If you want God to bless you and use you, you must be what He wants you to be. God is willing and able to make you into His vessel, but are you willing to let Him mold you and make you? Do you trust Him completely, or are you limiting Him in any way?

The Lord told Paul, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities [trials and temptations], that the power of Christ may rest upon me (II Corinthians 12:9). Paul embraced those words so completely that he preferred to glory in his weaknesses so the strength and power of Christ would make him what God wanted him to be.

Paul knew his human limitations, and you must know yours. They can cause you to depend on God, or they can cause you to make excuses—which will you do? Many Christians limit God without realizing it because they have no living reality in Him, and they bring Him down to their human level. They are not completely open to the guidance of the Holy Ghost when He is the one who will direct them to the place God wants them to be. The quicker you yield to the Spirit, the quicker you will be the person God wants.

Make No Excuses

Some men in the Old Testament used their human weaknesses as an excuse rather than as a reason to depend on and trust in God, but you must not do that. Jeremiah told the Lord, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth (Jeremiah 1:6-9). God let Jeremiah know that He would give him the words to say.

Gideon said, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house. And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man (Judges 6:15,16). Gideon believed the Lord and yielded to what He said, and he led the Israelite army to victory.

God wanted Moses to lead the Children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage. And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 3:11)? He also said, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue (Exodus 4:10).

Moses acted like God didn’t know his human weaknesses, but God knows everything about us. And the LORD said unto him [Moses], Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say (Exodus 4:11,12).

God wanted those men to do a work for Him, but they magnified their human weaknesses above God’s strength. However, when they decided to yield to and trust in God, He made them what He wanted them to be. God has the perfect will for you, and He will mold and make you into a vessel of honor that He can use 100 percent.

God wants to use and bless every person He possibly can, but you have to wait on Him and let Him make you soar higher than an eagle. They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint (Isaiah 40:31). You don’t have to be afraid when you know that persecution will take you higher and higher in the Lord.

God Has All Power

Jesus said, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth (Matthew 28:18). God gave all power to His Son and to the Holy Ghost; and through the Spirit, that power comes to us. Jesus said, Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you (Luke 10:19).

You can have that power, but you have to meet the condition of that marvelous promise and not be afraid to really let God use you. The Bible says, Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world (I John 4:4). Stop depending on yourself and let God have His way.

Now, you may trust that God has all power and strength, but do you limit Him in other ways? What if God was only as willing to work as you are; how much would get done? Do you give Him liberty with your time, or do you think you always have to stick to your own agenda? God will not keep you awake every night, but He doesn’t want you to be so bound to your schedule that He can’t use you. God wants and needs vessels He can use; but if you don’t yield to Him, He will pass you by.

What if God only worked from 9 to 5 and wasn’t available at other times? What if God went to bed every night at 10 and woke up at 6? I’m sure that if you were in excruciating pain or facing grave danger, you would want God to be on duty at the very time you needed Him. Thankfully, the Bible says, He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep (Psalm 121:3,4).

Never Limit God

When trials come, do you look at them through your own natural eye and come to your own weak conclusions? Do you let fear take over? Those things limit what God can do for you, and that is what the Israelites did when they were getting ready to enter the land of Canaan. And they [10 of the men who went to spy out the land of Canaan] brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight (Numbers 13:32,33).

Those 10 men never did get to go into Canaan; but the other two spies, Caleb and Joshua, brought back a good report saying, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it (Numbers 13:30). Later, God did allow Caleb and Joshua to enter the land of Canaan.

And the LORD’s anger was kindled…and he sware, saying, Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me: Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD (Numbers 32:10-12).

Do you limit God by being a fair-weather Christian? If the weather is bad or you feel tired, do you decide you can’t go to church or do something else God wants you to do? The Bible says, The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets (Proverbs 22:13). A lazy man will make any excuse not to work for the Lord.

God will show His power when He is not limited, so you must have a mind that never limits God and will make the right decisions. That mind is the mind of Christ. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5). You must take on that mind and be what God wants you to be.

The Lord Is All You Need

God has a place for each one of you, and you must be what God wants you to be and stand in that place like Gideon’s 300 did. And they stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran, and cried, and fled (Judges 7:21). God gave those 300 men a great victory over the enemy’s army of thousands, and He wants to give you victory, too. However, if you decide to walk a path other than the path of the divine will of God, you will be on the road to destruction.

God wants to be all you need Him to be. He wants to give you answers, direction, strength and power; He wants to be everything to you, but you first have to be what He wants you to be and use what He gives you.

