How Surrender Brings The Greatest Blessing

November 4, 2012 by 11 Comments
Share on Tumblr Share

 

 

How Surrender Brings The Greatest Blessing

 

Have you ever watched people walking their dogs? Some dogs are in sync with their owners. They happily trot directly ahead on a short lead, in pace with their master. And then there are those other dogs! It seems as if these dogs are walking their owners instead of the other way around. You see them constantly straining at the leash, eager to follow every distraction and oblivious to their master’s desire to protect them. The route the master wants to take makes no difference to these dogs. They are determined to have their own way – unwilling to yield to their master’s will.

Much like these pets, some believers have a hard time surrendering to the Master’s guidance and protection. Surrender can be perceived as negative, but let’s find out what it truly means in the context of our relationship with Jesus.

What Does It Mean To Surrender?

According to Webster’s Dictionary, surrender is an act of yielding or resigning your life or the possession of something into the power of another; to give up or to yield to the influence, passion, or power of another.

For example, the living Bible says, “We are not our own bosses…” and Romans 14:13 says, “Try instead to live in such a way that you will never make your brother stumble by letting him see you doing something he thinks is wrong” (TLB).

So instead of following our desires and impulses, we are to yield our lives to the influence of Jesus in every aspect of our beings. Evangelist T.L. Osborn once said, “You are painting a picture of Jesus to others by every word you speak and every deed you do. Make sure you are painting a good picture.” Surrender is easier said than done. But our motivation to surrender has a big part to play in how consistently we yield to Jesus.

What Is Our Motivation For Surrender?

Surrender is based on love. When you truly love someone, you surrender your plans and desires, and instead do that which honours and pleases the other person. You give serious consideration as to how your actions affect another person.

In surrender to Jesus, you now think about how your actions affect your relationship with Him and with others. Your surrender to Jesus is not a one-time experience. It becomes a daily experience. And an experience that deepens over time. To the extent we surrender, the more we are willing to surrender.

What Is The Extent Of Surrender?

We choose to surrender to the will of Jesus’ every day rather than demanding our own way. When you go your own way, choosing to be strong-willed or self-focused, you’ll experience the convicting voice of the Holy Spirit (and your own conscience) warning you to stop. I know this for a fact, because I have experienced the convicting power of the still small voice of the Holy Spirit many times.
Once you become a Christian, you need to recognize that your body and your spirit are now God’s dwelling place or house (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Believe me, God cares about His house.

Now that you have invited Jesus into your heart as Lord and Savior and surrendered to Jesus, you no longer belong to yourself. You belong to God. He owns you. By the way, He can’t just be your Saviour without becoming your Lord. Lordship implies authority over you.

Many Christians want Jesus to be with them to help them out when they get into trouble (like a personal maintenance man), but they don’t want Him telling them what do when things are going smoothly.

So, your surrender extends to considering Jesus in everything that you do. Consider means “to think seriously; to have regard for; to respect; to take into view in examination.” When you consider Jesus, you take into account His opinion and His view of things. You want your attitudes, thoughts, motives, words, behaviour, and yes, even your appearance to honour Him.

You’re more highly motivated to please Him than to please yourself or others. Ask yourself, “Do I consider Jesus in what I think, what I say, and in what I do?” “Do I represent Jesus well to others?” Are people attracted to Jesus when they look at you? It’s good to ask yourself, “Can people see Jesus in the way I live? Does my lifestyle as well as the words I speak help or hinder people in becoming closer to Jesus? ( Romans 14:7). Surrender to Jesus is the path of blessing and has a significant outcome on our lives.

How Does Surrender Determine The Outcome Of Our Lives?

Your life, whether it is a good life or a difficult life, is determined by choices you make daily, living submitted and surrendered to God or living your own way. When you have your personal time with God each day, acknowledge that you know He owns you and you want Him to keep you and lead you.

The choices and decisions you make will affect your future. Jesus understood the power of choice, and He chose to live submitted and surrendered even in the face of great temptation. He showed us that it is possible for us to submit our will and surrender to God.
God gave us free will because He wanted us to love Him and obey Him by our own choice. God won’t force us, even though He knows the end result of an unsurrendered will is difficulty, heartache, pain, hardship, and sometimes destruction.

So when we Christians know that the Bible instructs us to live a surrendered life, why do we ignore that knowledge? Most often it’s because we want to fulfil our own desires or lust. When you decide you will go your own way, you unlock and open doors or windows to the enemy.

