Awakening Audio

Joshua went out and lived according to God’s promises, trusting in God no matter what he faced. He had to learn to totally rely on the Lord and His grace in order to fulfill his calling. He needed to receive and apply God’s grace personally or he would face situations alone and fail to lead the people into the Promised Land. God came alongside of Joshua and never left him nor forsook him. All must first face the enemies in their minds before they can face the enemies that are on the outside. Our main enemies cannot be seen, they fight against us surrendering to God entirely. Evil is always attempting to defeat us, Joshua would be no match unless he believed God was true and took up the whole armor of God. We must get rid of all traces of unbelief and rebellion. No created thing can separate us from the love of Christ and we are given victory over the world through Christ. We are able to enter into the victory of Christ through death, His resurrection promise is given to all those who enter into His death. But the old man must be crucified in us. When we put faith in Christ He gives us the strength to overcome our enemies and temptations. A person must continually battle to maintain good thinking. In order for the doctrines of Jesus to benefit a person they must be used and applied. Good morality leads to godliness. Riches are things that we think that we can’t live without or things we become possessive over. We must learn to discipline our mind to develop good morality. Does your behavior show that you love God more than anything else? When the Lord filled every part in Joshua’s heart he did what the Lord commanded and he was not afraid, dismayed, or discouraged. Victory

Christ never claimed that living for Him was going to be easy. His followers will be rejected; the world does not desire purity or godliness. A godly life will convict them and many will be determined to ignore God’s Word. Those who have been forgiven love God, and love is shown in obedience. Anyone who will be used by God will face persecution and trials. The path to Heaven is full of temptations that will always attack in the areas we have a liking or desire. When Satan tempts Jesus he does this and tries to make Christ distrust God’s provision and care only for Himself. When we face temptations we must walk by faith. Jesus commands us to pray that we may not enter into temptation. We will go astray and fall when trials come if we do not look to God alone. Human nature is weak, but God is able to supply our every need. When Christians face trials they are refined. Christ trusted in His Father, He lived a humble life and did not fall during the trials. Beware of any attitude of wanting to satisfy yourself whenever you want. Personal, fleshly ambitions are the cause of temptations. Sin is not an option! Personal ambition will only be overcome by those who are willing to suffer with Christ. Do not tempt God by looking for a shortcut or a way to compromise. Christ had to work through every test and temptation. We must get up and fight and be obedient through temptations and trials. Even your family can get in the way of you having the mind of Christ. God knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation. It is painful when family and friends do not accept Christ, but we must remain focused on Christ. Temptation

If there was ever a time for the Church to do this it is now. To continue to persevere in spite of suffering, some will not persevere and be lost. Christians must go on to maturity and sanctification! The road is long and it takes time. All need to go on with endurance until the race is completed. Revelation and vision are important to complete the journey. Even the strongest Christians can become discouraged at times, but we must not become anxious or bitter when things do not change right away. Sometimes we think God has forgotten about us, but wait in expectant faith. Wait on His help and trust in Him. We must turn to the Lord first when we need help and we must hold on to the vision that God has given us. God gives us all we need to endure! We must take God’s way; Christ did this and was made perfect through sufferings. We are saved by grace, but we must endure suffering, we cannot take a shortcut, we must learn obedience through perseverance. When one trusts in Christ by faith they receive the Holy Spirit and each one who perseveres will receive the Crown of Life. This takes patience, which is produced through faith. Those who overcome are those who wait faithfully and patiently upon God, receive the nature of Christ, and keep His commands. The Holy Spirit confirms the truth within. We must bow and stay bowed before God. A person must be born again before they see the Spirit of God in them and before they see the Kingdom of God. Jesus is the only way; we must obey Him and keep His Word. The Holy Spirit only enters by faith. Are you keeping Christ’s command to persevere? The Vision of Perseverance

