Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish,saying "I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble and He answered me.Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God's mercies,but I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise and I will fulfill all my vows.For my salvation comes from the Lord alone." Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach.Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time:"Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh and deliver the Message I Have Given You.This TIME Jonah obeyed the Lord's command and went to Nineveh...." (Jonah2:1,8,9;3:1-10) Hey! Praise To God And Obedience To Him Works!

God never makes mistakes and especially when He created & planned for your Life in Him to effect the multitudes! Moses was totally convinced,his time if ever there was to be one for him,was long gone and didn't he take some convincing to comply with the will of God to engage his Destiny,because of his wrong thinking! We look at him in the light of History but for Moses,like you...he'd had a taste of trying to out work Destiny his own way and failed miserably and wasn't looking,neither wanting the responsibility for a people who couldn't recognize their season of visitation if it hit them in the head,no matter what was on offer. You must have noticed,none of Moses excuses were accepted and neither will yours,so forget that.The gifts and callings of God are without repentance (Rms 11:29). Yes!...you can repent and be forgiven your failure,at this point of Destiny,be restored,empowered and fulfill your Destiny yet,but if you don't...Wow!!! Then you've got a massive problem...I strongly suggest you get your head out of the sand and repent in Jesus Name now! Nothing at all is too hard for God...He Is Able to Accomplish All He's Promised! (Mth25:24-30)

"Samson said to the young servant who was leading him by the hand,Place my hands against the pillars that hold up the temple.I want to rest against them.Then Samson prayed... Sovereign Lord,remember me again.O God please strengthen me just one more time..." (Judges 16:23-31) Get Your Hand Back On The Plough...the end of a thing is better than it's beginning! ( Ecc 7:8)

It's plain to see that both Samson and Jonah alike applied their faith in the Mercies of God for the restoration of their anointing with the accompanying power to demonstrate God's Plan and Presence to their Charge,their Divine Assignment! You're not sent to all the peoples in the earth but you are assigned to carry God's Message to a specific people or peoples in designated places and in that exact place of obedience with His explicate Message you'll see your heart's desire explode in the Joy of Destiny's Completion in Jesus Name.

Refire...stir up the gifts given you by the Living God.Call on the Mercies of God to heal you of your backsliding and wait on the Lord for His Direction to realize your Destiny in Jesus Name!

Father,breathe afresh on your servants in Jesus Name,circumcised their spiritual ears and eyes,that they both hear Your Spirit's direction but also see His intentions in Jesus Name for You to be Glorified in their producing of much fruit and leading many to Jesus for Salvation.Thank you Father in Jesus Name,Amen.

Do The Work Of The Evangelist!

Pastor Paul

Today's challenges...

•           A Stalled Economy

•           A Religious War

•           Unemployment

•           Stress

•           Broken Relationships 

•           Out of control (but can you really blame them?) young people

... demand a revisit to God's Righteousness - His Way of Doing & Being Right in re-establishing peace, trade, employment, blessed stable relationships & real sustainable career opportunities for the young ensuring them a Future in our Nations, Cities and Communities. It's God who holds the Answers ... those who rely on human agencies or ingenuity are cursed (Jer17:5-8;Duet8:11-20;2Tim3:1-5) having forgotten obedience to God is better than sacrifice! It's In God We Trust ... not the Greenback itself or the Government behind it (1Sam15:22-23). The Believer is Told Without Apology ... Their War Is Not With Flesh And Blood; not against the effects of the economy, not against the government, not against unemployment or the results of bad relationships ... it's against Spiritual Forces led by Satan to kill, destroy and steal!

Who is causing all this grief in our personal and public world? Satan and his influence through the unsaved is. (2Cor4:4;Eph2:2-3;Eph6:10-20) Yes, between Satan and man's self-absorbed free will (Duet30:19); this world is in destruction mode, but God has given the Believer Mighty Spiritual Weapons to enforce Satan's Defeat by Christ's death and Resurrection through Faith in His Blood, His Name and obedience to His Word and Way of Living. Against these Satan can't prevent God's Kingdom manifesting Recovery for the Believer! (Jhn10:10;Col2:15;Rms8:37)

Jesus Declared, if you commit to His Father's Word about the Life Of Faith in His Kingdom and continue in it ... you'll exponentially know the Truth of His Word and this Truth will set you free and when His Truth sets you free ... you'll be free indeed! (Mth6:33;Jhn8:31-32;Heb10:38)

Jesus we're hearing & seeing Our Father's Word of Authority manifesting His Kingdom through your Life of Love for and Faith In God before us, can you teach us how to pray that we can move and live in the same Way you do (Jhn14:12, 26) ... After this manner therefore pray ye: "Our Father who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thine name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:For thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever, Amen. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you; But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. " (Mth6:8-15)

