HE'S READY TO SPEAK TO YOU.

1 John 2:27
"But the anointing which you have received of [God] abideth in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth."

Have you ever noticed that you are sometimes aware of certain things even before you know what the Word says about them? That's because the Holy Spirit is inside you teaching you the truth. He speaks into your spirit. Then your spirit relays His promptings to your mind. Suddenly, you'll have a new thought. "I need to forgive that person," you'll think, or "I need to stop saying those unkind things."

As you become more aware of the Spirit of God in your everyday affairs, you'll be quicker to hear and obey those promptings. You'll actually get in the habit of allowing the Spirit of Truth to reveal the will of God to you. And, believe me, that's one habit God wants you to have!

Start tuning your ear to His still small voice within you. Honor Him and welcome His guidance into your everyday affairs. Listen for His promptings and be quick to obey. He's ready to speak to you.

READ: John 15:1-15

"THE LORD BRINGS THE COUNSEL OF THE NATIONS TO NAUGHT; HE FRUSTRATE THE PLANS OF THE PEOPLE" PSALM 33:10

You may be facing trouble today that's being caused by people who have wilfully plotted to do you harm. They may be trying to steal your business, your home, your children, or even to destroy your marriage. If so, I have a word of encouragement for you. According to Psalm 33:10, God will bring the plans of those people to nought. He will make their devices of none effect. The counsel of the heathen is
brought to nought, but the counsel of the Lord stands forever!

Remember this: When you make God your stronghold in the time of trouble, no one can overcome you. No matter how powerful they are in the natural, the odds are in your favour because you trust in the Lord. They may think they've got an edge over you, but God is on your side and that gives you the advantage!

READ: Psalm 33:1-10

"If you belong to Christ, then you are the descendants of Abraham and will receive what God has promised"Galatians 3:29

One of the problems that hung around me for years was poverty. But I remember the day I decided I wasn't going to be poor anymore. I was reading in the Word where it says that the blessing of Abraham has come upon the Gentiles by Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:14). Then I got down to the twenty-ninth verse where it says, "If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and HEIRS ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE." Suddenly the truth hit me. I got so excited I could hardly stand myself.

I turned back over to Deuteronomy 28 and--line by line--I read those promised blessings. "Blessed in the city, blessed in the country. Blessed going out, blessed coming in. Blessed in your barns, blessed in your fields, blessed in all the works of your hands." Man, I had struck it rich!

I told Him, "I'm standing on Your Word, and I'm looking to You to take care of me. I'll never ask a man for a dollar." That was many years ago and I never have. You know why? Because that decision connected me to the power of God. It'll do the same for you.

READ: Deuteronomy 28:1-13

"If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered."John 15:6

If I were to ask you to make a list of a hundred things you need to do to please the Lord today, you could do it, couldn't you? In fact, you probably have so many spiritual "do's" and "don'ts" cluttering up your mind that you'd hardly know where to start.

But you can relax. I'm not going to suggest you make a list of them. Instead, I'm going to help you simplify things by giving you only one: Abide in Jesus.The one thing you're truly responsible for is your union with Him. If you keep your union and fellowship with Him intact, everything else will be taken care of.

Don't fall into the devil's trap. Instead, keep your thoughts and affections trained on the Lord. As you do that, the force of faith will begin to flow out of you. And that flow will repel every form of darkness. It will bring you in triumph through every storm.

Fellowship with Jesus today.

READ: Philippians 3:1-11

"I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven:what ever bind on earth shall be bound heaven and whatever loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven

Matthew 16:19

The Greek text of that scripture would literally read, "I give you the keys of the kingdom. Whatever you declare locked on earth is locked in heaven and whatever you declare unlocked on earth is unlocked in the heavenlies."

The heaven Jesus was talking about there isn't the heaven where God resides. He was talking about the battle zone, about the heaven where Satan's forces are operating.

He was telling us that God has given us power to bind the wicked spirits in heavenly places and to loose the angelic powers of God to work in our behalf.

It's up to you and me to begin to intercede right now and use the power God has given us. We may come from different lands with different backgrounds, but we all have one thing in common--Jesus Christ is our Lord. And that alone is enough to alter the spiritual complexion of this earth.

READ: Acts 4:1-14

The fruits of the Spirit are not weak; they're strong.Learn to yield to them and as 2 Peter 1:10 promised, you shall never fall!

Galatians 5:22-23
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

So many believers think of the fruit of the Spirit as little more than a
passive list of pleasant qualities that can help improve their personalities. But they're far greater than that! They're pure spiritual power.