God wanted to be everything the Israelites needed, but they didn’t use what He gave them; and they paid dearly for it. God gave them answers to every problem as long as they would accept them and walk in His divine will, but they didn’t always do that. God gave them great victories, and no enemy could stand before them; but they failed God again and again. Then believed they his [God’s] words; they sang his praise. They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel: But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. And he…sent leanness into their soul (Psalm 106:12-15).

Most Christians today have that same leanness in their souls, and that is why there are so many spiritually dead churches. The people in those churches limit God because they don’t feel the need of God’s help or see the benefits of tithing and giving to Him, and that is why they have so much trouble. The devil can really get to you when you limit God in your life.

The Spirit Makes the Difference

God is seeking to pour out His Spirit in perfection to those who will be what He wants them to be just as He did to the disciples on the Day of Pentecost. He said He would restore the years that were lost after the Early Church failed, and He has done just that. And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you (Joel 2:25).

The Early Church had evangelized the known world in a little over 30 years, and then they lost the power of God. But now, God is restoring all of that to His people so He can freely use them in this final outreach to the world. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed…and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy [preach], your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions (Joel 2:26,28). There is something for everybody to do in the Kingdom of God.

When you have real victory in your soul, it will carry you on to receive the Holy Ghost baptism; but many people are not receiving the full benefits of this great pouring-out time. Even some who have the Holy Ghost are still limiting God by looking to their own weaknesses instead of His greatness. You must love the Lord with your whole heart and prove that love daily. Then God will do anything for you.

Only the Holy Ghost can shed abroad the love of God in your heart and keep your heart constant in the Lord. And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us (Romans 5:5). Some of you are very careful to show God you love Him at times; but at other times, you put the obligations you feel toward family and friends ahead of Him. You won’t get anywhere with God like that.

You can’t afford to love anyone or anything more than God, or you won’t make it. Only by being filled with the Spirit will you always be able to put God first. When you walk hand in hand with the Lord daily and are faithful to Him, He will do anything for you.

You Must Be Blood-Washed

This is the final hour, and the Lord is coming for those who are spotless. That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:27). A blemish can be very tiny, but it will still keep you out of Heaven.

Jesus brought the new and living way to Earth, and there is no excuse for anyone not having old-time, blood-bought salvation. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh (Hebrews 10:19,20). There is power in the blood to set you free and keep you free; and through that blood, you can have victory every day.

If you don’t have that divine blood in your soul today, you can have it. Sinner, Backslider, say the sinner’s prayer right now: Oh, God, save my soul! I am so sorry I sinned against you, but I have come home; and I am going to serve you, Lord, for the rest of my life. I believe that the blood of Jesus washes away all of my sins right now! Come into my heart, Jesus! Come on in!

If you meant that prayer, Jesus has come. Rejoice that you have found Him today.

Be a Miracle Witness

Just one drop of the divine blood has all the joy, peace and life of Heaven in it. Through that divine blood, you will live forever in Heaven and never be sick; so use that divine blood and get well now. There is healing in the divine blood. The Bible says, With his [blood] stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).

I am not a healer; I am just a believer in God’s truth. If you have cancer, heart trouble, AIDS, diabetes or are crippled, look to the Lord because He is able to heal every sickness, disease and affliction. When Jesus spoke here on Earth, diseases were destroyed because of the blood power coming forth in His voice. He spoke, and the devils had to obey and come out of people no matter how many were binding them. The works that Jesus did then He is still doing today. All things are possible to those who believe.

Lord, here are the sick and afflicted—those suffering with heart trouble, cancer or any other disease, those who have AIDS, are blind or crippled, and little, deformed babies who will never be normal without your touch. You have given that healing touch again and again, and I know you will do it now. Healing comes from your gifts of miracles and healings in the holy name of Jesus and through the power of the good Holy Ghost: Heal! Heal! in the name of Jesus, in the all-powerful, blood name of our Lord.

The healing power is flowing, and that power will linger in your body or in the body of those you have prayed for until it brings complete deliverance. All you have to do is believe the truth and notice all changes daily. Then write or email and tell me what God has done for you. Through the divine blood, you have healing for your soul, mind and body.

Start using the blood and be what God wants you to be every day. Take on the mighty anointing in the blood of Jesus and use it to be victorious in your separation from the world. Then one glorious day, Heaven will be yours!

Be Strong in the Lord

Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all (Psalm 34:19). Children of God should not be surprised when troubles and trials come, and the enemy of their soul fights against them. He will fight them especially hard when they are working to build God’s Kingdom and seeking to go deeper in the Lord.

