God Wants To Provide For You Because You Are Valuable to Him

#1 from The Spiritual Nature of Provision

“Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns—and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

— Matthew 6:26

God loves you and wants to provide for you because you are valuable to Him. He sees you as part of His family and wants to help you along in life. He doesn’t just want to meet your needs according to the world’s standards, He wants to bless you according to His Kingdom’s standards. God is not affected by the earth’s economy. 

• Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

God is the creator of everything. He knows how everything works. He is more than capable of blessing you even amid famine or wandering in a desert.

• 2 Corinthians 9:8, 11 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

If you want to break out of the cage this world imposes on you financially and experience what it’s like to have access to all of God’s resources, there are just a few shifts you need to make in your thinking and your finances.

Of course, God’s provision is not just money. It’s first and foremost deliverance from sin and death by giving us salvation by grace through faith in Christ. God then supplies grace to our hearts so we can be strengthened by Him and be comforted into the image of Christ, walking in love toward others and exercising Christ’s authority for ministry toward others. But for you to be able to be generous on every occasion, we must live how God prescribes.

Consider this passage. Proverbs 11:24 One gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor.

Do you believe that when you give freely, you will gain more? If not, then it’s time to repent (change your thinking) and believe the Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. In God’s Kingdom, charity and generosity are like seeds that produce provision for you. It’s not because God sees the act and then chooses to bless you; He already set in motion our connection with His spiritual Kingdom, and this is how it works.

In addition to engineering His spiritual realm to bless those who give cheerfully, He also gives us His Spirit so we’ll know everything He has given us and how to walk in it.

• 1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

It’s like we can’t lose if we are willing to live in relation to His Kingdom and the way He designed it. So how do we do that?

• Proverbs 11:25 A generous soul will prosper, and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

• Proverbs 19:17 Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.

• Proverbs 22:9 A generous man will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.

I will make no empty or spiritual-sounding promises to you about sowing into our ministry or anyone’s ministry. I will only encourage you to consider living according to God’s Kingdom rather than this world’s broken carnal systems. Wisdom still lives debt-free, saves for emergencies, plans for the future, and leaves an inheritance to our children, but we are not limited to trading hours of our lives for dollars.

God’s system of provision is much more efficient and rewarding, but you must engage it willingly from the heart. Just because you do charity does not mean God is obligated to bless you, that’s self-righteousness. The sweet spot of living generously and experiencing God’s Kingdom provision is when you give with joy and gratitude. and If you give and you feel a sense of lack, like you are giving away something you are going to need, as if your future depends on it, then you need to change your thinking to reflect giving as seed planting, just like how God tells us His Kingdom works. Start today! Be a joyful, cheerful giver and watch His Kingdom provision grow in your life.

Of course, I invite you to sow into Forward Ministries, but even more so, I want to encourage you to stop living according to the world's economy with your finances and use them how God prescribes, on every occasion.

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A Study on what Jesus Taught about the Holy Spirit

In my last blog I recommend this study exercise: read through John chapters 14, 15, and 16 and make a list of all the things Jesus teaches about the Holy Spirit. Get a vision for how you can experience each attribute in specific areas of your life. Then, as you live each day, look for ways to be filled with His Spirit; in other words, look for ways to yield to His influence and power (grace) in those moments. Know Him and how he operates, and then expect to experience Him practically, whether for fruit or gifts.

Homework Notes

Key teachings of Jesus about the Holy Spirit from John chapters 14, 15, and 16.

John 14

• Helper/Advocate (Paraclete):

  • "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever" (John 14:16).

• Spirit of Truth:

  • "Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you" (John 14:17).

• Teacher and Reminder:

  • "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you" (John 14:26).

John 15

• Testifies About Jesus:

  • "But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me" (John 15:26).

• Empowers Witness:

  • "And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning" (John 15:27).

John 16

• Coming After Jesus' Departure:

  • "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you" (John 16:7).

• Convicts the World:

  • "And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment" (John 16:8).

    • "Concerning sin, because they do not believe in me" (John 16:9).

    • "Concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer" (John 16:10).

    • "Concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged" (John 16:11).

• Guides into All Truth:

  • "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come" (John 16:13).

• Glorifies Jesus:

  • "He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you" (John 16:14).

• Reveals Jesus' Teachings:

  • "All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you" (John 16:15).

