Wherefore we would have come unto you,

even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.

-1 Thessalonians 2:18

Have you ever pursued something that you believed was God’s will, yet obstacles seemed to keep you from doing what you thought you were supposed to do? If you have, don’t feel alone, because many people have been in the same position! even the apostle Paul felt this way from time to time! But what should you do in times like these?

Have you ever driven down a road on your way to your destination, only to discover that the road you’re driving on is too full of ruts and holes to continue your journey? As a result, you have to turn around, go back, and find another route to get where you are going. Well, that is exactly the image the word hindered portrays to us!

Paul uses this word to describe hindering forces that keep him from going to see the Thessalonians. There is no doubt that this means Paul was on his way to see them- not once, but twice. But the journey became so filled with danger and unexpected bumps that Paul had to turn around, go back, and rethink his strategy on how he was going to get to church at Thessalonica. Can you think of a time when you encountered something like this in your own journey?

Paul was actually saying:

“…Satan created an impasse that keep me from coming to see you.”

“…Satan put obstructions in my path to prevent me from getting to you.”

“…Satan cut in on me and prohibited me from visiting you as I wanted to do.”

“…Satan tried to elbow his way in on me to keep me from coming to see you.”

When something happens that seems to prohibit you from doing God’s will, remember that you are not the first to encounter such difficulties. Others have have been in the same quandary. In time, however, the devil’s attack ceased, and the way for them to move ahead became clear. In the same way, you can be sure that God is going to empower you and give you the wisdom you need to get where you need to go!

Don’t despair - the story isn’t over yet! Don’t throw in the towel and give in just because you’ve hit some kind of impasse. The devil has never had the last word in anything, and he isn’t going to have the last word on this situation either. Regardless of what the devil has tried to do, it’s time for you to remember that what god promised SHALL come to pass as you hold fast to your faith in Him!

Our Confession For Today:

I know I am not the first to encounter difficulties. Therefore, I confess that with God’s help, the devil’s attack will cease and the way for me to move ahead will become clear. God is going to give me the exact wisdom I need to get where I need to go! I am not going to give in just because I’ve hit some kind of impasse. The devil has never had the last word on anything, and he isn’t going to have the last word on this situation either!

I declare this by faith in Jesus name!

Have a great day everyone and God bless you all!

For God’s Glory,

Pastor Tom

Are you constantly serving others without giving yourself needed times of rest and refreshing? Or do you remember that you have spiritual needs too?

When Paul wrote First Timothy 4:16, Timothy was a young pastor working ferociously to see his ministry succeed. Timothy was serving as a pastor of the giant church of Ephesus- the world’s largest church at that time. In the process, he was learning to deal with all the problems that go along with serving as the senior pastor of such a large church.

Have you ever been guilty of running around and taking care of everyone else except yourself? Have you ever gotten so busy helping others that you forfeited your own vital time with God? Be honest! Have you ever done this so regularly that you began to feel drained, and you knew it was because you weren’t taking care of your own spiritual needs?

It’s so easy to get distracted by other things that scream for your attention. However, if your relationship with God suffers because you are trying to help everyone else, it will be just a matter of time until you run dry, lose your energy and passion, and have nothing more to offer. This is exactly what was happening to Timothy! If  he was to continue serving as an effective minister to other people, he had to set aside some private time to develop his own relationship with God.

Paul’s words to Timothy could be translated:

“Get ahold of yourself….”

“Make your own spiritual life a priority….”

“Don’t get so busy that you Forget you have have spiritual needs too….”

So if you wish to continue being effective for God’s Kingdom, it is mandatory that you  don’t forget about your own spiritual need to grow and to be refreshed by the Word. As Paul’s words could be understood, Don’t get so busy that you have spiritual needs too!”

Our Confession For Today:

I boldly proclaim by faith that my spiritual life is my number-one priority. I pay attention to my walk with God, and I do everything I can do to make sure my spiritual life is alive, growing, and constantly reaching out for more of the Lord. I am sensitive to God’s Spirit. I am attuned to His Word. As A result of putting my own spiritual life first, I am filled with enough power and love to adequately serve the needs of those who are around me.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Have a wonderful day everyone and God bless you all!

For God’s Glory,

Pastor Tom

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,

as the manner of some is….

Hebrews 10:25

People tend to skip church and stay away from other believers when they get discouraged. Maybe you know someone who has done this. Maybe you’ve done it yourself at a time in your life when you felt discouraged or depressed.

Don’t let embarrassment or discouragement keep you away from other believers. You need their strength! You need their testimony! You need their encouragement! You need to hear them say, “You can do it! You can make it!”

