Tag Archive for: die

The Shocking Truths About Porn

Sex is godly; porn is not.

I am not an alien writing to expose the shocking truth about porn; I know what I am talking about. You have suffered from it, and I did, or maybe you are still struggling with it. There is HOPE! What do I mean by sex is godly, and porn is not? Sex is a GOD idea, and he designed it as a means to serve intimacy with couples of covenant, the married people, and for the multiplication of God's love from one generation to another. Porn is the devil's means to pervert all that is holy, pure, and powerful.

For every sound truth doctrine, there is a demonic doctrine to match. Spiritual warfare is about that, creating an opposite doctrine to a godly one. Jesus said about the devil that he is a liar and the father of liars, and he kills humans with a lie. Many things in my life died and got twisted because of demonic lies: my identity, dreams, personality, relationship with the Lord, and every other thing that God meant to be GOOD for me. The devil can't create; he is not a creator, but he can appear as an Angel of light to deceive, to push you away from the truth. You never know if it is a lie because it sounds LIGHT, kind thought, pleasant experience, freedom of choice, acceptance of the rejected, etc. The devil doesn't only present his thoughts as “life-giving” but he raises prophets of the dark to change the wordings of sin to draw you and hook you for example it is not the killing of infants, it is abortion; it is not homosexuality but gay, and the word in Arabic for homosexuality means twisted but was also changed to same-sex attraction; also sex before marriage is not adultery but making love and on. Why do you think the devil invested strongly in changing the wording of all those words? Because it works. “He appears as an Angel of light.”

I was introduced to porn when I was a teenager. I was pure like a white snowball until my friend from school exposed me to it through the internet. The internet at that time was primitive but it was there and at my house. I remember going through trauma when my friend introduced me to porn websites. I forgave him a long time ago!

Seeing gay activities and lesbians and straight sex was too much for me. It never crossed my mind that there is something like that and that we have the potential to taste those experiences. I felt the shattering of my innocence! I was not transitioned into the subject of sex in my life but was introduced to it instantly and in the most unclean ways. The enemy knows about the power of trauma and how it creates a landing strip for slavery, addictions, and the demonic. I went into denial at first for some time, and after a while, I was drawn to start navigating porn websites on my own at night when everyone in my family slept.

You can't feed a beast without unleashing it to go for a hunt. As I kept feeding myself uncleanness ritually and regularly, I felt the craving and the groaning to be in the experiences I was watching. I wanted all my senses to endure that. So I moved from porn (the doctrine feeding) to boldness (the practice). Real-life fornication was never as ideal and good as the websites. So you become hooked on two realities, and you become addicted to online porn and your ongoing real-life attempts to match the professional porn stars, and you never make it. So you spiral down into disappointments and addictions to the deceiving lying web of porn.

I am not going to teach the spiritual aspects of what happens when you enter into dark unclean covenants with others. You can study the Bible and learn more about that. Nor will I mention why porn hooks us at the psychological level; you can research that too.

Porn and dishonoring your body and the one who made it is all about the spirit of rebellion.

Everything that is not a God covenant is rebellion because God is a God of Covenant. Breaking laws at your job has nothing to do with your detest of your job because they don't honor you or pay you enough, etc it is about the spirit of rebellion finding reasoning and an argument to make sense of it and birth itself. Everything man does is a hidden rebellion at its core. Sex “making love” outside of the marriage covenant is rebellion. You see, it is not just about the devil but also about your untamed rebellious nature. They both work together. Even if there is NO DEVIL feeding it and awakening it with deception, your rebellion will find a way one day to awaken itself.

“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts.” Romans 1:21-26

“And worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.” Rebellion is all about self-worship, and the only way to be free from yourself is to fall in love with Jesus and worship him.

The more you grow in his love and worship, all the unclean byproducts of the spirit of rebellion lose their grip on you and fade away. Don't focus on your deliverance; put all your energy and frustration into loving Jesus and worshiping him. This is how you subdue rebellion and shatter self-worship!

Thank you, Jesus, because you found a way out of my porn addiction and adultery by drawing me to a life journey of ongoing ecstatic worship of your glorious love for me. Amen!

For those who are still going through it, I humbly advise you: FIX YOUR WORSHIP, NOT YOUR DESIRES.

God bless you
Tony Francis

There Is No Going Around, We Must Go Through!

I had an interesting conversation the other day with my niece and namesake Cheryl (who we call Tulla.)We were talking about life and the things that happen to get us “tied up”, by our own mistakes, sometimes by adverse results of other’s choices and sometimes just by events that happen that are out of our control but still they have the same affect of making us stuck in life.

Tulla and I both love to crochet, (although she is much better at it than I am), her mom (my sister) Diane taught me when I was round 13 years old.

So in our conversation I thought the analogy of yarn seemed to be fitting as I compared our lives to a long strand of yarn, stretching from one end to another. Along the way, there are the inevitable knots that occur, sometimes just one; usually from trying to go too fast or not paying close enough attention to our stitches, but those are easy to fix. Other times there can become a cluster of knots that seem to come from out of nowhere and these are not so easy to fix as they often seem to take on a life of their own, and can be more than frustrating.

