We are well able.

Numbers 13:30(NKJV)

30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”

Sometimes, freedom is in an instant.  Sometimes, it is a process.  

The Children of Israel escaped Egypt, but they still not believe in the promises of God.   

They sent 12 spies into the land.  10 said it was impossible to conquer.  2 said that we can go in. 

How do we step into the promises of God? 

1. We must silence the voice of doubt and negativity.  

Our words create an atmosphere of faith or doubt.  The voices of doubt will always outnumber the voices of faith.  

Don't buy into the majority.  Don't evaluate the size of your God by your circumstances.   

Don't always talk to God about your problems.  Talk to your problems about your God.   

2. Move forward in faith.  

God is always bringing us somewhere.  Fear wants us to move backward.  Faith will have us move forward.  God's best is always in front of us.  We are to be excited from where we've come, but we must be more excited about our future.  

Romans 8:15 (NKJV)

15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

The will of God will never take us where the grace of God will not take care of us.  

3.  With God, we are well able. 

The steps of faith we take today will define our future.  

Habits that bring blessings

Personal finance is about 80% behavior.   You don't outgrow behavioral problems.  You have to learn discipline.  We have to be faithful with little to get much from God (Matthew 25:21).   We blow through a blessing and blame  


     A.  Write a plan.  

           -Spend it on paper before you spend it on person (Luke 14:28).  
           - Communicate budgeting with your spouse.


     B.  Act your wage.

           - Don't spend money that you don't have (Proverbs 25:28).   
           - Save for an emergency. 
           - Pay cash for things. 
           - Invest for wealth building (Proverbs 21:20. 
           - Get out of debt.
           - Give you tithes (Gen 28:22). 
           - Sow where you go  (Mal. 3:10-11)



https://hopecity.com/sermons/habits-that-bring-blessings-pastor-jeremy-foster/

My Faith in God's Power

Ephesians 2:10  (NLT)

10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

God does not repair us.  He transforms us into something new.   God has the authority and power to change lives.

Matthew 10:1 N(NLT)

10 Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness.  

Acts 1:8 (NLT)

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The Church needs to rise up in our faith in God's power.  

Ephesians 1:17-20 (NLT)

17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom[and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 

18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

You can only know God by His power.  You have the call of God upon your life.  Your inheritance is influence.  

John 14:12-14  (NLT)

12 “I (Jesus) tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. 

13 You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 

14 Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

In order to be the Church, we must be like Jesus!

Acts 10:38 (NLT)

38 And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

Don't worry about results.  

Luke 18:35-43  (NLT)

35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road. 

36 When he heard the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what was happening. 

37 They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was going by. 

38 So he began shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

39 “Be quiet!” the people in front yelled at him.

But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

40 When Jesus heard him, he stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him. As the man came near, Jesus asked him, 

41 “What do you want me to do for you?”

“Lord,” he said, “I want to see!”

42 And Jesus said, “All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you.” 

43 Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too.

Like the beggar.  We must cry out for help.  Jesus is attracted to our cries.   Jesus made him come to the front.   

1.  We must be passionate to receive from God.  

Jeremiah 29:13 (NASB)

13 You will seek Me (God) and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

2.  We must be persistent.  

Luke 18:1-8  (NLT)

18 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. 

2 “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. 

3 A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ 

4 The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, 

5 but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”

6 Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. 

7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 

8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man[Jesus] returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”

3. We must be precise.  We must say what we want.  

James 4:2 (NLT)

...you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.

4. We must be positive.  

Mark 11:24  (ESV)

24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

5.  We must be full of praise.  

Philippians 4:6  (NLT)

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Thank Him in advance for doing it.  If Jesus wants us to wear Him out.  I will wear Him out.  

Chris Hodges, Church of the Highlands
https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/power

Even if He doesn't

Daniel 3:5-6  (NLT)

5 When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments, bow to the ground to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue. 

6 Anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”

1. Be prepared to be tempted. 

Culture pressures us to bow.  If you say yes to Jesus, you're saying no to the world.   Love what you love, but love Jesus more.  If you love it more than Him, it becomes an idol.  

To honor God, we must stand up to stand out.  We must be lights.  Lights are not noisy, but they are great in pushing back darkness.  We must be leaders and not followers.  Leaders don't always go with the flow, but against it.  

We must be Godly when no one else is watching.  We must be strong against temptation.  We can't eliminate it, but we can have the strength of God inside of us.  

We are to be different in order to make a difference.  We can't change our communities if we are just like them.  

Daniel 3:14-18  (NLT)

14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? 

15 I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments.[a] But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?”

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 

17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. 

18 But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

The enemy of our soul will always will keep the door of temptation open.

2. We must be strong in the faith.  

The enemy is against our faith.  Your faith must be tested for it to be trusted.  

A test will reveal what you know and don't know.  God will not test you on what He has not already covered.  

The answer is placed inside of you.  With God, the test is always an opened book.  Keep God's Book, the Bible, open.    

When you fail the test, you get to take the test over and over again until you pass it. 

A.  We must know God can.  

Don't make God small in your test. 

B.  We must believe God will.  

Knowing He can is easy, but our God is willing to help.  He wouldn't even spare His own Son to die for us.  

If God wouldn't withhold His own Son, what would He not be willing to do?

C.  Even if God doesn't act,  don't bow to pressure. 

We must not vacillate in our faith.  Remember to be kind and respectful while standing firm.

  

God does not always work like we think He should.   When God doesn't behave, how do you behave?     When God doesn't act, how do you react? 

Circumstances must not determine our faith.  We must not hang our faith on an outcome; however, we must trust God in unanswered prayers.  

We can never earn a miracle, but it is dependent on the mercy of God.

Daniel 3:19-27  (NLT)

19 Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. 

20 Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 

21 So they tied them up and threw them into the furnace, fully dressed in their pants, turbans, robes, and other garments. 

22 And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in. 

23 So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames.

24 But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?”

“Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,” they replied.

25 “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!”

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”

So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. 

27 Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke!

The heat set them free and God manifested.   It was Jesus who was with them in the fire.

  

4.  God can be trusted.  

God refines us in the test.   Don't say where is God?  He's right there.  

Mike Haman, Healing Place Church