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.”*

The mind of Christ!

The mind of Christ.
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

I Corinthians 2:16
For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Indeed a powerful verse! You have the mind of Christ. When you see verses like this, you agree with it and speak it! “Yes, I have the mind of Christ. Hallelujah”

Many times people say, What's in his mind? What is she thinking? What's going in their minds? You may never know what people are thinking. But you can know what's in God's mind because you have the mind of Christ. You have the mind of Christ because the Holy Spirit lives in you. You have the mind of Christ because you have His word. A believer should never say, “What's in God's mind? What is He thinking about me? What is His will?” Remember, you have His mind, the mind of Christ. You don't have to be confused and frustrated like the world. The presence of the Holy Spirit in you gives you an edge over the world. The world doesn't have this advantage. You are at a higher place. You have the mind of Christ. Spend good time praising God for giving you the mind of Christ.

Beloved, yield to the mind of Christ. You don't have to be confused about your life, your future or any other decision of your life. Spend quality time in the word so you can  yield to the Holy Spirit. Spend quality time praying in tongues so you can be sensitive to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Every step He will guide you. Every decision He will counsel you. Every move He will direct you. You will know exactly what God wants of you and you will fulfill all His will. You have the mind of Christ - You have the Holy Spirit.

"Thank you Lord, I have the mind of Christ. The Holy Spirit lives in me. The word of God is my daily food and I am never confused because I am led by the Holy Spirit. I know exactly what my Father God desires and I fulfill all His will. I have the mind of Christ. Hallelujah.”

Please don't fall.

Please don't fall.
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Proverbs 11:28
He who trusts in his riches will fall, But the righteous will flourish like foliage.

The word of God will protect you. God's word will guide you so you don't fall in life. Stay in the word for it is your life and your key to a life of perpetual success. Hallelujah.

You and I, we live in a world where money is god. The belief is, the more you have it, the more successful you are. The more you have it, the more safe you are. The more you have it, the more valuable you are. The more you have it, the better your life will be. According to God's word, it's called the deceitfulness of riches, where you believe about riches something that is not true. It means a person is deceived about his belief in riches, which causes him to trust, lean, rely and have confidence in his riches. This belief cause a person to run after riches all the day long. It causes him to lie, steal, deceive, kill and destroy to get more riches and add more of it to himself. His god is money. His security is money. His confidence is money. I Timothy 6:10 says, 'For the love of money is a root of all kinds  of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.'

Beloved, you don't need to live life as the world lives. In this new covenant, the Lord has spoken to us, “I will be your God and you shall be My people”. You don't have to make yourself rich. You have a God and you are His people. He will make you wealthy beyond your human comprehension. Proverbs 10.22 says, 'The blessing of the Lord makes rich and He adds no sorrow to it.’ Wherever you are, put your trust in God. Whatever you are doing, do it with all your heart and do it for the Lord. Give His word first place in your life. Make His word final authority in your life. You will never lack in life. You will have more than enough and you will become distributors of God's wealth. You will flourish like a foliage and you will be a blessing to many. Hallelujah.

"I don't trust or rely on riches. My God provides for me. I trust Him and He causes me to have more than enough. I never lack because my God supplies all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Bless your city!

Bless your city!
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Proverbs 11:11
By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

The best place in life is the will of God. No place on earth is more peaceful, safe and prosperous than God's will. When you are in God's will, you can enjoy life knowing you are where God wants you to be and that He will take care of you completely because His will is His bill.

Acts 17.26 says, God has assigned a specific place for you on earth. So wherever God has placed you on this earth, no matter which country, state or city - Bless your country, state and city! You will find many people complaining about their city concerning the roads, the electricity, the water supply, the people that live around, the authorities and so on and so forth. Don't live your life like them. Don't join in with those complainers and grumblers. Remember you are different. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood and a holy nation, a people belonging to God. You are the righteousness of God in Christ. You bless your city in the name of Jesus. Jeremiah 29.7 says, 'Seek the prosperity of the city where I have sent you. Pray to the Lord for your city for when it prospers, you too will prosper.’ And when you do what the word says, you will begin to see good changes in your city. Do you remember, when God saw darkness all around Him, He didn't complain and start accusing? He said, 'Light be' and Light was. Hallelujah.

No matter how dark or unpleasant it looks today, it doesn't matter. Continue to bless! Because this verse says, 'By the blessing of the upright, a city is exalted'. Your words are powerful. Your words of blessing can turn a desert into a garden of Eden. As God spoke light be, the Holy Spirit turned the darkness into light. Similarly as you bless your city in which God has placed you, the Holy Spirit will respond to your word of blessing and turn your city into an oasis of love.

"Lord I am thankful for the city where you have placed me. In accordance to your word, I bless this city in the name of Jesus. This city is prospering and glorifying Jesus as Lord. No weapon formed against this city shall prosper and your will is accomplished in this city in the name of Jesus. Amen”

You are not guilty!

You are not guilty.
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

The only reason a believer gets destroyed is because of the lack of word knowledge. There are multitudes of believers living under condemnation still today or in others words living under God's damnation, where they believe God is still angry on them and just waiting to destroy them.