Satan fights to keep people from going deeper in God because he does not want anyone to have the power to be like Jesus, to resist him and make him flee and to tear down his strongholds through the Holy Ghost. (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) (II Corinthians 10:4). Satan wants to stop God’s children and get them to draw back on God, but always remember that there can be no victories without battles.

To walk with God in this last and final hour, it will take divine determination; but many easily give up on God. They are not determined to live by faith in the promises of God or to meet the conditions of those promises, so they are left empty-handed. The Bible says to hold fast that which is good (I Thessalonians 5:21). But without divine determination working within, this becomes a miserable process. Many children of God have failed to receive answers to their prayers because they would not hold fast to the promises of God and patiently wait for their fulfillment.

Hold Fast to God’s Promises

When you make a request in prayer, you must pray for God’s will to be done. When you are praying for a promise of God to be fulfilled, you must meet the condition of that promise; but you can’t do that unless you know what the condition is. That is why the Bible says, Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (II Timothy 2:15). You must be diligent in studying the Word so you will not fail to know and meet the conditions of His promises. Then you have to hold fast until victory comes.

Unfortunately, many children of God hold fast to the wrong things. They think they are waiting upon the Lord when they are actually holding fast to their mind battles, imaginations, doubts and fears concerning their request. They hold fast to their selfish will and to their theories and opinions that conflict with the divine will of God.

Some hold fast to their past. Someone may have wronged you or said something that hurt you; and that caused grudges, bitterness and resentment to grow. God can’t do anything for you when you are in such a condition, so it is time to turn loose of self’s will and of all the devil’s baggage and hold fast with divine determination to divinity and the things of God. Those are the things that will bless, encourage and strengthen you.

Look to Jesus

God said, Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD (Isaiah 1:18). That is a great invitation; yet all too often, God’s children reason more with the devil than they do with God. When someone says, “The devil told me this,” or “The devil told me that,” my initial thought is, “Why are you listening to the devil?” Jesus said, He [the devil] was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it (John 8:44).

You must hold fast to the One who promised to be with you always and bear your burdens. Jesus said, Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world (Matthew 28:20). He also said, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

The Word of God declares that Jesus stands and knocks at your heart’s door daily because He wants you to open the door and fellowship with Him. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me (Revelation 3:20). Do you take time each day to let Jesus in and dine with Him?

Jesus is our health, yet how many times do people forget about Him when they become sick and afflicted? The Bible says, Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed (I Peter 2:24). “Ye were healed” means the price has been paid, and the healing is already yours. It is time to believe and act on the promises of God.

When Jesus walked the streets healing the sick and afflicted, He attached one important condition to His miracles and healings. He said, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee (John 5:14). Healing is on the table for all who will believe; and Jesus is saying, “Come and dine”; yet many will not meet the condition of God’s promise, and they fail to hold fast to their miracle or healing.

We Need the Holy Ghost

Do you hold fast to the person of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of truth who is to live and dwell in the temple of your body? What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own (I Corinthians 6:19)?

How conscious are you of the Spirit’s presence within you and of the daily duties He is to perform for you and through you? Jesus said the Holy Ghost would be our guide, teacher, comforter and helper. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you (John 14:26).

You must hold fast to the Spirit of truth in this hour of great deceit. The Apostle Paul said that in the last days seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived (II Timothy 3:13). Those seducers are deceiving themselves and those around them. That is why you must hold fast to the Spirit of truth because there is no fault or error in Him, and He will never lead you astray. You must yield to Him and obey God in everything for the rest of the journey.

Jesus needed divine determination to leave the glory of Heaven and come to live in this sin-cursed world for over 30 years, to be despised and rejected of men and to be treated cruelly by religious hypocrites. He was determined to fulfil the plan of redemption for all mankind and to drink the cup His Father had given Him even though His flesh cried out against it. We must take on that same divine determination through the power of the Holy Ghost and win the lost at any cost before Jesus returns.

Paul tells us that we are to be strengthened with might by his [Holy] Spirit in the inner man (Ephesians 3:16). You can draw great strength for your inner man through the person of the Holy Ghost who abides within you, and you need that strength because every Spirit-filled child of God is on the front line of an all-out war with the devil; and souls are at stake. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12).

Wear the Armor of God

You must arm yourself daily with the whole armor of God. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:13-17).

Be ready for battle every day, and never run from the devil because God’s armor includes no protection for your backside. This is not an hour to let Satan’s fiery darts strike you down because a wounded soldier is of little or no use to the Kingdom. You must know how to hold up the shield of divine faith that will quench all of Satan’s fiery darts. You must be well-versed in the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; so you can put the devil to flight. Submit yourselves therefore to God [and to His Word]. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7).