Sometimes Christians wonder why their lives are full of heartache and difficulty, but if they will take time to re-evaluate the choices they have made, they will discover where they have made themselves vulnerable through poor choices. Choices in which they stubbornly insisted on going their own direction instead of surrendering to and obeying God’s promptings and warnings. When you are self-willed, stubborn, rebellious, and unsubmissive to God’s authority, the enemy has much greater opportunity to rob you or even to destroy you.

Once you decide to surrender your life to Jesus, obeying God’s Word will become easier, your natural way of doing things. You will begin to see the Word as a guideline to live by.

To Sum It Up

When you are under the guidance and direction of the Master, surrendered to His good plan and ways, you won’t be straining at the leash, following after every distraction that comes up. Surrender is a blessed state, motivated by love for Jesus and extending to every aspect of our lives. It is of highest importance to Believers because it determines the outcome of our lives.

 

Share on Tumblr Share
Filed Under: Walk By Faith Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A Long Time Ago In A Galaxy Far, Far Away?

September 26, 2012 by 8 Comments
Share on Tumblr Share

 

 

 

 

A Long Time Ago In A Galaxy Far, Far Away?

 

The film, Star Wars, debuted in 1977. It became a pop culture sensation as subsequent films were made, to further expand the story of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. Each film begins with the words “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away” scrolling up the theater screen.

Many Christians think of God as far, far away. They see Him as “out there.” This sense of God’s remoteness is heightened by the words used when speaking about God. From the formerly popular “The Man Upstairs” to the newly popular “God, we ask you to show up and show off” we subtly reinforce the idea that God is somewhere “else” from whence we must summon Him. Is this accurate? Let’s look at what the Bible has to say.

Where is God?

From the Garden of Eden, man has tried to control his physical position in relation to God (Genesis 3:8). But it’s not possible to go unnoticed by God, because He is present everywhere. This quality of “omnipresence” is difficult for us to grasp because we are limited by time and space. But God is a spirit being. Nothing takes place apart from His presence, therefore He is aware of everything and everyone.

Psalm 139 beautifully expresses the nearness of God’s presence. Verse five says: “You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.” Picture a toddler taking his first wobbly steps, arms uplifted and inter-linked with his Daddy’s, hemmed in on either side by his Father’s sheltering presence. Just as the child is protected in his forward progress, so God positions Himself to buffer our instability. God is “up close and personal” present!

The Psalmist goes on to ask, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend into heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, you are there; if I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.”

May I ask again? Where is God?

Even His Name Testifies of His Nearness

God is so vast and beyond our ability to fathom, that He gives Himself names to express aspects of His character. One of these names even tells us where to find Him: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is God with us” (Matthew 1:23). God is with us!

But What If God Seems Far Away?

There are times when our feelings and circumstances seem to contradict what the Bible says. It is essential that in such periods we cling to and dwell on the truth of the Word. So what does the Bible say about God’s nearness to us? Here are several passages that have sustained me through difficulty:

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you (Isaiah 43:2).

…for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down, relax My hold on you! [Assuredly not!] (Hebrews 13:5b AMP).

Note: The three occurrences of “[I will] not” above are not a typo. The translators of the Amplified Bible chose to express the degree of the Bible’s assurance that God will never let us down by using a triple negative. God is absolutely emphatic that He is intimately intertwined with us.

And the LORD, he [it is] that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed (Deuteronomy 31:8).

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me (Psalm 23:4).

Where is God?

God is so vast – so beyond our ability to conceptualize – that we can make the mistake of placing Him out there – apart from us. But he is here. He is there. He is everywhere and available to us in real time. There is no summoning the Creator of the Universe, for we are the ones who have been placed. And that place is within His protective and loving care. No, the Creator of the Galaxies, the Maker of Space and Time is not far, far away. He is right where you are!

 

 

Share on Tumblr Share
Filed Under: Walk By Faith Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What Report Do You Believe?

September 9, 2012 by 34 Comments
Share on Tumblr Share

 

 

 

What Report Do You Believe?

Everybody is going to encounter problems in life, even the person who is in right standing with God. We can expect it because God said so in Psalm 34:19, but God promises also that He will be there for us and that He will rescue us. Not only will God deliver us, He wants to deliver us!

The state of the economy has played a significant role in the lives of many people over the last few years. People have lost their jobs and homes and some have diminished or completely emptied their life’s savings. Just watching the news can trigger some hopelessness.

Even though the reality is that the economy has affected our lives, dwelling on it won’t change the situation. We can’t be moved by things we see, like high gas prices, closing businesses, and negative bank balances. Our focus should be on the One who can change it all.

There is a lot of darkness in the world now. And if the only thing we’re feeding off of is negative television, negative news reports, and negative people, we’re going to be negative.

