Jake Provance's Blog, page 5

It’s Already Too Late

Satan’s one goal in this world is to kill, steal, and destroy. He causes Loss in one way or another. However, He only seeks who he “May devour.” If you are reading this, then chances are, Satan came prowling around in your life too late. He can’t devour you because, You’ve already heard, the Good news of Christ. You’ve already heard that you are protected.

Psalms 91:1-7 (TPT)

When you sit enthroned under the shadow of Shaddai, you are hidden in the strength of God Most High. He’s the hope that holds me and the Stronghold to shelter me, the only God for me, and my great confidence He will rescue you from every hidden trap of the enemy, and he will protect you from false accusation and any deadly curse. His massive arms are wrapped around you, protecting you. You can run under his covering of majesty and hide. His arms of faithfulness are a shield keeping you from harm. You will never worry about an attack of demonic forces at night nor have to fear a spirit of darkness coming against you. Don’t fear a thing! Whether by night or by day, demonic danger will not trouble you,

nor will the powers of evil launched against you. Even in a time of disaster, with thousands and thousands being killed, you will remain unscathed and unharmed.

You’ve already heard that You have been set free.

Galatians 5:1 (AMPC)

In [this] freedom Christ has made us free [and completely liberated us]; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery [which you have once put off].

 

You’ve already heard you have been made righteous,

2 Corinthians 5:21  (AMPC)

21  For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [[ a ]endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness].

 

You’ve already heard that you have Full access to the father,

Hebrews 10:19  (AMPC)

19  Therefore, brethren, since we have full freedom and confidence to enter into the [Holy of] Holies [by the power and virtue] in the blood of Jesus,

 

You’ve already heard that you are Loved,

Romans 8:38-39  (AMPC)

38  For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things [ a ]impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

You’ve already heard that you’ve been Redeemed

Ephesians 1:7-8  (AMPC)

7 In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor, Which He lavished upon us in every kind of wisdom and understanding (practical insight and prudence),

You’ve already heard that Your Healed

Isaiah 53:4-5  (AMPC)

4 Surely, He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy]. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.

 

You’ve already heard that you have been given Authority

Luke 10:19  (TPT)

19 Now you understand that I have imparted to you all my authority to trample over his kingdom. You will trample upon every demon before you and overcome every power[a] Satan possesses. Absolutely nothing will be able to harm you as you walk in this authority.

 

You’ve already heard that you’ve been given Dominion

Genesis 1:26 (ESV)

26 Then God said, “Let us make man[a] in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

 

You’ve already heard that You have been Given the Holy Spirit

John 14:26  (AMPC)

26 But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.

 

You’ve already heard that you have Provision

Philippians 4:19 (AMPC)

19 And my God will liberally supply ([a]fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

The list could go on and on. These are just 11 simple truths that are found in the word. Each one an area that empowers you and eliminates the enemy’s ability to deceive and destroy you.  When you see the truth about who you are, and what you have been given through Christ, then we start to shed our insecurities, guilt, and shame and start to behave like the person we always dreamt we could be.

 

We all need to keep God’s word in front of us, we all fall short, and sometimes we have messed up so much that we can begin to believe the lies of the enemy. We take our sight of the truth of God’s word. But no more! Take it from me, your doing a lot better than your think that you are.

 

How do I know? Because Your still here.

 

Regardless of how weak you may feel, how many times you may have fallen short of your goals, and who you feel that you have let down because of your choices, you have one of the most powerful testimonies there is. You are still here! The fact that you are alive means that Satan hasn’t been able to kill you yet! So as low as you may feel, its all a lie, throw off the weights of sin and accept what God has given you. While you have breath in your lungs, and God on the throne, there is hope! Satan’s number one goal is to steal, kill, or destroy your life. Your living proof that He’s failed to do so. He may have got a couple licks in, and you may have made some poor choices, but at the end of the day you are still here, able to mend relationships, bring hope to those in despair, feed the hungry, lay hands on the sick, stand up for what is right, and change yourself into the person you always dreamed you would be. Don’t underestimate your testimony! When Satan comes around to try to condemn you, bring up your inadequacies, and prey on your insecurities, then it’s time to thank God for his grace, and press on,  in faith! Satan is the biggest failure to walk this planet! So don’t shy away from future battles because of past failures. God has kept you, and will continue to keep you! You may not understand everything, you may not have arrived at Christlike perfection(Congrats, no one fits this description), but you have heard enough to make a difference in this world, to step into a higher relationship with God, to become more Christlike, and to overcome any obstacle in your way through the Power of the Word of God. So whenever you feel like your back is up against the wall, and your enemies are turning up the heat, its time to crack a smile, and laugh, because its too late, you’ve already heard the Word of God!

Romans 10:17  (KJV)

17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

1 John 5:4  (KJV)

4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

 

 I feel like the Lord led me to end all my posts with this simple reminder: God bless you all, I hope you know I pray over my readers. If you don’t have anyone in your life praying for you, then know that if nothing else you have me in your corner. I’m praying for all my readers, and that means I’m praying for you. We are all in this thing called life together, and no one needs to go at it alone. So feel free to reach out to me if you have a personal prayer request, also if you know someone who would like to be a part of our community, then let them know about the blog so we can all connect with our God and walk through life together as brothers and sisters! Love you all.  -Jake

I Can Introduction

We are 6 weeks away from my newest Book “I can do what the bible says I can do” being launched! I’m super excited to see what God is able to do with and through this book. So as a sneak peek, check out the Introduction.

