardened. Disobedience is lawlessness.

When I was growing up, I learned from the way my parents taught that disobedience involves pain. If I disobeyed them, they will chastise me. I didn’t like it. But as I grew, I began to understand that they did that because they loved me and it was for my benefit. It’s the same thing with God. It’s not that God’s grace does not extend to you anymore. It’s not that He will not forgive you once you turn to Him. It is because sin will cause your heart to become calloused to the point where you cannot hear His voice. In my own experience and also historically in the bible, I’ve learned that when God is silent, it is not a good sign.
As human beings, every time we disobey God, we always have good reasons for refusing. The people of Israel could not see beyond the Red Sea, they could not see beyond the bitter water, and many other examples showed that they were blinded. But why did people like Moses and Joshua see what others could not? It is because they chose to trust God’s promises and obey what He told them to do. It doesn’t matter how good your reasons are for disobeying God — that disobedience will cost you.

Obedience is beautiful. Joseph obeyed God and he was promoted. Noah obeyed the voice of the Lord and he and his family were saved. Paul obeyed the Lord and even though he went through so many trials and tribulations — he influenced the whole Asia Minor with the gospel. Abraham obeyed God and he was so very blessed that all nations in the world were blessed through him. The list can go on and on with the names of people in the bible. How about if you replace their names with your own name? When God tells you what to do, just do it!

Scriptures Study: Ex. 15:23, Gen. 12:2-3, Heb. 12:8, Deut. 28:1-14

“The people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits.” (Daniel 11:32b)
 
So many believers are not sure of their ability to hear God or know His voice. Many are afraid that they won’t be able to tell when the Spirit of God is talking to them, others are ignorant. They are ignorant because they are afraid the Lord will speak to them and make them do something they cannot do. They don’t realize that hearing the voice of the Spirit is a privilege that belongs to every believer. All you have to do to exercise that privilege is to receive it by faith and put yourself in a position to hear.
The Holy Spirit will not tell you something you cannot handle. He will not ask you to do something you cannot do. With every command He tells you to do, there is always grace to do it. Wherever He tells you to go, He will also go with you. It is His desire for you to know Him intimately, and that by-product will lead you to carry out great exploits. The Holy Spirit is able to compete with all of the modern day enticements if you allow Him to do what He wants you to do. He is better and much more exciting than any pre-planned program known to man. He is able to capture the attention of a toddler and a teen at the same time. He can teach all ages, for He is our great Teacher. He is never boring and He never has to hunt for new ideas.

Jesus said, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” (Jn. 6:63-64) Some Christians are unbelieving believers. They call themselves believers, but they spend so much time focusing on the materials things and the physical, not in the spirit. We, believers, are spirits who live in bodies and have souls. If you want to tap the best things of God, you must give attention to the spiritual side and not the soulish.
Our spirit is never too young and it will never get old. Many years ago when I went to Argentina, I saw little children praying for nations for hours. No one prayed for themselves — they know what it means to stand in the gap. They used the globe and prophesied over the nations of the earth. The adults then transcribed the prophecies and the prophecies that were related to governmental matters were conveyed to the government officials and even to the heads of states. These children prayed in the Presence of the Lord. They prayed with power and authority. Parents, you may have no idea that your kids could pray like that. Just because they are kids does not mean they have a junior-sized Holy Spirit.
 
Children – even in the womb – are receptive to the things of God. John leapt in his mother’s womb when Mary approached and spoke to her. I want to encourage expectant mothers and fathers to read the Bible aloud. Pray and sing unto the Lord aloud. The audible worship and devotions will become the first spiritual instructions a child would receive while still in the mother’s womb.
 
Next time the devil tries to tell you that you can’t hear God’s voice, you know that it is a lie. You can hear the Holy Spirit. “He who belongs to God hears God’s word.”  The Holy Spirit will never guide you in opposition to the Bible. Get familiar with God’s voice by meditating and studying the Bible. Be obedient even in the slightest thing.
 
Scriptures Study: Rom. 8:14, Jn. 8:47, 10:3-5, 16:13, Lk. 1:41-44

Recently, I heard a testimony from Cindy Jacobs where she was asked to speak at a conference in Argentina. Five hours prior to the conference, there were 200 children intercessors interceding for the event. The presence of God was so thick that many people received healing. Unusual miracles took place. Bald people began to scratch their heads, because they instantly grew hair and people who were overweight instantly lost 30 pounds. It was so sudden and drastic that they had to hold on to their pants and dresses.