Easy Way to Memorize the Attributes of the Holy Spirit in John 14-16

Acronym: H.E.L.P.E.R. G.U.I.D.E.

1. H - Helper/Advocate

2. E - Empowers witness

3. L - Leads into all truth

4. P - Proceeds from the Father

5. E - Exposes (Convicts) the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment

6. R - Reminds believers of Jesus’ teachings

7. G - Glorifies Jesus

8. U - Understands (teaches) all things

9. I - Informs (declares) what is to come

10. D - Dwells with and in believers

11. E - Enables remembrance

Practical Ways to Experience the Holy Spirit in Life’s Situations

1. Helper/Advocate

• Situation: Facing a difficult decision.

• Experience: Pray for guidance, trust that the Holy Spirit will provide wisdom and clarity.

2. Empowers Witness

• Situation: Sharing your faith with others.

• Experience: Feel a sense of boldness and clarity in your words, knowing the Spirit is empowering your testimony.

3. Leads into All Truth

• Situation: Studying the Bible or seeking to understand complex issues.

• Experience: Sense of deeper understanding and insight as the Holy Spirit illuminates the scriptures and truth.

4. Proceeds from the Father

• Situation: Seeking a deeper relationship with God.

• Experience: A sense of connection and communication with the Father through prayer and worship.

5. Exposes (Convicts) the World of Sin, Righteousness, and Judgment

• Situation: Feeling conviction about a personal sin or witnessing societal injustice.

• Experience: A clear sense of conviction leading to repentance and a desire for righteousness.

6. Reminds Believers of Jesus’ Teachings

• Situation: Needing comfort or direction in times of stress or confusion.

• Experience: Recollection of scripture and Jesus’ words that bring comfort and guidance.

7. Glorifies Jesus

• Situation: Worship and daily life.

• Experience: A focus on Jesus and a desire to honor Him in actions, thoughts, and words.

8. Understands (Teaches) All Things

• Situation: Learning and growing in faith.

• Experience: Moments of enlightenment where complex concepts of faith become clear.

9. Informs (Declares) What is to Come

• Situation: Making future plans or seeking direction.

• Experience: Sense of peace and direction, feeling led towards certain actions or decisions.

10. Dwells with and in Believers

• Situation: Everyday life and moments of solitude.

• Experience: Constant sense of companionship, never feeling truly alone as the Spirit is always present.

11. Enables Remembrance

• Situation: Needing to recall important teachings of Jesus or biblical principles.

• Experience: Timely recollection of scripture and teachings that apply to current situations.

Daily Practices to Foster the Holy Spirit’s Presence

1. Prayer: Regular, sincere prayer invites the Holy Spirit to guide and empower.

2. Bible Study: Consistent reading and studying of the Scriptures allow the Holy Spirit to teach and remind.

3. Worship: Engaging in worship helps believers feel the presence and guidance of the Spirit.

4. Fellowship: Participating in a faith community provides opportunities to experience the Spirit’s work through others.

5. Obedience: Following the Spirit’s guidance in everyday decisions strengthens awareness and sensitivity to His presence.

6. Reflection: Taking time to reflect on experiences and recognizing the Spirit’s influence in various aspects of life.

Using the acronym H.E.L.P.E.R. G.U.I.D.E. and these practical applications can help believers remember and actively seek the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit in their daily lives.

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For more on this topic, check out these series.

➡️ The Ministry of the Holy Spirit series: Download | Watch | Listen

➡️ Grace and the Supernatural series: Download | Listen

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Pentecost: The Promise of Power

“You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.”

— Romans 8:9

You either have the Spirit of God dwelling in you, or you don’t. At Salvation, God puts a new spirit in you and even places His own Spirit in you. It’s like a marriage covenant where we become betrothed to God. His Spirit is the seal of the eternal covenant we enter with God through Christ. If you believe that God sent Jesus to save you, you have been born again and God has placed His Spirit in you, period, end of story.

1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

The baptism of the Spirit and, subsequently, living filled with the Spirit are not all about praying on tongues. That is a capacity or a gift that you can use once God lives in you, but it’s not the culmination or the sole “evidence” of having God’s spirit.

Look at these instances from Acts where believers who already received the spirit became filled with the spirit.