When you were Born Again ... alive Spiritually to God through Faith in Jesus Christ, you were INSTANTANEOUSLY positioned into God Kingdom Government with it's operational legislation of Righteousness ... God's Way of doing & being right and as a child of God, you are to learn to operate in His Kingdom's Way of Blessing Provision through Faith in the Name of Jesus. (1Jhn3:23) The Believer is in the World but not to operate according to Mammon's system of control, manipulation fear & drudgery under Satan's Governance. The Believer is to have their affairs and operation in God's Kingdom Operation by faith under the Blessing of Abraham. (Gal 3:13, 29; Jhn17:13-19; Eph2:2-3; Col1:12-13; 2Cor4:4)

Therefore when the Believer operating in God's Righteous Kingdom prays The Prayer Jesus Outlined in Mathew 6: 9-15 ... it's Declared in Faith as A Decree from A Full Citizen Of Heaven with delegated Authority in the Name Of Jesus appropriating their Kingdom RIGHTS through the shed Blood of Jesus which override Satan's system of lack and want. (Eph2:19; Jhn16:23; Heb10:19; Mth28:18-20)

My Father; Heaven's Presiding Eternal Judge

There is No Power Greater than Yours

No Being Holy like You

So with Reverence I stand in Your Name

As an Ambassador of Your Kingdom on Earth

I Decree in Agreement with Your Word in Jesus Name

Today Your Kingdom Power and Victory in Christ will manifest in my life

As Your Will is being done in and through my life on earth as it's been decreed in Heaven

You'll release and provide all the resources needed to succeed today

And You'll forgive me of my sin as I forgive without resentment those who've sinned against me

You'll Lead me not into the place of testing, where temptation prowls ready to devour

But You will deliver me from the evil one

For Yours is the Kingdom and The Power and The Glory forever, Amen

So be it now in Jesus Name.

Jesus will meet all your needs in His Kingdom Way when you believe and obey His Word of Operation in Agreement with Him. If there's a Job to be had and you apply for it in Jesus Name, you'll have it. You see Jesus said God will give you your daily Bread, He didn't say you'd have to beg for it or borrow it ... He said He'd Give you Your Daily Bread! Therefore your Words need to agree with His Intentions; your expectations to be aligned with His Provision forgetting not all His Benefits for being an Heir of A King! 

You Have Not Because You've Asked Not ... or if you've asked and haven't received, you've asked wrongly, not in accordance with or in agreement with His Word. I challenge you to start praying aloud the prayer above with Faith in your Heart and The words you are Decreeing daily for a month and in Jesus Name He will transform your world. Remember Jesus came to lead you into more Life than you'd ever know what to do with. Give Jesus permission to work with you today, by agreeing with Him and Believe, all things are possible ... if you have to declare ... "Lord I believe; help my unbelief" He Will. Start today ... what's happening around you is happening in this world's system under Satan, as a Believer your supply is coming from God's Independent System, unaffected by what's happening in Satan's World System! Have Faith In God; He will not leave you without support; He just won’t!

Father open our spiritual eyes to see and know the reality of Your Kingdom Operation through the Scriptures, lift our Faith Levels through the knowledge of the purpose of Your Son's mission to earth to restore the Kingdom, with it's full power and authority Adam lost to Satan. Holy Spirit sent to lead us into all the Truth please give the revelation of Christ's Redemptive Power to us over the devil and the curse, that the fullness of Abraham's Blessing will flow into our lives in Jesus Name, Amen.

Pastor Paul Stead

Photo credit: conorwithonen

Christ's looking for a "Faith Action Lifestyle" in His Believers';as a light in this Dark World...have you forgotten...it's impossible to please Him without Faith.(Jms1:22;Mth7:26;Heb 11:6) Even when Jesus Returns and it's closer now than at any previous time...He'll be looking for Active Faith.(Lk18:8) Jesus said "If you Love Me;you'll obey Me and keep My commandments." If you obey His Commandments;you'll be Living His Lifestyle! You should be Living in His Faith Lifestyle Ready to Receive Him Now!

 If you were to take the time to listen to His teaching;which by the way is not only setting out a Victorious Lifestyle for here and now by faith in His Covenant Promises but more importantly preparing you for Life Eternal in God's Spiritual Heaven beyond the grave.You were created in His Image (Spirit) and Likeness (A Faith Spirit Being). And man became a living,speaking spirit;just like God...with the power of life and death in the tongue.(1Jhn5:4;Gen1:26;Prov18:21) God Is A Spirit and His Born Again Children are to learn to live by faith;be led by the Spirit and to walk in the Spirit so they'll not fulfil the lusts of the flesh,which will lead them back into the bondage of fear.(Jhn4:24;Jhn3:7,16;Gal5:16;Rms8:14-17;Heb10:38)

