Life is full of challenges, uncertainties, and moments when we feel overwhelmed. Yet, the key to walking with God is learning to trust Him completely, no matter the circumstances. In Cling to His Presence, Eric Gilmour shares how Hezekiah’s unwavering faith serves as a powerful example of what it means to truly rely on God.

The Power of Trusting God

The foundation of our spiritual life is built on trust. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” This is exactly what Hezekiah did when faced with an impossible situation.

The King of Assyria, Sennacherib, was known for his ruthless conquests. He and his messenger, Rabshakeh, mocked the people of Judah, boasting about their past victories and belittling the God they served. Instead of responding in fear, Hezekiah turned to the presence of God. He laid out Sennacherib’s threats before the Lord, fully trusting that God would fight for him.

Hezekiah understood something that many of us struggle with—God’s presence is more valuable than knowing what’s next. Often, we want clear direction before we take a step of faith, but God calls us to trust Him even when we can’t see the whole picture. The act of clinging to God means that we choose to believe in His faithfulness even when circumstances feel uncertain.

Clinging to God in Difficult Times

When we truly trust in God, it is manifested in our clinging to Him. Hezekiah didn’t seek political alliances or earthly solutions—he ran straight into God’s presence. He understood that the answer to his problems wasn’t found in strategy or strength but in walking with God.

The same applies to us today. When we feel surrounded by doubt, fear, or trials, we have two choices: we can cling to our own understanding, or we can cling to God and His promises. Hezekiah’s story teaches us that the greatest act of faith is laying our burdens before God and worshiping Him in the midst of uncertainty.

Clinging to God means making Him our first response, not our last resort. Too often, we exhaust every human option before we turn to Him. But Hezekiah’s example shows us that seeking the presence of God should be our default posture. Instead of allowing fear to dictate our actions, we should let faith lead us straight to the feet of Jesus.

The Presence of God Brings Victory

God’s response to Hezekiah’s prayer was nothing short of miraculous. Isaiah delivered a message from the Lord, declaring that because Hezekiah prayed, God would act. That very night, an angel of the Lord struck down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. Without lifting a sword, Judah was delivered—simply because their king chose to seek the presence of God instead of his own solutions.

This moment serves as a reminder that our battles belong to the Lord. Whether it’s a difficult season, an unexpected challenge, or a time of waiting, God calls us to trust Him fully. His presence is our source of strength, our place of refuge, and the answer to every need.

There is something powerful about bringing our struggles before God. Hezekiah didn’t deny the threats against him—he acknowledged them, but he chose to lay them before the Lord rather than carrying them alone. When we follow his example, we step into a place where faith overrides fear, and God’s power is made evident in our lives.

Living a Life That Clings to God

In the end, Hezekiah’s story isn’t just about one man’s faith—it’s about the posture of our hearts. Are we clinging to God in every season? Are we placing our trust in Him above all else?

We are called to a life that is defined not by fear, but by faith. Not by striving, but by walking with God. When we choose to trust Him, we experience the peace, power, and presence that only He can provide.

Clinging to God is a daily choice. It’s found in the small, quiet moments of surrender just as much as in the big, life-altering decisions. It’s in choosing prayer over panic, worship over worry, and faith over fear. It’s in remembering that we don’t have to carry our burdens alone—we can lay them at the feet of Jesus.

A Call to Action: Lay Your Burdens Down

So today, take a moment to lay your burdens before the Lord. Surrender your worries, your doubts, and your fears. Lift your eyes beyond the challenges you face and fix them on the One who holds all things in His hands.

What is weighing on your heart today? What situations feel impossible? What fears are keeping you up at night? Like Hezekiah, bring them before the Lord. Spread them out before Him in prayer, and then lift your eyes in worship.

Cling to His presence—because in Him, we find everything we need.

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The Christian life is not about striving to be better in our own strength—it’s about yielding to the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to produce His character in us. In Galatians 5:16-26, Paul contrasts the “deeds of the flesh” with the “fruit of the Spirit,” revealing that real transformation happens when we walk in the Spirit. But what’s the fruit of the Spirit, and how do we see it in our daily lives? Let’s explore this through both biblical truth and practical examples.

What’s the Fruit of the Spirit?

The fruit of the Spirit is the evidence of God’s work in our hearts. It’s not something we achieve through willpower—it’s the natural outflow of abiding in Christ. Paul describes it in Galatians 5:22-23 as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These attributes are not individual goals to attain but rather a singular work of the Holy Spirit in us.

One key distinction Eric Gilmour highlights in his sermon is that Paul refers to the works of the flesh but the fruit of the Spirit. Works are what we do; fruit is what grows in us as we remain connected to Jesus. This means that just as a tree does not struggle to bear fruit but simply stays rooted and nourished, we too must remain in Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to cultivate His nature within us.