We both laughed as we identified with the fact that we could spend hours, even days, trying to loosen, unravel and untie this mess and sometimes the harder we would work at unraveling it, the more the knotted mess would mysteriously grow. The point I was making was that the beginning and the end are distinct and no matter how many knots occur along the way we still end up where God had intended us to be, sometimes despite the knots and sometimes because of them. This reminded me of one of my favorite scriptures in the bible Genesis 50:20, “what was intended for evil, (or to harm me) God will use for good.”

Tulla then said something that really struck us both “yes, and there is only one way to fix the knot, you have to go back through the way you came” there is no other way!” Exactly! I replied!

I sat in silence for a second as I thought about the depth of what she had just said and then she followed up with something we had heard her mom say countless times “there is no way around; only through” referring to going through difficult situations and problems in life. This felt like a very profound moment, almost as if we had uncovered the answer to some mysterious riddle.

I’ve continued to contemplate this and realized that as we journey along the path of life, our disobedience and mistakes can cause knots along the way, tangling up the yarn and diverting us from God's intended path…momentarily. But rest assured there is nothing that takes God by surprise!

When we find ourselves off course, entangled in the mess of our choices or mistakes, it is essential to recognize that we need to go back the way we came. This is what I refer to as “Full Circle Moments” in life where we are given grace and wisdom to untangle our mess.

Just as we patiently and carefully untangle a knot in a ball of yarn, we must retrace our steps, seeking forgiveness, making amends, and realigning ourselves with God's will.

Sometimes, untangling the knots requires humility, as we acknowledge our mistakes and take responsibility for our actions. It may involve seeking forgiveness from others or making difficult decisions to rectify the consequences of our disobedience. Just as we gently pull and separate the strands of yarn to untangle a knot, we must be willing to address the issues that caused the entanglement in our lives.

As we untangle the knots, we gradually find ourselves back on the right path, where we were meant to be. It is a process that requires patience, perseverance, and a willingness to learn from our mistakes. We may need to seek guidance from God's Word, prayer, and wise counsel to navigate through the complexities of untangling our lives.

Ultimately, as we untangle the knots and realign ourselves with God's will, we begin to experience the freedom, peace, and purpose that come from being in the right place once the course correction has taken place. We discover that God's grace is sufficient to redeem our mistakes and turn them into opportunities for growth and transformation.

Just as the untangled yarn becomes a smooth, unbroken strand, our lives can be restored and aligned with God's perfect plan. The journey of untangling the knots reminds us of God's faithfulness, His willingness to guide us back on track, and His ability to use even our disobedience and mistakes for our ultimate good.

I am praying that we will all embrace the process of untangling the knots, trusting that God's loving hands are at work, leading us back to the center of His will, where we can experience His abundant blessings and fulfill the purpose He has for our lives.

It’s Impossible For Me To Get Sick

In Christ Jesus, you are loaded with benefits! Sometimes we can't fathom how much God loves us in his only begotten Son Jesus, who sent him to sacrifice and die for our sins, redeem us, and make us sons and daughters of glory. “In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.” Hebrews 2:10

Jesus didn't die only for you but SUFFERED to make you a son and daughter of glory, a brand new creation! A creation that didn't exist before was made available to us in Christ as we receive him in our hearts by faith. When you get a new car that you like so much and costs you, sometimes everything, you rush excitedly to discover all its features and benefit from what is made available to you in this technology. You read the manual, ask the company of origin, Google it, etc… You just want to know everything about your new car and brag in the presence of your friends when they show up for a ride.

Your new creation in Christ, your spirit man, is a new technology loaded with benefits. When the enemy can't keep you from receiving salvation, the very next assignment after you become born again is to block revelation knowledge against the GOD KIND OF LIFE that's in you now that became your identity. But if you are hungry and diligent to pray and study the word sincerely, ask the company of origin, Google the Holy Spirit, etc. you will journey into discovering the unique powerful new creation that you are now in the Lord! Halleluiah.

The benefits are a lot but the Holy Spirit wants to cover just one powerful benefit to you here that's wonderful that I consider a fresh revelation to me. Sometimes we can't take it all in and Jesus said that the Holy Spirit will keep revealing the truth about God and our inheritance. It is a life of progressing in the light of revelation season after another. When I came to the Lord years and years ago, I started renewing my mind with the word of God and getting to know his nature that sickness is not from God and that Jesus is our healer and when we get sick he is our source and all those wonderful revelations. Many are still struggling with the basics of that but God is your helper and will shift you to truth, don't give up! I am not in that place anymore where I question if it is God's will to heal or not, even when we have questions that don't seem to have an answer. I am anchored in the word of God, I decided that his word doesn't change no matter what, and I won't lower the word of God to catch up with my experience or people's experiences, I let my experience catch up with the word of God.