 He who Treasures Christ's Word;who holds to His precepts and obeys His Teaching;in him has the Love of and for God reached maturity:The Believer who says they Live in Him;ought as a Personal Debt...walk and conduct themselves in the same way in which He walked and conducted Himself.(1Jhn2:5,6) Jesus implores His believers' "I assure you,most solemnly I tell you,if any one steadfastly believes in Me,he will himself be able to do the things that I do;and he will do even greater things than these,because I go to the Father."(Jhn14:12)

 How casual is today's Believer?...They talk the Faith Jargon in and around Church activities;they really get into their Hyper Worship Sing Alongs;enjoying it immensely;whether God receives any Worship or not but they look,smell,sound and act like any other person in the unbelieving world community...Satan's Counterfeit Heaven;where worldly fashion and personal image counts for everything;not the Word or Spirit of God!

 I remember Billy Graham recounting a Crusade he had in Japan;when he gave the Alter Call;the entire audience stood to receive Jesus as their Saviour.Billy said to his interpreter;this must be a mistake;they can't have understood the invitation for Christ.Ask them all to sit down again and I'll explain to them that they can't merely add Jesus to all their other Gods' with their corresponding Lifestyles but they'll have to Denounce all their other Gods' and Lifestyle before they can receive Jesus as their Personal Saviour and conform to His Lifestyle alone.What a vastly different response to Jesus and His Free Gift of Eternal Life was had then by Billy; from the audience.

 Ghandi remarked..."I like your Christ;but I don't like His Christians...they're so unlike their Christ!"Why could Ghandi make such an abhorrent statement about Christians? It's not really that hard to understand at all...Christians Love This World and all it has to offer...they flaunt it's Traditional Cultural Ways and adhere to it's immoral codes by virtue of their silence against it.The Apostle James calls them Adulterers!(Jms4:1-10) There's nothing about their daily Lifestyle that exemplifies Christ's Submitted Faith Lifestyle to God's way of doing and being right;they're preoccupied with the cares of this world and the opinions of men to follow as His disciple.(1Jhn2:15-17)

 Jesus said "The Believer is in the world but not of it."(Jhn17:14-18) In the World to be a Witness for God's Redemptive Plan of Salvation for the Unsaved;those perishing on Satan's broad Highway to Hell.In the World to make a difference for the down trodden,homeless;hapless;imprisoned and broken in Jesus Name and power!

Understand it's Christ Command to His Believer..."Do not love or cherish the world or the things that are in the world.If any one loves the world,love for the Father is not in him.For all that is in the world,the lust of the flesh;craving for sensual gratification,and the lust of the eyes;the greedy longings of the mind,and the pride of life;the assurance in one's own resources or in the stability of earthly things,these do not come from the Father but are from the world itself.And the world passes away and disappears,and with it the forbidden cravings;the passionate desires,the lust of it;but he who does the Will of God and carries out His purposes in his life,abides and remains forever."(1Jhn2:15,16)

 What's Required is found in Romans 12:2 "Do not be conformed to this world;this age,fashioned after and adapted to it's external,superficial customs.But be transformed,changed by the entire renewal of your mind,by it's new ideals and it's new attitude,so that you may prove for yourself,what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God,even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect in His sight for you." This word "Renewal" means to Renovate! Listen before any Renovations can proceed...there has to be a demolition of the Old  Structure being replaced!Leaning on your own strength,ability,experience,education,personal resources or social network is apart of the Old Structure to be replaced entirely with God's Wisdom for doing and being right. Herein the Believer puts on the New Man in Christ and behold all things are made new!(2Cor5:17-21;Col3:10;Prov3:4-7;Mth6:33)

 Many who are first now,will be last there...where?  Heaven! Faith without works will be dead in the water;come time you're absent from the body,present with the Lord;where you'll account to Jesus for not renewing your mind to His way of doing and being right and finishing the purpose for your living...expanding His Kingdom on Earth.(Lk19:15)

 Lets Pray: Father,I open my Heart to Your Word and Way of Righteousness,grant me a practical understanding of Your Wisdom,so I can put it into operation in and through my Life to expand Your Kingdom by Faith in Your Integrity and the leading of Your Holy Spirit in Jesus Name now,forgive me for my sloth.Make me a Light in the Darkness and equip me for the process;in Jesus Name I believe I receive forgiveness and the equipping ongoing.Thank you Father;Amen!

 Pastor Paul Stead

Everybody has a Concept of Heaven but know little to nothing about it.Just the other day whilst sharing Jesus and The Benefits of being in The Kingdom Of God with a woman,it became very apparent she had no idea,that the Heaven she contemplated upon death,was directly connected to having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ."Oh!...she said; with all the different religions and their after life projections... I think Heaven is the best alternative; a place of peace and happiness;but I'm too busy now living my life my way to be worried about this Jesus and His Kingdom stuff."

