The kingdom of POWER!

The kingdom of POWER!
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

1 Corinthians 4:20
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

Think about this, two believers come across a demon possessed person and both cast out the devil. One says, 'In the name of Jesus, Satan leave!' Nothing happens. Another says, 'In the name of Jesus, Satan leave!' And Satan leaves. Both said the same thing but only one got the result. The difference is POWER!

Unless your talk is backed by power, it's going to be empty and ineffective. Unless your command is backed by power, it's going to be ridiculed and laughed at by the enemy. See the verse again, ‘the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.’ The word 'power' comes from the Greek word 'dunamis' from which comes the word 'dynamite'. It's miraculous, explosive power. It's the resurrection power of Christ. Without this power, you won't be able to stand against the attacks of the enemy and you won't be able to  help people who are in Satanic bondage. The only thing Satan respects is POWER. The only thing that will keep him down is POWER. You can speak the word but if there is no power behind it, it won't amount to anything. Know this, our Father's kingdom is a kingdom of power. As a child of God, this dunamis resurrection power is already in you because the Holy Spirit is in you. Acknowledge this reality and thank God for this treasure!

In the book of Ephesians (Chapter 3), the Apostle Paul prayed for the Ephesian church that they may be strengthened with power by the Holy Spirit in their inner man. If he can pray it, you can pray it too and ask the Lord to strengthen you with power by His Spirit in your inner man. Beloved, you need power to live victoriously! Your fellowship and intimacy with the Lord will unleash an amazing measure of power which will amaze the people around you. Your personal fellowship and intimacy with Jesus is the key to a lifestyle of POWER! Go deeper in your fellowship with Jesus. Go deeper in the word. Go deeper in worship. Go deeper in your everyday consciousness of His presence. Your life will be a life of power! The first person commands but doesn't have an ongoing fellowship with Jesus and therefore he sees no results in his life. The second person speaks and Satan obeys because of power which is released by an ongoing intimacy with Jesus.

"I live a life of power. I live in the presence of Jesus and I have an intimate relationship with Him. Thank you Lord for strengthening me with power by your Holy Spirit in my inner man. When I speak, there is power. When I touch, there is power. When I pray, there is power. My life is a life of power."

A good home!

A good home!
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Proverbs 24:3‭-‬4
A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through understanding. Through knowledge its rooms are filled with all sorts of precious riches and valuables.

What would be a good home in your opinion? Well furnished house? Big house? Having the best electrical appliances? Having many rooms? All these things are good but it's not enough to give you a good home.

A good home is where Jesus is in the centre of the family, where His word is given first place and where there is peace, love and respect between the family members. Proverbs 17.1 says, ‘It is better to have nothing but a dry piece of bread to eat in peace than a whole house full of food with everyone arguing.’ You can have a good home. No matter how big or small your house is, you can have a good home. Every person on this planet desires to have a good home, where they can live in peace and joy. Oh! Everyone wants it! But not everyone knows how to get a good home. The world has no answers. Only God has the answer because a home was His idea and His invention. The word of God is what makes your home a good home. The value you give to God's word will determine the quality of your home. According to this verse:  Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge are the key ingredients to a good home. Wisdom builds your house. Understanding makes it strong. Knowledge fills it with all sorts of precious riches and valuables. Knowledge is the knowledge of God's word. Understanding is to understand how the word applies to you and to everything you do. Wisdom is the application of God's word, which simply means that you do whatever the word says. A good home doesn't just happen. It takes work to make your home a good home.

Beloved, you can have a good home. You can have days of heaven on earth in your home. Spend time with the Lord everyday in personal fellowship. Spend time in His word daily. Personal fellowship with Jesus and mediation on the word will turn any home around. Know that Jesus is the one who makes your home good. No amount of money, no amount of popularity, no amount of valuable things can make your home good. Only Jesus! Declare the word over your home - your family. As you dwell in the presence of Jesus and His word, the Holy Spirit will give you tremendous insight, understanding and wisdom, which will transform your house into a glorious home full of love, joy and peace. Hallelujah!

"My home is a house of God's glory. Wisdom builds my house. Understanding establishes it. Knowledge fills my rooms with precious riches and valuables. Jesus is in the center of our home and His word is first place in our lives. God's Love governs our home. God's peace rules it. God's joy fills it. Our home is a blessed home. Hallelujah.”

Excel in your work!

Excel in your work!
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Proverbs 22:29
Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men.