How many individuals and denominations came up with a wrong theology that God doesn't heal anymore just because they tried believing for it and didn't manifest? If you want to live in a constant place and position of victory, never change the word of God and his nature just because you are disappointed or don't understand it. We know God's perfect will in Jesus Christ and Jesus healed everyone who came to him, period. It is God's will to heal, and God uses anything to usher his manifestations of healing in for you, his word, angels, doctors, diet, etc. But at the end of the day, it is his will to see you healed. He is your source in all cases!

I am anchored and so convinced in what I am sharing with you here, nothing can change my mind about that, no man or devil on earth! I even went through a long season of sickness and never questioned his will to heal and I am standing in healing today. So all this is not strange to me, what is incredible and what is freshly NEW to me is God's will for me not to get sick from the beginning! Nobody told me that before until recently.

We are taught that you have a healer when you get sick, but nobody unpacked the scriptures to us in a proper way that in Christ you are dead to sin and dead to sickness. I am seeing those scriptures now in a fresh new way where the apostle Paul and others command us to CONSIDER ourselves dead to sin and to sickness. They don't tell you to receive healing, they tell you to consider yourself dead to sin and sickness with Christ and ALIVE unto God. When you connect to that reality by faith, you start experiencing the substance of it just as when you believed and received your salvation. The new creation package and its loaded benefits are activated by REVELATION & CONSIDERING.

Now that I see clearly that in Christ I am redeemed and free from the curse of sin which is death in all expressions including sickness, I've decided to consider myself dead to sin and to sickness. In other words, what the Holy Spirit is trying to convey to you is that it is not just his will for you to get healed when you get sick, he wants you to live as “The Healed of the Lord” without knowing sickness anymore, starting of this day and THAT happens by just considering you are dead to sin and to sickness and alive to RIGHTEOUSNESS & HEALING.

I recently watched a precious preacher named Andrew Wommack who was teaching about healing in an amazing way and unpacking scripture for us. He said this statement that he had been saying for himself for 50 years and he got sick only twice just because of stupidity for not sleeping for many days because he was ministering, the statement was this: “I don't believe in sickness and I won't get sick and you can't make me throw up”. He lived and is living by this for years and is seeing the power of it and that was crazy awesome to me. It was so stretching to me but I witnessed the truth deep in my core.

I am dead to sin and to sickness therefore I won't get sick! Cheers. Would you challenge yourself today by the Holy Spirit and start embracing this tremendous truth and inheritance you have in Christ Jesus?

God bless you

Tony Francis

How does Presenting Our Bodies as a Living Sacrifice relate to Self-Control, Food Addictions, and the Fruits of the Spirit?

In the book of Romans, chapter 12, verse 1, Paul urges Christians to present their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This means that we should offer our entire being, including our physical bodies, to God as an act of worship. It is a call to surrender our desires, ambitions, and goals to God and to live according to His will.

I recently had a “light bulb moment” when I read 1 Corinthians 9:27, where Paul talks about disciplining our bodies. He says, “But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” Here, Paul emphasizes the importance of self-control and discipline in the Christian life. He recognizes that our bodies have natural desires and tendencies that can lead us astray, so we must intentionally control our thoughts, actions, and behaviors.

Disciplining our bodies involves making intentional choices that honor God and promote our spiritual growth. This may include fasting, prayer, exercise, and avoiding sinful behaviors. It requires us to be mindful of our thoughts and actions and make choices that align with God's will.

Presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice and disciplining our bodies are both crucial aspects of the Christian life. They require us to surrender our desires to God and intentionally live in a way that honors Him. By doing so, we can grow in our faith and become more like Christ.

When it comes to food addictions and self-control, presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice and disciplining our bodies take on particular significance. Food addictions can be incredibly challenging to overcome and can have a significant impact on our physical and emotional health. However, by surrendering our desires to God and making intentional choices to honor Him, we can develop the self-control necessary to overcome these addictions.

In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul talks about the fruits of the Spirit, which include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. By cultivating these fruits in our lives, we can develop the self-control necessary to overcome food addictions and other challenges. This requires us to be intentional about our choices and seek God's guidance and strength.

We can receive help in this area through the support of our friends, support groups like Warrior Girlfriends, and talented health and spiritual coaches like Cynthia Ray and Jill Janiec. They share their knowledge, wisdom, and God-given expertise, as well as spiritual guidance, with us, along with their own inspiring communities!

Ultimately, presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice and disciplining our bodies is about living a life that honors God in all areas, including our physical health. By doing so, we can experience the fullness of the abundant life that Christ offers us and become more like Him in every way.

I am praying for your success in this area as we all support each other in this journey!

A Heart of Gratitude

I’ve recently been thinking about all I have to be grateful for in my life, but even more than that, how much it has impacted me to be on the receiving end of gratitude and even just being in the presence of grateful people.

Feeling appreciated is important to us all. Being recognized for sacrifice and hard work is a fuel that propels us forward and a compass that often allows us to navigate life’s treacherous waters. Gratitude is a powerful virtue that holds immense significance in the life of a Christian. It is not merely a fleeting feeling of thankfulness, but rather a transformative attitude that can shape our perspective, relationships, and overall well-being. When we cultivate a heart of gratitude, we open ourselves up to experiencing the abundant blessings and grace that God has given us.