Walking in the Spirit vs. Walking in the Flesh

Paul makes it clear that walking in the Spirit is the only way to overcome sin and live in freedom. When we are led by the Spirit, we naturally turn away from selfish desires. It’s not about suppressing sinful tendencies with sheer determination but about being so filled with the Spirit that sin loses its appeal.

The desires of the flesh and the desires of the Spirit are at war. The flesh wants immediate gratification, recognition, and self-interest, while the Spirit leads us toward love, humility, and selflessness. The two cannot coexist in harmony, which is why walking in the Spirit is essential. When we cultivate intimacy with Christ through prayer, worship, and Scripture, the Holy Spirit transforms our character. Instead of striving to be patient, for example, we find that the Spirit develops patience in us as we surrender to Him.

This transformation is gradual, much like a seed that grows into a tree. At first, the changes may seem small, but over time, as we remain faithful in walking in the Spirit, we begin to see the evidence of spiritual fruit in our actions, thoughts, and attitudes.

Practical Examples of The Fruit of the Spirit

Understanding the fruit of the Spirit is one thing, but living it out is another. Here are some practical examples of the fruit of the Spirit in action:

• Love: Choosing to forgive someone who hurt you, even when it’s undeserved. Loving unconditionally, just as Christ loved us, even when it is difficult.
• Joy: Maintaining deep, abiding happiness in Christ, even when circumstances are difficult. True joy is independent of external situations and stems from knowing and trusting in God.
• Peace: Trusting God in uncertainty rather than giving in to anxiety. When life feels chaotic, peace is the anchor that holds us steady.
• Patience: Enduring trials without complaining, knowing God is in control. This is especially evident in moments of frustration or when dealing with difficult people.
• Kindness: Helping a coworker or friend in need without expecting anything in return. Kindness seeks to serve and uplift others.
• Goodness: Standing up for what is right, even when it’s unpopular. Goodness is actively seeking to reflect the moral character of God in every decision.
• Faithfulness: Keeping commitments and staying devoted to God’s calling on your life. It means being dependable and trustworthy, no matter the circumstances.
• Gentleness: Responding with grace rather than anger in moments of conflict. Gentleness does not mean weakness, but rather strength under control.
• Self-Control: Resisting temptation and choosing what honors God. This involves discipline in thoughts, words, and actions.

When we walk in the Spirit, these qualities naturally flow out of us—not because we are perfect, but because the Holy Spirit is at work in us.

The Key to Bearing Spiritual Fruit

Eric Gilmour reminds us that the fruit of the Spirit is not a to-do list—it’s a “He is” list. In other words, these attributes describe who Jesus is. As we draw close to Him, His nature becomes our nature. John 15:5 says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.” The key is abiding in Christ.

This is where many Christians struggle—mistakenly believing that bearing fruit is about effort rather than surrender. The truth is, the more we focus on abiding in Jesus, the more we will see the Holy Spirit naturally producing His fruit in us. It is not about behavior modification but about transformation from the inside out.

Why This Matters in Everyday Life

Walking in the Spirit is not just about personal holiness—it impacts how we interact with the world. When people see the fruit of the Spirit in us, they see a reflection of Christ. Love, joy, and peace make a difference in families, workplaces, and communities. Kindness and gentleness soften hearts and open doors for the gospel. Self-control and patience demonstrate godly character in difficult situations.

If we want to walk in the Spirit, we must make a daily choice to surrender to the Holy Spirit’s leading. This means prioritizing time with God, filling our minds with His truth, and allowing Him to refine us through life’s circumstances. It may not always be easy, but the reward is a life that overflows with God’s presence and power.

Final Thoughts

The fruit of the Spirit is the mark of a life surrendered to God. It’s the evidence that we are walking in the Spirit, not in our own strength. And as we yield to the Spirit’s work, we find that love, joy, peace, and all the other fruit naturally grow in our lives.

So, the next time you find yourself striving to be better, take a step back. Instead of trying harder, ask the Holy Spirit to cultivate His fruit in you. As you do, you’ll see a transformation that is not just external but deeply rooted in Christ. Over time, others will notice the difference, and your life will become a testimony of God’s power at work within you.

Walking in the Spirit is not about perfection—it’s about progress. It’s about yielding, trusting, and letting God shape us into the image of Christ. Let’s commit to walking in the Spirit daily and allowing Him to bear much fruit in our lives.

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In Ephesians 3:6, the Apostle Paul unveils a profound truth that has transformed the lives of believers for generations: “The mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” This revelation—the mystery of Christ—reminds us that salvation is not confined to a specific group but is extended to all who believe in Him. But what is the mystery of Christ, and why is it central to our faith?

What Is the Mystery of Christ in Ephesians 3?