• In Acts 4:8 filled with the Spirit and spoke with wisdom to the rulers of the people and elders of Israel

• In Acts 4:31 filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke the word of God with boldness

• In Acts 13:8 Paul filled with the Spirit gets a word of knowledge about Elymas the sorcerer and rebukes him

So what’s my point?

My point is that if you have placed your faith in Christ, you are indeed complete in Him, and you lack nothing. You don’t need to wait for a separate infilling of the Spirit. You don’t need to receive an aspect of God’s Spirit that you didn’t already receive. And you don’t have to have someone else lay hands on you to get more of God. You either have the Spirit, or you don’t.

What’s Missing?

Once you are born again and God takes up residence in you, it’s your choice to live “filled with the Spirit.” Filled means to be under the influence of or permeated with. You can have God's Spirit in you, but you are not yielding to His influence on your life. You might be born again, but you are not putting on the Spirit or intentionally choosing to allow the Spirit to empower you.

The fruits of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit (including tongues) work in you and through you by grace through faith. Meaning that you believe, and then you experience the influence, power, or manifestation of His spirit in the form of wisdom, healing, fruit, gifts, inspiration to preach, and a host of other capacities.

For the record, the Greek word for “receive” is lambano, which means:

• to take with the hand

• lay hold of, any person or thing in order to use it

• to take up a thing to be carried

• to take upon one's self

• See the full lexicon entry here: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2983/kjv/tr/0-1/

To receive the Spirit is to lay hold of it and take it upon oneself to use it. We have this idea that the Spirit chooses to fall on people in His own timing, and you just have to wait for it to happen, but that is not what the definition indicates. And if you re-read the stories in Acts where people received the Spirit, they were either ignorant of the Spirit or were born again and had not yet laid hold of the Spirit to be empowered by Him.

Choose to Yield

God is not going to control you; you must choose to yield to His influence in your heart. If you want to experience the power of His Spirit, you must make an intentional and conscious choice in the situation in which you need His power to yield to Him, to lay hold of His Spirit, and become filled in that specific moment. You carry His Spirit; He’s in you, and He’s not going to leave, but you have to allow Him to empower you, which is an act of faith.

Quit waiting and choose.

Study and Application Exercise

I recommend this study exercise: read through John chapters 14, 15, and 16 and make a list of all the things Jesus teaches about the Holy Spirit. Get a vision for how you can experience each attribute in specific areas of your life. Then, as you live each day, look for ways to be filled with His Spirit; in other words, look for ways to yield to His influence and power (grace) in those moments.

Know Him and how he operates, and then expect to experience Him practically, whether for fruit or gifts.

I’ll post another blog after this one for use as a study guide. Once you have completed this exercise, send me an email on how it affects you.

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For more on this topic, check out these series.

➡️ The Ministry of the Holy Spirit series: Download | Watch | Listen

➡️ Grace and the Supernatural series: Download | Listen

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You Can Heal People

“Then Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and power to cure diseases”

— Luke 9:1

Do you believe in Jesus? 

If you believe that God sent Jesus to save you and that he raised you from the dead, then you have God's spirit living in you. God has joined himself to you, placed his spirit in you, and given you a new heart. AND… Jesus shares his authority on earth with you. That means you can do what he did.

John 14:12 Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Med for anything in My name, I will do it.

You might say, "Clint, I can barely stay out of sin and be nice to people, I can't possibly heal people, I'm too messed up."

Let me remind you…

Acts 19:11 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.

It’s not about you!

Handkerchiefs can heal people; it's not about you but about God's word and spirit. Why can a handkerchief heal someone? Because God’s spirit was on it, and when God's spirit touches things, they become whole and function the way God originally designed them to function. God’s spirit touches a person, they get saved, healed and delivered. God spirit touches fish and bread, it multiplies to feed thousands. God’s spirit touches a storm, it calms down. God’s spirit touches disease, healing happens. That’s just what happens when God’s spirit touches anything.

This spiritual power is in you!!

It's not about your anointing or lack thereof, your obedience or lack thereof, or your anything! It's about the spirit of God and the will of God for people to be whole and healed - every time!

Well, then why doesn't it work every time? Watch #4 in this series for more on that answer.

Power and Authority

Luke 9:1 Then Jesus called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and power to cure diseases. 2 And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 6 So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere.