There are more examples of the profound effects of gratitude in our daily life than can be counted.
First and one of the most important things gratitude creates, is that it deepens our relationship with God. Gratitude is an expression of our faith and trust in God's providence. When we acknowledge and appreciate the blessings He has given us, we draw closer to Him. Gratitude helps us recognize His hand in every aspect of our lives, leading to a deeper sense of intimacy and connection with our Heavenly Father.

Additionally gratitude shifts our focus from lack to abundance. In a world that often emphasizes what we lack, gratitude redirects our attention to the abundance that surrounds us. As Christians, we are called to be content in all circumstances, and gratitude helps us cultivate a mindset of contentment. It reminds us of the countless blessings we have received, both big and small, and helps us appreciate the richness of God's provision.

Gratitude also strengthens our relationships. Living in a place of focusing on what we are grateful for, has the power to transform our interactions with others. When we express gratitude towards our loved ones, friends, and even strangers, we create an atmosphere of love, appreciation, and encouragement. Gratitude fosters humility which is essential in helping us recognize the value and worth of those around us. It strengthens our relationships and builds a sense of community within the body of Christ.

It inspires generosity and service. Gratitude is not meant to be kept to ourselves; it compels us to share our blessings with others. As Christians, we are called to be generous and serve those in need. Gratitude fuels our desire to give back, to be a blessing to others, and to share the love of Christ through our actions. It motivates us to be compassionate, kind, and selfless in our interactions with others.

Gratitude actually enhances our overall well-being and should be considered a part of our wellness plan. Numerous studies have shown that gratitude has a positive impact on our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. When we practice gratitude, our stress levels decrease, and our overall happiness and satisfaction increase. Gratitude helps us develop a positive outlook on life, even in the midst of challenges, and promotes a sense of peace and contentment.

I have concluded that cultivating the habit and awareness of living in a constant state of gratitude is a transformative attitude that will reap rewards for years and even generations to come. So if being grateful has such a profound effect on us and everyone around us. If it deepens our relationship with God, shifts our focus from lack to abundance, strengthens our relationships, enhances our overall well-being, and inspires generosity and service then why are we not more conscious of living in a constant state of gratitude? Well, because it’s impossible to be grateful and hateful or resentful or grumpy simultaneously. We have to choose one or the other.

My prayer for us all is that we choose to begin our day by focusing on cultivating a heart of gratitude. Lets remember to give thanks to God for His immeasurable love and grace, and to express our gratitude to those around us.

Lets choose gratitude and choose to make gratitude a constant presence in our lives, shaping us into the image of Christ and bringing glory to God.

Lord, do you care?

KINGDOM FOOTPRINTS

Lord, do you not care?

You may have recently experienced heartbreak, disappointment, or fear. You may have genuine reasons to doubt the very existence of God. You might wonder what kind of God allows good people to die while the wicked continue to live. Why does God allow some to suffer in poverty, sickness, and pain while others waste resources lavishly? What kind of God permits divorce, diseases, and death in the world? Does He truly care?

You are not alone. God can lift you from the depths of worry and concern to the embrace of His love and care.

“And the same day, when the evening had come, He said to them, ‘Let us pass over to the other side.' And when they had sent away the multitude, they took Him as He was in the ship. And there were also other little ships with Him. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And He was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow. And they woke Him, and said to Him, ‘Master, do you not care that we perish?' And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, ‘Peace, be still.' And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” – Mark 4:35-38

Your trials do not define you; they reveal the strength of your faith. God is concerned with how we face adversity.

Life is not solely lived in the light beams of the church worship hall. Life encompasses more than the time we spend with mentors, friends, and family. There will surely be times when our faith is tested, and we may find ourselves asking the Lord, “Do you not care?”

The Scriptures are clear: worry about nothing, but pray about everything.

“Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” – Philippians 4:6

The disciples of Jesus had faced difficult storms before, but they had never encountered a situation as complicated as this one. Jesus was with them, yet He was sleeping. If the storm grabs your attention, then the Master can still the storm. He is there with you through calm and storm.

God's silence does not mean He is unconcerned; He is always there with you. Remember, only God can calm the storms of your life. Many things that happen in your life may be unexplainable, but in the midst of the darkest night, Jesus cares for you. Does Jesus care? Oh yes, He cares.

Good Morning

Ubong Usoro

The Importance of Faith In the Life of the Christian Believer

“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4).

What Is Faith?
Faith is a strong feeling of trust in someone or something
For the Christian believer, faith is belief and trust in one God
According to Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”

Faith is so critical and important in our lives, as Christians, that it occurs or mentioned 100 times in the Bible – 28 times in the Old Testament and 72 times in the New Testament.

