Life Changing Hope

A Night with Jesus in the Garden

March 28, 2024 Arik TaylorLeave a comment

Take a walk with me….

Imagine for moment, you are sent to complete one task in life. You knew beforehand what the task was and nevertheless you venture off to complete the task.

Along the journey, you began to do side tasks until the timing is right for the main objective. You find meaning in these side tasks and it brings you great joy in seeing how it benefited the people you help.

Then…..After 3 years….It becomes time for you to complete your intended purpose.

And the details of what needs to be accomplished, becomes a Reality

And you began to be Sorrowful and Distressed….

This….is Jesus

Jesus was tasked with redeeming man back to God. In order for this to be complete, there had to be a shedding of blood, death, burial and resurrection. Jesus, being all man and all God was the only one capable of fulfilling the promise. He knew….Everything was riding on Him.

But nevertheless, Jesus took on this task because He wanted to do the Father’s will.

Over the course of 3 years, we see Jesus doing miracles, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, saving the lost, teaching in the temple, and training the disciples. I believe it brought Him great joy to see the thankfulness of the people. But, nothing could prepare Him for what He was about to face.

Jesus knew that the Son of Man had to be betrayed, lay down His life and be raised again. It is almost like you know your destination is to arrive in Texas. But what you didn’t realize was, you would need to help someone with a flat tire, rescue a child stuck in a car pile-up, stop in another state for a teaching seminar and finally arrive in Texas just for the reality to set in…

This Is The End…..

Jesus knew that the time had come….In Matthew 26:2

“You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”
NKJV

At this time, a woman breaks open an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His feet as He sat at the table. The disciples were upset at this, but Jesus knew that this was necessary for the preparation of His burial.

After which, it was time for the Passover. Jesus sits and eats. Knowing the one who would betray Him was sitting amongst them. Nevertheless, this did not worry Jesus. He began to institute the Lord’s Supper.

Jesus tells them to take the bread and eat for it is a representation of his body. He also instructs them to drink as a representation of his blood.

What a sacred moment this must’ve been. Here is Jesus facing the most important night of His life, all of eternity lays weight in His hands…and He takes one last time to share a meal.

Truly Jesus valued their friendship, He trusted these individuals. They have history with one another and been through a lot together. But now, it is time to say bye…..

The moment is finally here! Time to complete the Father’s Will!!

I know Jesus is ecstatic! I mean who wouldn’t be, Right!??

But, for a brief moment….

The human side of Jesus…

Is revealed and He is Sorrowful….

Jesus walks with the Disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane

Gethsemane: “Olive Press”. Olives from the neighborhood were crushed for oil. How fitting, that the Son of God would be crushed here as well.

Jesus tells them to sit and wait while He prays. This is not unusual, Jesus often sent them away so that He could pray. But this particular time, He brought Peter, James and John with Him.

Matthew 26:38

“My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”
NKJV

This time, Jesus wanted someone to be with Him. He was facing something unimageable and His soul was sorrowful and He was greatly distressed.

Sorrowful: means feeling or showing grief

Distressed: means suffering from anxiety

Two characteristics that we don’t associate with Jesus.

But in this moment, Jesus’ human side is seen and He needs someone to be with Him.

Jesus prays… Matthew 26:39

“O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
NKJV

This is so unlike Jesus. He spent His entire life stating that He needed to do the Father’s Will. When His parents left Him in the temple at 12 years old, His reply to them was, I have to be about My Father’s business. Everything was centered around doing what the Father desired….

This is the first time we see Jesus almost…..

questioning…..

asking….

seeking….

If there is any another way. He is troubled in His spirit and prays three times for the cup to pass from Him.

Anyone who prays three times for something to change, is a clear indication…that you don’t want to do it. But…Nevertheless, even when asking for the cup to pass, Jesus desired the Father’s will be accomplished.

Has there ever been a moment, when you didn’t want to do what God asked?

Was there a moment, when you knew what to do but questioned if God would change his mind?

Well, you are in good company….

Because Jesus did the same exact thing……

Now, this is not an article to discredit Jesus and the wondrous things He has done. In fact, I believe that out of all the things mentioned about Jesus. This should be one of them.

Because in this moment….Jesus becomes us.

He becomes us when we doubt our purpose….

He becomes us when we question what to do next….

He becomes….relatable.