INTRODUCTION

“You Can Do What the Bible Says You Can Do!

Most Christians live far below the level of fulfillment, joy, and quality of life that God desires for them. But that is not what God intended! It is essential for us to come to the realization that through our relationship with Christ and by the power of God’s Word, we can do all things. Anything He has told us to do, He provides along with the directive, the grace, empowerment, equipment, and help necessary to do it!

God sent His very own Spirit to dwell within us to empower, comfort, and guide us into the life He had always planned for us to have. We have the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead living in us!  The Christian condition is not a life of survival, barely making it through day by day. We are called to live a life of Faith, aggressively advancing under fire towards our God given destiny, with God’s Word as the anchor for our souls, utilizing the gifts afforded to us as God’s children, and depending on the Holy Spirit leadings and empowerments!

God never promised that the life of a believer would be one without challenges. He did promise the power and companionship to face these challenges head on—and to triumph over them. We are called, equipped, and supernaturally empowered to change our lives—and have a powerful impact on the lives of others.

We are sons and daughters of the Almighty God; we are not to look for pity and act like victims in our own lives. When the storm winds blow, a greater intimacy with our Father God will be forged as we trust in and rely on Him. When we find ourselves in fiery crucible of crisis, we can be confident, knowing that our faith is going to be tested, strengthened, and purified as we esteem the Word of God higher then life’s greatest challenges. There is nothing this life can throw at us that we can’t overcome! We are called to rise above life’s difficulties with an unshakeable faith in God. A faith that comes from an uncompromising conviction in the never-failing, life-empowering, bondage-breaking, life-giving, and faith-producing nature of the Word of God. God’s words are alive, and His commands and encouragements carry with them immeasurable power. Its time to tap into this power and elevate your perception, ability, and quality of life to the level God destined for you.

I encourage you to read on and let God heal your past, empower your present, and clarify your future It is time to do what the bible says you can do.”

 

I hope this whets your appetite to read more and serve as a powerful encouragement what you can do with, in, and through Christ!

 I feel like the Lord led me to end all my posts with this simple reminder: God bless you all, I hope you know I pray over my readers. If you don’t have anyone in your life praying for you, then know that if nothing else you have me in your corner. I’m praying for all my readers, and that means I’m praying for you. We are all in this thing called life together, and no one needs to go at it alone. So feel free to reach out to me if you have a personal prayer request, also if you know someone who would like to be a part of our community, then let them know about the blog so we can all connect with our God and walk through life together as brothers and sisters! Love you all.  -Jake

Protection

Protection

One of the things God promises us in His Word is protection. We don’t have to go through life afraid and scared of what may happen. Unfortunately, many of us end up worrying about our futures, and full of anxiety over the present because we don’t keep the revelation that God is our protector in the forefront of our mind. We step outside God’s protection and leave ourselves open to the attacks of our enemy as well as allowing ourselves to be vulnerable to accidents produced out of a world in chaos. It takes us standing in faith, with confident trust in God, to stay underneath His canopy of protection. You see, His protection is all encompassing with zero gaps. It is an impenetrable barrier! His protection stretches so much further than just physical attacks on us, it includes emotional/mental attacks, it includes attacks on our health through sickness and diseases, it includes attacks on our finances, attacks on our loved ones, attacks on our ministry, business, and every area in our life! We must stay vigilant, Trust in God’s protection, and resist the devil’s attacks causing him to flee in terror. With this in mind, its very simple how to stay within God’s protection, you have to stay in faith  even when you feel afraid, even when your knees are bumping together and your hair is standing up, even with every symptom telling you that you are afraid,  even with your mind playing out every scenario that ends up with you failing, even then you can make your stand, and speak God’s word, and choose to rely on what He said instead on what you feel. And though you may have doubt in your head, in a cold sweat, you have faith in your heart, and you will find the peace and joy that are promised to you in His protection as you continue to make the choice to speak His words instead of your fears. Its up to us to fight, to stay inside that protection, and to meditate on His words. As we do that we become more aware of God’s protection and great love for us, and less aware of what little ability that this world or Satan has to hinder us.

 

We know that faith comes by hearing the word of God, so here is some faith food concerning protection!

“You who sit down in the High God’s presence, spend the night in Shaddai’s shadow, Say this:

‘God, you’re my refuge.  I trust in you and I’m safe!” That’s right—he rescues you from hidden

traps, shields you from deadly hazards. His huge outstretched arms protect you— under them

you’re perfectly safe; his arms fend off all harm. Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night, not

flying arrows in the day, Not disease that prowls through the darkness, not disaster that erupts

at high noon. Even though others succumb all around, drop like flies right and left, no harm will

even graze you. You’ll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance, watch the wicked turn into

corpses. Yes, because God’s your refuge,  the High God your very own home, Evil can’t get close to you, harm can’t get through the door. He ordered his angels to guard you wherever you go. If you stumble, they’ll catch you; their job is to keep you from falling. You’ll walk unharmed among lions and snakes, and kick young lions and serpents from the path’.”

Psalms 91:1-13 MSG

 

 

 

God is your protector, you need not be afraid regardless of how scary your situation. Stand tall in the face of your fear for you are not alone, for God almighty is your father. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1  (KJV)

 

Though I am surrounded by troubles,  you will protect me from the anger of my enemies.

You reach out your hand, and the power of your right hand saves me.

Psalm 138:7   (NLT)

 

 

God, you’re such a safe and powerful place to find refuge!

You’re a proven help in time of trouble—

more than enough and always available whenever I need you.

So we will never fear

even if every structure of support were to crumble away.

