All year long, to this point, I have been teaching under the overall banner for the year, which is “Heaven on Earth,” with a special emphasis on the message of the Kingdom. I have not taught any underlying series’ yet. I will start a new series today entitled, “Press through it.”
For you to become the man/woman God called you to be, you are going to have to develop a certain level of grit, determination, resolve and dedication. No human maximizes their purpose and potential in life without overcoming significant challenges. This is especially true when it comes to the things of God. Because satan is not going to sit back and watch as you become a masterpiece is God’s hands. The enemy will do all that he can to derail you from your destiny. And since God has set up a system where He honors our decisions, if we ever get frustrated to the point where we give up, cave in and quit, then God will honor our decision. He will send people our way to encourage us and He will speak to us by His Spirit to keep going, but if we ultimately choose to live a life that is ‘less than’ God’s best, then we will arrive in heaven only to find out that we could have accomplished more.
For the next few weeks I am going to teach you about pressing through any and all challenges you encounter on the road to your destiny. I am just laying the foundation for the series today.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. A couple of weeks ago I told you that my wife and I hit a major setback. At the time it was devastating and very painful. We were disappointed. The pain was real. As humans, it hurt. But we got up, dusted ourselves off, and kept going. This past Friday we were able to take possession of something God promised us months ago and we are very thankful for it. In the moment of the setback, while the disappointment was setting in, we were very upset. However, two weeks later, now that it is over, and we have laid hold of God’s promise, the disappointment has dissipated. Years from now we won’t even remember it. This is why you must develop perseverance as a believer.
2. God gives us promises and He expects us to receive them by faith. Once they are settled in our hearts, we must then have the faith to do whatever is required to lay hold of the promise. Along the way, your faith will be tested. You will be given many opportunities to give up, cave in and quit. If you do, you will miss out on God’s best. If you do, you will not experience heaven on earth. If you do, you will not maximize your purpose or potential and it will not be God’s fault.
3. Living by faith is not for the faint at heart. If you are going to leave a mark in this world that will not easily be erased, you are going to have to develop a divine level of grit and determination. The greater the assignment, the greater the attack. The greater the promise, the greater the problems. As a believer, you just have to press through it.
4. The longer you walk with God, the more you die to self, and the more grace you have embraced, the greater the challenges will be. The challenges Isabella and I face today would have crippled us years ago. So guess what? God would not have allowed us to face them back then. But since His grace is on us for greater now, He trusts us with greater. This means greater opposition, and as a believer you have to learn to be okay with that. Nothing can stop you while God’s grace is flowing through your life. Because, in that moment, stopping you would mean stopping God and God cannot be stopped. However, if you ever choose to quit, then God will honor your decision. This means that satan cannot stop you, and the world cannot stop you, but YOU CAN STOP YOU if you quit! This is why I often say, “The only way you can lose is if you quit!”
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You for being ON me, IN me, WITH me and FOR me. You give me the grace to face and overcome every challenge on the road to my destiny. You are unstoppable and You are flowing through me. This makes me unstoppable. The only person who can stop me is ME. But that won’t happen because I refuse to give up, cave in or quit. I shall arrive at Your overall expected end for my life. I shall become the man/woman You called me to be. I shall leave a mark in this world that will not be easily erased. Because I am not the one doing it. It is You Father, living in me. You give me he words and You perform the work. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