“By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3).
The world or creation itself was founded in faith when God made the following decrees;
• “Let there be light” – (Genesis 1:3)
• “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters and let divide the waters from the waters” – (Genesis 1:6)
• “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered unto one place, and let the dry land appear” – (Genesis 1:9)
• “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yield fruit according to its kind” – (Genesis 1:11)
• The decree continues until the creation of man when God said “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” –(Genesis 1:26)

Faith is very crucial in the life of the Christian believer for the following reasons:

1) As Christian Believers, We Live By Faith
Romans 1:17 says “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written: the just shall live by faith”.

Also in Galatians 2:20 Apostle Paul tells us that “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me”.

Our relationship with God through Jesus Christ, His Son, has been made right. God declared us to be righteous because of our faith in Christ “from faith to faith”
By faithfully trusting in God by our belief in Christ, we are saved and find life not only in this world but eternally.

2) As Christian Believers, We Are Firm In The Faith
Romans 11:20 says “Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high minded but fear”.
2 Corinthians 1:24 puts it thus, “Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy, for by faith ye stand”.

Due to faithlessness, the Jews who are the natural branches of the tree were broken off. The Gentile believers have been grafted into the tree like a wild olive shoot. Both the Jews and Gentiles now share the tree’s nourishment based on faith in God. No one can rest on heritage or culture for salvation. The Gentiles should not feel superior to the Jews because if God had not rejected the Jews, as it were, the Gentiles probably would not have had a chance.

3) As Christian Believers, We Combat The Good Fight
1 Timothy 6:12 says “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called and has professed good profession before many witnesses”.

As Christian believers, we must have an active faith, obeying God with courage and doing what we know is right.
It is time for action on your part. What are you waiting for? – Get going, don’t wait!

4) As Christian Believers, We Walk By Faith
2 Corinthians 5:7 says “For we walk by Faith, not by sight”.

5) As Christian Believers, We Win By Faith
In 1 John 5:4 where we took our text, we are told that we can overcome whatever challenge life throws on our way, as long as we have faith and trust in God.
It says “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith”.

6) As Christian Believers, We Are Justified By Faith
Romans 5:1 puts it thus, “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”.

Peace with God means that we have been reconciled with Him. There is no more hostility between us and God, no sin blocking our relationship with Him. Peace with God is made possible by Jesus paying the price for our sins through His death on the cross.

7) As Christian Believers, We Please God By Faith
Hebrews 11:6 tells us that “But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him”.

God wants us to have a personal dynamic relationship with Him, and not just a mere knowledge of His existence. After all the demons and witches know that God exists, that does not stop them from doing evil. Those who seek Him diligently will find that they have intimate relationship with Him. When you tell others about the gospel, please encourage them to be honest and diligent in their search for truth and faith in God.

8) As Christians Believers, We Grow In Faith
1 Thessalonian 1:3 says “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God, and our Father”.

Like the Thessalonians who stood firm in the face of persecution, Apostle Paul is admonishing us to also do the work of God produced by faith, labour prompted by love, and endurance inspired by hope. These characteristics are the hall marks of an effective Christian believer.

9) As Christian Believers. We Die In Faith
“These all died in faith, not having received the promise, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers, and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13).

This world is not our home and cannot live here forever. Many people, especially of the Old Testament, died without receiving all that God promised. However, a good number of them never lost their vision of heaven.
Many of us become frustrated, and defeated when our needs, wants or expectations, are not immediately met on giving our lives to Christ, and therefore want to quit. If you are one of such people, please be patient, take courage from heroes of faith who lived and died without seeing the fruit of their faith on earth and yet, continued to believe (Hebrews 11:36-39).

Some Heroes of Faith Who Did Not See The Fruit Of Their Faith On Earth
Abel and Enoch (Hebrews 11:4-5)
Noah and Abraham (Hebrews 11:7-8)
Sarah and Isaac (Hebrews 11:11, 20)
Jacob and Joseph (Hebrews 11:21-22)
Moses and Rahab (Hebrews 11:23,31)
Boaz (Ruth 2:15-16)

Some Heroes of Faith Who Persevered And Saw The Fruit Of Faith

Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the Prophets (Hebrews 11:32-33)

How To Grow In Faith Through Jesus Christ
“That we henceforth be no children, tossed to and fro , and caused about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Ephesians 4:14).
1) Growing In Faith Begins With The New Birth Through The Word Of God
1 Peter 2:2 says “As new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby”.

One thing common to all children is that they want to grow up – like their big brothers and sisters or their parents. Similarly, when we are born again, we become spiritual new babies, if healthy, we will yearn to grow. The need for milk is a natural instinct for a baby, and it signals the desire for nourishment that will lead to growth. In the same way, since we see the need for God’s word and begin to find nourishment with Christ, our spiritual appetite will increase and we will start to mature. How strong is your desire for God’s word?

2) As Children, We are Fed With Milk
“For everyone that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe” (Hebrews 5:13)

Commitment to Christ moves people out of their comfort zones or positions. You cannot grow as a Christian if you remain in the same position instead of applying what you have learned to your situation and teaching others. As a new born Christian, stop your old ways of doing things, fellowship with the brethren and imbibe the new culture in Christ. In this way, you will be able to understand the high-priestly role of Christ.