We will not fear even when the earth quakes and shakes,

moving mountains and casting them into the sea.

For the raging roar of stormy winds and crashing waves

cannot erode our faith in you.

Psalms 46:1-3 TPT

 

The Lord is my best friend and my shepherd.

I always have more than enough.

He offers a resting place for me in his luxurious love.

His tracks take me to an oasis of peace, the quiet brook of bliss.

That’s where he restores and revives my life.

He opens before me pathways to God’s pleasure

and leads me along in his footsteps of righteousness

so that I can bring honor to his name.

Lord, even when your path takes me through

the valley of deepest darkness,

fear will never conquer me, for you already have!

You remain close to me and lead me through it all the way.

Your authority is my strength and my peace]

The comfort of your love takes away my fear.

I’ll never be lonely, for you are near.

You become my delicious feast

even when my enemies dare to fight.

You anoint me with the fragrance of your Holy Spirit;

you give me all I can drink of you until my heart overflows.

So why would I fear the future?

For your goodness and love pursue me all the days of my life.

Then afterward, when my life is through,

I’ll return to your glorious presence to be forever with you!

Psalms 23 TPT

  I look up to the mountains;

does my strength come from mountains?

No, my strength comes from God,

who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.

He won’t let you stumble,

your Guardian God won’t fall asleep.

Not on your life! Israel’s

Guardian will never doze or sleep.

  God’s your Guardian,

right at your side to protect you—

Shielding you from sunstroke,

sheltering you from moonstroke.

God guards you from every evil,

he guards your very life.

He guards you when you leave and when you return,

he guards you now, he guards you always.

Psalm 121  (MSG)

 

 

My God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence. I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.

2 Samuel 22:3-4  (NLT)

 

May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it!

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24  (MSG)

 

  Be merciful and gracious to me, O God, be merciful and gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge and finds shelter and confidence in You; yes, in the shadow of Your wings will I take refuge and be confident until calamities and destructive storms are passed.

I will cry to God Most High, Who performs on my behalf and rewards me [Who brings to pass His purposes for me and surely completes them]!

He will send from heaven and save me from the slanders and reproaches of him who would trample me down or swallow me up, and He will put him to shame. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! God will send forth His mercy and loving-kindness and His truth and faithfulness.

Psalms 57:1-3 (AMPC)

 

 

  When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their distress and troubles.

The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are humbly and thoroughly penitent.

Many evils confront the [consistently] righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

Psalm 34:17-19  (AMPC)

 

Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice.

Isaiah 41:10  (AMPC)

 

  Be strong, courageous, and firm; fear not nor be in terror before them, for it is the Lord your God Who goes with you; He will not fail you or forsake you.

Deuteronomy 31:6  (AMPC)

 

Yet the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen [you] and set you on a firm foundation and guard you from the evil [one].

2 Thessalonians 3:3  (AMPC)

 I feel like the Lord led me to end all my posts with this simple reminder: God bless you all, I hope you know I pray over my readers. If you don’t have anyone in your life praying for you, then know that if nothing else you have me in your corner. I’m praying for all my readers, and that means I’m praying for you. We are all in this thing called life together, and no one needs to go at it alone. So feel free to reach out to me if you have a personal prayer request, also if you know someone who would like to be a part of our community, then let them know about the blog so we can all connect with our God and walk through life together as brothers and sisters! Love you all.  -Jake

The Kingdom of God

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.  “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?  Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.  And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.  “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

            -Matthew 6:24-31 NLT

 

this passage of scripture may be more familiar to some of you  if read In the King James Version.  The section above that is bolded says this,

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

 

Like many of you, I have heard this passage of scripture. It’s a rather famous passage, especially in this era due to the busy lifestyle we all prescribe to. We almost always refer to it as a reminder that if God cares about the provision of the birds and fields of the earth, then how much more does He care about us, His children.  And when this part is mentioned, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So do not worry about tomorrow;” Some tend to use this passage of scripture to fend off feelings of worry and concern, but notice the requirement at the beginning of this part of the scripture.  To receive the provision that we are called to walk in (The Lord providing everything we need), Jesus first asked something of us. That means this passage of scripture is not guaranteed for every believer, it’s promised provision incumbent upon those who, “seek first the Kingdom of God.”  Jesus is teaching us a way to live, not just giving us a command. He is trying to show us how to have a worry free lifestyle not just to simply stop worrying. Often times when the unexpected comes our way, like we know it will. Though it may surprise you, it doesn’t surprise Him. When you are seeking God and His things first and more than anything else in your life you can roll off all the worry on God because you are confident in His provision.

Now there is another passage of scripture that describes precisely what life looks like when you are NOT seeking the Kingdom of God first.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say..

 ‘the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord’.” 

Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, 

“Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?  Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways.  You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.”

            – Haggai 1:2-6 (ESV)

 

This verse is describing the life of a person who is not seeking first the Kingdom of God. Notice that they built their houses first, and procrastinated on building God’s house. God didn’t appreciate that, and in fact he told them the type of lifestyle they were prescribing too is one outside His kingdom. He didn’t “curse them”, or say “now im going to cause all these things to happen to you”, no, instead the only thing He says is “consider your ways”. It was their lifestyle or “Their ways” that produced their current situation. They never have enough. They never are able to be truly satisfied with their life, regardless of status, wealth, and power. They may have food and drink, but it doesn’t fill the lack of purpose in their life, they may have clothes, but it doesn’t cause them joy,  And many people find themselves in the last category, their money is spoken for as soon as they get it, as if their pockets had holes in them.