In your view I asked,with so many alternative Destinations after Death,how can you be sure you'll arrive at the right place? "Oh...all good people go to Heaven and I'm a good person,I do Voluntary Charity Work when it fits in and you know,the people I help doing it;don't talk any God Stuff;they just feed the people.I'm a Good Person but not interested in being a God Person!"

I have some questions for you...Who Owns Heaven? Who Governs Heaven and how? Is there a Dress Code? Do you need to make advanced reservations? Have you made your Reservation for Heaven? What will you need when you arrive there? What will you look like? Will you know anybody there? Who's going to be there and what will they be doing? Are you expected to do anything? Where will you live and what will you eat? What if you don't like it?

Heaven is a Real Place...God Almighty,The Creator of Heaven and Earth Lives  and Rules there;Jesus His Son lives there and yes...there's a dress code and yes...Heaven has The Biggest Bouncers Imaginable to enforce it and yes...you have to have a reservation and yes...Heaven Is A Godly Place for Forgiven Godly People who do Godly Things in Obedience to His Way of Doing and Being Right.(Rev 4:2-11; Mth 22:2-14; Lk 14-:16-24; Rev 19:7,8; Isa 64:6)

Jesus left clear references as to The Signs Of The Times regarding His Return...and believe me...His return is closer now than at any time previous...Are you ready to meet your Maker & Judge...To receive Mercy;you have to give Mercy...forgive to be forgiven (Mth 24:4-42; Rev 22:12-21; Mth 6:10-15)

Jesus said "You must be Born Again to see the Kingdom of God and make Heaven your Home!" (Jhn3 :7)

Lets Pray

Father,grant us the Boldness and clarity to convey Your invitation to the Cities and Nations,our families and friends that they may believe and attend Your Son Jesus;Wedding Feast. Lead and anoint our prayer in effective Harvesting that none of our Loved Ones be left behind on that Day of Christ's Return in Jesus Name. Let Your Love flow into and over us all who believe Jesus Is Savior and Lord now, Amen!

Pastor Paul

Photo credit: Solo Roamer

No they don't need a guilt or condemnation trip by religious fanatics;they need deliverance from their fear of rejection by the general public and the fear of failure upon re-entry into society.Their self confidence has been trashed,their self esteem smashed as the fear of their past is always threatening,ever present to discredit any attempt they make to get out of the industry.The Church should be the First Place of Refuge and Acceptance,safety,support and healing.The Love Of God should Abide in Christ's Church!

Jesus is the same yesterday,today and forever;He is The Lord God Almighty who never Changes!His attitude to Sex Industry Workers and adulteress was and is to forgive,setting them free from their demonic bondage,cleansing their conscience and opening a second chance for life.To their accusers...He asked;he who is without sin;cast the first stone!To men He declared;if you lust after a woman in your heart;you've committed adultery with her already.(Jhn8:3-11;Mth5:28)

Even Mary Magdalene,a known harlot,after seven demons were cast out of her,accompanied Mary,the Mother Of Jesus,both working with His Ministry and she became the first Preacher of Christ's Resurrection.(Mk16:9,10)Nobody dares mess with the Mercies and Reconciliation of God through Christ's shed Blood.(Rms9:15;1Tim2:4;Eph2:8)

What needs to Happen is for The Church to move into full intercessory prayer for the Salvation and Deliverance of these people from Satan's Bondage Of Fear holding them.That the Mercy of God would flow like a Mighty River to heal,restore,retrain to open new doors to a new life for them.

Why?Satan traffics in Human Souls;putting Meat Hooks in their enslaved jaws to parade their nakedness for all to shame,unawares he uses them for bait to lure Millions down Hell's Path;snared by the Lust Of the Eyes,the Lust of the Flesh and the Pride of Life.Before you point your finger to judge...Never forget their wouldn't be a Sex Industry if there were No Demand for it in Community.Shame...Forbidden Fruit stills holds it's allure,just so long as it's somebody else's daughter,sister,wife or mother...there in lies the True Place of Responsibility for The Sex Industry..."What am I to be my brothers keeper?" Yes... community should be watching each others backs or grow insipid and weak,afraid to walk down their own streets!

God is looking for Intercessors to stand in The Gap for their Salvation...He's looking for preachers to go into the fray...He's looking for those willing to retrain and support those rescued.Listen when these people come out of The Industry...their damaged and fragile despite their Image and Demeanour but Jesus came to heal the broken hearted,to set the captives free!(Lk4:18;Isa59:16)

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God Our Saviour;who will have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.(1Tim2:3,4)

Every Day,somewhere,somebody is crying out for Rescue...pleading for the Unknown God to do something to help them...not all of these are adults,huge numbers of them are under aged runaway children;some have never verbalised it through fear of retribution,yet think and dream of it every hour through out their ordeal...in some cases multiple;horrific encounters of forced prostitution and the making of explicit pornography films for Community.