Satan knows that if he can get you to fall out of fellowship with other believers-at that very moment when you need fellowship and encouragement the most- then he probably keep you down and defeated. Yes, it’s true that you can read the Bible at home by yourself, and you need to do this. But fellowship with other believers is essential for everyone, and that includes you! You! You receive encouragement from other believers  that you can’t anywhere else.

That is why the church is the last place the devil wants you to go when your feeling low! He knows if you go to church, you will be touched  by the presents of the Lord; you will get encouraged by other believers; and in the end, you’ll crawl out of that hole the enemy has put you in and rise up to a place of heavenly victory!

The devil works overtime to try to temp you to skip church, stay home, and do something else instead. But, friend, why isolate yourself when you are in the greatest need of encouragement?

Hebrews 10:25 could be translated:

When you’re feeling down and depressed- like a failure who is falling behind everyone else- that isn’t the time to stay away for other believers, as some are in the habit of doing…”

Instead of letting the devil and your flesh get the best of you in a moment of weakness, here’s my suggestion: In addition to praying and reading the Word at home when you’re feeling down and out, go find another believer or a group of believers who can build you up in faith and encourage you in the Lord. After fellowshiping with people of faith, you’ll feel recharged to go back and face those challenges with a winning attitude!

Our Confession For Today

I declare that Satan does not have the power to keep me down and depressed! When life comes against me and the devil tries to tell me that I have no hope of ever getting out of my problems, I run to people of faith so I can get encouraged! I don’t get fall out of fellowship , and I don’t stay away from church. I am faithful in my church attendance, and I receive encouragement every time I get in God’s Presence and rub shoulders with the people of God!

I declare this by faith in Jesus Name

Have a great day everyone and may God bless you all!!

For God’s Glory,

Pastor Tom

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,

but against principalities, against powers.

against rulers of darkness of this world,

against spiritual wickedness in high places.

- Ephesians 6:12

I realize that many people tend to think that screaming, yelling, screeching, stomping, and shouting are required to defeat the devil. However, these actions  will accomplish nothing if those same people are not living a consecrated and holy life.

Satan uses all these evil forces in his attack against mankind. Nevertheless, we believers have far more authority and power than the devil and his forces. You and I have the Greater One living within us! As members of the church of Jesus Christ, we are loaded with heaps and heaps of raw power, for the Church has no shortage of power, nor is it deficient in God-given authority. We have more power and more authority than all these evil forces combined!

What we lack in order and discipline. We must learn to see ourselves as the army of God and to view the local church as the training center where we are to do God’s business. Then we must heed the call of Jesus and be dispatched into the dark world to preach the Gospel and to drive these evil forces from people’s lives. We must buckle down and view ourselves as the troops of Jesus Christ!

Being organized and disciplined includes living a holy and consecrated life. There is no room for slackness in the life of a real Christian soldier. To deal with these forces that are being dispatched to destroy us and the world around us, it is required that we walk with God and listen to the voice of His Spirit. We must gird up the loins of our minds and fill our thoughts with the Word of God.Satan’s troops are serious- and if we’re not serious about our contest with them it will only be a matter of time until they discover our weakness and strike with all their forces to bring us down.

Determine to see yourself as a soldier in the army of the God. Don’t allow anything to remain in your life that would hinder your fight of faith. Be disciplined, committed, and organized. Take advantage of all the weapons described in Ephesians 6:13-18. Then get ready to witness the awesome demonstration of God’s power in your life as you prevail against Satan’s rank and file!

Our Confession For Today: I confess that I live a holy and consecrated life! There is no room for slackness in my life. I am serious about serving God as a real Christian soldier. I do everything that is required for me to walk with God  and to hear the voice of His Spirit when He speaks to me. I am very serious about winning every conflict with evil forces. Because of my strong commitment to this fight of faith, I am more than a match for anything the devil tries to throw at me!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Have a great day everyone and God bless you  all!

For God’s Glory,

Pastor Tom

And having spoiled principalities and power

He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

- Colossians 2:15

When we count on the fact that there are unseen evil forces that have been assigned to kill, steal, and destroy everything good in our lives. The bible clearly teaches that these devilish forces band together to commit acts of aggression against the saints- and that includes you and me!

Because of Jesus death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead, the forces of hell are already defeated. However, even though they have been legally stripped of their authority and power, they continue to roam around this earth, carring out evil deeds like criminals, bandits, hooligans, and thugs. And just like criminals who refuse to submit to the law, these evil spirits will continue to operate in this wortld until some believers uses his God-given authority to enforce their defeat!

