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God is not finished with you!

“The gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”

Romans 11:29

A vision is a great thing. It is a blueprint. It is a compass that helps guide you in the right direction. But the vision must be put into action. It must graduate to a cause. God has given many of you a great vision. He also wants to help you move into your cause. What is it that is burning in your heart to do? What problems do you see that you can help solve? These are probably indications of your cause. 

It’s important to note that everyone can have a cause. You do not have to be in full-time ministry to have one. Regardless of your vocation, God wants you to pursue a passionate cause. If God has given you a vision for something, start taking steps toward putting it into action. That is when you will become effective.

Move in the direction that your vision is pointing you. Don’t despise small beginnings. God honors steps of faith. You may be asking, “What if I have already put my vision on the shelf?” or “What if I missed my opportunity?” I have good news for you. It is not too late! I want to remind you of Romans 11:29 which says, “The gifts and calling Of God are without repentance.” God is not finished with you! He is NOT sorry that He has called you. He is NOT disappointed in you. He wants to see you burning with a passionate cause for Him.

Perhaps you were passionate about a cause earlier in your life, but it has now died somewhat or completely. I have good news! God is not finished with you! He is just beginning His work in you. Do not be discouraged. Your defining moment is still ahead of you. David’s defining moment didn’t take him by surprise. He was prepared for it. When it presented itself to him, he recognized what it was. God is preparing you for your defining moment. It is ahead of you.

Everything you have experienced up to this point is preparation for what God has in your future. God’s best is still ahead of you. Take what you have learned and let it ignite a new desire to step into your cause. Let it prepare your heart for what God is going to do in your life. Look beyond your present circumstances, see where God wants you to be, and then move in that direction. Before you know it, your vision will become a cause. 

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Overcoming Strongholds

“So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” – Isaiah 59:19 KJV

One of Satan’s lies is that God is big enough to set you free, but not big enough to keep you free. The enemy comes time and again to try to convince us of that lie. However, God has clearly demonstrated that He is big enough to set His people free and keep them free. Remember the children of Israel? When they were running from their captors and encountered the Red Sea God made a way for them to walk across on dry land. But the plan didn’t end there. He not only set them free, He kept them free! He sealed the deal when he drowned the soldiers pursuing them. God will do the same for you! 

People have misquoted this scripture many times. They would say, “IF the enemy shall come in like a flood.” But the scripture says, “WHEN the enemy shall come in like a flood.” Now, that is not necessarily the part of the promise we want to focus on! But the Word of God is truth. Everyone is going to have opportunities for their faith to be tested. Do not be surprised when the enemy tries to do his craziness. Do not give in to fear either. You have a mighty God! The latter part of that verse says, “…the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” (This is the part we want to focus on!) In the Hebrew the phrase “shall lift up a standard” means “shall put him to flight,” and “drive him away”. God’s reaction to the attack is not to just stand there and fight until the enemy gets tired. He comes in on the offensive and drives the enemy away! His force is overwhelming. 

Your enemy will attack. That’s what enemies do. Remember when the devil sends an attack your way he is not just attacking YOU! God is with you! Hebrews 13:5 says, “… I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” When God gets in the fight – the enemy doesn’t stand a chance! God is MORE than enough! God has already given us what we need to defend against the enemies’ attack. He has given us the victory!

To overcome, we must give more glory to God than to the evil one. Quit rehearsing what the enemy has done or is doing. That helps your enemy build the stronghold. He is a defeated foe. Overcome the stronghold by rejoicing in the deliverance that God brings! We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. (Revelation 12:11) We overcome when we stand firm in the victory that Jesus achieved for us on the cross. We overcome when we build our faith through prayer and feeding on the Word of God. 

Jesus said in John 16:33 (AMP) “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]” Did you read that last part? Jesus said He had overcome the world. He put it in the past tense. Jesus had not gone to the cross yet. He had not taken the keys to death, hell and the grave yet. Yet He knew exactly what was coming. He knew that everything He said would come to pass because God had ordained it since the beginning of the world. His confidence in God’s power was secure. Yours should be too! You are a child of God! You are joint heirs with Jesus. (1 Peter 3:7) His victory is your victory! 

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Be Committed

“Love is a decision of commitment.”

19I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:  20That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Victory Decision

Love is more than just a feeling.  I chose to commit myself to a life of loving God and others.

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Proof in Giving

“Giving is the ultimate test of our love for God.”

1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Romans 12:1

10Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Malachi 3:10

Victory Decision

 I choose to give my all as the ultimate expression of my love for God.

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Just Forgive

“Forgive 490 times each day if necessary.”

21Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?  22Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

Matthew 18:21-22

35So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Matthew 18:35

Victory Decision

 Unforgiveness will eat me up inside.  Forgiveness is a decision, not a feeling.  As I forgive, feelings will follow eventually.  I choose to forgive every time the opportunity for offense is given.

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No Strings Attached

“Love is giving your best with no strings attached, except faith in the seed you plant.”

23And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. 24Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

John 12:23-24

2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2

Victory Action

As I plant loving seeds of faith in others, my only expectation will be God’s abundant harvest.

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Pray for Others

“Intercession is the most unselfish thing a believer can do.”

9I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.  10And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.  11And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.  12While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.  13And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.  14I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.  15I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.  16They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.  17Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.  18As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.  19And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

John 17:9-19

26Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  27And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Romans 8:26-27

Victory Decision

I choose to pray for the needs of others, not just my own.

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Strong Foundation

“A house or a life is no better than its foundation.”

11For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:11

47Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:  48He 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.

Luke 6:47-48

Victory Confession

I am building my life on the foundation of Jesus Christ.

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God is the Multiplier

“Little is much when God is in it.”

 

41And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.  42And they did all eat, and were filled.  43And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.  44And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.

Mark 6:41-44

 

 

Victory Action

I will give my “little bit” to Jesus so that He can multiply it to abundantly meet needs.

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Give Your All

“The greatest gift you can give to God is all of you.”

29And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:  30And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

Mark 12:29-30

 Victory Prayer

Lord, I want to give myself completely to you.  Reveal to me anything that is coming between us and I will change.