Love is so powerful, the scripture says, that it never fails. Patience is so powerful it cannot be stopped. No matter what the circumstances, it will not quit. Temperance is so powerful it can master all the unruly desires of your flesh.

The fruits of the Spirit are not weak; they're strong. So strong all the demons of hell can't stop them. So strong that if you'll let them flow out of you, they'll correct the problems in your life. They'll keep you steadfast when all the people around you are falling down. They'll keep you on your feet when governments fail and when the storms of life come.

We are living in dangerous days. There's only one way you can make it through in victory. You must begin to release those powerful fruits of the Spirit God has placed inside you. Believe me, if you're born again, they are there. Learn to yield to them and as 2 Peter 1:10 promised, you shall never fall!

READ: 2 Peter 1:1-10

Perseverance is the key to success in intercession!

Luke 11:8 "I tell you, although he will not get up and supply him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his shameless persistence and insistence, he will get up and give him as much as he needs."

If, as God tells us in 1 Timothy 2:4, it's His will for all men to be saved, why aren't we seeing more of the masses of lost people born again every day? Have you ever wondered that?

I have...and as I've sought the Lord about it, I've come to realize that, for the most part, it's because those of us who are already saved don't pray persistently for those who aren't. Instead of persevering--staying before the Father, praying for them to receive the bread of salvation--like the man in Luke 11:8 did for his friend, when we don't see immediate results, we simply give up and go home.

What we don't realize is this: Perseverance is the key to success in intercession!

If you're sitting around waiting on God to save Sekuru Makombo or Uncle Guide or your best friend...stop sitting around! Get busy interceding for them. Persevere in prayer. Pray the prayer in Ephesians 1:16-23 for them, refusing to give up until they're safely inside God's kingdom.

READ: Luke 11:1-10

Romans 8:26

"So too the (Holy) Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer...but the Spirit Himself...pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance."

As long as you live on this earth, you're going to be saddled with a weakness. What is it? The flesh and blood body you live in. It's a body that's subject to death. A body that's subject to the physical world around you.

Praying in the Spirit by the Holy Spirit applies spirit to flesh. It causes your spirit to rise up and take charge. Just like using barbells strengthens your arms, praying in other tongues strengthens your spirit. You see, your spirit is more powerful than your flesh, and as you give it outflow, the flesh will simply have to yield to it. Renew your commitment to praying in the Spirit today.

READ: Romans 8:14-32

"In the Letter that I wrote you I told you not to associate with immoral people" 1Corithians 5:9

The company you keep has such an influence on your spiritual life Fellowshiping with godly people will help speed you on to victory, while fellowshiping with those who are ungodly will drag you down to defeat That's why the Bible has some things to say about your friends. That's why it tells you to separate yourself from the world. Because evil companions will corrupt you. Now, I'm not talking about ministry. Jesus Himself ministered to sinners. You have to mix with them to preach to them and pray for them. What I'm talking about here are the people you choose for friends. So choose your friends wisely. Fellowship with those who call on the Name of the Lord out of a pure heart (2 Tim. 2:22). Expose yourself to their love and peace. Let their faith rub off on you! READ: 1 Corinthians 5:9-13

"So for the sake of your tradition, you have made void the word of God" Matthew 15:6

TB, AIDS' Heart disease. When we think of killer diseases, those are the names that come to mind. But the truth is, there's a far more deadly killer on the loose in the Church today. And it's destroyed more lives than any of us can imagine. It's called
tradition. Traditions rob believers of their healing. They steal the power from the promises of God. Here are three you should beware of:

1. The tradition that says it's not always God's will to heal you.
It is God's will to heal you! It says so in His Word. If you don't believe that it is, then you can't pray in faith believing you'll receive. You're like the farmer who sits on his porch and says, "I believe in crops, but I'm not going to plant any seed this year. I'll just believe, and if it's God's will, my crop will come up." That farmer will never see his crop. Faith is the seed of healing--if you don't plant it, it won't grow. A prayer that includes the words, "If it be thy will" won't produce a healing harvest. You must know without a doubt that healing is always
God's will for you.

2. Another tradition we hear is that healing has passed away. That there are no miracles today. But the Word of God proves that's not true. In Exodus 15:26, God says, "I am the Lord that healeth thee." He also tells us that He does not change (Mal. 3:6). He has never changed since the beginning of time. For healing to pass away, God would have to pass away...and He is not about to do that!