We need to get ahold of this truth: These demonic forces are legally stripped of their authority and are defeated! We are not puny, struggling believers who are somehow trying to learn how to cope with the devil’s attacks against us. We’re not merely trying to learn how to scrape by or survive. Jesus’ death and reurrection gave us the legal authority to keep satin under our feet, so we must always make sure we approach spiritual warfare as victor’s and not victims.

So when Colossians 2:15 declares that Jesus triumphed over evil powers, it is expliciyly declaring that Jesu took the ememy apart piece by piece as He thoroughly “spoiled principalities and powers. When Jesus was  finished with those demonic forces, they were utterly plundered- “stripped to bare nakedness” and left with nothing in hand to retaliate!

No matter what demonic strategy may come against you this day or how many demons are assembled together for your destruction, you never have to go down defeated. Jesus plundered the ememy when He rose from the dead. So when you look into the mirror, you need to learn to see yourself as one who already has the victory. You already possess the authority necessary to keep satan under your feet where he belongs. Remember, you are no longer a victim-you are a victor!

Our Confession for Today: I confess that satan is not a force I am trying to defeat because he is already defeated. I use my God- given authority to resist him,and he flees from me. No matter what demonic strategy may come against me this day or how many demons may try to assemble together for my destruction, I NEVER have to go down in defeat. When I look into the mirror, I see someone who already has the victory. I possess the authority necessary to keep Satin under my feet where he belongs!
I declare this by faith in the name of Jesus!

Have a great day everyone and God bless you all!!

For God’s Glory ,

Pastor Tom

In moments of stress, pressure, or fear or when you’re so exhausted you can’t think straight, have you ever been tempted to say, “Dear God, what is wrong with me? I fell like I’m losing my mind”?

When your mind is guared by the Word of God, you think differently. When the Word of God is allowed to work in your mind, it safeguards your emtions; it defends your mind from demonic assault; and it shields you from arrows the ememy may try to shoot in your direction in order to arouse a spirit of fear inside you.

Why is it important for you to understand this? because when you begin to live a life of faith- when you reach out to do the impossible- the ememy will try to assault you mentally and emtioally in an attempt to stop your progress. For instance, he may speak to your mind, saying things like,You can’t do this! This doesn’t make sence! Are you crazy?

So what do you do when the devil tries to convince you that you’re losing your mind? What do you do if you’re confused due to stressful situations and so tempted to fear that you can’t think straight? Go get alone with the Lord and give Him your concerns. As you focus on Jesus and release all those burdens, you’ll find that your mind is working fine! Second Timothy 1:7 promises you a sound mind; therefore, you have the right and privilage to tell the devil to shut up and then to declare by faith that your mind is sound, safe, and secure!

Our Confession for today

I declare that my mind is guared by the Word of God. God’s Word works in my mind; safe guards my emtions; defends my mind from demonic assults; and shields me from the arrows the ememy trys to shoot in my direction in order to arouse a spirit of fear inside of me. When the devil trys to convince me that I’m losing my mind or to confuse me with stressful situations, I get alone with the Lord and give my concerns to Him. As I focus on Jesus and release all those burdens, I find that my mind is working fine?

I declare this by faith in Jesus name!

Have a great day everyone and may God bless you all!

For God’s Glory ,Pastor Tom

Regarding the Holy Spirit’s supernatural revelation to believers, the apostle Paul wrote, ” But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:9,10).

When the Holy Spirit lifts the cover and removes the veil that has blocked your view of God’s plans for you, the eyes of your spirit suddenly see and perceive truths that were previously veiled. That is what the Bible calls a revelation. In one instant, everything comes into clear view, answering all your questions and giving you the direction you’ve been seeking for a long time.

Truthfully, God gave us our brains so we could use them, and we need to learn how to use them well. But there are some things the mind alone will never perceive. If we are going to see those spiritual truths, we will have to have a spiritual experience that opens our eyes to them.

If you have been seeking answers that your mind can’t find, why not go to the ultimate Source of divine revelation? God holds all the answers you seek. As you sincerely ask in faith and genuinely open your heart so the Holy Spirit can speak to you, He will tell you everything He wants you to know!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, now I understand that I’ve been trying to find answers I’ll never discover by myself. The things I long to know can only be revealed  by You, so today I ask You to pull the veil that has concealed those things I long to understand. I know that when You get involved, my eyes will be open and my ignorance will evaporate. I sincerely ask You in faith to speak to me and to show me those things I need to know.

OUR CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I affirm that with the help of the Holy Spirit, I clearly see and understand everything the Holy Spirit wants me to know. The day of ignorance has been removed because the Holy Spirit has come to reveal the benefits Jesus has provided for me. Now I have access to the secrets that were previously hidden to my natural mind and perception. I am thankful for the Spirit’s revealing work in my life, and I declare that I never have to claim ignorance again!