Jesus gave his followers this power, which means the ability to do it. He also gave them the authority to enforce this power. Authority signifies the power and responsibility to enforce something. What is being enforced in this case? The Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Jesus went around enforcing the law and will of his Father's kingdom. The will of Heaven is healing and deliverance.

In the same way, you are tasked with the responsibility of enforcing God's power. You are like the "police" of Heaven, enforcing the laws of God's Kingdom. The primary law regarding health in God's Kingdom is the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8). You have the power AND authority to enforce this law because Jesus gave you the power AND authority, it’s that simple.

For more on this idea, watch this video from 34 minutes and 49 seconds into the video.

Circumstantial Theology

Most Christians base their beliefs on their circumstances. Most Christians think God is controlling everything that happens.

Tell me if this sounds familiar; "I prayed, and they weren't healed, and since God is in control, God must not want them healed for some reason that we'll never know but will bring him glory."

Let me just tell you, disease and death DO NOT bring God glory. I understand that you glorify God by remaining faithful to him amid hardships and persecution, but not because you passed some test from God. God is glorified by your faithfulness in challenging times because it shows that he's worthy of praise regardless of circumstances. If you go through tragedy and remain faithful to God, this becomes a testimony to yourself and others that God is greater than that tragedy.

Unfortunately, we come to the erroneous conclusion that since God was glorified as you went through it, he's allowing it so that he'll be glorified. You can't prove that in scripture anywhere. Before you mention Job, read the whole book, especially chapters 38 through the end, and see where Job repented for blaming God for his hardships.

We should base our beliefs on Jesus' life, death, burial, and resurrection. The evidence from Jesus overwhelmingly shows a desire for healing and deliverance.

So pray. Expect to be healed. Expect others to be healed when you pray for them. Don't stop using the power that's in you. Grow in it. Become more confident. Fast and get the doubt out of your heart if you need to, but don't back down from enforcing the power that God placed in you to accomplish his will!

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You Can Be Healed Because You Are Forgiven

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”

— 1 Peter 2:24

Jesus suffered all the effects of your sin on the cross. Including sickness, disease, God’s judgment, and death.

I mean, can we just pause and be thankful about that for a moment!!!

In addition, because he suffered the penalty for your sin, this is true for you… “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” - Romans 8:2

Thank you Lord for what you have done for me!!!

Before I get too far into this, let me make the clear statement that if you continue in sin, you will experience all sorts of death because you will reap what you sow, and if you continue to sow sin to the flesh, you will experience various kinds of death in this life.

BUT!!!
It’s NOT from God!!!
Because in Christ YOU ARE FORGIVEN!!

It’s a bit of a paradox that we’re in. Our sin has been paid for. We are no longer subject to the law of sin and death as far as God is concerned, but we still live in unregenerated bodies, so we need to stay out of sin to keep death out of our lives.

I’m not saying you can only be healed if you stay out of sin. And I’m not saying if you aren’t healed it’s because you have sin in your life. I’m saying it’s a lot easier to receive it if you don’t have all that guilt and doubt in your heart from continual sinful behavior. You have healing in you because Christ is in you, but you must understand you’re already qualified because you’re forgiven and then be bold to expect healing because it’s your birthright as a child of God in Christ.

In fact, the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is giving life to your physical body right now, in this very moment!! (Romans 8:11)

You Can Expect Healing

Because Jesus was judged for your sin and paid the full price for your rebellion against God’s law, you are forgiven and, as far as God is concerned, qualified for healing because he’s not holding your sin against you.

Jesus shows us what this looks like practically here:

Mark 2:10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 12 Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Jesus explained that the healing of a paralytic proved that he had the power to forgive sins. Forgiveness produces healing. Do you see the connection? You are forgiven, you can expect healing too.

It’s a legal issue, you actually have a right to expect healing. Romans 8 gives us insight into how this works. In this clip about Romans 8 I explain how forgiveness leads to healing.

This was only 60 seconds, but you can watch this full section here. The full section on this point runs about 4 minutes. Click to watch more of this section.

The full sermon goes into much more detail about why you can expect healing. I pray it’s a blessing to you. Click to watch the full message.

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Gratitude Is Proactive

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and bless His name.”