Paul frequently uses the phrase “in Christ” throughout his letters—more than 100 times in the New Testament and 35 times in Ephesians alone. This phrase is not mere religious rhetoric; it is the very foundation of salvation. To be in Christ means to be spiritually united with Him, to receive the fullness of His grace, and to walk in the inheritance that He secured for us through His sacrifice.

The mystery of Christ in Ephesians 3 reveals that Gentiles—who were once considered outsiders—are now included in God’s covenant promises. They are no longer distant from God but are fully welcomed into His family. This truth changes everything. It shifts our identity, our inheritance, and our access to God’s promises.

Breaking Free from the Curse

From the beginning, humanity was bound by the weight of sin passed down from Adam. Paul describes how sin and death flowed through generations like a river (nahal in Hebrew), polluting everything downstream. But through Christ, this spiritual inheritance was completely reversed.

Jesus, like the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant into the Jordan River, stepped into humanity’s brokenness. When He was baptized, He symbolically cut off the curse at its source, rolling it back all the way to Adam. No longer do we inherit sin, bondage, or generational curses. Instead, we inherit righteousness, freedom, and eternal life in Christ.

What It Means to Be In Christ

Being in Christ is more than just attending church or calling yourself a Christian. It’s a transformation. Scripture tells us, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

When we embrace our identity in Christ, everything changes:

• Instead of sin, we receive salvation.
• Instead of condemnation, we receive righteousness.
• Instead of generational curses, we pass down blessings.

The gospel is not just about getting to heaven—it’s about heaven transforming us now. Many believers struggle with addiction, fear, shame, and generational strongholds, even though they have accepted Christ. Why? Because they haven’t fully believed the gospel’s power to set them free. True transformation begins when we trust completely in the finished work of Jesus.

Believe and Be Transformed

What is the mystery of Christ? It’s the reality that we are no longer bound by our past but are made new in Him. The moment we believe, we are no longer in Adam—we are in Christ. Our past does not define us; our inheritance is found in Jesus.

If you’re struggling with old patterns, doubts, or fear, the answer isn’t another self-help method or religious routine. The answer is the gospel. Believe it. Live in it. Let it transform you from the inside out.

The mystery of Christ is no longer a mystery—it has been revealed, and it is yours to embrace today.

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More Than a Sunday Service

For many, Sunday morning worship can feel like the centerpiece of their faith, but what if our Christian walk is meant to be more than just attending a service? What if it’s meant to be a life fully lived in Christ? Dan Mohler’s message challenges us to step beyond routine church attendance and embrace a lifestyle of true transformation.

Knowing Him, Not Just About Him

Christianity is not about checking a box or simply being part of a great ministry—it’s about knowing Him. Sunday service is a time of celebration and encouragement, but it should never take the place of personal intimacy with God. A real relationship with Jesus means waking up daily with Him, talking to Him, and allowing His Word to shape who we are.

Dan shared how, early in his faith, God led him to read Philippians 2 over and over—not just to memorize it, but to become it. Scripture isn’t meant to be intellectual knowledge; it’s meant to transform us from the inside out. We don’t know the Word because we can quote it—we know the Word when we live it.

Deny Yourself, Take Up Your Cross

Following Jesus isn’t about a life of comfort; it’s about a life of surrender. Jesus didn’t wake up looking to be loved—He woke up to love. That same mindset is what we are called to. Too often, we let circumstances dictate our faith. If things are good, we feel good. If life is hard, we struggle. But Jesus never let the challenges He faced define Him. Jesus remained steadfast, always walking in love, and that’s what’s available for us believers to walk in. 

Denying yourself doesn’t mean losing your identity; it means letting go of self-centeredness. It’s no longer about what people think of us, how they treat us, or whether life is fair. Instead, it’s about shining His light, no matter what. We are called to overcome evil with good and never allow sin against us to produce sin within us. This is the key to living like Jesus.

Faith Over Feelings

One of the greatest deceptions we face is making Christianity about our well-being rather than His glory. If we live for comfort, we’ll always be vulnerable to life’s ups and downs. But when we live for His name, our foundation is unshakable. To put it simply: You are not a Christian for your well-being; you are a Christian for His glory.

That perspective changes everything. It shifts our focus from complaining to gratitude, from fear to faith, and from reacting to circumstances to standing firm in Christ. We don’t need a “midweek service shot in the arm” just to make it through the week because when we truly abide in Him, we are filled daily. How to live like Jesus starts with this foundation of unwavering faith. Are you living with the correct perspective? 

Living What He Paid For

God didn’t send Jesus just to make us feel better—He sent Him to transform us. The price He paid was not just for us to attend church, sing songs, and struggle through life. He paid for us to walk in freedom, to live in His love, and to represent Him well in the world.