Positive Options

Thank God there are positive options also available through television, radio, music, books, and even magazines. When we take in negative information, we are influenced by it and ultimately participate in it by complaining and finding faults in others.

Let’s have a look at the story of Caleb in Numbers 13 and 14. Moses and the Israelites were traveling through the desert in search of the Promised Land. God told Moses that Canaan was the place designated for His people to inhabit. He asked Moses to send spies to inspect the land and its people. The land was already rich in resources and filled with everything they could possibly want or need.

When the twelve spies returned, they confirmed that the land was indeed flowing with milk and honey. The grapes were sweet and ripe and everything was plentiful. But soon their report became flooded with doom and gloom about the people who lived there.

All they could focus on was how big the people were. As a result, the spies feared they would be destroyed. They described the people in Canaan as giants! Rather than seeing themselves equipped for potential battle, the spies described themselves and their own people as small, defeated grasshoppers. The Israelites heard the report and began to stir. They constantly complained and were overcome by fear.

However Caleb, one of the spies, had a different report. He saw the same land and the same people the other spies saw, but he chose to see things from a positive perspective. Numbers 13:30-32

But the people were overcome with fear and began complaining to and about Moses. Rather than accepting the hope that Caleb provided, they chose to believe the negative report of the other spies.

Have You Missed Out?

How many blessings have we missed out on by choosing to focus on the negative? I believe one of the most valuable lessons we can learn from this story is the value of choosing a positive perspective. Had the Israelites chosen to believe Caleb’s report, they would have entered into the Promised Land in God’s timing.

Instead, they opted to believe all the negative things they heard, and, as a result, they were overtaken with fear.

The perspective we choose to take on is by which our circumstances generally determine the type of life we will lead and the results we will achieve. The results the Israelites received would have been far better had they chosen to trust Caleb’s optimistic perspective.

Instead they bought into the negative report, complained, and remained ungrateful. Canaan flowed with milk and honey just as God said. The spies confirmed that it was filled with everything they could even need or desire. Sure there were giants, but as Caleb reminded them, God was on their side. Their victory was guaranteed!

Being positive is a choice. We choose to see the glass as half full or we can choose to see it as half empty. Either way, it’s the same glass. Caleb, as well as Joshua, saw the glass half full while the other 10 spies saw it as half empty.

These great men of faith were able to see beyond the obstacles and embrace the destiny God had prepared for them. Although they were outnumbered, it was Caleb and Joshua’s optimistic view that earned God’s favor. He blessed them by allowing them and their descendants to live in the land.

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which is a SPIRITUAL Devotional that helps you to make the right choices in your life by clicking here

 

Share on Tumblr Share
Filed Under: Walk By Faith Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Speak to Your Mountains

July 1, 2012 by 13 Comments
Share on Tumblr Share

 

 

Speak to Your Mountains

by Olga Hermans

Now is the time to speak the Word Of God to the mountains in Your life and see them removed; whether is the mountain of sickness, lack, division, torment, oppression, or some other challenge. On one of Jesus’ final trips over the Mount of Olives before His betrayal and crucifixion, He taught His disciples in Mark 11:12-19

Jesus and His disciples left Jerusalem on the same route they had taken into Jerusalem, up over the Mount of Olives, down to the little town of Bethany. He taught, ministered and spoke each day in the temple. Mark 11:20-26

Often overlooked is the parallel between the fig tree and the nation of Israel. Jesus came to the fig tree, and it was supposed to be bearing fruit. It wasn’t so He spoke to it and it withered. Jesus came to the nation of Israel, and it was supposed to be bearing fruit; the fruit of a righteous, holy nation. He came to the temple and found a den of thieves. What he has done to the fig tree, He did to the temple and found it a den of thieves. He overthrew the money changers and spoke to them that their house would be left desolate.

It was only a few years later, 70 A.D., after Jesus had spoken it, that the Roman general Titus surrounded the city of Jerusalem and destroyed it.

In the Bible, we are likened to trees. The trees of the field shall clap their hands Isaiah 55:12. Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches John 15:5. Jesus is looking for fruit in our lives; the fruit of answered prayer, the fruit of souls being won to Christ, the fruit of the Spirit of love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

On one occasion when this parable was told, the landowner said, Let’s destroy the tree. Then the Word came, No, give it one more year. Let’s dig around it, fertilize it and see if it brings forth fruit. Thank God, He is merciful!

Jesus left us an example that we are to follow. He left us a pattern of faith. In verse 14, He spoke to the tree, and the disciples heard it. In other words, it wasn’t one of those whisper things. He spoke out loud. Nothing happened visibly at that moment. As you release your faith, nothing may happen visibly at that very moment.