3) As Adults, We Are Fed With Solid Food
“But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14).

Your spiritual growth determines your capacity to feast on deeper knowledge of God (solid food). More often than not, we want God;s banquet before we are spiritually capable of digesting it. As we grow in the Lord and put into practice what we have learned, our capacity to understand will also grow.

4) Many Remain Eternal Christians
Hebrews 5:12-14 tells us “Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord”.

In order for us to grow from baby Christians to adult or mature Christians, we must learn discernment. We must train our consciences, minds, senses and our bodies to distinguish between good and evil. Can you recognise temptation before you? Can you tell the difference between correct text of Scripture and a mistaken one?

5) We Should All Grow And Become Adults
Ephesians 4:13-14 admonishes us to walk in unity.
Working together, the church can express the fullness of Christ – Ephesians 3:19
Christ is the Truth – John 14:6
The Holy Spirit who guides the church is the Spirit of Truth – John 16:13
Satan, by contrast, is the father of lies – John 8:44

As followers of Christ, we must be committed to the truth. This means that our words should be honest and our actions should reflect Christ’s integrity as well. We should realise that speaking the truth in love is not always easy, convenient or pleasant. However, this is very necessary if the church is going to do Christ’s work on earth. Remember that YOU are the church.

6) The Lord Looks After Our Growth
Ephesians 4:11-13 says “And He gave some Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors, and some Teachers. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”.

The Holy Spirit has given every Christian a special gift for building up the church. Now that we have these gifts, it is imperative we use them. If you know what your gifts are, please look fo opportunity to serve the Lord and use them. If you do not know, ask God to show you, perhaps with the help of your Pastor or other Christian friends. The enormous responsibility the church has includes preaching, teaching, evangelising, healing, giving, nurturing, administering, building, etc. God has called us as members of His body to perform this responsibility. Together we can obey God more fully than anyone alone. Working together, in unity, the church can express the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 3:19).

7) The Word Is The Best Way Of Generating Our Growth In Faith
Acts 20:32 puts it this way “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified”.

Like he prayed for the Ephesians in this passage, Apostle Paul is also praying for and commending you and I to God and His Word that the more we know Christ (our model), through the word, the more we will be like Christ. Study Jesus in the Gospel to see what He was like on earth. Personal knowledge of Christ through the Word will greatly change our lives. How much of His Word do you know? How much of Him are you willing to learn?

Until you invite Jesus Christ into your life (being born again) God’s continued presence can never abide with you. Today, accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour. Ask Him to have mercy on you and forgive your sins and become the Master and Ruler of your soul, henceforth.
If you have backslid, retrace your steps back to Him right now and rededicate your life to God. However, if you have a living relationship with God, then tell others about Him – how much He loves us, He is our Savior, Redeemer and He died for our sins in order that we might not have to face the punishment that we rightly deserve. He is coming back the second time to take with Him all those who believe and accept Him, by faith, into their lives to live with Him eternally.
Congratulations if you have just accepted Jesus Christ into your life. Now look for a Bible believing church in your neighborhood to attend and you will be taught and grow in the Word of God.

God Bless You.       

#PathofLife

King of Kings

Success. Depending on who you ask, success means different things. To most people success means money or fame. To me success is reading the bible from cover to cover. I want to be spiritually wise and really know God. I want to uncover all the lies within the world. I want to know the truth. I know I’m a sinner however, I will try not to sin as much as I can. The world is full of sinful things. Music, Celebrities, Books, etc. I may only be 13 years old (almost 14 on July 23) but I will never understand atheists. Satan shows himself out in the open in today’s society, you can either choose to accept it and try to escape it or ignore it and be blinded by wickedness. 

Death. Most people are afraid of death, you see, the christian man should not fear death. If you really believed and cared for Christ, you would know that he has created the heavens for us followers of Christ. On Judgement Day, you either make it to heaven or you don't. It’s that simple. Jesus will judge on the day of Judgement, It’s his duty after all, he is the one who died for all of our sins. Although he will be judging(John 5:22), he would not be the reason if you go to Hell. God gave us all a choice. Nomatter where you come from or where you live, God gave us two options. Believe Jesus Christ died for our sins or perish in the eternal flames of Hell (Deuteronomy 30:15-20). Knowing this I now laugh in the face of death, I will never fear death and to be honest, I don’t care if I die, I know I will be united with Christ for eternity.

My Future. As a Christian I want to pursue my dreams while being able to still follow Christ. Maybe when I get older I can be a Pastor. The last thing I want to do is depart from Christ. I would give up everything before I flee from Christ. I, however, am still a normal kid, and I have a lot to learn. When I grow old and it’s time for me to retire, I pray that I will have enough to support myself and my family. I don’t need much. I want to own a ranch in a rural area. I will teach my kids about Jesus, and make sure they feel comfortable talking to me. Teenagers often get pressured to do sinful activities. I will teach my kids to be modest and grateful for whatever they get. Being a Christian means to be Christ-Like. Now I know it’s impossible to be as great as Jesus, however you can choose not to willingly sin. All I ask of my kids is to have faith in Jesus and follow the Ten-Commandments. There’s even a chance that this won't happen, Jesus might come back before I get old to take all believers, and defeat Satan once and for all. Doing so will end his reign of terror and end sin!