These People Are Real People and are NOT FOR EXPLOITATION;mere selfish gratification!They deserve A Real Second Chance through Faith in Jesus Christ...will you be apart of God's Answer...will you start to prayer for the Intervention Of Our Loving God through His People;The Church and make a Difference?

Lets Pray

Father,grant us who believe Your Wisdom in how to pray and Minister effectively for and to these precious people in The Love and Power Of Christ;reaching and rescuing them from their enforced lifestyles in Jesus Name

Pastor Paul Stead

God’s looking for Believers bold enough to establish His Will on earth now! (2Chron.16: 9)

When the Angel of The Lord approached Gideon and declared “The Lord is with and for you Mighty Man of Valor!”  Gideon was anything but…hiding and sneaking around in case discovered and either punished or killed by the Midianites. (Judges 6).

God’s Will was for Gideon to deliver His people NOW…Gideon said, “No…this can’t be the time, our Nation is occupied by enemies and we can’t do anything about it. We’ve all learnt to live under their Rule and Authority! I’ve heard in the past God did do Powerful Things but it doesn’t happen today; I haven’t seen Him doing anything for Our Nation. Anyway if God was with us and for us…how come all these terrible things have happened? He has obviously forsaken us!” (Judges 6:13,14)

Gideon’s thinking and disposition wouldn’t allow God’s Will to be manifested in the Earth. (Rms.12: 2)

In short Gideon expressed what many today are thinking and saying “I’m nobody and have got nothing: the least of the least…Nothings going to change!”

What are you saying is impossible to have changed in your life? Have surrender to live with it and submit under its demands and limitations like Gideon? (Mk.9: 23)

The Bible contains the Expressed Will of God for the Believer in this lifetime but who will believe His Report and Receive It to put It into Action? (Jhn, 12:38; Rms.10: 16).

Everyday, somewhere … somebody is calling out for Salvation!

Are you available to partner with God to reach out to them with God’s Love and Power today?

(2Cor.6: 1,2; Jhn.17: 18; Mth.28: 18-20; Mk.16: 15-20).

Let’s Pray:  Father, I need my mind renewed to Your way of doing and being right, in fact, I need a complete transformation in understanding Your Kingdom. Teach me; reveal to me Your Kingdom Operation and my part in it for today. In Jesus’ Name! Amen.

Pastor Paul Stead

photo credit: alvarolg

Understand from the outset…God hates Unbelief! (Heb.3: 7; 4:13)

Doubt then is the most insidious enemy the Believer will ever face! Camouflaged in sound reason, yet craving for security and the pleasures of what’s seen, in this current world system. Doubt is designed to contend the infallibility of God’s Word and the very existence of His Kingdom and it’s capacity to provide for its citizens! (Mth.6: 31-34)

To Doubt is to be uncertain about the Truth; the facts of the very existence of something, leaving the issue uncertain, left in two minds. In Luke 12:29 “Therefore, do not be asking what you are to eat nor what you are to drink; and do not doubt between hope and fear.” Jesus instruction to His Believer is not to be distracted in their mind between hope and fear; His emphasis is not so much to the “weakness of their Faith as the lack of it.” Remembering Jesus’ statement in Luke 17:6 “If you had Faith (trust) as tiny as a mustard seed…” and again in Mathew 21:21 “Verily I say unto you, If ye have Faith and Doubt not… it shall be done!” Can you see it … if you’re in Doubt, you have No Faith!

“For all these things do the Nations of the World seek after: and your Father knows that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye The Kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it’s your Father’s good pleasure to give you The Kingdom.” (Lk.12: 29-34) This is Good News … The Father has given the Believer the Kingdom and in Christ; you’ve been made the Righteousness of God (2Cor.5: 17-21; Rms.5: 1,17). Now you need to build your Faith in God and the integrity of His Character and His Word! (Heb.6: 10-20).

“Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God!” “Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things unseen.”(Heb.11: 1)

The Bible is very clear “The Battle’s for The Mind of The Believer!”

Therefore the good fight of Faith is fought … won or lost in the mind of the Believer! (1Tim.6: 12; 2Cor.10: 3-5).

The Believer’s Will is the gateway to the Born Again Spirit (Jhn.3: 7), which needs to be fed The Word Of God daily. You feed your physical body three times daily, so it’s clear to see regular daily absorption of God’s Word which deposits Faith in the heart, is required for your Spirit to function with Power in His Kingdom! (Lk.4: 4; 1Tim.4: 7,8; Jh.6: 63).