The Lord has a plan for each life, but you have to be determined to do His work and to fulfill His plan. Never let the devil make you think what you do for God is unimportant or insignificant because every part of God’s work and every member of the body of Christ are important. Each member has a specific task and must work in harmony with the other members for the whole body to perform the perfect will of God.

What Are You Sowing?

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap (Galatians 6:7). If people sow seeds of flesh through their actions, their words and their lifestyle, they will reap corruption. They may not reap it right away, but destruction will eventually come. However, if people sow seed under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit, they will reap a good harvest and one day have eternal life.

Always be mindful of what kind of seed you are sowing because on tomorrow, you will reap a harvest, either good or bad. Some people carelessly sow all kinds of seed, and they reap a harvest that God never intended them to reap. Then in the midst of their corruption, they blame God for their harvest when He is not the one sowing the seed.

Every person is responsible for the seed he or she sows. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not (Galatians 6:9). It takes divine determination to sow the right kind of seed all the time and not to be weary in well doing until you see the harvest come to fruition in your life.

It takes divine determination to pray, fast and study the Word of God; and those things will make you the right kind of sower. But to have that determination continually operating in your life requires first love, and that is the love you receive at Calvary. To keep that love working within you, you must yield to the person of the Holy Ghost dwelling within. The Bible says, The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us (Romans 5:5).

Hold Fast through the Holy Ghost

You can only hold fast to the things of God through the power of the Holy Ghost, so you must have Him living within you. Then hold fast to the compassion of Calvary that gives great zeal to win souls for the Kingdom. Hold fast to divine joy that gives great strength. For the joy of the LORD is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10). Hold fast to divine longsuffering and patience so you will never draw back on God or grow weary in well doing when the going gets rough. Hold fast to divine determination; and if you are lacking any of that determination, turn to the person of the Holy Ghost within you and seek His face.

Jesus said that His children would have tribulations and persecutions. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (John 16:33). But some Christians still struggle with tribulations. They let fear take them over, and then they sink down into discouragement.

Jesus came to Earth to be our example, and He showed us how to face life victoriously. He came to serve divinity to humanity, and He showed us how to use it. In the Sermon on the Mount, He said, Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:10). When you are being persecuted, always check to see that it is for righteousness’ sake.

Jesus went on to say, Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven (Matthew 5:12). Jesus declared a reward would be yours, but don’t expect a great reward in this life because most of your reward is reserved for Heaven. That is why the Bible says, Tribulation worketh patience (Romans 5:3). Patience is so important to a child of God that only in it can you hold the most valuable thing you possess—your eternal soul. Jesus said, In your patience possess ye your souls (Luke 21:19).

The Early Church Endured

When the apostles were being persecuted for the sake of Christ, they rejoiced. And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name (Acts 5:41).

When Paul and Silas were in Philippi, they were beaten and imprisoned for doing the Lord’s work, but they were not down and out and questioning why they had to endure such persecution; they were singing, rejoicing and praising the Lord. Then Holy Ghost power fell on that jail like an earthquake. At midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bands were loosed (Acts 16:25,26).

After such an earthquake of power, most people would have run for their lives; but Paul and Silas were under the direction and control of the Holy Ghost, and they stayed right where they were, in the divine will of God. As a result, the jailor and his entire household came into the Kingdom. Then he [the keeper of the prison] called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved (Acts 16:29,30)?

Trust Only in the Lord

When you are being battled, never let the devil cause you to become discouraged or question God’s love for you thinking He doesn’t care what you are going through. Many children of God miss it because in their trying hours they listen to the devil’s mind chatter when the Bible says seven times, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith (Revelation 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22).

You must reason only with God; and as you make a practice of doing that at all times, you can declare as the Psalmist did, Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever (Psalm 23:5,6).

To reason with God is to trust Him; and the Bible says, Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). If you will put your trust in Jesus and use divine faith regardless of how bad your circumstances may be, He will always be there to lift you up and bring you out of your troubles. So if you are carrying a heavy load, are troubled in mind or are sick and afflicted, remember that there is no defeat in Christ Jesus.

Jesus declared If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth (Mark 9:23). Jesus will be your victory day by day as long as you turn the battles over to Him just as the Apostle Paul did. He instructs us to endure hardness, as a good soldier (II Timothy 2:3). He also tells us to fight the good fight of faith (I Timothy 6:12). You must continue to fight until God brings the victory and then give Him all the honor, the praise and the glory.