But when Jesus returned by this same route some 24 hours later, the fig tree had dried up from the roots. In the natural, it is impossible for something to dry up that quickly.

Then Jesus commanded, Have faith in God. Romans 12:3 says,…God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

Romans 10:17 says, So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Hebrews 11:6 says, 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. Hebrews 11:1 says: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

It has been said, Faith is the title deed to that which is invisible. Corrie ten Boom said, Faith is the radar that sees things and catches an image of them, even though they may be beyond natural sight. The image of it is imprinted in us by the Word of God. Then Jesus said, For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain…Mark 11:23

Jesus was using the terminology of speaking to a mountain as a figure of speech, saying, If you have a problem, a difficulty, an obstacle that is like a mountain, you can speak to it to be removed. Jesus was saying that you can speak to any mountain-size problem to be removed and it has to go. Maybe your mountain is sickness or disease, depression, discouragement, fear, dismay, or financial lack.

Many people talk about their mountain, discuss their mountain and even evaluate their mountain. They take samples of their mountain and compare it with other people’s mountains. Then there are mountain conferences or dialogues where people get together and discuss their mountains!

Jesus didn’t say that we are to discuss our challenges. He said, “Speak to them!” Speak to cancer. Speak to financial lack. Speak to the rebellion in a child. Speak to the mountain in a situation. How do we get to the point where we believe that what we say will come to pass and that when we speak to our mountain, it will be removed?

Jesus said, If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you John 15:7

One of the primary keys to your confidence in prayer is to know that what you are speaking is the will or the Word of God. This is the day and the hour for God’s people to do great exploits because we are in covenant relationship with Him; speaking His Word, praying His Word and obeying His Word.

What is your experience with speaking to your mountains? Please let us know in the comment section.

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which is a SPIRITUAL Devotion that helps you to make the right choices in your life!

 


Share on Tumblr Share
Filed Under: Walk By Faith Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How Does Faith Work?

June 25, 2012 by 31 Comments
Share on Tumblr Share

 

 

 

How Does Faith Work?

 by Olga Hermans

Many people are talking about faith. Faith is not only believing. It is not simply confessing or just hearing the Word. Faith requires doing, yet that’s not all. Although faith includes prayer, there is still more. Meditation is not the final answer either. Learning how to receive from God is a big part of faith too. Praise is powerful, but it needs to be supported by the other parts of faith.

So, how does faith work? Most people think they know, but do they really? Can you explain how faith works to somebody? If you really like to discover the life you were born to live and fill it with passion, you need to know how faith works. So, let’s have a look!

In a given situation, a person may exercise great faith by utilizing only two or three parts of faith. It is not just a cut and dried formula that must be rigidly followed. It is a breakdown of faith that gives us an inner picture of how faith is developed and operate great faith by using everything God has given us.

The growth, development, and release of faith includes hearing the Word, believing the Word, praying according to the Word, receiving the promise, confessing the Word, praising God, and doing the Word.

Let’s say you would have a V-8 engine. The engine is to the average person just a machine. The person, who knows engines, however, knows it is made up of many stationary and moving parts. Primarily, the engine itself has eight cylinders with pistons inside of them. Timed explosions in each of these cylinders causes power to be released to move the pistons. The moving pistons turn a shaft that harnesses the power from the explosion of the gasoline in the cylinder and eventually channels that power to turn the wheels.

Even though some of the pistons or cylinders are not functioning properly, the engine will still run, but it will be rough. It is the same with people and faith. Some people will get a lot of mileage out of a little bit of faith, but the full potential can only be reached by continuous exercise of all parts of faith. Jesus must be our example for He is the one person who developed His faith to perfection. Our faith will grow the same way, because it is His faith that we have been given.

Your faith is very similar to the V-8 engine used in many cars. It is one operation, yet the power is generated through a series of operations within the engine itself. Each operation in faith has a specific place and will produce power if it is run by the Spirit. Although the engine may run on fewer than all 8 cylinders, its power and efficiency are greatly reduced. For highest performance every part of your faith must be operating.

A car engine must be properly tuned and the timing set for it to run properly. Depending on the make and year of the car, the spark plugs and/or points must be firing with precision or the explosion of the gasoline air mixture will not be good. Likewise the pistons, valves, and cylinders need to be in good shape. If all these things are not in order, the engine will run rough, lack power, start poorly, and cause many problems.

If so much knowledge is needed just to run an automobile, why shouldn’t we be more concerned about the great powerhouse God has given us? Don’t wait until a crisis arises to check your faith because it will be too late.