If we believe this, we will stop living as victims of our circumstances and start living like Jesus. It’s time to embrace the full reality of the gospel—not just in what we say, but in how we live every single day.

So, let’s run this race well. Living likeJesus is found in surrender, faith, and love. Let’s live what He paid for. Amen?

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Recorded Live from Nations Church in Orlando, FL | March 19th, 2023

In the heavenly realm, there exists a profound holiness that transcends mere auditory pleasure—a holiness that reaches deep into the core of one’s being, stirring emotions and evoking a sense of reverence to the Spirit of the Lord. Such is the case with this rendition of “When I Look into Your Holiness” performed by Dominique Hughes and the collective harmony of Nations Worship. The lyrics offer a prayer, a lyrical conversation with the presence of Jesus. The song, a timeless ode to the holiness of Jesus, is elevated to new heights as Hughes navigates the delicate balance between power and surrender in her delivery.

Transitioning seamlessly into “Alleluia,” the harmonious convergence of voices, a symphony of praise, creates a sonic landscape that is both powerful and anointed. “Alleluia” becomes a communal anthem, a declaration of joy and adoration unto the Lord that resonates within the hearts of those who lend their ears to its lyrics.

“When I Look into Your Holiness” Lyrics:

When I look into Your holiness
When I gaze into Your loveliness
When all things that surround become shadows in the light of You

When I’ve found the joy of reaching Your heart
When my will becomes enthroned in Your love
When all things that surround become shadows in the light of You

I worship You
I worship You
The reason I live is to worship You

“Alleluia” Lyrics:

Alleluia

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As you begin to grow and become blessed, things can become really dangerous. You must remember that your life is all for and all about Jesus.

‘When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. ‘ Luke 5:4-7

In Bible school, they will teach you how to navigate the early stages of life when you don’t have any money and how to survive those early frustrating days but they don’t teach you how to survive success. And success is when things get really dangerous.

Every group of disciples has one Judas, every deck of cards has two Jokers, every garden has a snake. And the more God begins to bless the more those things begin to come to the surface and things get dangerous.

The even bigger danger occurs when God begins to bless and as humans, we come under this illusion that we are successful and blessed because of something that we did or because of who we are. We start off with a pure heart but then it becomes about who we are or what we’ve done.

Pride has no place in the kingdom of God. It’s all about Jesus.

Unity

In the story of John, we come across the word schizo which in English translates to schism. It is used to describe division in the body of Christ and within the church itself. The enemy has a very keen interest in bringing division into the ranks of God because he knows that if he can do that then he can rip the nets apart and the harvest will be lost.

Whenever the enemy wants to bring down a home, family, or ministry, his number one strategy is to bring schism. It looks like gossip, slander, back-biting, infighting, and revelry.

Every single day this is something that the enemy is working on bringing into your lives and community. The more successful we are and the more we do for God the more of a target we become for the enemy and the more he tries to do this. He would try to bring about situations that would cause the harvest to be lost.

Do not tolerate it. Close it down and shut the nets.

Obedience

Luke 5:4 says, “And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.’”

Jesus commanded them to let down the nets but instead, they let down a net instead of nets. Maybe they thought that Jesus was going overboard and doubt and fear arose. Maybe they didn’t want to look stupid in front of their fishermen colleagues.

Whatever the underlying motivation was, what remains true is that they did not obey God and their lack of obedience almost caused them to lose everything that was in their nets.

This might be the case for you. Maybe God will pull back the veil of eternity when you get to heaven and allow you to see what might have been in your life if you had simply been willing to obey, and how much you cheated yourself by not stepping out and obeying the word of the Lord.

Many times we comfort ourselves in half measures. We obey part of the word and see results, we get comfortable, and make this the norm. But if you only knew the catches and harvests that have been lost because of a failure to obey. Partial, selective, and delayed obedience is disobedience.

Obedience is only the real thing when it is total, immediate, and indiscriminate. That’s what God responds to.

Obeying the voice of God begins with your primary source of inspiration. This is not your dream, vision, gut feeling, or the thing that some prophet said to you at the altar. There is one foundation for the word of the Lord in your midst and it is the word of God. It is the Bible.

A person who is not reading their Bible does not know God’s voice and a person who is truly hungry for the word of the Lord is digging into the word because it contains His utterances, meter, and tone of His voice.

Pride

In Luke 5:7 after they caught the great haul of fish, they filled both boats so that they began to sink. The disciples were out fishing all night and caught nothing. Jesus said to throw your nets on the other side of the net and although they found this request crazy, they listened to him, but they cast only one net. The water was filled with so many fish that it began to pull the boat over to one side, almost tipping over. It’s at that point as the net is being pulled that they begin to break.

