"Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."Joshua 1:3,7-8

As Joshua is about to enter the promised land, God reassures him and affirms the promise that was given to Moses, saying, "Wherever you place your feet – it shall be given to you!" God reveals His will, makes an amazing promise, then gives His servant a practical principle for working the promise out and claiming it, telling Joshua to literally step into His will. This is true for every believer. Our mandate is to know, understand and step out into the will of God. How can we know God's will?" "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." [Romans 12:2] But once we know His will we need to have the faith and courage to step out into it. If you don't step out – you can't receive it! Who knows how many blessings we've passed on because we were too afraid to step out! So become like Joshua today! Step out in faith! The enemy of our souls is desiring to prevent us from stepping out – but the promise was given that we should "tread upon the power of the enemy" [Luke 10:18-20]. Brothers & Sisters, step out in His will, claim the promise He has spoken to you– and it shall be given to you! Step out – press through – and know the promises are sure to follow – God has spoken, your part is to step out! TREAD & RECEIVE THE PROMISES!

"But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."1 Corinthians 15:57

The enemy of our souls, Satan, knows his time is short and he is unleashing unprecedented war against the saints throughout the world. But we too must resolve to stand face to face against our enemy and claim the victory we already have in the Lord! Brothers & Sisters, each of us is suffering trials and tribulations today. Stand firm! Let’s recognize the truth that the victory is already ours --- and walk in it! Greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world! Never surrender!

"For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day."2 Corinthians 4:16

There is a process going on in us believers. Since the day the Holy Spirit came to dwell in us He has been at work with perfect wisdom and supernatural power to renew and transform our character, to some extent, our personality, and even our physical body. Our outward man, this mortal body with it's natural weakness and sinful ways was doomed to death and is "wasting away" even now. Yet a new life dwells within this clay jar, and that life is constantly at work having a profound effect on the body which contains it. The Holy Spirit is working renewal, the manifestation of God in and with us. Real estate developers do something similar. They buy a piece of property that is terribly run down, seemingly useless, without much value to the naked eye...and reform it completely, from the inside out. With great skill and vision, they know what to keep, what to get rid of, what part of the property needs renovation, refurbishing, or complete rebuilding. So it is with God and us. He knows everything that comprises our life from the moment of conception; our gifts, abilities, strengths, weaknesses, wounds, and all the characteristics of our personalities. And He wants to completely renovate us according to the vision He has for our lives, which is much greater than we can imagine. He has purchased the "property" of our lives, with His blood, and His Holy Spirit is powerfully and skillfully at work developing the Lord's "real estate"! Brothers & Sisters, your life is in good hands. Your Developer knows exactly what He's doing with you. You might be a little tired or discouraged, run down, or even wrecked in some places, but soon, you will sense, once again that He is building, renovating, and renewing you in the best possible way...for eternity. DON'T FAINT, YOU'RE BEING RENEWED!

"Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you."Hosea 10:12

"Break up your fallow ground." "Fallow" means "hard". A hard heart cannot love; and often cannot even receive it. A hard heart will block relationship with God and with others. Whatever the cause; anger, woundedness, bitterness, unforgiveness, the result will be a superficiality in relationship, an inability to empathize, and a corruption of your motivations. You will become manipulative, deceitful, proud, and unresponsive. God's message, His word to you will be difficult to hear and you will resist it. Like a layer of rock under shallow soil, where the rain cannot penetrate, love and truth will fail to penetrate your heart and affect your actions. Thus, a hard heart is deadly, because sin is petrified there, and the wages of sin is death. How do you break up fallow ground? How do you change a hardened heart? You start with your will. You make a choice. You decide. Your decision is to soften, in spite of the way you feel, the things you remember, or have chosen to forget. Your decision is called "repentance", a changing of the mind, a turning of the will, in the opposite direction. The power of the will to repent is astounding because it opens the door for God to heal and transform your heart; to rain His love upon you and remove bitterness, unforgiveness, anger, and hatred or any other sin that is hardening your heart. Do you want to love? Do you want to be loved? But your heart is hard? Try repentance. Test God's power and will to heal and change you. But you must be willing to mourn. " Blessed are them that mourn." Repentance will open you to the rain of tears so that the pain and bitterness can pour out of you. But you will be amazed at what happens with your relationships. Love will enter and remain in your life; God's love and love with others too. Brothers & Sisters, millions have tried it; repentance works. Make it a lifestyle, and you will live and walk in love. CHOOSE REPENTANCE!