Faith includes hearing, believing, praying, receiving, confessing, meditating, praising and doing. All of these things are important, and you will probably discover other things that help our faith grow and mature to the place that it can be used to meet the needs of those around us. Remember, this is not a dead formula, a set of rules, or another do-it yourself kit. It is a simple explanation of the various parts of faith using a modern parable.

It is a great privilege to build our lives on a foundation that cannot be shaken and will stand firm against every wind, storm, and flood of the adversary. Faith reaches for the eternal and brings it into existence in order to change the natural things.

You may be burdened with sin, sickness, discouragement, or confusion, but your faith in the eternal Word of God can overcome those feelings and give you victory in every situation.

The temporal things will be changes by the Eternal, and you will be established on the rock. How wonderful is that!!

What things have you see change in your life because of your faith? Tells us about in the comment section…

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which is a SPIRITUAL Devotion that helps you to make the right choices in your life!

Share on Tumblr Share
Filed Under: Walk By Faith Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Life Has Two Doors: Faith and Fear

December 19, 2011 by 13 Comments
Share on Tumblr Share

Life Has Two Doors: Faith and Fear     

by Olga Hermans     

 

 

There are so many things going on in the world right now, that it is very easy to let fear strike our hearts, especially in this time of the year. Christmas can bring all kinds of feelings to us and as we get to the end of 2011 to enter into 2012, uncertainties, worries and doubt try to get to us.

If there were two doors in front of you: one is called FEAR and the other is called FAITH; which one would you choose for the New Year? Of course, you would choose the door of FAITH. But do you realize that as you enter through the door of FAITH that FEAR doesn’t live there?

Many people are afraid of losing their health, their wealth and their loved ones. Some people are afraid of life itself. When you look around, you can see that many people are ruled by fear. It can absolutely take over a person’s life. I made a commitment to myself that I will not live in fear. This is what I confess on a regular basis.

Until the power of fear is broken in our lives, we are held captive to it, which means we are not free to follow God. To discover the life that You were Born to live and to enjoy all the blessings He wants to give us, we simply must refuse to live in fear. If fear rules in our lives we cannot enjoy anything we do. Fear brings torment and we must refuse to entertain it or our lives will be miserable.

Satan will always intimidate you through words, actions, or signs. But did you know that God does that as well; He also approaches you with words, actions, or signs. God desires for you to act on what He says, because then His Words will come into manifestation. When we act on what God says, we will be blessed in our deeds.

Satan will always try to intimidate us and tempt us to act upon our fears. Fear will bring things to pass just like faith will. Job said, “The thing which I greatly feared has come upon me” (Job 3:25).

Many of us have a fear of failure and are being intimidated or tempted by Satan to act on that fear, but there is absolutely no way that he can cause that to become a reality unless you start acting on what he says.

I remember a teacher in our bible school telling us that she had asked this question of God: “Father, can the devil do anything that he wants to do, anytime that he gets ready to do it?” God told her, “If he could do anything he wanted to do, anytime he got ready to do it, then why would he have to deceive you first?”

God has given us a choice and the choice is up to us what we do when satan comes to us with temptations to fear. When we refuse to fear, satan has to flee from us with his intimidations.

Man stands in a strategic position. He can be contacted by both God and Satan. You might say that man is the establishing witness (Matt. 18:16; 2 Cor. 13:1).

Satan intimidates and tempts us with thoughts and words of fear and if we act on them, they come to pass. God contacts us through His Word and if we acts on His Word; it comes to pass. We can choose to refuse fear and act in faith.

The devil is limited and cannot do anything unless he first comes in and deceives, intimidates, or tempts the man and then gets him to fall for it and act in fear. If we do not refuse him in faith and believe his intimidations, then he has a legal right to cause it to become a reality. It’s as simple as that.

We all have been through difficult situations, where we thought there was no way out. I have been in a couple severe situations; some very painful and some very, very emotional. But God always showed up to rescue me and showed me the way out of my distress and as I stepped through the door of FAITH, my life changed from faith to faith and from glory to glory again!

There are more types of fear than we could name or count, but they all have the same source and the same purpose. They are all from the enemy and they are intended to rob us blind if we choose to let them. God is always right there to show us the way of escape.

As we go through trials, we must develop a right mental attitude and the only way to do that is to know what the Word of God says. If you do not recognize that God will always make a way of escape available in every circumstance then you will stay negative about your problem and expect satan to beat you.

The Bible says in Psalm 34:19, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”

Remember, there are two doors in front of you and when you enter the door of FAITH, there is no fear there. Faith and fear are like magnets: faith is a magnet that draws the very best and fear draws the worst; they both are expectations!