In John 21:8, the other disciples followed the boat towing the nets full of fish behind them. Rather than trying to get their nets into the boat, they haul the nets into the shore where Jesus was waiting.

In the first story, the fishermen tried to pull their nets into the boats. In the second story, they took the fish to Jesus and this is why the nets didn’t break.

You have to remember what this is about. If it ever becomes about you, then you are lost. If it becomes about your name, reputation, and platforms you are lost already. It should not be about you. It’s only a moment of time before the nets break and the harvest is lost. At the end of the day, God is not going to compete with you for that which He has died, which is the souls of human beings.

As long as we stay Christ-centered, we bring people to Jesus and it stays about Him, we cannot fail. If it’s not about Him we cannot succeed, but if it is about Him we cannot fail.

Satan at one point, was more pure than you and blameless. He was not corrupted because of evil desires; he did not have an insatiable appetite for money or a fetish. What brought him down was his beauty and his splendor. It made him proud and turned this angel into a demon.

Ezekiel 28:15-17 says

“You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. In the abundance of your trade, you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you.”

Pride is very deceptive because the more of it you have, the less aware you become. The moment you say that something doesn’t apply to you, that is a symbol of the pride you possess.

Any time you feel tempted to bring fish into your boat, beware, because there is an infection that is set into the heart. The world needs to see Christ and Him crucified

John 15:21 says, “When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ he said, ‘you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs.’”

God is also asking you that question. Do you love Him more than the harvest, souls, and ministry? Fall in love with Him again, not what He does, but who He is. It’s truly all about Jesus.

Application Questions

How are you letting pride into your life? Are you letting fish into your boat?

In what ways is the enemy trying to bring division in your family or in your ministry?

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Your life is not your own. Your daily surrender to God is paramount for living a godly life, one that is full of His presence and bold proclaims the gospel to those around you.

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.” — Matthew 6:1-2

It doesn’t matter what the world says about you or what your spouse says about you. What matters is what God says about you. If you could only hook up to what He says, then it wouldn’t matter what people say about you. The fear of God will enter your life and the fear of men will exit your life.
Your life will become the pulpit for the Lord to witness through and you will never live by fear because you will walk by faith.

Surrender to Jesus

God has called you to absolutely surrender. When you come to an altar it’s not just about making your life better. God came to make dead people live, but the only way to make dead people live is by denying oneself. When the self is alive, you can’t share Jesus with anyone because you don’t have intimacy with God, for we are called to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow the will of God.

We need a profuse relationship and intimacy with Jesus so that we can answer people’s questions. We can’t get answers from the world, it does not work like that. When you look for an answer from the world, it produces a lost answer which then produces hope deferred.
There is a difference between you leading the Holy Spirit and you being led by Him.

A lot of counseling and things are people that want to make you co-dependent upon them because you need them to get through life and they are not the ones that are going to get you through life. God Himself, with Jesus interceding for you and the Holy Spirit comforting, teaching, and counseling you, are going to get you through life.

If you get scripture inside of your heart and you see the way God sees, you won’t live in the rush of yesterday. Faith doesn’t come by reading, it comes by hearing.

You have to cut ties with the world that has been your lord. The freedom you experience during worship on a Sunday should be the freedom you experience 24/7.

The Seed That Was Sown

God sowed His son so that you could reap life and life abundantly. It’s no longer about repeating what you sow but what Jesus sowed.
When it comes to tithing, a lot of people have the perception that God is after their money, but He is after your money having you.

You can only serve one of two masters. You can serve money or you can serve God. You can love the world or you can love God. if you are a lover of the world you are not a lover of God.

Matthew 6:1-2 says, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.”

You can lead someone to the Lord to gratify your own ministry needs and just to make yourself seem important. Although it’s right to lead people to the Lord, it can be done with the wrong motive.

The motivation of your heart is everything. Don’t bring people to Christ to follow you.

Galatians 6:7-8 says, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

Heavenly Minded and Earthly Incredible

When was the last time you trusted God and said, “You know what? You’re my provider and my job is not.” If you can’t give then money is the lord of your life.

Matthew 6:19-21 says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

There is no problem with investing and making money. The problem is that none of that goes with you. The proof of where your heart is is where you are laying up treasures.

If your only concern is laying up treasures while on earth then how can you lay up treasures in heaven? Your perspective while you’re on earth is everything. You need to be heavenly-minded so you can be earthly incredible.

You should be able to do your job unto the Lord and not for people, but you should also be able to share your faith and see others come to Jesus. Keeping in mind that you need to do a good job all while glorifying Jesus.

Colossians 3:2 says

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth”.

You are supposed to think like God thinks. But how do you do that?

1 Corinthians 2:10 says:

“These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.”

What if you knew that when you sowed your dollar, it was going to produce one soul in heaven?