This is why I trust Jesus.

Because, I know that in my darkest moments, He will be with me…Because, in His darkest moment…He wanted someone to be with Him.

God doesn’t promise to make it easy….

But He promises to be Immanuel,

The God who will be with you… Through it all.

Make a Choice to Rejoice

February 1, 2024 Arik TaylorLeave a comment

Seems like a simple enough statement to make, right?

But yet, why is it so difficult in nature to do?

That is the statement someone said to me when I asked them about their day. I wasn’t aware of any particular problems this person could’ve been facing, they didn’t outwardly show any struggle. But the elderly woman said to me, that in-spite of everything that was going on… I’m Making a Choice to Rejoice.

I’m fond of little catch phrases and this was my first time hearing this one in particular. It meant a lot to hear her say that because little did she know, I was facing some personal challenges that day. You see, over the past several years, it seems my wife and I are faced with something at the beginning of each year. It has never failed and like most, this January in 2024 has been one for the books and not the desirable kind.

What also has never failed, is that things tend to get better as the year goes on… But only when we are resilient enough to persevere.

So, my response to that lovely statement was….

“You know what, I am going to do the same!”

I won’t wait until the situation begins to turn, but I’ll rejoice right now when I’m facing it.

Today, no matter where you are, no matter what you are facing….

Make a Choice to Rejoice!

It will not always be easy, some days you may not feel like it, and it won’t always change the problem. But it will change how you see that problem and that is sometimes all you need to keep going….

Day by Day, Step by Step…Make the choice to persevere.

“It always seems impossible until it is done.”
~Nelson Mandela

Understanding the Plans of God

January 3, 2021August 11, 2025 Arik TaylorLeave a comment

Scripture: Numbers 23:19;20

“God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.”
Numbers 23:19,20

Devotional:

“I am not worried about God lying, It is His timing that concerns me…”

I know we have all heard the scripture stating that God is not like man, He cannot lie and the preacher goes on to say:

“If God said, He is going to do it!!!”

And a quickening comes over us and some will even begin to praise in response to their spirit agreeing with that Word….

And…We wait on God

Annnd…We wait on God

Annnnnnd…We wait on God

Surely, God is gonna come through. Right? I mean, He has too. Right? If He cannot lie and His word cannot return back to Him void, then it must come to fruition. So, what’s the hold up???

God’s Timing…..It’s all…..in His timing.

When is His timing? No one knows. The bible declares that “in all things there is a time and a season”. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

A set time or kairos moment to when God choses to move. Typing this made me think of the song, “He’s an on-time God…Yes He is.” And I begin to wonder, how many of us actually believe that song?

Someone maybe thinking, when is “On-Time”, so I can prepare for it? My on-time and God’s on-time must be two different times….Cause I’m looking at a notice that was due last week; I got a test result back that wasn’t good; My child is in the hospital and the doctor said he has done all he can do…So when exactly is my “On-Time” God going to show up for me??? I know God is not like man, He cannot lie…But it is His timing that I am struggling with.

Peter said it best. “Jesus, help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24)

During those times when I can’t see what You said, help me to trust that You said it. Understanding God’s plan for our lives is not an easy task. It has caused many to stray away from the Faith. But it is during those dark days, when everything in us is telling us to give up …..

THAT’S when we need to remember that God is not like man, He cannot lie, He cannot change His mind and He will do, exactly what He said.

“I Almost Gave Up”

October 7, 2020 Arik TaylorLeave a comment

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”
~ Helen Keller

How did I get here?

Where did I go wrong?

One minute I was empowering my church family, building people all while having a strong relationship with God. Then the next I found myself in a cave of despair, questioning what I have believed to be true for years. Now, one may read this and wonder how someone could begin to question God? Others, may read and understand that this is exactly how I have been feeling. My purpose and intent behind this is not to glorify myself but through sharing of my trials will help bring healing for someone who may have went through or is currently in the same situation.

“2020, The Year God changed everyone’s Vision”

I’m sure like most, this has definitely been a year of the unexpected. We went into this year just knowing it was going to be a year that God gives us clear vision on what to do. Surely I was not the only one who felt that? But even with that being the case, we all still had this uncertainty about the year. We weren’t sure what God was up to, but we was determined that He was going to move!