Fear is the opposite of faith. We receive from satan though fear, and we receive from God through faith. We can know and do God’s will through placing our faith in Him, but we can cooperate with satan’s plan though fear. When we are afraid, we may fail to do what God wants us to do and, instead, end up doing what the devil wants us to do.

When fear knocks at the door of your life, but finds you full of faith, it cannot enter in. I’d like to encourage you to meditate on and confess that you are filled with faith. Say: “I am full of faith!”

When satan comes to attack you with fear by bringing pressure, you can confidently say something like this: “Satan, I refuse to fear. I am not moved by what I see. You can do whatever you want, but God will always provide a way of escape. God will not allow you to defeat me; He showed a way of escape to Job and He will do the same for me. God is on my side; He is not a respecter of persons; you can’t beat me!”

That is the right mental attitude to approach the pressure that satan tries to bring against you. When difficult times come upon you, that is the time for you to grow in faith.

Everybody can go through tests, trials, and temptations and come out on the other side beaten and worn out. But there is a strength, a power that comes when you approach your situation with the right mentality. Make a choice to enter through that door of FAITH and come out victoriously instead of entering through that door of FEAR and be defeated.

The decision is up to you! Think about it!

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which brings an encouraging message 5 days a week to your inbox by clicking here

Share on Tumblr Share
Filed Under: Walk By Faith Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Choose Faith over Fear

December 1, 2011 by 13 Comments
Share on Tumblr Share

Choose Faith over Fear

by Olga Hermans


You know, images of fear are all around us and there is a fear of failure that is trying to get a grip on the hearts of many people. Especially a fear of financial failure with this economy and all the foreclosures that we hear about on the news. People are asking themselves: “what am I going to do?”

We must aggressively take our stand against financial fear and believe that everything is going to be all right. There was a prophetic word that had come forth through Kenneth Copeland in August 2010 that told us that: “Everything is going to be all right in the household of faith”. Don’t feed fear and trouble into your life and into your mouth. No! Quit living in that house. Get back over here in the household of faith. Feed on my Word and not on the bread of sorrow.

“Have no fear of this world. I have overcome it,” saith the Lord. “I left nothing, absolutely nothing, that faith won’t overcome. I left it no power. I left it no strength. It has NO-THING over you.”

Fear and faith are both expectations; faith expects the best and fear expects the worst. What are you expecting? Are you expecting the very best or are you expecting the worst?

Fear is nothing more than a feeling that causes certain manifestations. It may cause us to tremble, turn red or sweat or have shaky knees.

My brother almost always turned as red as a tomato when there was just a little bit of fear in him, when he started to turn red and then he feared that people would see it of course and guess what? He would turn more red and sometimes even sweat. He always felt sooo embarrassed and it really was embarrassing for him. He overcame it though; right now he is a teacher, which means he is standing in front of people and looking them in the eyes and keeping the cool.

Fear is a tactic that the devil uses to hinder your faith and keep you from accomplishing God’s will for your life, but you don’t have to give in. You are delivered from fear. Many people struggle with fear and insecurity. The first step to overcoming fear is to recognize where it comes from.

There are so many references in the Bible that tell us to “fear not”. One particular scripture that stands out is 2Tim. 1:7. If your financial situation worries you, you could say: “I have not been given the spirit of fear over my finances – but of power and love and of a sound mind”.

Faith and fear are magnets; faith is a magnet that draws provision and fear is a magnet that draws lack. That is how it works! I want to encourage you to make the right choice today. Don’t let fear keep you from moving forward in the plan of God for your life. Choose to exhibit faith and boldness and start enjoying the liberating freedom from fear. God has given you freedom to choose.

What would your life look like if you were free from all fear? In Who Switched Off My Brain? Dr. Caroline Leaf says that fear triggers more than 1,400 known physical and chemical responses, and activates more than 30 different hormones and neurotransmitters” and that fear is at the root of all stress.

The fear of failure prevents us from ever trying new things or stretching ourselves to do more than we feel comfortable doing. The fear of the future can cause us not to enjoy today. My sister in law has a fear of flying which prohibits her to discover and enjoy the beautiful places all over the world.

Fear always tells you what you’re not, what you don’t have, what you can’t do, and what you never will be. Remember that Jesus overcame that fear; He left it no power and no strength. It has NO-THING over you. You have to make a choice to be confident and to feel secure; God is on your side!

The devil hates it when we are confident that God is with us, and enabling us to do whatever we need to do in life. Say it out loud: “I will not live in fear”. It really helps when you keep thinking about it before you have to face fear. Make up your mind that you will not bow down to fear. You have already made the decision that you will not be afraid.