It’s so easy to explain away why we can’t tithe, why we can’t give any offerings. We use our kids and families as excuses to be unable to afford our offerings. We buy the house, the car, and things for our kids and family to enjoy, but then we don’t have enough left over to carry out God’s plan for our life or to fuel the church we are connected to. How many times have we used the excuse, as soon as I get the car, house, the kids through school etc… then I’ll give big. I want to give more, and volunteer more, but just NOT YET… My friends, if you let it, that mentality will waste your life away without you ever accomplishing something big for the kingdom! seeking God’s kingdom first is puting God’s house above your house. If you need a new carpet, and the church needs a new carpet, give towards the church’s carpet first, and watch as God multiply your seed and He will Add that new carpet to you instead of you adding it to yourself. (seek first the kingdom, and All these things will be added to you.)

Don’t misunderstand me, God wants you to have a nice house, a nice car, and nice things, He wants you to Live Big. God is a big enough God for us to Give Big AND to Live Big. But many are seeking after the “living big” part, when Jesus is telling us to be seeking after the “Give Big” and let God be one who takes care of you and your family’s needs and wants.  We should be so focused on giving of ourselves, doing the will of God, and blessing as many people as we can, all the while, trusting God to take care of us.

This is the lifestyle Jesus was trying to show us, and the perspective we are meant to maintain. It’s the life of faith. God takes care of us, while we take care of His will. You see even when we break down the verse to its simplest meaning it brings more light, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else.” A kingdom is determined wherever the authority of the king stretches. In all the neighboring cities and towns, if they pay taxes, if they adhere to the laws of kingdom etc…, then they are part of that kingdom along with all the protection and prosperity of that kingdom.  So, when Jesus is saying seek first God’s kingdom, He is saying seek God’s reign in your life. Your first priority should be obeying the laws of God’s Kingdom, on paying your tithes, and on putting His Kingdom above your own desires. As you determine to live your life like this, then you reap the rewards of the King’s protection and all the prosperity of the kingdom. You focus on God, and God will focus on you. You seek and delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalms 37:4).  This is the lifestyle we are called to! Things may feel tight, and there may be a tough transition period, but the good news is, as you start seeking first His reign in your life, then you get to start living under His kingdom, instead of the world’s.

 

This is what I recommend you do, this is what me and my wife do. When you first get payed, take 11% of your earnings and put it in a separate account. We have it labeled in our bank as our, “Giving Account”. That’s 10% for your tithes, and 1% as an offering. You may have to down grade your car, or be on a tighter budget in another area. As you increase, and God adds to you, then that percentage of offering can increase as well, from 1% to 2% and up from there.  But don’t do what they did in Haggai and procrastinate on it, saying, “it is not yet time to build the Lord’s house.” Don’t let the “Not Yet” Mentality rob you from another day living in the fullness of God’s Kingdom!

And as far as your personal time with the Lord goes, I recommend first thing in the morning, rather it means praise and worship, or praying, or studying, or a combination of all of them, it helps you keep the right perspective all day long. These are the things that work for me, and I’d encourage you to spend some time talking to God about what your next step in balancing your life should be.

With all this in mind: God will provide everything you ever have need of, and cause you to live a truly satisfied life, but it takes faith, and you won’t notice the change over night. But if you hold fast to your profession of faith as you remind God of His promises and choose to live under His kingdom, then you will see the fruit if you don’t give up.

I feel like the Lord led me to end all my posts with this simple reminder: God bless you all, I hope you know I pray over my readers. If you don’t have anyone in your life praying for you, then know that if nothing else you have me in your corner. I’m praying for all my readers, and that means I’m praying for you. We are all in this thing called life together, and no one needs to go at it alone. So feel free to reach out to me if you have a personal prayer request, also if you know someone who would like to be a part of our community, then let them know about the blog so we can all connect with our God and walk through life together as brothers and sisters! Love you all.  -Jake

Thankfulness

Thankfulness

Thankfulness is an expression of the soul unmoved by the pressures of this world; when expressed, faith echoes off the walls of your spirit allowing the joy of the Lord to come in and strengthen your resolve.  There is no greater expression of your faith then to lift your voice and thank God in the midst of a storm. Faith thanks God for your life, His love, His healing, His strength, His provision, His peace, and ultimately His presence when your circumstances have you sick, tired, sad, in pain, in lack, or any combination. When the man or woman in crisis chooses to believe what God tells them in His word rather than what his or her circumstance tells them, and then expresses that complete trust in God by thanking Him, not for the problem, but for His promise of victory, even while the symptoms rage on, it won’t be long until their situation turns around. God cannot stand idly by, He will move heaven and earth if need be, to show Himself faithful on behalf of His child, who with audacious faith smiles in trouble because they trust in Him.

God has given us life, He has adopted us into his family, and after this life ends we will spend an eternity by His side in paradise. No matter how bad life gets or has been, we have something to be thankful for. How much more should we praise God when things are going good! Thankfulness should be in our heart, on our mind, and coming out of our mouth all day long; by doing this our perspectives change to see the bright side of every situation, we begin to be the best version of ourselves! We begin to draw closer to God, and He closer to us. There is a healing of the heart that occurs when we choose thankfulness over regret, slowly our past loses its sting. Cultivate a lifestyle of thanksgiving, put a voice to your faith and watch as you live freely and lightly.

 

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

—1 Thessalonians 16-18 NIV

 

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

—Colossians 3:17 NIV

 

Be earnest and unwearied and steadfast in your prayer life, being both alert and intent in your praying with thanksgiving.

