April Newsletter: Be Confident in God... April 01 2017

Dr. Charles Stanley's choir sang out recently, "Our God will not be moved. Our God will never change. Our God will reign forever more." As the choir belted out the chorus, one woman cried as she sang, while another had her arms up in adoration to God.

As believers, we know that God is with us through personal experience or trial by fire. That's usually how we can test-ify, which should be called test-of-fire. Sometimes, though, there may be some areas where we trust God but haven't given him 100%. It's like saying you can swim but you still hold onto the edge of the pool.

Sometimes God pushes you in because He wants you to have that 100% trust. Remember, without faith, it is impossible to please God, and this is so important because our flesh is what blocks faith. Faith means no flesh is used. So those big trials, you know, the ones where you can't do it on your own - - you're not supposed to because this is where God is stretching your faith. 

Have confidence in God...

One way God stretches our faith is through really big tests where we have to rely on Him. Look at Hannah who prayed so fervently for a baby. She was rejected, despised, talked about, teased, and taunted, just like David. But here's the thing. Hannah had a prayer in her heart and she knew she could pray to God and confide in Him. David did the same thing. He killed the bear and the lion with his confidence in God, so to David, a giant was nothing because God was on his side.

Queen Esther was another example where she had to lay it on the line and go before the king. She could have been killed, but she prayed and fasted and trusted God. So what's the point? Let God help you with the impossible because we know that with God all things are possible. That test or set-up might be orchestrated by Father God so He can show up and show out. Maybe He's just waiting on you to say, "Lord, I can't get this done any other way but through you."

When I was laid off from my job, as I worked to build up my own business - by the grace of God, the Holy Spirit reminded me one day, "Think about the burning bush." You can be in the fire and not get burned because God is with you. You can be in the furnace or the lion's den, but if God is for you, it doesn't matter who is against you. The bush can burn, but it is not consumed.

So what can you do during these fiery tests and trials? Aside from having hope for the future and seeing that you will come out better, you have to decree what you need and then speak and stand on God's Word. 

Speak to these dry bones...

Remember in Ezekial 37 where God asks, "Can these dry bones live?" This is a great example to show how we have to speak life into the dry and dead areas of our lives. God did it. He spoke and the sun obeyed, the moon and the stars, the animals, etc. In order for us to be more Christ-like, we have to speak the Word. The funny thing is we'll go into a restaurant and say how we want our steak or how the eggs should be cooked, but we won't speak into the atmosphere for what we want. Why?

Sometimes we don't know how, but at other times we may be feeling so defeated we forget the power in the Word. David didn't walk out to Goliath thinking, "Well, if they couldn't do it, what makes them think I can?" That's the devil and its the flesh speaking from defeat. We have to speak over ourselves like David did and say in advance what we want and let God handle it for you. David ran out on the field as he said "I come in the name of the Lord. This day, God will deliver you into my hands." Yeah, that's bold faith! Let's take a look at how we get from "Well Lord, these bills are piling up," to "Lord, this day I declare the devil of past due bills is under my feet and I am debt free! So shall it be!"

Here are a few quick tips that can help...

This is only a test...

There was a cute video out recently where a mother panda bear pushed her cubs up into a tree to teach them how to climb. They would fall out and she'd push them back up the tree. She was teaching them. For starters, remember that: 

1. If God put the obstacle there, He has already made the way out. The bigger the obstacle, the bigger your deliverance, so don't feel defeated. Speak over yourself and speak the Word.

Remember, God's Word never fails, so even if you're looking at that mountain and you're feeling unsure, speak God's Word. If someone at work is trying to fire you and you feel overwhelmed and outnumbered, say, "Lord, in Your Word, it is written that my help comes from you and that I'm not to fear man. Your Word says, No weapons formed against me shall prosper. I know you are working this out in my favor. I praise you for the victory."

Just remember, even if you only have mustard seed faith, that's all that's needed. David only had a few shiny stones, so don't see the size of your problem or the size of your mountain. See the size of your God.

2. Speak into the area where you need the help. Raise up those dry or dead things. Speak life into your finances, your marriage, your job, etc. Go from passive to active in how you speak.

I always use the example of my mom who went to the School of the Holy Spirit and Azusa. She learned how to speak what she wanted intently. We would be on our way to Macy's and instead of her saying, "I hope they have a good sale," she would put her hand out in the air and say, "I see sales coming to me, deep discounts. I see short lines and Karen Scott is on sale." And sure enough, she'd get what she wanted! Once a lady walked up to me with handfuls of coupons! That's God's favor! Speak what you need intently and purposely and allow God to bring it to pass. 

3. Remember the past. What God did before He can do again. 

The best example I can give is something that happened to me recently. I was working on a big project, huge! It was time-consuming and I was trying not to feel defeated, so I changed my Pandora music and added 123 Victory by Kirk Franklin as a new station. The funniest thing happened. Song after song was deliverance. Every song that was older was one that I knew by heart from a past trial where I prayed and God had answered my prayers. Hezekiah Walker would come on and I thought how God delivered me from my enemies at my old job. Then another song would come on and I smiled as I thought how God helped me with getting through Statistics in undergrad, or some other obstacle. Think about the deliverance that you had before. The same God is on the throne and He will help you again! 

In closing, just remember that we walk by faith. Your faith has to be 100% that God will work it out. Speak what you want the outcome to be and trust God. It's a gift that Jesus gave us and the more we rely on God through faith, the more we can grow and go from one obstacle and test to the next. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us and God won't let our foot slip. Just like that panda bear cub in the tree, God is taking you higher and higher, so be confident in Him. He won't let your foot slip!