God wants you to be fruitful and multiply. In all of this, the requirement of the believer following Jesus is the surrendered life. Will you live every day surrendered to God’s will for your life, in accordance with His word?

Application Questions

How important is eternity to you? How important is it for you to bring people with you when you go?

How important is it for your colleagues at work to go to heaven? How important is it for you to see heaven full and hell empty?

We all have the ability to share our faith. Do you share your faith? If you felt inspired and motivated to share your faith, would you?

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The importance of obeying God is foundational to a life guided by faith. Real obedience to the Lord is exclusive, exhaustive, immediate, and indiscriminate. That is the type of obedience that Heaven responds to and honors. Partial, delayed, or selective obedience is just another word for disobedience.

God does not respond to need, He responds to obedience. We cannot dismiss the importance of obeying God. We must obey His will always as disciples of Christ.

‘Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.” And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some. ” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.” Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. ‘ – John 21:3-11

GOD RESPONDS TO OBEDIENCE

Many people were at the Siloam pool but only one of them was healed. It was the one that obeyed the word.

There are many people in church with needs, but God doesn’t respond to needs; He responds to obedience. He says the solution is to give and you shall receive. And when you tap into the miracle, you don’t get it because you need it, you get it because you obey the word. For every miracle that you need, there is a word that you must obey.

There is only one source of infallible inspiration. It is not your dream, it is not that book that you read, and it is not that prophetic word that you got. It is God’s written word and it is the solid rock on which you should stand.

How do you know when you’re hearing from God? When God speaks it lines up with the word. If it contradicts the word of God then you know it’s wrong because it goes against what is written.
You need to keep reading the word and stay grounded. You’ll be amazed at how much you begin to grasp and how much you will begin to learn because the Holy Spirit will bring it to life. As you read the word, the love for the voice of God begins to grow. You look forward to it every day and you begin to treasure the things that you’re hearing from the Holy Spirit. Then, God will begin to lead you and guide you through His voice to your heart and through the words of God. Isaiah 31:20 says, “ And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.”

OBEDIENCE BRINGS THE BLESSINGS

You have to do more than read, know, or memorize the Bible—you have to obey it. The one who hears and obeys the word of the Lord is like a house that’s built upon a rock. The storms come and the wind blows, but the house stands firm because it’s built on something solid. Not just the knowledge of the word, but the obedience to that word.

When you obey, you unlock supernatural resources that you would never have access to otherwise.

‘When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. ‘ – Luke 5:4-7

Peter did not think putting the net on the other side of the boat would bring about a big difference, but the word of the Lord will always challenge our willingness to believe and obey. It was not about putting the net on the right or left side—it was really to see if Peter would obey the word of the Lord.

Peter’s disobedience was a result of frustration and fatigue because what Jesus asked him to do was essentially what he had been doing all night. Jesus told him to keep doing what he was doing but to do it differently. And sometimes the hardest words for us to obey are keep going, try it again, or don’t give up.

Maybe you’re in ministry or you’re a student and you’ve been met with frustration, fatigue, and failure, and you’ve tried again and again. The most difficult thing for you to obey is to try again.

Maybe you’re sick and everyone has prayed for you and you haven’t seen healing. The most difficult word for you to obey is to ask someone to pray for you again.

Maybe you’ve been praying for that financial breakthrough. You’ve been giving, investing, and sowing, and you’ve been waiting for that fulfillment of the scripture that God is going to open the windows of Heaven and pour out a blessing on you that you won’t be able to contain. The hardest word for you to obey is to give again.

Don’t be weary of doing well. You will reap, but you can’t faint. You must remain steadfast in obeying God.

Sometimes the Lord will ask you to do something meaningless just to see if you will obey. God is waiting for people who are just simple enough and who are willing to believe and obey.

APPLICATION QUESTIONS

How can you be more obedient towards God? In what areas of your life are you struggling to trust and obey His word?

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But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” – James 4:6

Grace can increase in your life. It is possible to have grace upon grace.

Grace is not just how you got saved but how you live out the spiritual life. Grace is that moving current of God on the inside of you that makes you love Him, desire Him, and look for His word.

Only the grace of God can work this type of character on the inside of us. Philippians 2:13 says, “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure”

James 4:6 says, “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble’”. The grace of God freely flows into the humble. As we live low, the current of God comes in and takes us into patience, love, kindness, and goodness, but pride resists the current of God’s grace. We are to live with the humility of Jesus.

WE MUST HATE PRIDE

Proverbs 8:13 says, “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.” Recognizing when someone is engaged in grossly evil actions is easy, and we may feel a strong aversion to it. However, when it comes to acknowledging the pride within our hearts, we often dismiss it as simply a part of our identity.

