Ignorance is our greatest enemy. Jesus died and rose again to institute a new covenant that would give us new knowledge of identity and victory in Christ. Defeat doesn't come from not having victory. It comes from not knowing about an already accomplished victory. In the book of Esther, the Jews didn't defeat their attackers by being helped by the king's armies. They defeated them by being emboldened by an inspiring decree sealed in the king's name. All things that pertain to life and godliness come through the knowledge of Him (2 Peter 1:3).

What is the kingdom of God, and what does it first to seek first the kingdom of God? The Bible tells us that God's kingdom is not a place, as much as it is the inhabitation of God within us. Jesus said that the kingdom of God is within us (Luke 17:21). God's resources are now ours. To us it has been granted that we taste of the powers of the age to come, so that our lives become the anticipation of heaven.

God has made a covenant with us. This covenant has blessed us with the resources and powers of heaven, with no fear of any cursing for disobedience. Jesus has delivered us from the curse of the law -- from fear of punishment. We are in a covenant of exclusive blessing. God will do us good and not evil all the days of our lives. We are kings and heirs together with Christ, appointed to be His representatives -- His ambassadors -- in this world.

For every destiny, there's a dungeon. The story of Joseph in the book of Genesis teaches us that learning to love and serve others faithfully while we're enduring hardship is a necessary lesson for every follower of Christ. We should not expect promotion from God if we cannot continue to love when we're demoted by man. Part of being sent by God is being able to embrace mistreatment from the world. How you choose to treat people when you're at your lowest determines whether or not you're ready for promotion.

The call of God on your life can become detrimental if that calling becomes more important to you than your personal intimacy with Christ. The promise of God should never become god to you. Many Christians are snared by idolatry without even realizing it, when something that God has promised or offered becomes more important to them than their intimacy with Him. The enemy will swiftly attack whatever you idolize, or whatever you fear losing. In fact, fear of loss is one of the key indicators of idolatry. One of the best things that you can do to protect those you love is be willing to lose them. Because as soon as you idolize a loved one, you are vulnerable to an attack from the enemy, in which case a loss will destroy your wellness and sabotage your peace. In order to protect yourself and others, you need to be free from others -- free from the need to depend on them for your happiness and security.

Everyone has a calling from God on their lives. However, if we're not internally, emotionally and spiritually prepared/equipped to bear the weight of that calling, we'll quickly burn out. Unerring love for people, devotion to intimacy with God, and immunity to rejection and mistreatment must be the foundation of our every pursuit. Jesus sent us into this world to love as He loves, not to get love from people around us. Destiny is not about promotion or vocational fulfillment. It's about demonstrating the grace and love of God, knowing that our reward is not in this life, but ultimately, in the life to come -- an eternity in the presence and family of God.

Christ is coming again to judge the world in righteousness, which means we have lost the right to be judges of mankind. It's God's job to judge and our job to love. Christ has called us to be instruments of His grace and mercy, leaving the judgment, reward, and vengeance to Him, for He alone can judge with true fairness and perfect wisdom. To live with the anticipation of the second coming means that we live solely for kindness and gentleness, and trust that Christ will one day return to avenge His church of all mistreatment against her. Of all people, Christians should be known as the one's who never kept a record of wrongs, never antagonized, never retaliated, always showed mercy, and always forgave.

Our eternal reward is the joy of bringing people with us into heaven. People are the prize of the Father's redemptive plan, and they are to be the prize of our work on this earth. People must be cherished and valued -- never neglected or disregarded. We need to be living with purpose and heaven-centered focus. Anything that distracts us from the purpose for which we've been called is equivalent to drunkenness and dissipation, according to the Bible.

Holiness is the security of intimacy with God, the immunity to the attacks of the devil, and the defender of the reputation of Christianity. The church at large needs to recover her value for holiness. Holiness is expected of us, because we have already been made holy in Christ. Holiness is about being tender-hearted and teachable before God; it's about cultivating a habit of self-examination that keeps one's heart clean and sincere before God and man. The softer you are to God, the harder you are to the devil. Tenderness towards God is the strongest armor against the enemy.

Worship is about offering to Jesus the praise that He is due; it's not about coming to Him to get our needs met. It is in ministering to Him that we receive what we need. It's wrong for us to rely upon an atmosphere that churches create in order to experience the presence of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives is not confined to human efforts and disciplines. We need to learn to worship no matter the circumstances or surroundings. Because no matter what, He's good and He's worthy of our praise.