Cindy’s testimony reminds me of a similar thing I witnessed when I went to La Plata, Argentina many years ago. One of the services I attended was ministered by children between the ages of 5 to 11 years old. After the pastor shared the Word, he then dispatched the children two-by-two to pray for the people. Two kids, ages 5 and 8, prayed for me and they operated with such an amazing word of knowledge that it was as if they knew everything about my life. Many people received healing in that service as the children prayed for the sick.

All I am trying to say is that God is no respecter of person, He can use anyone — even little children. In fact, children have not been introduced to doubt, worry, or fear yet. Because children are so naive, it is easy for them to believe in anything. It’s easy for them to believe in the Word, but consequently, it is also easy for them to believe in the world. You, as parents or just as adults, have the opportunity to plant good seeds into the lives of your children and the younger generation.

The children and youth of the 90’s were products of the most stimulating environment ever presented upon a generation. All manner of electronic equipment was made available to the children starting from the time they were a baby and placed in front of the television by a parent. They learned how to access the computer information network before many of their parents even learned how to turn it on. So, don’t underestimate your kids – they can multi-task more than some adults. When you think they are not listening, they are. When you think they don’t understand, they do. When you think they get easily distracted, they can actually focus more than some adults.

There are innumerable computer games and toys that require skills in the sharpness and quickness of physical movement and mental comprehension for various age levels. Some parents take for granted the fact that their child is able to learn and interact within this computer world. Other parents begin to think, if they are to function and operate well in the world, they must be computer literate.

Think about this: Have you enabled your child to be spiritually literate – able to function in the power of the Holy Spirit and manifest in victory and power in this world? The devil is not wasting any time in his attack against your children. That’s why you need to teach your children to discern the voice of the Holy Spirit.

“Therefore you shall lay up these My words in your [minds and] hearts and in your [entire] being, and bind them for a sign upon your hands and as forehead bands between your eyes. And you shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you rise up.” (Deut. 11:18-20)

As a believer, even if you are not a parent, you can be a spiritual parent and raise your spiritual children. “And all your [spiritual] children shall be disciples [taught by the Lord and obedient to His will], and great shall be the peace and undisturbed composure of your children.” (Is. 54:13, AMP)

Study Scriptures: Ps. 127:3-5, Ps. 33:11, 2 Tim. 1:5-7, Mark 10:15

Several years ago, an experiment was performed in a school in the San Francisco Bay area. A principal called in three teachers and said, “Because you three are the finest in the system and you have the greatest expertise, we’re going to give you ninety selected high-IQ students. We’re going to let you move these students through at their own pace this year and see how much they can learn.”

The three faculty members, the students and the students’ parent thought this was a great idea. And it seemed they especially enjoyed the school year. By the time school was through, the students achieved 20 to 30 percent more than the other students in the entire San Francisco Bay Area.

At the end of the year, the principal called the three teachers in and told them, “I have a confession to make. You did not have ninety of the most intellectually prominent students. They were all run-of-the-mill students. We randomly took ninety students from the system and gave them to you.”

The teachers naturally concluded that their exceptional teaching skills must have been responsible for the students’ great progress.

“I have another confession.” said the principal. “You’re not the brightest of the teachers. Your names were the first three drawn out of a hat.”

Why, then, did these students and teachers perform at such an exceptional level for an entire year? They were encouraged to believe they could! [Adapted from “Encouragement Changes Everything,” by John C. Maxwell]

“Treat a man as he appears to be and you make him worse, but treat a man as if he already were what he potentially could be and you make him what he should be.” (Goethe)

If I were to give a subtitle for this article, it would be, “Breaking Unbelief.” Too often, however, we hear the same words repeated so many times that it becomes a cliché, a religious jargon, and ends up losing its meaning. There are many examples, stories, and evidences in the Bible where ordinary people became extraordinary simply because they believed in God and acted upon what they believe.

You are destined for greatness! You can do mighty things through the power of the Holy Spirit within you. God has great plans for you. You can do all things through Christ. You have the same exact Spirit in you as Jesus had when He was on earth.

Your mind can only change if you experience or witness something that is different from your logic and your five senses. Only stubbornness can hold you back, and it is your choice.

You may say, “I’ve heard all that. Now what?”

It is time for action! After you’ve been prayed for – believe you’ve received it. After you’ve been anointed – go and preach the good news. After the Lord healed you – testify about it. After God touched and renewed your heart – share it to others. Faith without works is dead. It is time to take a risk and choose to obey God’s Word. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons, cleanse the lepers!

You have that same miracle-working God inside of you and there are people all around you who need Him. So quit waiting until you “feel” you have the power to do it and just get out there. Once you do, you’ll discover that the power you’ve been waiting for has been right there inside just waiting for you!

Scripture Studies: Jam. 2:20, Phil. 4:13, Mt. 10:8, Rom. 8:11