Wherever you are right now and whatever you are doing, you must excel in your work. Seek to improve. Make progress. Become more skillful. Whether you are a minister, teacher, engineer, a sportsperson or a student - any one who excels in His work will work for kings and never for ordinary people.

As a believer, there are two areas you must excel in. The first one, Excel in the things of God. The second one, Excel in your calling, your work - wherever you are, seek to improve and become better. First priority must always be given to God. Other wise no matter how excellent you are in you work, eventually you will burn out and dry up. Success without God is temporary, just for a moment. It won't be for long. But if you desire to have perpetual and ever increasing success in whatever you do, then first excel in God. Now, wherever the Lord has placed you and whatever He has placed in your hands whether it's a job, business or ministry, seek to improve and become better. If your gift is to sing, them excel in your singing. If you are a doctor, then seek to become better in your profession. If you are a student, work to get better grades than what you got last time and work to make your communication better. Ask the Lord to help you excel in your field. Won't He help you? Yes, of course He will. He will show your ways and techniques to help you become better in your field.

Many times we come across people who are do everything but are good in nothing. 'Jack of all, master of none.' Don't do everything, you are not created to do everything. Even Jesus didn't do everything. Know your gift. Know your place. Stay in your place. Focus on your work and excel in it. As you excel in your call, you will be sought after and you will be well rewarded. By keeping God first, you will enjoy success for a long long time. Excel in God. Excel in your work. Kings will come for you!

"I excel in the things of God first for He is my life and the length of my days. I excel in the place where God has placed me and I excel in the work which God has given me to do. Like Daniel, I have an excellent spirit on me. My excellent work is a testimony of God's goodness on my life. I keep going higher and higher in my walk with God and in my work for God. I never shrink back. I only go forward in Jesus name, Amen.”

Flee from idolatry!

Flee from idolatry!
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

I Corinthians 10:14
Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

Why would the Lord command us, to flee from idolatry? Just like a loving Father would tell his child to run away from fire or from a snake. Our Heavenly Father tell us to stay away from idolatry because it's very destructive.

Idolatry opens the door to demonic influences in your life and they will surely destroy your life. Stay away it. Run from it. Avoid it at all cost. No wonder the Bible says, FLEE FROM IDOLATRY! God hates idolatry because the honour and worship that is due Him is given to dumb man made idols, who can't speak, can't see, can't hear, can't move and cannot touch. It's being unfaithful to God and being loyal to idols. This is adultery. Exodus 20. 2-4 says, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. “You shall have no other gods before Me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of  anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” Idolatry is worshipping a picture or an object as God. Jesus must occupy the first and foremost place in your life. And by that I don't mean the idol or picture of Jesus. If you are worshipping or bowing down to the idol or picture of Jesus, you are committing idolatry. Jesus is in you. Let His word be first and foremost in your life for this is how you keep Jesus first and foremost in your life. The first chapter of the book of Romans tells us when a person refuses to acknowledge and thank the Creator and bows down and worships created things, God gives that person over to uncleanness, vile passions, futile thinking and a debased mind which will eventually destroy him. Our Father is a jealous God, He will not share His glory with anyone else. A wife's complete loyalty should be towards her husband. If not, then it's adultery. Those who worship idols will become like idols. In the world there are many man made gods and lords, but for you there is ONLY ONE GOD, ONLY ONE LORD and His name is Jesus Christ. You will never bow down or worship anyone else or anything else. Even if you have to die, you will not. Think about Daniel and the Lions den. Think about the three Hebrew boys and the flames of fire.

Beloved, know that your Father is a living God. His name is Jesus and He loves you. He lives in you through His Spirit. Let your worship be only reserved for Jesus. Let your heart be completely faithful and loyal to Jesus. Be bold to give Him thanks. Be bold to walk in love and reveal Jesus to your world. Be bold to acknowledge His name as your God. Be bold to give Him all the glory, all the honour and all the praise for He is worthy. There is no one like Him. Jesus is Lord!

"I am not an idolater. My complete loyalty and faithfulness is to my Lord Jesus. He is my God and He is my only God. I don't bow down or worship any man, any picture, any object or any created thing. I serve the living God and I worship the King of kings and Lord of Lords. His word is first and foremost in my life. My life revolves around His word. Jesus is Lord. Hallelujah.”

Blessed be God!

Blessed be God!
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Ephesians 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

The Apostle Paul is writing to the church at Ephesus and sharing His insight through the Holy Spirit concerning spiritual realities in Christ. His letter to the Ephesian church was aimed at their edification.