( And boy did He ever….lol )

Not many could expect that in March the entire world would be brought to its knees from the Corona Virus, also known as COVID-19. We were all left in a state of shock of what was going on, Where was God in the midst of this? Why would He even allow this to happen? I’m sure these were the questions on the minds of Christians everywhere. I mean, we often read about famines in Biblical times, but to experience something similar to it was truly mindboggling!

In 2019 over 1,700 pastors quit each month, 75% report significant stress-related crisis at least once in their ministry, 94% of clergy families felt the pressures of the pastor’s ministry.

In 2020 that number has gone up due to the strain of the pandemic, with 55% saying their stress has increased because of the pandemic. Pastors have found it much easier to shut everything down, rather than to try and remain persistent.

Pastoring by itself is no easy task, but add on the extra weight of leading a people through something that no one living has ever been in and you can see how that type of strain would cause many to give up.

“Losing myself in the chaos”

Covid hit and took the world by storm, literally turned everyone’s life upside down. The church was torn and it took everything to keep things together. But in the midst of the confusion there was something else on the horizon…Racism….

On May 2020, the world was flipped upside down once again with the death of George Floyd at the hands of officer Derek Chauvin. This incident set the world ablaze literally and in no way am I claiming this was an racist act, but it sparked

But this was different…

I can’t quite explain it….this wasn’t the first time something like this had occurred and it may not even be worse to date. But, still…it felt different. Not sure if it was because of the buildup of dealing with Covid or the prior instances before this one or if it was both. I went from seeing God opening up doors, to everything getting shut down; From the confusion of Covid to now social unrest. And without realizing it…I was slowly beginning to lose myself, lose what I knew about God, questions began to linger in my mind and doubt soon followed.

Where is God?

Maybe this whole thing really is made up?

Does He even care that we are suffering like this?

I realized then how the Old Testament prophets would ask the questions and make the statements they did. When they felt God cared more for the unrighteous, than those who served him. This thinking put me in a really dark place, the anger and frustrating lead me to begin doing outside research. I was telling myself that I was only doing it to answer the questions in my mind, but really I was hoping that maybe it was all false, maybe I could find something to justify me doing my own thing….. But all I found, was the unfailing love of the Father. That Him in His infinite wisdom, knew I was going to fall into this cave of despair but instead of chastising me…..He loved me.

 "And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.”
 1 Kings 19:12

It was that still small voice that pulled me out of my sunken place, It was that still small voice that reminded me who God was, It was that still small voice that told me to get up, wipe my face and get back in the fight.

So, in a way, I did give up. I gave up on trying to do it in my own strength, I gave up trying not to do it God’s way. I surrendered everything I thought God wanted and now I embrace, what He was trying to teach me all along.

Living in Expectation pt. 3: Not Seeing, But I still trust you

January 20, 2020January 20, 2020 Arik TaylorLeave a comment

Scriptures:

Mark 10:46-52

This week we studied about faith, how our past hinders us and how we could over come our doubts and fears. Often times people; especially leaders tell others to just have faith. Make it sound easy but it’s not. However, if we could overcome our doubts and fears and apply faith, we will truly be living our best lives.

But what is the definition of Faith?

Webster defines it as:

Belief and trust in and loyalty to God. Firm belief in something for which there is no proof.

In Hebrews 11:1 it is define as:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

“Physical eyesight produces a conviction or evidence of visible things; Faith is the organ which enables people to see the invisible order.”
David Guzik

Faith is the substance of my hope, Faith makes what I’m hoping for a spiritual reality. Faith makes possible to see what am hoping for, it doesn’t contradict reasoning but it may go beyond it.

Example:

I acknowledge that I am sick. But my hope is that by Jesus stripes I am healed. My faith is applied to make my hope of being healed a reality.

I acknowledge I am broke, but my hope is that my God shall supply all my needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. My faith is applied to make my hope a reality.

Very little details were given about Bartimaeus, besides the fact that he was the son of Timaeus and that he was blind. We do not know if he was blind since birth or if an incident occurred which brought him to become blind. Either way Jesus coming to town presents an opportunity for him to receive a healing and become whole. Bartimaeus realizing this, positioned himself in a position to meet Jesus when He leaves Jericho.

What faith did it take for Bartimaeus to do this being blind?

How does it feel to be blind?

Are we blind spiritual?

