And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. Mark 8:31   REFERENCE Mark 8:27-33   Jesus was as persuaded about His resurrection as He was of His rejection by His people; His persecution by the religious authority, and His execution by the governing authority. He said these things must happen, i.e. they are unavoidable, and although the bad must first take place, consequently, the good must necessarily and assuredly as definite as the occurrence...

So David inquired of the LORD, saying, ‘Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?’ And He answered him, ‘Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.’ ~ I Samuel 30:8 REFERENCE I Samuel 30:1-8 Many fear and hate the word ‘failure,’ they misunderstand it and don’t talk about it; for that reason, they are often not prepared for it. Thus, when they fail, the result is usually devastating. Unknown to these people, most successful people are failures who bounced back. Failure is defined as a falling short in performing any expected action, or lack...

Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘Jeremiah, what do you see?’ And I said, ‘I see a branch of an almond tree.’  Jeremiah 1:11 REFERENCE Jeremiah 1:4-12 Seeing is an integral part of life; the only time Jesus ministered to someone twice was a case where He wanted the person to receive his sight – his ability to see (Mark 8:22-25). When your sight is dim, you make wrong choices; your progress is impeded, you become uncertain of the future and fearful in challenging times. Elisha’s servant was overcome with fear when the Syrian army surrounded...

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; II Corinthians 10:5  REFERENCE II Corinthians 10:3-5 Have you ever sat down and seen horrific images flash through your mind that caused you to shudder in fear as if what you saw was actually happening in real time? A lot of us can relate with this, and that is because as humans, we think in pictures. Even when people narrate things to us in words, we form pictures of what they are saying, e.g. when...

For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God… II Corinthians 10:4-5 (AMPC) REFERENCE II Corinthians 10:3-5 (AMPC) It is said, “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond.” That is, you are largely responsible for your actions and attitudes. Let me take it a step further; ‘Life is 10% what happens to you, 80% how you analyze, reason or...

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, II Corinthians 10:4 REFERENCE II Corinthians 10:3-5 The dictionary defines a stronghold as “A place where a particular cause or belief is strongly defended or upheld.” This place is strongly fortified to protect it from attack. As established from yesterday’s study, there is a spiritual battle that takes place in the believer’s mind. The devil who is a master at deception, constantly attacks our minds with his lies just to mess up our minds. These consequently affect our marriages, our habits, our relationships, our families, our jobs, make us displease God...

The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses… and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ. II Corinthians 10:4-5 (AMP) REFERENCE II Corinthians 10:3-5 (AMP) As believers, we must understand that we are engaged in warfare. However, Ephesians 6:12 makes it clear that our warfare is not physical, i.e. against people but against principalities, powers, rulers of darkness and the spiritual host of wickedness in the heavenly places. In effect, our warfare is spiritual, to be fought in the unseen realm. Whether you believe it or not, or...

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.  II Corinthians 5:20 REFERENCE II Corinthians 5:17-20 An ambassador is the highest-ranking official of a diplomatic service with authority to serve as the “official representative” of his/her country in a foreign land. As a Christian, God has called you to serve on this earth, representing Him as the ‘ambassador of heaven.’ Your assignment is to further His policies here on earth, i.e. ensure that His will is done on earth as it is in heaven. God’s...

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. – Isaiah 40:31   REFERENCE Isaiah 40:28-31  Most times, when we pray and see immediate results, we testify and glorify God. However, when we have to wait for results, we become frazzled. Waiting can be perplexing and can push you into discouragement. As believers and even in life, we are always in between where we are and where we want to go. In between prayers and answer, in between...

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. – Proverbs 18:21   REFERENCE Proverbs 18:20-21 The tongue is the most powerful weapon God gave mankind. In it lies the power of life and death, i.e. the tongue can open doors of peace, joy & prosperity; and if misused, it can open the door of misfortune and losses. God created the world with His spoken words and He made us in His likeness, so we can also use words to frame our world. Words are containers of power. Until you...