I declare this by faith in Jesus name!

Have a great day everyone and God bless you all!

For God’s Glory,

Pastor Tom

God so loved the world that  He gave His only begotten Son, that                                                     whoever believed in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

-John 3:16

Scripture reading: John 3:5-21

It does not matter what age you are. If I were to say to you, ” Do you ever remember a time when the Spirit did not strive with you,” it would be marvelous how many people would answer, No.” What do you call it? God bringing you in, His grace drawing you to Himself.

When I think of my own case, I recall that on both side of my family( Father and Mother) there was no desire for God, yet in my life I was strangely moved upon by the Spirit. I was definitely saved, and I felt the Spirit come upon me, just as when I spoke in tongues. I was “elect according to the foreknowledge of God” (1 Peter 1:2), and many have had the same experience.

It is a most blessed thought that we have a God of love, compassion, and grace, who does not will the death of even one sinner. God has made it possiable for all men to be saved by causing Jesus, His beloved Son, to die for the sins of all people. It is true that He took our sins; it is true that He paid the price for the whole world; it is true that He gave Himself as a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28). And you say,” For whom?” ” Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:17).

“What about those who do not receive His gift of salvation?” you ask. It takes their direct refusal of the blood of Jesus; they have to refuse to have Christ reign over them. It is  “whoever desires” on this side and whoever does not on the other side. There are people living in the world who do not desire God’s gift. Why do they respond this way? Because “the God of this age has blinded [them], who do not believe, lest the light of the Gosple of glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” ( Cor. 4:4).

Thought for today: Jesus is bigger than any assembly, yet He is small enough to fill every heart.

Have a great day everyone and God bless you all!

For God’s Glory,

Pastor Tom

Blessed are the meek, for they shall

inherit the earth,

-Matthew 5:5

Scripture reading: Isaiah 11:1-9

God wants us to rejoice today. He has brought us into this blessed place so that we may mourn and then rejoice. Let us look at the next verse in Matthew 5: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

You say, Don’t talk to me about being meek; I will never be able to be like that.” Take the case of Moses. He surely was not meek when he killed the Egyptian. But when God got Moses into His hand in the land of Midian, He molded him so that he became the meekest man in all the earth. I do not care what your temper is like. If you get only a little touch from Heaven, God can mold you so that you can become meek.

I used to have such a bad temper that it made me tremble all over. It  would make me furious with it’s evil power. I saw that this temper had to be destroyed; it could not be simply patched up. One day the power of God fell upon me. I came to the meeting and cried out to the Lord. This went on for a couple weeks. Every time I came before the Lord, God used to sweep through me with such a manifestation of my helplessness that my spirit of bad temper began changing. People could see that I was different when it came to my temper. God started a revival in my heart that way. God had broken me up, and a revival  began through His revival in me. Oh, it was lovely!

Only God can make people right. Only melted gold is minted. Only moistened clay accepts the mold. Only softened wax receives the seal. Only broken contrite hearts receive the mark as the Potter turns us on His wheel. Oh, Lord, give us that blessed state where we are perfectly and wholly made meek.

Thought for today: Perfect love will never want the preeminence in everything; it will never want to take the place of another; it will always be willing to take the back seat.

Have a great day everyone and God bless you all!

For God’s Glory,

Pastor Tom

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

- Matthew 5:3

Scripture reading: Psalm 37: 25-40

When we grasp this idea of being poor in spirit and identify ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, we have come to a place where we now see that all things are possible with God. We recognize that God has an unlimited supply, and in our poverty of spirit, we are entitled to all that God has, “for [ours] is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

When Jesus came to Sychar, a city of Samaria, “being wearied from His Journey” (John 4:6), he sat down by a well. His disciples were not with Him because they had gone to buy food in a nearby city(v.8). When they returned, they saw Him at peace. He was not looking for food but was quite relaxed.  When Jesus was not interested in eating the food they brought, “the disciples said to one another, Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?” (v.33). This shows us the possibility for man to live in God, to be absorbed in God, with no consciousness of the world under any circumstances, except as we bring help to it. and He said to them, “Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!”(v.35). That is His food, the spiritual life in God, which is joy in the Holy Spirit.

He comes to enrapture our souls, to break every bond of mere human affection and replace in us the divine instead of the earthly, the pure instead of the unholy, the eyes of faith that see God instead of human feelings. The divine Son of God is to be in us, mightily moving through us, as we cease to be. This poverty of spirit spoken of in this Beatitude helps us.

Thought for today: In spite of my meekness, humility, and helplessness, all that God has is mine.

Have a great day everyone and God bless you all!

For God’s Glory,

Pastor Tom