Types of Spiritual Blindness

Partial Blindness

This type of spiritual blindness says that you can see what God wants to do with your life, but its unclear at the time. So, in our uncertainty we tend to hesitate with going forward without clear understanding. We want clarity or confirmation, because we are to afraid to trust what God said since we can’t see what He is doing.

Blurred Vision

You see there is something in front of you that God wants you to have. But you’re unsure bout this whole spirituality and Christian thing. It all sounds crazy and doesn’t make sense. So I’ll stay complacent where I am cause either way I’ll be good. If it works, I’m Gucci. If it doesn’t work, I’m still Gucci but I’m in the middle. We feel God pulling on us to do more and have a relationship, but fear grips us to the point of making us doubt everything we know to be true. You have Blurred Vision.

Total Blindness

You don’t know what God is doing. He’s not saying anything, seems like He is not doing anything and feels like He just forgot all about you. It’s all dark, confusing and you don’t know where to begin. This type of blindness tends to make an individual shut down from doing anything and just simply give up or lose hope that things will ever get better. You are totally blind.

But I want to encourage you by stating, there was a time when I was just like that. Returning home after dropping out of college the first time and I felt like a failure. Things went from bad to worse when I felt everyone was against me and I didn’t know who to trust. So, I chose to shut down and just ignore everyone. I was totally blind. But, God took me from there to where He has me now. It was all a process to get me to see clearly than what I have ever seen before. And thats what He wants to do with you.

So, don’t let the missed opportunities of life eat at you. Yes you have some mistakes but those mistakes do not determine the outcome of your life, there is always hope, things can get better, but you have to take advantage of the opportunity when it comes around again. That’s what Bartimaeus had to do, he saw an opportunity to receive his healing and he seized the moment. He yelled out to Jesus in order to gain his attention and once he got it, he made his request known. His actions took an activation of faith. How did he know it was actually Jesus? What made him think that Jesus would actually do it? But the biggest question is, what did he have to lose??! Either way he loses nothing, but if he goes forward with trust Jesus, then he has the chance to gain everything! That should be our motto for this year, What do I have to lose in trust God??

Make your declaration, What do you have to lose?

Speak your decree, What do you have to lose?

And just like Bartimaeus, it will be by your faith that you receive. So, even when you can’t see what He is said, I just trust what He is doing.

Living in Expectation pt. 2: Pressing On

January 8, 2020January 19, 2020 Arik TaylorLeave a comment

Scriptures:

Philippians 3:12-16

1 Corinthians 9:24

Devotional:

During our last devotional we talked about how we tend to fall back on the promises of God because of past experiences. It has been those experiences or hinderances that have caused us to miss out on the things of God. Reasons being, cause it takes faith to receive from God. Where there is no faith, God can do no miracles (Matt. 13:48). So, the purpose of these devotionals are to help get us to where God needs us to be, so that He can do something Big in our lives!
The scriptures today, Paul makes reference to someone pressing towards the mark. He uses the comparison of a runner preparing for a race and though that runner may find themselves in difficult situations they never quit, cause they are focused on the prize at the end.

Here is a quote from Michael Jordan:

This man is considered by most to be the greatest to ever play the game of Basketball. Those rings represent the champions he has won with his team. But yet, he seems to glorify his failures and shortcomings. Why? What’s makes his failures important? Surely someone of his statue would only bring up his wins. Cause he knew that it was in the loses, that he figured out how to win. It was in the failures that he realized how to succeed.

So what am I saying? That although we have experienced so many let downs and disappointments in our spiritual walk, that does not negate the promises of God. We read that our trials and tribulations produce a hope, to which helps push to more. But! In order to move with this next shift, we must do one important thing:

“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3:13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

You…..Have…..To…..Let…..The….Past…..Go…

This, brothers and sisters is a must.
Stop replaying it in your mind, when you come out of daydreaming, the outcome will still be the same.

Stop blaming yourself for being so stupid, learn from it and be better.

Stop waiting for them to come and apologize, move on and live.

No, this will not be easy. Yes, this will probably be the hardest part of the process. But it will worth it. For what God plans to do with your life, holding on to something so small will not even compare. This next thing is going to be Big, expect it, don’t be scare of it, believe for it. If God said it’s yours, then you are entitled to it, press towards it and live the life God intended for you to have!

