Can God still use us after we stumble and fail? When we live a life focused on self and compromise our heart is hardened and we are unable to receive counsel. Continued disobedience to God's instructions will open up a door for the enemy and we will end up enslaved with no discernment. When we come to the end of ourselves a cry will begin to arise is our heart and we begin to realize we must die to self. So we ask a question: how do we die to self? The answer is in acknowledging that we can’t, but God can and He will! There is supernatural life after death to self.

As a Christian we will always battle three forces — the desires of the flesh, the seduction of the world, and Satan himself. In Psalm 91, God promises to be a refuge and a fortress for us. The key is to dwell in His presence. We dwell in His presence when we allow God to speak to us and love on us. There is nothing the Devil can throw at us that God cannot bring us out victoriously! Have you made God your dwelling place?

In every single one of us there is a propensity to draw near to Jesus with all of our heart and to pull away at the same time. If it was not for the power of the Holy Spirit it would be impossible to serve God. It is better to take the promises of God and bring them back to Him in prayer than to make vows that we know we could never keep in our own strength. The key is to totally understand that it is not what we can do for Jesus but what He did and continues to do for us. With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible!

In these last days there is such a deep darkness permeating our society. What will it take to penetrate this darkness? How will the lost see Jesus Christ?

When we think of the victory of the cross we have to remind ourselves that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all our sins and we are forgiven in Christ. At the cross Jesus bore all our grief and sorrows. All guilt and condemnation is lifted because of His blood. At the cross mercy and peace took on a human face. Jesus Christ made a covenant with His Father and His blood brings us everlasting peace.

In the book of Genesis, Abram (or Abraham) has three encounters with his nephew Lot and the city of Sodom. Each time, he engages in a different type of faith. In one encounter he engages in passive faith — turning the situation over to God and trusting Him and His goodness. On another occasion he engages in prayerful faith — interceding with the belief that prayer can move the heart and hand of God. The final type, and often most difficult to engage in, is active faith — when God calls us to take action and be a part of what He is doing.

When God was moving, Moses got out of the way and let God move. Isaiah, the prophets, and John fell on their faces. In the book of Acts the church had to be fluid — willing to change. Our prayer is not to twist God’s arm to do what we want, but rather to submit ourselves to the direction God is moving.

When the Holy Spirit begins to fill our heart and mind we are given the ability to understand the truth of God's Word. When God speaks to us and we obey, we will be led into the miraculous. A cry will arise in our heart, "Oh Jesus use this frail vessel and glorify your name through my life." When everyone is planning their strategies there will be a church who will run into their prayer closets and get a word from the Lord for this generation. We do not have to figure it all out. All we need to do is to have a vision of the one who has all the power and authority we will ever need.

Some of the deepest truths God reveals to us are the simplest and most clear. In Luke 10 the lawyer asks Jesus what he must do to live. Jesus’ answer was profound: love God, love others and (an often missed point) if you do these two things you will live life to the fullest. These are not religious obligations, but have to come from our heart. Proverbs 4:23 tells us to “keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”

There is no such thing as small things when it comes to spiritual things. God deposits a mustard seed of faith in us. When we trust Him and bring the little we have, it can grow into a marvelous harvest for His Kingdom. Do not despise small beginnings, for God is able to make all things grow for His glory. There are also seemingly small issues in our heart which, when not dealt with, can produce a harvest of darkness — small grievances, envy, and the inability to be happy when others are blessed. Small things never stay small.