—Colossians 4:2 AMP

 

Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

—Philippians 4:6 KJV

 

I feel like the Lord led me to end all my posts with this simple reminder: God bless you all, I hope you know I pray over my readers. If you don’t have anyone in your life praying for you, then know that if nothing else you have me in your corner. I’m praying for all my readers, and that means I’m praying for you. We are all in this thing called life together, and no one needs to go at it alone. So feel free to reach out to me if you have a personal prayer request, also if you know someone who would like to be a part of our community, then let them know about the blog so we can all connect with our God and walk through life together as brothers and sisters! Love you all.  -Jake

I Can Rise

Hey Life Speak Family! Grace and peace be with you brothers and sisters and a happy 2019 to you as well!

Check out this Sneak Peak from my latest book “I Can do what the bible says I Can do” coming out soon!

I Can Rise.

The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in you! It doesn’t matter how deep or how dark your pit may be, you do not have be buried by your failures. Your shame and regret does not have to remain as an tomb for your ambitions, and your spirit does not have to be broken. That same unbreakable spirit that ripped Christ out of the clutches of death and sin, causing him to ascend on high, can also raise you out of whatever pit you find yourself in.

 

The time has come for you to RISE! Rise out of your bed of affliction. Rise out of depression and despair. Rise out of the shame and regret of your failures. Rise out of mediocrity. Rise out of the sin that has ensnared you.  Rise from the opinions of others. It’s time to base your identity on who Christ says you are, instead of your past with whatever it may hold. Throw off the weights that once held you, allow your hope to rise within your heart, dare to dream, dare to discover, dare to overcome, dare to keep trying, and finally dare to act upon what you believe! You are a Child of God, empowered and equipped with the mightiest weapon of all, faith in God! Your past cannot hold you any longer! Your future is Bright because your “present” is  filled with Christ! He was the first one to Rise; and He’s paved the way for each and everyone of us to Rise just as He did. God sent Jesus to pave the way, to give hope, to restore his children to their rightful place as heirs to His kingdom.

The darkness can be familiar and seem inescapable, but you were made by and for the Light. Don’t allow your circumstances to shake you from believing the truth of God’s Word, even when the storm winds blow, hold fast to the words He has spoken to you and rise out of the pit by acting upon them! Jesus is your companion, your friend, your advocate, your help, your support! If you slip he’ll catch you every time. If you get lost, He’ll find you. If your strength fails, he’ll carry you until you catch your breath. There is hope for you, there is freedom and joy in your future.

 

Speak these words over your live

I will Rise! I will Rise out of depression and despair. I will Rise out of the shame and regret. I will Rise out of mediocrity. I will Rise out of the sin. I will Rise above the opinions of others. I choose to base my identity on who Christ says I am. I’m Throwing off the weights that once held me. I dare to dream. I dare to discover. I dare to overcome. I dare to keep trying. Finally I dare to act upon what I believe! I Am a Child of God, empowered and equipped with the mightiest weapon of all, faith in God!  My past cannot hold me any longer! My future is Bright because my “present” is  filled with Christ!

 

  Scriptures

Arise from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you—rise to a new life! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your

light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!

Isaiah 60:1  (AMPC)

“for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,

‘Awake, O sleeper,

rise up from the dead,

and Christ will give you light.’

– Ephesians 5:14  (NLT)

Yes, God raised Jesus to life! And since God’s Spirit of Resurrection lives in you, he will also raise your dying body to life by the same Spirit that breathes life into you!

– Romans 8:11  (TPT)

I Think this chapter is a great approach to the new year. We all have new year resolutions, and right about now we are starting to realize the sacrifices we will need to make to achieve the the desired change in our lives. When we begin to doubt our own abilities, its time to remember why we are endeavoring to rise above our past behaviors and actions, and lean on Christ in our weakness and push on through to achieving not just our yearly goals, but ultimately our God Given destines. So I encourage you, Rise up!

I feel like the Lord lead me to end all my posts with this simple reminder: God bless you all, I hope you know I pray over my readers. If you don’t have anyone in your life praying for you, then know that if nothing else you have me in your corner. I’m praying for you. We are all in this thing called life together, and no one needs to go at it alone. So feel free to reach out to me if you have a personal prayer request, also if you know someone who would like to be a part of our community, then let them know about the blog so we can all connect with our God and walk through life together as brothers and sisters! Love you all.  -Jake

The Greatest Expression of Love

Merry Christmas Life-Speak Family!

The greatest expression of love is giving! I know this seems
like a grand statement and has the potential to rub people the wrong way, but
it is the truth. Let’s look at our example:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

                – John 3:16 (KJV)

This is one of the first verses you learn in Sunday school
and the cornerstone of our beliefs. And it is all centered around two things:
giving, and the reason why He gave. Last week I mentioned to you all about a
heart check I experienced with the Lord while buying gifts for my friends and
family, and now I wanted to share the other side of the same coin, and it’s the
action of giving. Before we can understand the weight of what God gave us and
how we can seek to echo our Heavenly Father’s love to those closest to us, we
have to understand Who Jesus is.