In conclusion; if you feed your Spirit daily God’s Word; Strength and Bold Faith will establish the Peace of God in your Soul and empower you to subdue your flesh. Continue to feed and exercise your Spirit by obeying His Word. Your Faith in God will overwhelm uncertainty and doubt; establishing you in His Kingdom Knowing and Acting on “With God All Things Are Possible” because I believe and doubt not the certainty of God’s Word, in Jesus’ Name! … And all these things you need shall be added unto you! Fear Not and let not your Heart be Troubled!

1Thes.5: 23; 1Pet.3: 4; Rms.16: 20; Heb.6: 19; Mk.9: 23)

Let’s Pray: Father, open my heart to your infallible Word and establish me in Your Word and Will, giving me clear direction into Your Ways and Your Purpose for my life, in Jesus’ Name!

Pastor Paul Stead

photo credit: Fey Ilyas

Have you forgotten … Jesus Christ Is The Son Of God!

Shortly every knee is going to be made to bow to Him and every tongue made to confess Him as Lord of All! Friend, if you haven’t yielded your heart and life to Jesus as Lord; continuing in His Word obediently … Best bow your knee now willingly before it’s all too late or you’ll be made to on that day! I am not talking about a non-believer; I’m talking to the deceived believer who is asleep, a backslidden backbiter and as the Bible says a hypocrite! Thinking they’re alive in Christ but they’re dead to Him and His Word! (Phil.2: 10,11; Jhn.8: 31,32; Mth.24: 5; Lk.19: 27)

He came with a clear Message … that He Is The Door into the Kingdom of God, and there is no other way to enter into the Love, Protection, Provision, Promise or your Destiny!

Now if you’ve heard and received His Message of reconciliation with God the Creator, through Faith in Him, having your Sin Forgiven – Eternal Life Received … The Kingdom of God has been established in your Spirit and Jesus has become your King! MAKE NO MISTAKE; King Jesus wants Dominion as Lord of your life!

God the Father speaking through Jesus … “And why call Me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever comes to Me, and Hears My Sayings and Doeth Them, I will show you to whom he is like:

He is like a man which built a house, and dug 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.” (Lk.6: 46-49) 

“Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into The Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the Will of My Father, which is in Heaven ... Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, we’ve prophesied in Your Name; cast out devils, and in Your Name done many wonderful works. And then I will state; I never knew you: depart from Me, ye who work the rebellion of self-will.” (Mth.7: 21-27)

Listen … If you’re not “Ready To Meet Your King” like the Five Wise Virgins, being full of the Spirit and carrying a spare jar of Oil in case His appearing is delayed. If you’re not spending the time in His Word and communion with Jesus through prayer, practicing His Presence. And if you don’t know what His expectations are, let alone obey them, because you’re too busy doing, being and unwinding in the World’s System to study His Will, or come to know His Ways.

You’re more likely to be of the Five Foolish Virgins who weren’t “Ready For The King”; He came in an hour that was most inconvenient! When they asked Jesus to let them in … He said; “I knew you not!” (Mth.25: 1-13)

A Believer is not just holding a ticket to Heaven, without any expectations from God on them. Jesus said, Father … “Just as you sent Me into the World; I have sent them into the World!” (Jh.17: 11-20)

The Believer is to perpetuate the Same Message from The Father to this Rebellious Society … Repent For The Kingdom Of God Is At Hand; Believe on Jesus Christ and be Saved!

My friend … time is shorter that ever … if you’re ever going to learn to do His Will and be Ready … Don’t put it off another second!  Ask God to forgive you and re-ignite you, In Jesus’ Name!

Everyday, somebody, somewhere is calling out to God for validation and help … will you be available to lead them to Jesus for Salvation?

Pastor Paul Stead

photo credit: noaha

The Believer in Jesus Christ has to run all to win his/her respective Crowns for completing their purpose for living. The Good News is; every Believer can win their race of Faith through obedience to Christ and His Word. But if you’re not committed to the discipline of Christ’s Word to win your Race of Faith…you have no chance of receiving your Crown of Glory at life’s end! (1Cor.9: 24-27)

In fact; you stand the risk of the same fate the unfaithful servant who through fear buried the talent God gave him, rather than develop and deploy the talent in extending God’s Kingdom on Earth (Mth.25: 25). The Mercy of God only extends to this lifetime on Earth, after that the Judgment and Rewards for the deeds done in the flesh. (Rms.2: 6; 2Cor.5; 10,11; 1Cor.3: 13-17; Mth.7: 21-27).

WAKE UP! Christ’s School of Faith for the Believer is not politically correct; Jesus deals with heart motives and right where you really are spiritually. He sees where you need to be and what you need to do to reach the fulfillment of your destiny. When Peter stepped out of the boat; he walked on the water with Jesus until his Faith was diverted by the sound of the wind. He opened his heart to fear and down he went. Now Jesus wasn’t encouraging or gentle in His response to Peter … He didn’t say; “Nice try Peter; at this rate you’ll get there next time!” No! No! No! A thousand times No! Peter, like you; was to impact the lives of millions with the Gospel Message of Love and Faith in God! Jesus rebuked him, “Oh you of puny weak faith why did you doubt?” (Mth.14: 22-34).