— Psalm 100:4

Gratitude is proactive. A thankful person doesn't wait for something good to happen to be grateful toward God. A thankful mindset is aware of all that God has already done in Christ. True thankfulness gives thanks in all things because it knows that no matter what happens, we have a hopeful future in eternity with our Father in Heaven.

Gratitude doesn't deny the pain and sorrow of this life, it just doesn't focus on it and allow those things to be bigger than God. The thankful heart praises the name of God because he knows that God is his creator and gave him life.

Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Psalm 100:3

How Can You Be Proactively Thankful?

The Apostle instructs us on thankfulness in Philippians 4:6 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Every time we address God, we should do so in an attitude of thankfulness. What's your typical emotional attitude toward God when you speak to Him? Many of us come before him and into his gates not with praise but with worry, fear, disappointment, anger, uncertainty, etc. If you are honest with yourself, what is your general attitude toward God when you pray?

I'm not suggesting you fake it before God; sometimes you're going to be upset and afraid when you pray, but you can change your mind and focus your heart on His nature and character to pull out of the sorrow and confusion. God wants us to cast our cares upon him because he cares for us. But once we cast them, we are to put on the mindset that God is good and faithful and will keep His promises. The ungrateful heart leads to doubt, which leads to not being able to enter into the promises that God has already made to us in Christ. Ingratitude is a faith killer, and it takes faith to experience the fruit of God's promises in your life.

When you cultivate gratitude as your state of heart and mind and prayer, it will yield peace, and that peace will guard your heart. Your heart, or inner man, affects everything you do. If it's guarded by peace, you will be clearer on what His Word says and yield to His influence more—choosing to be grateful yields peace in your heart, which produces unlimited benefits.

What Steps Will You Take To Cultivate Thankfulness?

Paul gives practical steps to turn your heart toward gratitude.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9

Put it into practice, and you will experience God's peace. And when you experience His peace, you become a fertile breeding ground for all the kingdom's benefits and blessings to grow into your life. Praise Him and give Him thanks proactively and watch your life change!

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Ending the Cycle of Complaining and Hardness of Heart

“For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.”

— Hebrews 4:2 NKJV

For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. - Hebrews 4:2

Unthankfulness will lead you to the hardness of heart and unbelief, which will limit what God can do through you and for you. This is the hard lesson learned by most of the nation of Israel that wandered in the desert for 40 years.

When we feel like we're wandering, barely having our needs met, it may be due to unbelief. You have enough faith, but maybe you have too much complaining and unthankfulness clouding your heart from seeing God's path of provision.

Oftentimes, a lack of gratitude is the effect of holding on to our baggage from the past. The holidays are upon us. If you grew up in a home where the fighting and stress increased, you might still have difficulty enjoying the holidays today.

The way out is to cultivate thankfulness to the degree that new memories and experiences overwrite the triggers from the past. It's hard at the moment to choose a new state of mind when the present triggers pain from the past, but if you can choose gratitude ahead of time, your heart and mind will be prepared to not only respond well but have new automatic responses of joy.

In this week's message, I try to lighten the mood with some jokes about my past but also take a serious look at the effects of unthankfulness. I pray this message strengthens and prepares you for a joyful holiday season.

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How to Remove Doubt from Your Heart

“For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.”

— Mark 11:23 NKJV

The Kingdom of Heaven resides within each of us, taking on a spiritual form. Just like a seed, the spirit within must be nurtured for it to flourish and yield fruits in our reality. The Kingdom cannot be confined to a mere seed; rather, Jesus elucidates that His Kingdom develops in our world, much like a small seed transforms into a majestic tree.

In the book of Mark, chapter 4, Jesus imparts wisdom about how the openness of your heart to the Word of God influences the productivity of the Kingdom. To experience the Kingdom of God in this world is akin to the succulent fruit that grows on the vine of the Word, which has been sown and nourished in your heart.

If you allow the seed to be uprooted, it will not thrive. Placing the seed in shallow, rocky soil makes growth more challenging. Planting the seed amidst thorns and weeds provides a better chance, but the roots of these thorns and weeds can stifle the seed's growth. However, when you plant the seed in fertile ground and diligently keep the weeds at bay, the seed will flourish.

The Kingdom is analogous to a seed, and the seeds are the Word of God. The state of the soil is determined by you, with your heart serving as the soil. Doubt represents the kind of weeds that can constrict and hinder, or even render unproductive, the Word of God, preventing you from experiencing the Kingdom's fruitful outcomes.