Living in Expectation pt. 1: Persevering in Hope

January 6, 2020January 18, 2020 Arik TaylorLeave a comment

Scriptures:

Romans 5:1-5

Matthew 5:11,12

James 1:1-4,12

Devotional:

As we enter into a new year, many of us have different dreams and aspirations about what we want to achieve or what we want to see God do. Often times I have come to realize that we also tend to unintentionally bring old mindsets, old hurts and old disappointments with us as well. So, While we are trying to believe for more, we find ourselves hindered by past experiences. Which in turn, causes us to not fully trust God enough to manifest our decrees. But as we are going to study in this devotional, though at times we may waver in our belief, if our hope is sustained, we will persevere.

In this text, Paul was writing to the Romans with the intent of convincing everyone that the only one way to salvation which is being justified by Faith in Jesus Christ.

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.(Romans 5:1)

Thus, according to God’s law, none of us were capable of upholding it’s requirements but now being justified from that law by faith because of His grace, we have a peace in God.

But this in found peace does not come without challenges and trials. We often times find ourselves on the recipient end of more attacks when we are trying to do good then when we were doing bad. It is in this place that it becomes hard and difficult to trust God. The attacks have one sole purpose, to deter our faith and kill our hope. See, Faith is needed to please God and He uses our faith to move on our behalf. Some of you may have experienced this in the previous year; decrees were made and prophecies spoken over us, but the year ended without seeing a manifestation.

So, where do we go from here?

Was the word wrong?

Did God chose not to do what He said?

I’m sure some of you may have thought this at some point coming into this year. Now, we find ourselves caught in-between believing God for more and holding on to the disappointments of the past. How can I trust God is going to do something Big in my life when it seems I have no hope left? The answer to that question may be simpler that what you imagine. See, you have more faith and hope in God then what you think. Don’t believe so? Then why haven’t you given up on God yet? Even with all the disappointments and let downs you have experienced from believing in God. Why do you continue to pursue Him? Cause in spit of it all, there is something deep down that just won’t allow you to let go of God. It’s this hope that makes us continue to believe God is going to do what He said. And just when you are about to reach your breaking point, God loves you just enough to cause you to believe again.

This is not a form of manipulation, but rather it is God’s way of leading you to green pasture, just like a good Shepard would. There’s more in store, but He has to lead us there before we are able to experience the manifestation. Every thing we go through builds us, the scripture says:

“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5)

Therefore we praise while in the midst of the storm, that’s why we keep shouting even while going through, cause we know God is just building our hope. And this hope, is not going to disappoint, but rather it’s to help push you to more, push you to greater and push you to Big!

Struggling to Trust God’s Plan

September 4, 2019July 29, 2025 Arik TaylorLeave a comment

We find ourselves struggling to trust God’s plan

Often times we find ourselves struggling with God’s plan. This, is a common thing that generally happens to us all. To say that one struggles with the things of God, is not a discredit to someone’s faith or lack there off. I have found we either struggle with the comprehension of what God said or we heard it clearly but the process causes us to get weary.

In 2 Peter 3:2-9, Peter was writing to the believers to address some confusion in the church after false teachers began stating the Gospel was “false”, due to the fact that Jesus had not yet returned. To better understand this we must know that Jesus was sent as the lamb to be slain for the sins of the world and through his Life, Death, Resurrection and Return man would be redeemed. The people saw Him live, they saw Him die, some even saw Him Resurrected, but they never saw His return. This, caused them to doubt God’s plan.

This is where some of us are now.

We heard the spoken Word from God
- We were obedient to that very Word
  - But we are still waiting on the manifestation

3 Steps to Trusting God’s Plan:

This chapter seems to give us what could be seen as a 3 step program to trusting God’s plan.

Step 1:

Recall the Words given to you by the Messengers 2 Peter 3:2

Peter charges them to go back to the word spoken. It is my belief that when we get stuck in the middle of transition, and the pressures of life are mounting everywhere, that it causes us to forget the promises of God. Sometimes you have to go back to the beginning of when God spoke it and remind yourself.

Step 2:

When the skeptics show up, You’re on the right track 2 Peter 3:3,4

Peter referred to them as “scoffer” or “mockers”, but we know them as “haters”. Their purpose is to distract and discourage others from what they are attempting to do. They mocked them by asking “Where is Your Savior?” “Since He died, nothing has changed?” They mock us now by asking, “God hasn’t shown up yet?” “You gave all you had to the church; where is your blessing?”