The Bible tells us to hate pride because it’s poison. It’s that thing that turns your back to God and resists the current of God’s wonderful grace.
In Ezekiel 28, there is imagery of Lucifer before the world. He walked on the stones of fire in the presence of God, yet his heart rebelled against the Lord. Even in the presence of the Lord walking on the stones of fire, his heart froze with pride.

Adam and Eve resided in paradise, a sinless world, and walked with Him. However, even amidst the exquisite garden of God, pride found its way in. This underscores the idea that God can bestow His Spirit in remarkable ways, and yet, the human heart remains susceptible to freezing with pride.

The number one obstruction to God’s purposes in the Earth is pride.

Isaiah 2:12 says, “For the Lord of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low.”

Isaiah 2:9 says, “So man is humbled, and each one is brought low—do not forgive them!”

Isaiah 2:17 says, “And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled, and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.”

There is an appointed day of judgment and the main thing that God has His arrow pointed at is pride. It provokes God and makes man God’s enemy. The prophets are crying out to show us that the source and root of every ill is pride. There is nothing so opposed to God such as selfishness, self-sufficiency, self-effort, self-centeredness, self-exaltation, and self-consciousness.

HUMILITY IS THE GOAL

Vance Havner once wrote “If Jesus didn’t come to save us from self-infatuation then I don’t know what He came to do.”

Andrew Murray once wrote, “One of the reasons why God sent Jesus to the Earth was to bring humility back here.”

Matthew 21:5 says, “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ” Of all the attributes that could have been labeled of Jesus, the emphasis is on His meekness. He is lowly and humble and none of us are above Him.

Acting out of pride is to take a position above your King. It is to approach your King wearing the armor of His enemy.

Matthew 11:28-29 says, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavily laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”. This verse shows us the only self-description that Jesus ever gives of Himself.

Jesus is clearing the air and telling us what He wants us to know about HIm. This is Jesus’ self-revelation.

Romans 8:28-29 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

God’s goal is to predestine us to be conformed to the image of His Son. If the image of His Son is His whole goal, Jesus–the Son whose image we’re supposed to be–tells us what His image is: humility. If God has one plan for you and one end goal for you, it is to make you a humble and lowly person.

FREE FROM SELF

In Matthew 20, Jesus takes our understanding of life and flips it upside down. He tells us that if anyone wants to be the greatest, they have to be the slave. A slave does not have any rights or power. But to Jesus, that’s everything. When you have lost yourself in finding Him and deny yourself, this is the fragrance of the Cross and the nature of the goodness of God in your life.

The seeds of humility where no one can see you give up your own will for the promotion of another, these little seeds are the garden of godliness. They are what makes God happy.

James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” This reveals how humility comes about; it is by recognizing the presence of the Lord. When you realize the glory of God, the only response is to fall down on your face and recognize that His wisdom is better than your wisdom, His plan is better than your plan and his power is better than your power. You have to give up yourself to Him who is greater than you. That’s humility.

Andrew Murray said that humility is the displacement of self and enthronement of God.

Humility is not a virtue among virtues. It is the root of all virtues. If you want to be filled with the Spirit, stay low. Humility is what impresses God. Without humility, a man only has the appearance of virtues.

Without humility, our ministries become quests for honor and our own legacy. Humility is not seen in our ministries, behind the pulpit, by laying hands on people when they fall down or when you pray for someone and they get healed. Humility is seen in how you treat other people.

Humbling yourself is the only right attitude before God. It puts God where He belongs and it puts us where we belong. Jesus teaches us what humility is through His life.

John 5:30 says, “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”

John 7:16 says, “Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.”

John 8:28 says, “Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.”

John 8:50 says, “And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.”

Jesus is the only person to live who has the right to seek His glory and He still won’t. He is the King of meekness.

It’s only as we relinquish ourselves to God that God can actually be all to us and through us. When you play a game of chess, certain pieces hold more power than others, but when the game is done, the board is cleared. Some of us may think that we are more powerful than others, but when God shows up, the board is cleared and everyone is in the same bag.

Humility clears the way and removes all the obstruction so the light of God and His character can come through you.
C.S. Lewis said that proud people are always looking down on others, but if you are always looking down then you cannot see Him who is above.

The greatest thing that you can do today is to forget yourself and adore Jesus. His presence frees you from the need to have relevance and significance in the eyes of other people. What God sees is all that matters.

APPLICATION QUESTIONS

How can you make room for humility in your life? Look at your relationships, friendships, and even ministry, and look at where you have exalted yourself and held on to your own will.

What are you doing to deny yourself so that Jesus can take precedence?

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‘So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.”’ – Isaiah 6:5-7

When you say yes to Jesus, He doesn’t want to present Himself as an Easter story or as a Christmas story to you.
He wants to touch you so that your life is never the same, to the effect that when someone hears your testimony, it’s so foreign to them because you’re an entirely different person from the one you’re sharing about. This is what it means to be fully free!