There is God the Father, Jesus
the Son, and The Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of God. This idea of the
Trinity, that they are all God, and that they are all one but separate has
confused so many over the years, but the truth is, it’s quite simple. The
easiest way I can explain it is like this, an apple has three parts, the skin,
the core, and the juicy part. The core has seeds, the texture is different, it
has a stem coming out of it, and doesn’t taste good to eat it. Its role however
is to provide nutrients to the rest of the apple. The juicy innards, taste
great, very edible, and it has a different consistency and appearance, then the
rest of the apple. The skin of the apple has multiple functions too, it protects
the inside, it has different colors on it, and it has a different taste and
texture from the rest of the apple. They all are different in so many ways,
they all perform a function within the apple, but they are all part of the
apple. They are all apple. You don’t say that you are craving the skin and
innards of an apple, you say you want an apple. The same thing is true with
God, each part of the Trinity, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit have their own
characteristics, personalities, and functions but they are all God, they are
all part of the same existing being known as God. 

This is so important to understand, because I believe it
gives new meaning to John 3:16 for us. Not only is Jesus viewed as God’s only
beloved and dear Son, but He is also a part of God. When God gave us Jesus, He
didn’t just give His only Son, but He also gave us a piece of Himself. 

During this Christmas season the spirit of generosity is in
the air. As I am writing this, I just got back from the store buying some last-minute
stocking stuffers for the family and was stunned by the thousands of people
flooding the stores, filling up their carts with fun treats, and gifts to share
with their friends and family. It was a beautiful sight to be honest. Of
course, many of them looked very stressed and tired, with children hanging all
over them, but I still found joy in the overwhelming display of generosity on a
mass scale. Though the idea of giving gifts to people is wonderful, and I think
it can be a powerful display of affection, there is another type of gift that
many of us have withheld. It’s the gift of me, and the gift of you. It’s giving
a piece of yourself as God did. This looks different for each individual. It may
be for you to stop everything you are doing and sit down with your kids and
play with them, love them, hear their thoughts, and make it a point to put any
scolding on the back shelf and for them to know that outside your spouse and
God, nothing is more important to you then them. It may be going out alone with
your spouse and sharing your most intimate thoughts, concerns, ideas, and all
the love you can muster. It may be to let go of all the bitterness and hate you
have for the family members who have done you wrong. You don’t have to put
yourself in a position to be hurt by them again, but you can choose to love
them even if you can’t trust them. Choose to forgive them. The act of
generosity is so powerful, especially when you’re giving as God did, a piece of
who you are. And to be honest with you, they may laugh at you, they may try to
hurt you again, they might blame you, they might throw the gift of you right
back in your face, but if they do, though it may be hurtful, give it anyways
knowing you are in good company. God gave a piece of himself, opened His heart
up to all of us, and even went to the furthest extent by trying to adopt us
into His family. And yet so many have thrown His gift back at Him, laughed,
mocked, sneered, made fun of, and spit upon His gift, but knowing that there
would be that chance, He also knew there would be a chance that all the pain
and hurt that we were experiencing could be wiped away, and a beautiful new
relationship would develop as we become His kids, and He our Father, so He
dared to give of Himself anyways.  So
even if you don’t have all the money that you wish so that you could give, you
do have something to give that is so much more valuable. Exactly what that is
for you, only you and God know. So, I encourage you to search your heart and
see where you can begin to do as God did, and give of yourself.

I feel like the Lord lead me to end all my posts with
this simple reminder: God bless you all, I hope you know I pray over my
readers. If you don’t have anyone in your life praying for you, then know that
if nothing else you have me in your corner. I’m praying for you. We are all in
this thing called life together, and no one needs to go at it alone. So feel
free to reach out to me if you have a personal prayer request, also if you know
someone who would like to be a part of our community, then let them know about
the blog so we can all connect with our God and walk through life together as
brothers and sisters! Love you all.  -Jake

How to Give a Gift

Hey Life Speak Family,

I hope you are having a great time in this festive season!

Thought i would share a personal story with you that happened this week. I was Buying Gifts online just the other day for many of my friends and family. As i kept adding things to my cart I noticed that the overall price for my order wasn’t pleasant to my eyes. Bewilderment began to set in as i started talking to my wife about our budget. I began saying thing like.. “is it really necessary to give these things to those people.. etc. my shopping, and gift giving were being done out of a sense of duty, because during Christmas season you are socially responsible to give gifts to friends and extended family. I wasn’t doing it because i was excited to bless them. I began looking for the cheapest things i could find,things that “Looked nice” or “Reflected personal thought” but didn’t cost that much, so they would think i spent a lot on them, or spent a lot of time on them when really i didn’t. While shopping like this for a couple hours it hit me how petty i was being. The Lord reminded me of his words in Matthew 6.  The passion translation conveys the heart of what i’m saying the best,

“Examine your motives to make sure you’re not showing off when you do your good deeds, only to be admired by others; otherwise, you will lose the reward of your heavenly Father.” Matthew 6:1

He talks about giving to the poor, praying, and fasting throughout this chapter, and with each topic He brings up, He echo’s the sentiments in Mathew 6:1. That the only reward you will receive is the momentary approval of that other person, you won’t make your father in heaven smile with your generosity, nor will God be able to be generous in kind if your generosity is done with selfish motives. It always has been, and always will be about the heart behind what you do, and not just what you do. Your motives are just as important if not more so then the action even if the action is obedience. Its like asking the child to shut the door, and they slam it shut while screaming “Fine”. They may have obeyed, but their heart wasn’t right, and as a parent you’d take issue with that.

When we Pray it shouldn’t be for others to marvel at our eloquence, when we fast it should be flaunted to prove our piety, and when we give gifts, it shouldn’t be with any selfish motives, or thoughts of personal gain at all,  All of these things should be done as an expression of our love for God, and for people.