Fear is the opposite of faith. We receive from the enemy through fear, and we receive from God though faith. Fear is the enemy’s method of faith; it is his counterfeit. We do God’s will through faith in Him and we work together with the devil through fear. When we are afraid we fail to do what God wants us to do and end up doing what the devil wants us to do.

The enemy is the author of fear, not God. Fear and faith cannot coexist; where you have one, you cannot have the other. You need to choose. Deut.30:19 You have to develop a “zero-tolerance policy” toward any form of fear.

Here is something that you and I can do together; we are going to confess these confessions as long we need them. Here we go!

I refuse to fear.
I am not moved by what I see.
I am not fearful over my financial future.
God is the source of my provision.
He provides cars to drive, food to eat, clothes to wear, places to live and everything else I need in liberal supply.
I am not subject to the times.
I live in the household of faith, not the dungeon of fear.
My household is flourishing and not failing.
Every bill is paid, every need is met and every debt is wiped out.
I walk by faith and not by fear, in the name of Jesus.

I truly believe you will begin to feel different and more confident than ever before. You only have one life to live, so live it boldly and never let fear steal God’s best for you!

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which brings an encouraging message 5 days a week to your inbox by clicking here

Share on Tumblr Share
Filed Under: Walk By Faith Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How to Walk in The Favor of God

November 7, 2011 by 14 Comments
Share on Tumblr Share

How to Walk in The Favor of God

by Olga Hermans


What does it mean when we talk about the favor of God? I can presume that we all have experienced favor one way or another in our life, right? What is that, favor? What does that look like?
And let the beauty and delightfulness and favor of the Lord our God be upon us; confirm and establish the work of our hands–yes, the work of our hands, confirm and establish it. Psalm 90:17 Ampl.

When the Father laid out the plan for your life, He lined up the right people, the right circumstances, and the right breaks. He has already released His favor in your life, supernatural opportunities and divine connections. The breaks you need have already been predestined to come across your path.

You need to stay in faith and go out each day and be a person of excellence and you will experience the many blessings that the Father has for you.

In 1993 we left Canada for economic reasons to go and live in The Netherlands. It had always been my husband’s dream to live Canada, so we didn’t take moving away very lightly. But we always kept thinking back to our time in Canada and started to think about going back to Canada again in the beginning of 2000.

When my son was 21 or 22; he came to us and told us that he wanted to go and study in Canada to live there. At that moment there was not much that was keeping us in The Netherlands. Both our parents had died; our daughter was living in England at that time and had plans to live in Australia.

But because we hadn’t been back to Canada for so long, we knew it would be very difficult to reinstate our residency.

So, we flew into Seattle in September 2004 and drove to the border at Peace Arch. As we stopped at the custom’s booth; the officer asked us how we would like to enter Canada. They gave us the option between entering as a visitor or as a returning resident.

This totally flabbergasted us and we said; is it still possible to enter as a resident? Then we had to go into the office where we stood in line to wait for our turn.  Then, another booth opened and that officer called us out of the back of the line and insisted we come to him.

We handed him our paperwork and after a few minutes he came back with our paperwork and said: I’m going to waive all the requirements! He stamped our passports with the required stamps and said: “Welcome back to Canada”! 

That was the favor of God; His approval and His goodness for sure. It was a great experience, which made us feel very special. He loves to bestow favour on His children.

When God gives favor; people favor us, and often for no reason they can even explain. Favor is actually a part of grace. In the English New testament, the Word ‘grace’ and the word ‘favor’ are both translated from the same word ‘charis’. So the grace of God is the favor of God.

And the favor of God is the grace of God; that which causes things to happen in our lives that need to happen through the channel of faith. His power is doing something for us that we can neither earn nor deserve.

Think about that! God wants to give you special privileges. His favor will cause people to go out of their way to bless you without even knowing why they’re doing it.

How does favor work? Things just fall into place. Obstacles disappeared. What happened? You just walked into the blessings of the Lord. They were already lined up. You just walked into them. Just like when we arrived at the Canadian border, God had it all lined up already and we just walked into that blessing. It was a marvellous thing.

Esther, Daniel and the Hebrew children, Ruth and even Jesus received favor from God that caused them to be accepted instead of being rejected in specific situations. They may have been rejected in some areas, but they were accepted regarding the things He had sent them to do.

Esther needed favor with the King. She was selected to bring deliverance to her people, who were in danger. She stepped out in faith and went into a place that was hard for her in the natural. He gave her the favor she was believing for, and she fulfilled His call on her life.

Ruth was a Moabite, so there was no way for her to be accepted by the Israelites without favor from God, because the Moabites were idolaters. But God gave her that favor because she loved and trusted Him. She did nothing special to deserve it, but her heart was right.