Can we be “Real” for a moment. . . In a sense, They were right . . .

Coming from the standpoint of the second coming of Christ, He did not show up in their lifetime. Those who believed, were being persecuted and killed and it seemed as if Jesus was just another prophet and the plan of God appeared to not have been manifesting.

So it is with us, in the same God’s plans does not seem to line up properly and some of us can relate. We have even thought to ourselves,

“The purpose of God for our life was spoken, but the plan is not looking like what He said. I trusted God.”

“I obeyed His Word but I’m getting persecuted for it. So, where are my promises?”

Step 3:

The same word that creates also preserves 2 Peter 3:5-7

In the text they overlooked that the world come into existence by the spoken word of God, and its that same word that now preserves it until God’s perfected timing. God spoke a word that created something in our life and now instead of it manifesting…

He is persevering it.

A Day with the Lord, is like a Thousand Years and a Thousand years is as one day

Young Earth believers tend to use this scripture to support their claim for the earth being around 6,000 years old. But that’s not necessarily what this scripture is saying. It’s simply saying,

“Time Does Not Apply to God.

God can be in your past, present and future. Thus, a day can feel like a thousand years and a Thousand Years as one day can feel like one day when we are in the presence of God. This is our reminder that God is not slack concerning His promises and what seems like eternity for us, God can instantly change it in one day.

Lastly, Quote for today:

“God does not delay, is not late, or slow about His promises. But preserves all things until it’s Due Season.”

Times and Seasons pt. 4

July 8, 2019 Arik TaylorLeave a comment

Scripture:
‭‭
1 Peter 2:4-10
Isaiah 28:16
Matthew 21:42

Devotional:

Often times we go through struggles that God never intend for us to go through, simply because we don’t realize who we are in God and the authority we now walk in. Yes, as we read yesterday in James that some mountains show up for us to walk around, which teaches patience and long suffering. But there are other mountains that are stubborn and we are suppose to continually just speak to it and command it to be removed.

Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone that the builders rejected, the meaning of this is that Jesus original intent was to be the foundation for the chosen people to build on, but they rejected Him and now He is the foundation for us to build on. This, is the Lords doing and it is marvelous in our eyes! That with this favor given to us, we are now a chosen generation and royal a priesthood. Despite how you may feel about yourself, just know that God sees you as just that. Despite what your circumstances say around you, just know God sees you blessed.

Now is not the time to get weary when you so close to a breakthrough.
New mindsets have giving us a second wind at life. I’ve been sensing for some of us that frustration has been trying to wear you down. And when this year began to look like what you previously went through, some of us began to lose hope and just accept that things will not change for us. But I declare if you grab your faith and keep praising through this thing, something will shift. We may lose a lot of things in life, but never lose your hope. Jesus is the hope of glory and with Him all things are possible to whom that believe. I know your tired and ready for this season to shift into what God has promised, Don’t give up, Don’t give up, we are almost there family. God is trying to do a new thing and new things are a struggle to get going, but if you keep pressing, keep praying and keep praising. You will be like the writer and say, Look what the Lord has done, Isn’t it Marvelous in our eyes!!?

Times and Seasons pt. 3

July 8, 2019 Arik TaylorLeave a comment

Scripture:
‭‭
Galatians 5:1-18
Acts 15:10

Devotional:

In Romans 8 the text reads that, “There Is Now, no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” And now that we have been liberated in Jesus, no one can bring condemnation on us. Not even the law of sin and death which would have been applied to us because of Adam’s sin, that has all been obliterated because of Christ. But now that we have this new life in the Spirit, we cannot allow the works of the flesh to bring about death. That is the purpose of why we fast, fasting kills the flesh and all its works. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” So, let’s be led by the Spirit

And now that we are sons and daughters of God, let no one come hinder or interfere with this new found freedom. As Paul wrote to the church in Galatia, they were running well but allow outside voices come in and deter them from what they knew about God. While we are declaring this to be our winning season, we will come under attack and face some obstacles. Do not allow these set backs to persuade what you know about God! We already went over when God speaks a thing, it shall be, so why waver from that?? I know, things often look opposite from what He spoke and the time seems to be slipping away, but hold true to your faith and don’t come subject to your flesh from which Jesus has liberated us from. That is a yoke that we cannot bear. But instead, continue to present ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God.