And when you give selflessly, The gift you give may not change, the reaction they give may not change, your budget may prevent you from getting all that you want at this time, but your heart will be pure and full of joy because your gift was about blessing them, and not altering their perception of you. God takes pleasure in his kids giving gifts to each other just because that want to! Its easy to be stressed this Christmas season, because of all the family you see, all the extra strains you have on your budget, and all of the extra events you have adding busyness to your life. But do not give into the stress and allow it to push you into survival mode where you are trying to manage all of the things falling out of balance, instead choose to cultivate a lifestyle of thanksgiving during this season. Be thankful for all the things you do have, that you are able to give a gift at all! Doing this, will always keep your heart right where it needs to be.

So… After being reminded of some of these things, i apologized to the lord for allowing my perspective to become a skewed, and i began to shop with joy in my heart without any bewilderment on my face. I am excited to approach the Christmas season, to bless all those people and show them my love for them. I can hardly wait, because for this month i’m in the same business my heavenly daddy is in, The Blessing Business!

God bless you all, I hope you know i pray over my readers. If you don’t have anyone in your life praying for you, then know that if nothing else you have me in your corner. I’m praying for you. We are all in this thing called life together, and no one needs to go at it alone. So feel free to reach out to me if you have a personal prayer request, also if you know someone who would like to part of our Community, then let them know about the blog so we can all connect with our God and walk through life together as brothers and sisters! Love you all, -Jake

Seeing God as David Did

 

Many know the story of David’s great mistake. How at a time he should have been at war, he saw the wife of one of his friends on top of a roof, and decided to sleep with her, and kill her husband. And because of the position as king, that God gave him, he was able to do just that without any consequences in the natural. Definitely not David’s finest hour. This story has been used in many sermons to point out the sin of adultery, but today I want you to dig a little deeper, not into the what he did, but the why. The grievous error that David made that day was not the sin of adultery, it was his heart behind the sin of adultery. Adultery was the manifestation of a heart issue. Before we dive into what the issue was, I think it would be helpful to take a step back and look at where David came from.

What a lot of people forget about David is how he got started. David was never alone with his sheep. He was singing songs to the Lord, creating psalms and poems aimed out of a heart full of love towards God. David was a man after God’s own heart far before he ever became king. You see in his isolation away from war, from people, it was a time where David’s perspective was allowed to foster a reality of faith in God that was untainted by the unbelief of his society. To foster a love that was unhindered by fear. Instead of complaining about his degrading positions to watch the sheep even while his brothers went to war, he was too busy thanking and praising God. An intimate relationship was born between Creator and creation, and someday, far after his time on the earth would be over, Father and son.

Much like Enoch, David did not have a guideline for talking to God. He just decided that God could hear him, and he praised and worshiped Him daily. This is before Jesus, before the modern-day bible, and to top it all off, he is just a kid in his early teens. Yet he delighted himself in the Lord and gave thanks to Him. He didn’t have it all figured out, but he figured out that God was a good God, and he would show Him the love and the honor that was due to Him. He had a pure heart, a heart of honor, a heart after God’s own heart.

 

This is amazing to me; however, this is David making a good situation out of what most would consider a horrible situation. David was just a shepherd boy! It had all the appeal and clout of a modern-day janitor. Nothing wrong with being one, but not exactly what people dream and aspire to be. David had no reputation, no one knew who he was except his family, and his father thought so little of him that when the prophet of God came to his house, because God told the prophet that one of the sons of Jesse (David’s father) was the next king, Jesse didn’t even tell David nor show David to the prophet. David’s own family didn’t even back him, or believe in him. Yet, God took him from being a shepherd and turned him into a king! It’s like making a janitor into the president! Through his journey to becoming king, God had protected David from an entire kingdom ruled by a jealous king that was out for his life. Then He gave him all the pleasures and luxuries that the previous king had, then increased his land, and his influence as king. God made David famous, rich, and healthy. And David throughout all of it gave honor and praise to God, never letting his passion that he kindled as a shepherd boy dim.

However, some time while being king, little by little, he started enjoying his position a little bit more then the person who gave him it, he started depending a little bit more on his ability to take care of the kingdom instead of God’s, and finally he started spending more time serving himself instead of serving God. Thus at a time when he should have been out serving his God in war, he was enjoy the pleasures of his position, and serving himself instead of God. And you know the rest of the story, he sleeps with Bathsheba, and kills her husband Uriah. It’s interesting that he bothered trying to hide it. The fact that he tried to hide it shows you how far his respect and honor for God had fallen. Before he did everything with the knowledge that the Lord saw him, but now he’s acting as if God couldn’t see what he was up to. God wasn’t even a thought…. this is the sin greater than the act of adultery, it was a sin of betrayal. So of course, God witnessed his beloved David commit those heinous crimes, and all because he lost sight of God, his first love. So God sent His prophet to relay His message to David, not a message born out of anger and wrath for David, but a message from a dear friend or father whose been hurt. This is what He said:

“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king of Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. And I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added that much again.”

-2 Samuel 12:7(b)-8

Murder and adultery are serious crimes by anyone’s standard, but God’s response to David shows you what caused such disappointment to God. It was the heart behind the offense, it was David delighting himself in perversion instead of God. It was dishonor. And I can hear God, with pain in his heart say….

“I made you king, I gave you the kingdom, I protected you, I gave you influence, wealth, and fame, and if that would not have been enough all you had to do was ask and I would have done that much more for you. Why? Why did you not ask me for what you wanted?  I would have given it to you….”