Following Christ. Would you rather take a long and bumpy road to glory or a short and easy road to damnation. The funny thing is, once you turn to Jesus, you realize how horrible the world is. Puppets of Satan WILL try to throw you off track. In these times, you must pray. Jesus hears all prayers and is willing to help. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Pray before you fall too deep into sin. If you follow the short road to damnation, to you sin will be normal and the world seems perfect. Until Death. God laughs at those who mock him. When a sinner who doesn’t follow Christ dies they will suffer forever, there’s no smooth-talking out of it. The question everyone needs to be asking is “Are you in the will of God?” Will Jesus say “Depart from me, I never knew you” or will he welcome you with open arms into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Some may be asking “How can I make sure that I am a follower of Christ and make it to Heaven?” This question is fairly easy to answer. There are only two steps to make sure Jesus knows you. The first step is to ACTUALLY believe with all of your heart that Jesus is King and he died for our sins. The last and harder step is to keep the Ten-Commandments. That's it. Remember, God wouldn’t do anything to hurt you and everything you do in his name will make your life better. Jesus I pray that whoever reads this, even if I don’t publish this, will get their eyes opened and the holy spirit will enter them, I hope reading this might make them a real child of God.

Pushing Forth Your Transformation

As many of you know by now that seeing in the spirit is one of God's ways to help us renew our minds, give us direction, and connect to the reality of spiritual substances and beings. The devil uses God's ways too in order for him to be effective in spiritual warfare! That's why your mind is the battlefield and the battleground for both realms, the Kingdom of Light and the kingdom of darkness. God wants to wage war too with your way of thinking and how you see things in the eyes of implanted doctrines in you. God wants you to be conformed into the image of his glorious Son Jesus Christ and the enemy wants you to be like him. Your identity is at war!

“But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:15-17

That's why the word of God commands us to TAKE CAPTIVE EVERY THOUGHT TO THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST, wow every thought man, that's lots of work. Yes, it may be lots of work but because it is critical and dangerous we need to stay alert. Why? Because if you allow the thief to just come in for one time only, you will regret your whole life later. One moment of apathy can cause you a lifetime of sorrow and regret. That's why not everyone will be a hero of faith because not everyone wants to live the life of heroes. What if David the shepherd spared the bear and the lion once? NO MORE FLOCK, end of his business. Take captive every thought for God's sake because what you will tolerate, you are sleeping with and you will bear its fruits, good or bad.

Seeing visions in your mind is so powerful, God knows that and so does the enemy. Man's fall started by seeing and meditating on the wrong vision. Eve SAW that the fruit of the forbidden tree was so delicious and appealing. Job made a covenant with his eyes not to fornicate in his mind with a virgin by looking at her and lusting over her. Visions are a gateway of access for life or death, for light or darkness, for blessing or curse. You choose, I choose, we choose!

Seeing visions can be a detailed topic and can cover many categories. I only want to target in this devotion the powerful tool of inner visions that I call the scenarios of the mind and how to master those and subdue them for the glory of the Lord. I want you to be seasoned in this, be aware of it, and learn the ways of the Spirit. Your life is about to change right now!

I opened up to the concept of the importance of inner scenarios through this experience and that many of them happen because of a spiritual trigger in the spiritual realm.

One day after a Church meeting, my brother in the Lord and I decided to go visit another brother to have lunch with him and spend the day at his place. That brother we were going to visit that day was always welcoming and we never heard him say no to us, always welcoming. My friend was driving the car heading to that place and I was sitting next to him and on that day I was wearing an earring. As soon as we were close to his place, my mind drifted to a mind scenario for seconds, some call it daydreaming. I saw this man we were going to visit that day looking at me and rejecting me and saying you're not welcome here because you are wearing an earring, that was it! I felt that this played scenario in my mind meant something but didn't know what was it all about, plus it was my first encounter with this understanding. I didn't tell my driving friend anything but in less than a minute, my friend's phone rang and it was the man calling him and rejecting our visit last minute. No!!! We were almost there. So we head back to our homes!

Let me unpack to you what happened here and I know your own scenarios will start making sense from now on. In that daydream, my spirit man was picking from the Holy Spirit a prophetic revelation for something to come which is the rejection of our visit. My weak mind and sometimes carnal was picking on truth in the spirit realm and translated this into my mind in the form of a scenario trying to tell me something. It was like a story but the main FOCUS AND HIGHLIGHT was “the man rejecting me” and of course, the earring in the scenario had nothing to do with it and that man didn't see me wearing an earring plus he is not like that. So the focus in this scenario was on the feeling of rejection of the visit. It is important to always follow Holy Spirit in our spiritual encounters and sense the focus and the highlight whether in our visions, dreams, bible reading, etc! From that day on, I started watching and paying attention to my daydreams because many of those happen in my mind because there is a spiritual trigger behind them in the spirit realm from God or the devil, and myself. It is important not to make every daydream important but be sensitive and master it with the Lord because that will change your life. It is a very powerful tool when there is really something playing.