As you look diligently at this scripture, you will find this verse is loaded with godly edification. The Apostle Paul let's us know who we are in Christ and what we have in Christ. Once you get a hold of these realities in your spirit, you will begin to live a flourishing life. Once you know who you are and what you have, you can live a triumphant life. This verse says, our heavenly Father has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. God has given you everything! Nothing is left! All is given to you. Notice the words, *'every spiritual blessing'.* Do you know that you have every spiritual blessing in you because you are in Christ? The verse doesn't say, you will be blessed in the future. Rather it says you are blessed with every spiritual blessing. It's not something that is going to happen. It's something that has already happened. It's a glorious reality. No wonder, the Apostle Paul starts praising God and says, 'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...'. This reality has to be established in your consciousness. There is nothing you need that you don't already have. The day you get this, you will start praising and thanking God like the Apostle Paul. Blessed be God. Hallelujah.

Philemon 1.6 says as you acknowledge every good thing you have in Christ, you faith will become effective. Why don't you acknowledge that you are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ? Why don't you take a moment and praise God for giving you every spiritual blessing? You are so rich, beyond your capacity to comprehend. As you praise and thank God, you will begin to see the manifestation of these blessings in your life. Never stop thanking God. Never stop praising God. Never stop celebrating these realities.

*"Father I thank you for blessing me with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. You have made me so rich. I thank you Father for your grace, love and mercy. I am walking in the manifestation of these blessings and bringing glory to your name as I distribute these blessings to the dying world around me”*

Run! Flee! Don't destroy yourself!

Run! Flee! Don't destroy yourself!
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

I Corinthians 6:18
Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.

We live in a sexually immoral world. Sexual immorality has become common these days and even acceptable in many places. The Bible in this verse tells us, to flee, to run away, to avoid, to stay away from sexual immorality. Always remember whatever God's word says, it's completely for our benefit.

The above verse says, one who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
Proverbs 6.32 says, one who commits immorality lacks understanding and destroys his own soul. If a person knew the consequences of sexual immorality, he would never do it. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. God lives in you. Your body is not your own. It belongs to God and it was bought with a heavy price - the blood of Jesus. Sinning against your body is sinning against the Lord for your body belongs to the Lord. It's a serious thing. It's a violation of trust. It's adultery. Like in the Old Testament, when Israelites worshipped others gods, they were unfaithful to the living God. When you committ sexual immorality, you give your body, which belongs to God to some one to whom your body doesn't belong. The Apostle Paul said, to avoid sexual immorality let each person have his own spouse. In a covenant of marriage, your body belongs to your spouse therefore you can give your body to your spouse. Your body belongs to the Lord and it belongs to your spouse. Giving your body to anyone else is sinning against the Lord.

Sexual immorality begins in the thought life first. The word says in 1 Thessalonians 5.22, 'Abstain from every appearance of evil.' Notice the verse, stay away not just from evil but from the very appearance of evil. Guard your thoughts. Maintain proper distance with the opposite sex. Be careful with what you share and how much you share with the opposite sex other than  your spouse. Reserve your soft and sweet speech to your spouse only. These little wise decisions will help you a lot in the long run. Flee from sexual immorality. In other words, flee from your own destruction.

*"My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. I flee from sexual immorality. I abstain from the very appearance of evil. I am careful with the opposite sex and will never share my affections reserved for my spouse with any other man or woman."*

Let the Lord handle it.

Let the Lord handle it.
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

2 Timothy 4:14
Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm, but the Lord will judge him for what he has done.

The Apostle Paul faced a great deal of opposition from people. In this verse He mentions the name of the person who did him much harm.  Notice the word 'much harm'. It seems like this guy really troubled the Apostle Paul.

I want you to notice Paul's response to this opposition. He said, ‘..the Lord will judge him for what He has done.’ He didn't seek ways to get revenge. He chose the best way, He chose the word way. He gave the revenge to God. The Lord says, 'Do not take revenge, Vengeance is mine, I will repay'.

In your life, you will come across people who will speak against you and even work against your progress in life. Seeking revenge is very tiring and it will affect your life in a negative way. Don't take it personally, like the Apostle Paul give it over to God. Always remember, Love is the only way.

*"Father, I choose to walk in love. I forgive people who speak or work against me. I bless them in the name of Jesus. Father, I will not take revenge. Vengeance is yours and you will repay. I continue to bless and I continue to love for love is the only way.”*