 

David’s mistake was not a sin against an indifferent God, it was a betrayal of a most beloved friend, and for us, father. David went through a rough patch in his life due to this, he didn’t have the grace we do to fall back on. And later on he does get back to God, but this story, the story of David’s rise and betrayal has so much more for us to glean from than simply, don’t commit adultery and murder. This story, stripped of all its religion, can be seen for the love story that it really is, and it gives us insight into the heart of God.

David’s life really puts things into perspective for us. Don’t walk away from this story without feeling something, let yourself be touched by it, and allow God to speak to you right where you are at. And though there are so many other things we can take away from this story, there are two things involving relationship I hope you get above all else. Our relationship with God, and God’s relationship with us.

 

If you are like me, the first time I read this story through the eyes of a son of God, through the eyes of relationship instead of through a religious mindset, you can’t help but admire David for his heart, aspire to be just like him. David created new songs, and new poems, and new ways to express his worship towards God. He didn’t get angry at God because he was in an unflattering situation, without a friend in sight. He didn’t blame God for his misfortunes. Instead he filled his time giving God thanks for what he did have and showed God all the love and honor he could muster. David had more love and respect for God than most modern-day Christians, and he was under an old covenant, the highest position he could hope for was a servant in the house of the Lord, while we are granted the title of son! We can become far more intimate than David did, we can sing songs out of a heart of pure love, with no sin, or shame holding us back! We can foster a relationship so close to God that we can enjoy His presence, and walk through life side by side.

We should all want to act like David did, to desire, to value, and honor God as David did. To cultivate a relationship with God as David did. Regardless of what we are doing at work, or in the car, or at home, we can have a song in our heart for not just our Master, not just our God, but also our dear Father.

 

I also love how God treated David. God will be as much as, or as little as apart of your life as you let Him. And we see the result of a boy who desired God above all else, and looked to him for promotion, not the system of the world. We see God take a boy with no training who works a minimum wage job for his family, and put him as king of a nation! We see someone with a lesser covenant with God receive wealth, receive a powerful position, and health enough to kill a giant as a teenager! And when we desire God more than any material things, we see the heart of God towards our success when he says “and if that had been too little, I would have added that much again.”  He wants His children to be taken care of, but so many of us chase after the stuff instead of Him that we never are able to actually receive God’s goodness. This story tells us all too well about His heart towards us! We should all have a smile that isn’t weighted with worry, anxiety, or fear regarding the future. We should all rejoice, and fill our days with thanksgiving as David did, because we understand far better then he does, just how good our Father God is!

I pray that this impacted you as much as it did me. I love you, and I’m praying for all my readers, that they would connect with God and enjoy His presence in their lives as I have.

 

The Life of a Believer

Living a life as a believer is living a life filled to the brim with hope. No matter how desperate a situation gets you can always have hope. The world is always in flux and anything that you place your trust in can let you down. No bank is 100 percent secure, no area is completely safe, no life style can guarantee you a long, satisfying life. You could do everything right, and a drunk driver could take it all away in a matter of seconds. Rather it be your family, your business, or your career as an athlete, you could spend your life building to watch it fall over night, because of one mistake, injury, or freak accident. But living the life of a believer is a different story. The bible says that the rain falls on the just and the unjust, meaning that bad things happen to people who are good, and people who are bad. But, as Christians, we have Christ as our refuge, to shelter us from the storms of life, while others have no hope. When an incurable disease tries to attack our bodies, we have hope, a confident expectation in Christ, our healer, to take care of us. When our careers fall through, and our businesses bankrupt, we have purpose through Christ to rebuild it better then ever with Kingdom meaning.

Finally, the ultimate hope of the believer is this, we have the hope of heaven. This is not our home, we are only passing by. My wife and I just moved into a rent house. And we have been working tirelessly to make this place shine and look great.  We talked about refinishing floors, repainting walls, and many other house improvement ideas. As we are going through a lot of this, we realize that we can’t take any of that hard labor with us to our next house, we are only living here for a short time and then we are gone. So, we decided that we were going to make this place better then we found it, but ultimately we’ll save our money for the home that we purchase in

the future, because this one is just a go between. That’s what this life is for us, though it’s all we’ve known, this is just a go between. God promises us while we are on this earth, health, prosperity, protection, joy, peace, and a long life, but if we missed it, and dropped the ball in our faith walk somewhere, we are still God’s kids, He still loves us. Regardless of what hardships we endure rather it be a sacrifice born of our devotion or suffering due to our poor decisions, we have a mansion ready for us right next to our heavenly Daddy. And I picture it all the time, in the bad, and especially in the good, spending a beautiful day, watching my Daddy smile, laugh, and enjoy my company. He keeps me strong all day long. He is the reason I’m happier then my smile could ever convey. He is the armor I wear and the one I fight for. I am able to love and sacrifice because He is my source. His supply of love, strength, and resources is never in danger of being depleted. So I dip into His supply daily, both to achieve His will to bless others because I love Him, and to enjoy the blessed life because He loves me.  What I have described can be your reality. Hear it from God’s word:

So it is impossible for God to lie for we know that his promise and his vow will never change! And now we have run into his heart to hide ourselves in his faithfulness. This is where we find his strength and comfort, for he empowers us to seize what has already been established ahead of time—an unshakeable hope! We have this certain hope like a strong, unbreakable anchor holding our souls to God himself. Our anchor of hope is fastened to the mercy seat which sits in the heavenly realm beyond the sacred threshold,

-Hebrews 6: 18-19. (TPT)

Now may God, the inspiration and fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with his super-abundance until you radiate with hope!

        -Romans 15:13 (TPT)

God bless,

Jake