Nobody perfects their skill or harnesses their full potential without a Mentor, a Coach, a Superior to probe, in fact delve into the Trainee’s heart to pull out a greater measure and capacity than they’d ever imagined they possessed! Believers, Born For Such a Time As This want input, want correction, want challenging, want teaching and examples of Faith In Action! And Peter’s teacher was none other than The Son Of God Himself! Yes, The Word of God … Jesus Christ of Nazareth! It’s true; there wouldn’t have been a part in Peter’s Spirit, Soul or Body that wouldn’t be smarting at the rebuke from Jesus for his failure in the Faith Test of OBEDIENCE! “If you love Me … you’ll obey Me and keep My Commandments!” “Peter, do you love Me? Feed My sheep! Peter, do you love Me? Feed my sheep! Peter, do you love Me? Feed my sheep!

Not till your heart resonates with the deeper levels of His Love, stripping away emotional enthusiasm; pushing deeper and deeper into the hidden man of the heart looking for that Faith Covenant for Life. Jesus is building men and women of Faith to carry the Gospel Message to their generation … near enough is not good enough; your way is no way at all! To win your race you’ll need to RUN IT HIS WAY … Deny yourself, keep your opinion to yourself, hold your tongue, be alert full of the Spirit and Faith in the Word of God … Ready to Obey!  You don’t try to have faith in God! You either believe God can and will do what He promises for those who believe or you don’t. It’s not a passive Faith we have in Jesus Christ! God will not and does not want to take over the Believer’s life and responsibility! To yield to God … or “I surrender all to God!” doesn’t mean you become passive and stop thinking or exercising your free will! That somehow you step aside from your responsibility and “hey presto” God takes over everything in and for your life! Surrendering your will to God doesn’t mean you abdicate from any further responsibility to develop the Christ Like Character in your being through willing obedient Faith.

To yield to God, to deny yourself and lay your life of flesh down, to yield your will to God, to abandon yourself to God is to Agree with and Obey His Word which is His will for your life. Apply it, rely on it, lean on it, cling to it and continue in obedience to it. The Victory Living in Christ will appear more and more as you learn to apply the Word of God in your day-to-day life!

God protects your right of FREE CHOICE and will never ever take your Power of Choice from you! Understand you can obey God’s Word in the morning and yet by free choice yield to sin and the Devil in the afternoon and God won’t stop your free choice (Mth.16: 16,17,22,23). The Devil on the other hand wants complete control of your mind to dominate, distract you from your assignment and debase you to fulfilling the lustful appetites of the flesh and cause havoc amongst Believers!

Jesus wants Relational Partnership with the Believer in their day-to-day living whilst on their way to discovering and completing their Destiny in Him together. Without Him you won’t achieve anything that will pass through the Fire Test at life’s end! The Believer is always going to be involved with this process of promotion or demotion … the Faith Tests through life. (Jhn.15: 7; Psm.75: 6,7; Heb.3: 19; 1Cor.10: 5; Jm.1: 2-5; 1Pet.1: 6,7).

1 Cor.10: 13 states that the first generation of Israelites, delivered by God out of Egypt with a great demonstration of His ability to do the impossible, is a warning for us today. God led them through the wilderness to test their faith in His ability to provide, protect, and empower them against their enemies. They had witnessed repeated demonstrations of God’s Power to meet their every dilemma, need and preference; they all should have become fully persuaded that what God promised He was able to produce. They simply didn’t want the responsibility of partnership with God; they preferred to be back in Egypt, where they could operate in the flesh realms. What they could see, taste, touch, hear, and smell. Full of Rebellious Unbelief! They continued to fail their Faith Tests and didn’t enter the Promised Land, which teamed with milk and honey, more than enough, even though they were camped right next to it and could see it!

“There’s giants in that land and we’re as grasshoppers to them!”  How quickly they forgot what God did to Pharaoh and his army. They should have believed and entered into God’s Plan for their lives. Unbelief kept them out and they died according to their own words of doubt in the wilderness!

Today, you need to realize; Jesus delivered you out of Egypt, the world system when you were born again and like the Israelites will lead you into and through the wilderness, where your Faith will be tested. The object is to pass the Faith Tests, get your promotion in authority and prove the Integrity of God’s Word, producing strong fully persuaded Faith, on your way to enjoy the life abundant that Jesus came to give His Believers. (Lk.4: 13,14; Jhn.10: 10; Rms.4: 17-24).

How do I find the Will of God for my Faith Race? (Eph.5: 17; Rms.12: 1,2; Jhn.7: 17).