Ruth had gone though heartache and pain as a young woman. Her husband was killed in a battle. When her mother-in-law Naomi was moving to a different city, Ruth decided to go with her and help take care of her. There was a great famine in the land. Food was scarce. Ruth went out in the fields every morning to glean wheat left by the reapers. That is how she and Naomi survived.

One day, Boaz, the owner of that field, came to visit. His workers told him about the young widow Ruth who picked up what the harvesters had missed. Boaz told his workers to drop handfuls of wheat on purpose for Ruth.

When you walk into one of your favor moments, people will go out of their way to be good to you. Many times they don’t realize why they’re doing it. It’s simply because you stepped into a time of favor that God released into your life.

You see Ruth was just minding her own business, doing her very best and being faithful. All of a sudden she started seeing all this wheat lying in front of her. Think about it. She didn’t have to struggle any more. She didn’t have to search the field trying to find a little here and a little there. All she had to do was picking up the wheat piles left for her.

Extraordinary things began to happen for Ruth. She received blessings that she did not have to work for. That’s the way our Father is. All of a sudden you get breaks that you didn’t deserve.

Due to His favor, she married Boaz, “a man of great wealth”

Ruth 2:1, and their ancestral line brought forth David from whom Jesus was descended. Ruth no longer worked in the field. She and her husband (Boaz) owned it.

God’s supernatural favor flowing in your life is not based on your background, looks or personality. His favor is based on the Word of God and believing what it says about you. Favor can break through barriers set before you, and it is available to every believer.

You can subscribe to The Daily Choice which brings an encouraging message 5 days a week to your inbox by clicking here

Share on Tumblr Share
Filed Under: Walk By Faith Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

You Are More Than A Conqueror

March 31, 2011 by 4 Comments
Share on Tumblr Share

You Are More Than A Conqueror and You Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens You.

Do you  know that you are more than a conqueror. Do you really know that? That is what God says about you, right? This is God’s Word to you: Rom 8:37  But in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us. “We” means you. Your position of being “…more than a conqueror” is right now.

The fact that you are more than a conqueror is reality. It is the truth. Faith is always now and your faith makes you a conqueror right now! It is something you are guaranteed because of God’s promise. You and I have to make a choice to believe it. It is a very powerful truth.

To be a conqueror is tremendous. Conquer means “to triumph, to overcome, to win, to succeed or to be victorious.” Romans 8:37 in the New American Standard is translated, “…we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.” This is our victory! The adversary is defeated and can no longer triumph in our lives.

You are more than a conqueror because the love of Jesus is on the inside of you and is victory is yours by faith, not by works. No matter what you have done or how you may have failed in the past, you are more than a conqueror. Don’t ever forget it. [Read more…]

Share on Tumblr Share
Filed Under: Walk By Faith Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

The Limitless Strength of God

March 6, 2011 by 2 Comments
Share on Tumblr Share

Limitless Strength

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isa 40:29 -31

It is time for you to soar with eagles and ride upon the high place of the earth. Isaiah was saying in these verses, “God never gets tired. He has unlimited strength and wisdom.” In fact, strength is found in the wisdom of God. Weariness isn’t necessarily tiredness of the body.

The weariness most people experience is in their minds and attitudes. When a person becomes burdened, he carries “the load,” which includes worry, fear, anxiety and problems.

Perhaps you are in a place of weariness and fainting. You have thought about giving up on what God has called you to do. There is good news for you. God does not run out of strength. There is no end to His wisdom and understanding. The good thing about strength and ability is that He wants to impart it in your life. He gives power to the faint because He intends for you to be powerful in the earth.

Born-again believers need to daily recharge their spiritual reserves to face the difficulties, temptations, pressures, stress, demands and schedules. If you try to be strong in the arm of the flesh, you will come to a point where you will want to give up on life.

Many people who were once in church have gradually lost their communion and close fellowship with their God. Their zeal for God has lessened to the point that the things of this world have become more attractive to them.

When you lose your desire for God, something else takes place in your heart. As you draw close to the Lord, the things of this world will lose their power and influence over you. It is time to wait on the Lord, renew your strength and mount up with wings as an eagle.

Sometimes people have experienced great things that have happened in the past; they hold on to a past that is filled with pain and regret. It is time for us to forget those painful memories and lay aside the things that keep you from moving forward.

If you are holding on to things of the past, it’s impossible to receive the fresh and new. Your future is going to be better than your past. You have everything to look forward to, because you have been given the power of choice. YOU can choose what you want to do; look back or have your eyes on the future. I know what I choose for; what are you choosing for?

Share on Tumblr Share
Filed Under: Walk By Faith Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
Next Page »