If you desire to harvest the fruits of the Kingdom, you must sow and nurture the Word in a receptive heart. The only aspect of this process that you have control over is your heart. Your heart is new, akin to God's own heart. However, if you allow weeds, worry, fear, doubt, the concerns of this world, and the allure of wealth to take root in your heart, they will impede or completely thwart the growth of the Kingdom seeds that seek to flourish.

I pray this message enlightens you regarding the doubt you may be nurturing, and I pray you are equipped to rid the doubt from your heart so you will experience the fullness of the kingdom within you.

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Writing on the Tablet of Your Heart

“My son, keep my words, And treasure my commands within you. Keep my commands and live, And my law as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart.”

— Proverbs 7:1-3

Proverbs 23:7a states, "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he."

Since you ultimately live according to the beliefs of your heart, it is crucial to become proficient in writing and affirming truth on the tablet of your heart. What you believe about yourself (write on your heart) significantly influences your emotions, feelings, choices, and habits more than anything else.

If you can align your self-beliefs with how God sees you in Christ, you will always experience peace, regardless of your external circumstances.

This way of life will also continually open opportunities for you to step into what God has planned for you because you will be receptive. The question isn't, "God, will you help me?" The question is, "Am I receptive to the Holy Spirit in this moment, considering my current thoughts and beliefs?"

God is trying to help you, but your thoughts might be drowning out His voice. The beliefs of your heart may actually be in direct opposition to God's wisdom and logic that He's trying to impart to you.

Often, we find ourselves in desperate situations and cry out to God for help. But due to our state of mind and the prevailing beliefs we have affirmed in that area, we may be unable to align with His will and take the action He's suggesting. We end up rejecting the way in which He is trying to supply grace and mercy to assist us.

Have you ever been in a situation where someone asked you a question, but when you answered, they missed the point you were trying to make? They either misunderstood or refused to consider your perspective.

That's what we do to God. We ask for help, but His answer doesn't make sense because we've allowed fear, lack, trauma, irresponsibility, and sin to write on the tablet of our hearts. So when He speaks to our heart or attempts to provide grace, we can't receive it because we've spent too much time affirming things that contradict His ways and logic.

There is no substitute for time in the saddle, meaning time thinking about and pondering upon his word. I pray you find a way to incorporate a steady diet of his ways and logic into your life.

I pray that you take the time to listen to this message and extract nuggets that you can put into practice in your life. Please let me know what stands out to you.

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Store Up Treasure in Heaven Through Secret Acts of Love

“that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”

— Matthew 6:4

Do you want rewards from God when you get to Heaven? Yeah, yeah, I know, just being with Jesus is reward enough. But seriously, in the Resurrection at the judgment seat of Christ, all of your works will be judged. That which is of the right sort will be rewarded, and that which is of the wrong sort will be burned away.

1 Corinthians 3:12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

How do you know if your works will receive rewards? Jesus teaches in Matthew 6 to do your charitable deeds in private, not letting the right hand know what the left hand is doing. He says if you boast about your good deeds, and people acknowledge you in this life, then you have received your reward. But if you do good works in private, you will be rewarded openly in Heaven.

We obviously don’t do good deeds for rewards only, we do good deeds as a result of walking in love, but God is interested in our lives so much that he wants to say a big thank you in front of other people for being a loving person.

I want to highlight part of verse 15 above, “he himself will be saved.” At the judgment seat of Christ, you will not be judged for righteousness, your salvation is secure, but the motivation behind your words and actions goes through a final judgment. It’s almost as if the final remaining aspects of your dead identity will be burned away, and all that will remain is the saved you and rewards for the love you showed,

This is a complex and nuanced doctrine. There is much more than I am addressing here, but I simply want to make the point to be mindful of how you conduct yourself. Not as a threat. And I don’t suggest that you live in fear of this judgment. I see it more as a celebration than a negative thing. I just want to highlight that everything you do matters.

God is more interested in private integrity than public piety. He’s more interested in who you are in the secret place than in the public square. He looks at every moment of your life as significant. No second is a throwaway in God’s eyes. He cares about everything you do so much that he will bless you and reward you for all the seemingly insignificant acts of kindness, mercy, and compassion. Let’s live as if every moment counts.

1 John 4:17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

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