3. The third dangerous tradition is this one: "God gets glory from Christians being sick." That tradition totally violates the Word of God. The Bible says that people gave glory to God when they saw the lame walk and the blind see. God receives glory from your healing--not your pain!

The world is looking for a way out of sickness and disease, not a way into it. Let's break down those traditions and deliver a hurting world from the most dangerous killer of all.

READ: Mark 2:1-12

"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." Matthew 16:25

The high life...or the low life? God's kind of life...or the world's kind of life? You can't have them both. It's one or the other. You have to choose.

What will happen to you when you choose God's kind of life? You'll start living the kind of life God describes in Psalm 1. You'll be like "a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth fruit in season; your leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever you do shall prosper."

This means your roots will go down so deep that no drought can dry you up and no storm can blow you down. No matter what happens in the world around you, you'll prosper.

READ: Matthew 16:13-26

TITHING

Malachi 3:11-12
"And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land."

God is vitally interested in your finances. He wants to multiply and protect them. But He won't be able to--unless you open the door for Him to do it.

How? Through tithing.

When you tithe, you give God the legal right to intervene in your financial affairs, to bless you richly, and to defend you against the destruction the devil brings. When you tithe, you lay a foundation for success and abundance. You establish deposits with God you can draw on when you need them.

But don't wait until your back is against the wall to start. Begin now. Start developing your faith when things are going well by meditating on the blessing God's Word promises you as a tither. Learn to act on that Word now, and when Satan tries to put you in a financial corner, he'll fail. His power over you financially
will have already been broken. Because you've established yourself on the covenant of God, Satan will have no chance against you. God will rebuke him for your sake.

If you haven't yet opened the door and given God a way into your finances, don't wait any longer. Do it today. Then, when the pressures of tomorrow come, you'll be prepared and protected by the special privileges that are guaranteed to those who tithe.

READ: Hebrews 7:1-9

"In Him was Life and the Life was the Light of men. And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it."John 1:4-5

Whenever things around you get dark and you feel the devil is about to overpower you, remember this: You have the Light of the world in you, and try as they may, all the forces of hell can't put it out!

Even when you're at your weakest, even when you feel like the light within you is small, the devil's darkness is no match for you.

READ: Ephesians 5:8-16

"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions,and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you."

Luke 10:19 "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions,
and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you."

Somebody's done you wrong! Sooner or later it happens to all of us. Somewhere along the way, we all get hurt or cheated or lied to or abused. It's as predictable as it is painful. Yet when it happens most of us find ourselves strangely unprepared. In our outrage, we often cry out to God against the one who wronged us. We ask for justice, or even vengeance, and end up making things tougher on everyone
involved--including ourselves.

Crying out for the vengeance of God to strike like a lightning bolt when somebody does us wrong isn't acting like our Father. Remember God has great, great mercy. Not just for me and you, but for everyone!

Next time someone causes you pain, put the power of love to work for you.

READ: Matthew 6:6-15

"Constantly keep in mind Jesus Christ, the Messiah, [as] risen from the dead."2 Timothy 2:8

This is the key to holding onto the blessings of God. When pressure comes, when troubles and trials are bearing down on you, remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead!

Remember that when Jesus arose, you arose. When He came out of hell and defeated the enemy, you came out of hell and defeated the enemy. His victory is your victory because you're in Him.

READ: Hebrews 12:1-13

"You are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." 1 John 4:4

Under the circumstances... Have you ever caught yourself using this phrase? "I suppose I'm doing pretty well under the circumstances."

If you've ever said something like that, I want you to kick those words out of your vocabulary right now. Because you, as a victorious child of God, don't have any business living your life "under" your circumstances. You don't have any business letting problems and situations rule over you.

READ: Colossians 1:9-15

"These things I command you, that ye love one another." John 15:17

In Luke 6:47-48, Jesus said:
"Whosoever comes to me, and hear my sayings, and do them, I will show you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock."

That's probably a familiar scripture to you. But today I want you to do something new with it. I want you to put it together with what Jesus said in John 15:17:

These things I command you, that ye love one another.

Love. That one word sums up all Jesus said for us to do. If you'll build your life on it, even the most violent storms of this world will be unable to shake you. It will make you solid in every area of your life.

If you'll build your family on love, you can win back those the devil has stolen from you. You can win them to Jesus with the love of God.

When love rules, prosperity can flow! Commit to living the life of love today. Commit to building your house upon the rock. Then when the storms of life begin to blow--at home, at work, or in any situation--you can enjoy the solid security of knowing that love never fails.

READ: 1 Corinthians 13:8-13