Refuge and strength means complete safety. God is our help when we distress greatly. He is a place of safety to all who trust in Him by faith, a place to take shelter in. The Lord is a refuge to all who fear His name, turn from sin, and make a covenant with Him. God is strength to the defenseless, and He is help in time of trouble. Divine aid prevents fear; confidence in God will give strength. When we are afraid we must put our trust in Him. David was one who did this. He was familiar with God’s Word. David had a testimony and even when he faced the giant Goliath he trusted in the Lord. David saw God and His Word as living and he ran to meet the giant! David could not be shaken because he trusted in the Lord. God’s Kingdom cannot be shaken. Every believer must learn to hear the voice of the Lord. The voice of the Lord is the Word of God. Do not rely on the things of the world. Do not rely on self. We must wholly rely on God’s promises and providence. It is anti-faith when we trust in ourselves and not in God. Mankind is shaken when there is no faith to believe. The believer must have faith to trust God! There is a lot of shaking that is going to come. There are tares amongst the wheat. God will clear out His threshing floor. We are in the final days of grace; God is getting ready to separate the sheep from the goats. Sanctification is a refining process. God is getting us ready for Heaven. Freedom from sin is retained as one walks in the light and faith, trusting in the blood of Christ. The difference between those who enter Heaven and those who do not is if they walk in the light. Is the Lord your refuge and strength? God is only as far as your disbelief. Refuge

"Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.  Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!”  And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”" (John 11:38-44) Take Away the Stone

One of the first signs that a person is truly regenerated is love. Many people have ideas about who God is, but only those who sincerely love God have a true understanding of this. If one abides in Christ they will overcome the wicked one. It is through continual faith in God that enables this, but it all begins with being born again. A person who is born again loves God and will love other believers as well. True believers will love those who are born of God even in spite of differences. One who is born again will also obey the commandments of Christ. Obedience to God proves love for God. God demands the total allegiance of all that we are. The Bible teaches that all bondage of soul, mind, and heart is the result of fear. Those who are enslaved into the service of the world become in bondage to it. But a person who is born of God overcomes the world. The victory that overcomes the world is faith. The person who overcomes the world is the person who believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and goes on believing. God gives the believer victory over all the trials and temptations of life! God gives the believer victory over all the forces and difficulties of life! God gives the believer victory over sin! God gives the believer victory over death! God gives the believer victory over judgment! God gives the believer victory over fear and despair and instead fills them with love, joy, and peace. The witness of God is far greater than any witness of man. People lie, God does not lie. What God says is true and therefore everyone should believe the testimony about His Son. In the Christian is the witness that this is true, and the witness is the Holy Spirit. The Victory Our Faith

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20) Crucified With Christ

“Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Luke 12:35-40) Watching Burning and Prepared

"And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two." (Matthew 5:41) Going the Second Mile With God

Jacob did not expect a special manifestation of the Lord in this place. Jacob was at a point in his life when he was not spiritually healthy; he was weak and getting tired of trying to do things his own way. Many times the Christian has a hard time walking by faith, especially if they are used to walking by sight and doing things by their own natural ability and efforts. When life lets us down and we fail at our best attempts we have forgotten that “the Lord is in this place.” Jacob found that his tendencies, inclinations, and predispositions were beginning to slowly change because he was beginning to yield to God’s will. God had been reaching out to Jacob for a long time, but he was never at rest. That was all before God revealed Himself to Jacob and he was found alone with God. Even after one is regenerated it does not remove the leaning towards rest. It takes divine strength in order to continually keep oil in your lamp and stay burning for Jesus. Many times during His earthly ministry the followers of Christ sought out inactivity, ease, and leisure. But this turns spiritual blessing into laziness. If one seeks this out they will lose all hope to build Christ-like character and the work of God will stop. God’s blessings, gifts, and even our sanctification cannot be the final aim and goal of our lives. Our union with God is in us being one with Him in all things. Rest is for physical restoration, but we should never rest from keeping our eyes on Jesus, relying on the Holy Spirit, and walking by faith. When a person learns to trust in God enough to rest from their own works and rest spiritually. But even then we must not stop watching, praying, and believing! Resting In God