TOTAL FREEDOM

What does it mean to surrender to God fully? Utter abandonment comes from the complete surrender of who you were and understanding that who you were is no longer who you are. Jesus didn’t pay a price to set us a little free, He paid the price for total freedom.

There are a lot of people who don’t believe that they’re going to be free until they get to Heaven. And if that’s true, then you’re implying that death is your savior and Jesus is not. If you have to wait until Heaven to get free then the gospel is not the gospel. John 8:36 NKJV says, “Therefore if the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed.”

If we claim to be free, why are most people walking in bondage? Why are we walking in hurt and calling it ministry?

God thought the price that He paid was worth the life that you have. He thought that the price He paid was in equal proportion to that which was paid for. In other words, the life of Jesus Christ is the value system of Heaven that He paid for each individual who would say yes.

God thought that your life was of great value to redeem–to pay a high price for it to get it back.

1 John 3:8 says, “The one who does what is sinful is of the devil because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”

LIVING IN FREEDOM

Did you know that you can be really healed just by getting your soul straight? John in his letter prays that they may prosper in all things and be in health, just as their soul prospers, but how can they be in good health if their soul is not prospering due to lack of belief in God’s word?

‘Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. ‘ – III John 1:2 

For example, Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

If you don’t believe that you can come to Jesus and receive rest from your burdens, then your soul is not prospering, and thus your health can be affected. Often time, believers may face health issues such as insomnia, but their lack of belief will keep them awake. Their issue stems from having no rest because they’re not believing the word of God. On top of that, things that we hold on to such as offenses/unforgiveness prevent us from experiencing rest.  If we lived in the freedom in Christ that we now have, there would be no room for offenses and unforgiveness to pile up because we are instructed to forgive. How can we live in rest if we’re in unforgiveness?

Don’t you want to be free from what others have done to you? If Jesus says that you can be free, why do you think that your situation is above His word? Why do you think anything you have been through is more powerful than Jesus saying that you can live in freedom?
God wants you to be free from sin-consciousness and live in son-consciousness so you no longer have a guilty conscience.
God doesn’t want you to have to fight for what you have. He wants to help you fight your battles.

FREE FROM SELF

You are born with a selfish spirit, but when you are born again, God wants to cut that out of you completely and bring you into ministry. You can’t worship unless you are worshiping in spirit and truth, and the truth is that selfishness is from the devil.

2 Corinthians 11:2 says, “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to Him.” You have come out of the world and you are no longer a part of it.

Freedom is when you are free from each other because when you don’t have that freedom then you don’t have love. God wants to change you on the inside so that you are fully in love and enveloped in his love, compassion, care, and zeal.

n Luke 7, we learn of the woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. Her sins were many but because she has been forgiven much, she will love much. A lot of times we walk in unforgiveness because we don’t believe that we’ve been forgiven. When was the last time you didn’t think about it? Yesterday? A year ago? When was the last time you were free from thinking about the things that you wish you had never done or the things that were never done for you?

Because Jesus paid the price to take away sin, condemnation, guilt, and shame are no longer welcome. If they are still remaining, then we are believing that we have not been forgiven when we repent. We have to believe that we have been made fully free by the blood of the Lamb (Jesus). The Old Testament focuses on what you had to do to be right with God and the New Testament focuses on what Jesus did to make you right with God.

On the day of atonement, the blood of the bulls and goats covered over your sin and only cleansed the outside and left the inside condemned. The blood of Jesus didn’t cleanse the outside–it washed the inside of the cup. If the blood of Jesus comes and washes the inside of the cup, then our outside will be cleansed, and we would truly walk out the freedom afforded us by Christ!

God wants to free the body of Christ from walking in hurt and pain so they can know the counsel of God and speak truth into someone’s life instead of being offended by what they thought they knew.

The devil doesn’t back off when you come to church. He wants to stop you from knowing that you are loved by God and thus, disable your love walk. He wants you to incorporate Jesus in your life to see what He can do for you instead of you living for Jesus. When you live this way, the moments where you deem Jesus as not showing up in your life, you get angry. This is not the way to freedom.

God is not calling you to bring Him in for a better day. He’s calling you to rise up as righteous warriors, holy, set apart, in the world but not of it. He is calling you to be completely clean and believe the Gospel. He has set you free so that you can live fully free, every day until that day when you will meet face-to-face with the One whom our souls love.

APPLICATION QUESTIONS

How badly do you want to go after God? Do you want to burn for Jesus? Don’t let offense rule your life.

Do you want to be free? God loves you and He wants you to be free. Go after Jesus like never before, repenting and giving your past to Him so that you can live in complete freedom now and forevermore.

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