Jesus came to fulfill the Will of His Father; He didn’t come to be served but to serve! (Mk.10: 45; Jhn.12: 26).

How do you start?

 lst. Read and re-read at least 50 times through all the Red Letters (the statements of Jesus) in the Four Gospel Accounts. Mathew, Mark, Luke and John.

2^nd Ask Jesus to show you the Church He wants you set in to become a steward, together with the family of God there, for the Vision Jesus has given to the Church to complete. Submit, commit, pray for and continue with the Leadership and flock there. (1Cor.12: 18,27; Heb.10: 25).

3^rd Serve the Church through the Word of God’s Precepts there and you’ll find your place and grow accordingly! To serve begins with attitude; do all things as unto Jesus; ask Jesus to love the people through your willing obedience and He’ll enable you. i.e., the Deacons in the Jerusalem Church (Acts 6:1)

4^th Feed your Faith … Faith cometh by hearing and hearing about Jesus Christ (Rms.10: 17).

Pray believing you receive (Jhn.16: 23,24; Mk.9: 24).  Pray for God’s Power Intervention for others (Jms.5: 16)

5^th Share your Testimony of Faith in Jesus Christ and lead others to Jesus. Become a Soul Winner! (Mth.4: 19; Dan.12: 3; Rev, 12:11; 2Cor.5: 18).

Follow these directives and you’ll be able to say with Jesus, Paul and all the others who ran their Race of Faith in obedience to God the Father … “Father, The Work you gave me to do is complete!

(Jhn.17: 4; 2Tim.4: 7; Heb.1: 7,8).

Finally … a word from the Apostle Paul to his apprentice Timothy  - 

Keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, and do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Now there is in store for me the Crown of Righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing. (2 Tim. 4: 5-8)

Let’s Pray:  Father, grant fresh clear revelation of Jesus to me, let me take in all that it means to be a Believer in partnership with God. Empower me to be all you’ve ordained me to become that I may please you and fulfill my Destiny and finish my Faith Race and receive my Crown. I believe you’ve heard my prayer and are pleased to answer it and begin my maturing in Obedient Faith, in Jesus’ Name! Amen.

Pastor Paul Stead

photo credit: raisin bun

When a so-called Believer in Jesus Christ lives a lukewarm lifestyle, conformed to the Spirit of this World, in bondage to their flesh appetites and inclinations spending more time in worldly entertainment than the Word of God. Never commits to a Church Vision or its Leadership because they don’t like what or how they’re preaching or someone or other offended them so they leave.

Justifying their behavior with a prideful “They’re lucky I even come to Church!”(Rev3:14-22; Heb10:24-31)

Hey! With an attitude like that, the Church is better off without you.

You’re behaving like a goat NOT a sheep (Mth.25: 33) with one foot in hell and the other on a bar of soap –

Be very careful. Remember, you gave your heart to Jesus and He wants you to commit to His Church! Did it ever occur to you that your Adversary, the devil, uses offence to move believers out of their God assigned Church? Therein holding the believers frustrated, out of sorts and unable to really fit into another Church, quenching their Light and Testimony.

 Now if the Church where you were offended and left was the right Church, repent of your pride, go ask for forgiveness and be restored in Jesus’ Name!

My friend let me remind you: A Preacher of Jesus Christ is to preach the Word of God in season and out of season. They are to:

Reprove – confront i.e., chew out! Convict, convince, tell a fault.

Rebuke – to censure, reprimand, forbid, and strongly charge.

Exhort  –  to persuade earnestly, to advise strongly.

with

Longsuffering – Long or patient endurance without complaint.

and

Sound Doctrine – to teach and instruct the Word of God!

And further the Preacher is to keep before you the certainty that God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, will judge both the living and the dead in the Light of His Coming and His Kingdom.

(2Tim.4: 1-4; 1Cor.3: 13-17; 2Cor.5: 10,11; Rms.14: 10; Mth.25: 31).

You need to be put in Remembrance that you are a Living Lively Stone, set on the foundation of Faith in Jesus Christ, the First and the Last! You are to find your Spiritual Home and Oversight, whereupon you need submit, commit and grow in Faith, Prayer and serving the Vision of the House Jesus has given, for therein you’ll be held accountable.

Perfecting the Love Walk and letting your Light shine for all to see – a befitting testimony to Our Living King, Jesus Christ! 

He Who Wins Souls Is Wise!

Let’s Pray:

Father, open the eyes of those deceived in Jesus’ Name, loose them from Pride and Offence. Release them from Worldly entertainment and it’s snares in Jesus’ Name. Renew in them a Heart of Respect and Willing Obedience to God and His Word, a hunger for Righteousness and a Will to work in the Kingdom’s Advance in Jesus’ Name!  Amen.

Pastor Paul Stead