Now that you know about this, I want to teach you how to push forth your transformation by going back into the spirit realm, in your mind, with Holy Spirit and altering the scenarios played. In my case, that daydream was forth telling me that our visit will not occur that day, so the type of this daydream was forth-telling and I can do nothing about it, just pick up the revelation and reveal it maybe. Other scenarios are an invitation for you to be Christlike or a sinner and they happen a LOT, every day.

For example, if the devil played in your mind a scenario that you will be crippled with chronic pain and showed you yourself as a patient in a hospital, with a pale face, surrounded by doctors and suffering pain and hopelessness, of course, if you are mature enough you know this is not God's will for you and you follow Holy Spirit on how to respond, capture the thought, reject and fight it. One of the ways of fighting back is PUSHING FORTH YOUR TRANSFORMATION by going back to that given sick scenario and MASTER it and changing it for your glory. This is binding the devil and plundering him. For instance, you can tell Holy Spirit, Lord let's go back to that scenario and shift it for my benefit, change the curse to a blessing. Here you follow the Lord, wait on him, and allow the creativity of the Holy Spirit to shift this to your blessing. Without talking, gently SEE how Holy Spirit alters this scenario for you, the Lord may replace the scene with the enemy stricken in the bed of affliction instead of you and you are watching and mocking him, or you may see yourself in that same hospital room doing a check-up and you hear in this scenario the doctor telling you wow you have a vibrant health and he has never seen someone like you before.

Let the Holy Spirit turn what was meant for evil to be for your good. Push forth from your spirit man the glorious transformation you want to see, and be INTENTIONAL by adding faith to it. It is awesome to pray God's promises, like “By his stripes, I am healed” but it is more powerful to SEE THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING. See the promise, live the promise!

I pray this teaches you something today about the supernatural realm.

God bless you

Tony Francis

The New Breed

John the Apostle addressed in different parts of his epistles the dangerous gnostic ideology that basically preach that the flesh is evil and only the spirit is good, thus Jesus didn’t come in the flesh. Gnosticism is not my subject here, I want to show you how that sect focused on the spirit realm only not understanding deeply God’s heart to redeem what was corrupted and lost by sin. On Earth as it is in Heaven!

The Lord Jesus Christ is God’s plan of salvation for everything that was baptized in death after the fall of mankind. God is the God of spirits and flesh. When he created us, it was very good! Sin corrupted everything and we allowed it through Adam’s light stewardship of the creation. Sin is bad, not the flesh! God provided the answer, the antidote, the solution, the way out through his only begotten Son Jesus Christ.

We are all born in sin, inheriting the sinful Adamic nature. The Bible says in Romans 5:12-17

“12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned— 13 for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come. 15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 And the gift is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!”

What is righteousness? It is making things RIGHT again (RIGHTesouness). Many Christians are not Gnostics as they believe in the incarnation of Jesus Christ but focusing only on the spirit realm and believing that this corrupted flesh is beyond repair till we die, is pretty close to deception. We read in the verse “How much more will those who RECEIVE God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!” Where do you REIGN? HERE and now we understand why it is so hard to RECEIVE correction, adjustment, and righteousness to what sin corrupted in us, it is a battle, for we war to reign! The huge provision was given to us by Jesus, the battle is now on the receiving end and the devil wins this by inspiring us with deceiving doctrines. Like for example, why do you need to repair your cursed inherited DNA, one day God will fix everything and will EVEN give you a glorious body in Heaven, but hey don’t worry, the Lord will give you grace as you battle sickness, diseases, and curses. Is not this so subtle and sneaky like a snake? I wonder how many of our inheritances in Christ have we lost to that kind of thinking. The delayed victory!

God’s DNA overrides your DNA if you are born again and the gift of righteousness of Jesus Christ lives in you! Just as you received your eternal salvation from hell and condemnation by faith, you can allow God’s correcting power to come over your DNA and bring redemption to what is needed. You don’t need to die at age 51 because your dad or mom died at that age from a certain disease! If sin preprogrammed your death in your own genes, God has programmed LIFE to you. Only a higher authority can override a lower authority. Life trumps death!

Yes, not many will be able to receive this truth and live their miraculous nature because “righteousness needs to reign in this life” and that’s a battle and not many are determined to be heroes in the faith!

For believers who broke in Jesus' name the curse of sin in your bloodline, outlived your ancestors, or lived healed and healthy and separate from the sickness/curse history in your family, congratulations! You changed the report by faith. “I have believed that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living”.

Is this possible for you? Yes, only if you believe.

Let’s pray: Father God, thank you for the power of your righteousness you gave me through your Son Jesus. Help me understand the unending possibility of its wonder-working power, teach me how to apply it by faith, and let me be among those who change bad reports. You say I am blessed, and your blessing looks like something. Amen

Glory to God
Tony Francis