"That you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."Matthew 5:45

The Lord is quoted in this scripture in Matthew. It contains an important principle which believers sometimes tend to overlook. Many believe and even teach that if you're blessed, your life will be filled with material prosperity, and that if you are undergoing extreme trial, it must be because you have sinned or that you lack faith. The Lord says that the sun rises and the rain falls on both the righteous and the unrighteous alike. A life of good circumstances does not mean that God is with us. And likewise, a life of trial and suffering does not mean that God is not with us! If we base our lives on our circumstances, we are no different than people without God. What makes us different is that we have something far greater than our circumstances! We have a relationship with the Living God! Brothers & Sisters, there's nothing wrong with rejoicing in the good times but we need to rejoice in the bad as well! We have a greater treasure and a more amazing victory when our lives our centered upon Him. YOU HAVE HIM, WHO IS GREATER THAN YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES!

“When they looked for him, he could not be found…The LORD said, ‘Behold, he is hiding himself by the baggage.’”1 Samuel 10:21-22

Saul seemed astonished. Was he really to be Israel’s king? How could this be true? He felt totally unqualified. Yet this is what he was told by Samuel. At the public gathering when their king was to be unveiled, Saul’s name was called, but he remained in hiding. This is how he began his reign as king—meek and totally dependent on God. Saul maintained this attitude in the early days of his regime, reigning with humility and trusting in God’s guidance and the presence of the Holy Spirit. But gradually everything changed. Saul started acting rashly, trusting himself instead of seeking God’s will or consulting with His prophet. The king reinterpreted God’s Word to satisfy his own interests, distrusted others, and even decided that David was a rival who must be eliminated. This kind of tragic transformation can happen to any of us. Like Saul, we can begin our lives and careers in humility, depending on the Lord. But the experience of power and success can change us. We can become proud and possessive, defensive and jealous, self-centered and protective. We can ignore or reinterpret God’s Word. Instead of serving Him, we can seek to build our own kingdom. This is what happens when we drift away from God. Like Saul, we find that our peace is gone and our prayers aren’t being answered. In desperation, we can be tempted to embrace false ideas that lead us down wrong paths. Brothers & Sisters today, remember that this kind of transition can happen to anyone. Be warned! Renew your complete dependence on God. Humble yourself before Him. You owe everything to Him. Everything! Live according to God’s Word. Be sensitive to His Spirit. And never forget to give Him all the glory!

"He makes the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still."Psalms 107:29

In the book, The Oracles of God, Richard Wurmbrand writes about acquiring inner peace and tells the following powerful story. During a tempest at sea when a ship was being tossed to and fro by the angry waves, the wife of a naval officer asked her husband, "How can you be so calm in such a storm?" The officer drew his sword, pointed it at his wife's breast, and asked, "Why are you calm and unafraid?" Surprised, she protested, "Why should I be afraid? The sword is in the hand of my husband who loves me too much to harm me." Her husband smiled and said, "This is the source of my calm, too. The wind and the waves are in the hands of my loving Father. Why should I be afraid?" Brothers & Sisters, are you in a tempest with waves roaring around you? Or is there a sword pointed directly at your breast? Why should you be afraid. Your Father is right there with you. He loves you and is so happy when you simply trust Him and refuse to be overwhelmed with fear; no matter what's happening now, or may happen soon. You may not understand, but you can stand on His character and the eternal relationship He has with you. WHY SHOULD I BE AFRAID?