Sin results in condemnation. Adam's sin resulted in God's condemnation on humanity. But the obedience of Jesus (where He obeyed God in sacrificing Himself for the sins of humanity) has brought God's righteousness on humanity. The moment you accept the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus for your sins and confess Jesus as your Lord, you are no more guilty, no more condemned. Jesus Christ suffered your sins, your guilt, your punishment and your condemnation. Therefore when you trust that He did this for you, you are set free and made righteous in God's eye - as righteous as Jesus Himself. You are in Christ and in Christ, there is no condemnation. Not a single believer is condemned. Not a single believer is guilty. You are in Christ. But there are believers who live under guilt consciousness. Two things are imperative for us to understand. Being guilty and being guilt conscious. These are separate things. A believer is not guilty but he can live in guilt consciousness. A guilty conscience destroys a believers life. A guilty conscience destroys a believers confidence before God which affects their prayer and faith life. A guilty conscience is where a believer focuses too much on his weaknesses, his mistakes, his inability and his shortcomings instead of focusing on the strengths, perfections and the finished works of Jesus Christ. Satan would love to have you focus on yourself. By doing so, he can keep you in bondage to guilt consciousness. The more you focus on yourself and the more you focus on what other people think about you, you will always be living under guilt consciousness because you will always fall short. Christ is your perfection!

Remember, you are in Christ. There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ. Renew your mind to this reality. You are the righteousness of God in Christ. You are right in the eyes of God - as right as Jesus Himself. Do yourself a favour and declare independence from the opinions of people. Love people but only look to Jesus. In the eyes of Satan you may be wrong. Also in the eyes of some people you may be wrong. But in the eyes of God, you are right - you are the righteousness of God in Christ. You are not guilty! You are righteous! Live righteously!

“I am not guilty, I am not condemned. Jesus died for my sins and rose again for my justification. I am in Christ and I am the righteousness of God - as righteous as Jesus Himself.”

Put away from you!

Put away from you!
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Proverbs 4:24
Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you.

What is a deceitful mouth? It's a dishonest mouth. It's a lying mouth. It's a mouth that misleads people. What is perverse lips? Lips that are opposed to what is right and good. Lips that are rebellious. Lips that speak contrary to God's word.

The Bible says in this verse, remove from yourself a deceitful mouth and perverse lips. In other words, Never say anything that isn't true. Have nothing to do with lies and misleading words. Why does the Bible gives so much emphasis on words? It's because death and life is in the power of the tongue. Your life follows your words. A person with a deceitful and perverse mouth will destroy himself. Words that come out of your mouth can either build your life or destroy your life. This is a spiritual law. Jesus said, 'you will have what you say.' You and I, we cannot change this spiritual law but we can choose the words under which we live. Words are the most powerful thing in this universe. You must come to a place where you begin to be serious about your words.

Let the word of God be your language. Let love be the ingredient of every word that comes out of your mouth. Always speak God's word and speak in line with God's word. Why should I be so careful with my words? Because your life is framed by your words. The Lord tells you to put away from yourself a deceitful and perverse mouth, that means you can do it with the power of the Holy Spirit. Be wise with your words and build your life. Live a higher life and let the world see Jesus in you!

“I am a man of truth. My lips are not perverse. My mouth is not deceitful. My mouth is a well of life and my lips feed many. My mouth is a wellspring of wisdom and my lips are as choice silver. My words are truthful, honourable, full of love and grace. My words edify people and build them up. The word of God is my language and I refuse to say anything against or contrary to God's word.”

Remember the victories!

Remember the victories!
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Deuteronomy 7:17‭-‬18
“If you should say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them?’— you shall not be afraid of them, but you shall remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt:

All throughout your life, you will face challenges which seem impossible to overcome, you will come across mountains which seem impossible to cross and such situations makes you think, "What will I do? Will I ever come out of this problem? Is this the end of my life and ministry?" This is the Lord's answer to you - Remember the victories!

Remember the victories of the past that the Lord gave you. Remember the testimonies of how the Lord delivered you, healed you, provided for you and even protected you. Remember how you used to come forward and give testimony about the Lord's work in your life. Today the situations may be different but Jesus is still the same yesterday, today and forever. The miracles He did for you in the past, He will do the same and even more for you now. You see, when you remind yourself of all that the Lord has done for you, your faith is stirred, your expectations begin to rise and the Lord will manifest His glory yet again. When David faced Goliath He remembered His past victories. He said, "The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. For the battle is the Lord's"

Beloved, don't be afraid! Take a minute and meditate on the victories of the past. Remember all that the Lord has done for you. If God gave up His Son for you, will He not help you? Of course He will! He delivered you from the dominion of darkness and translated you into the kingdom of his Son. The Lord your God is with you, He is for you and He will never leave you nor forsake you. The battle is the Lord's!

“I remember all the victories the Lord gave me. This battle is the Lord's and yet again He will give me the victory. Hallelujah. The same Lord who delivered me yesterday will deliver me today! I am victorious in Christ!”

Special treasure!

Special treasure!
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Deuteronomy 7:6
“For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.”

You belong to God, you are the Lord's. A holy people of God. The Lord's special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. You are not ordinary or common. Set apart for God. What an awesome privilege to be known as the special treasure of God.

There's a difference between the worldly people and you. Our lifestyle is different from the lifestyle of the world. Though we are in the world, we don't live like the world lives. The word holy means separate; separate from others, separate from the world. That's why verse says, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. Because of our covenant with God in the blood of Jesus, the Lord is our God and we are His people.

It's not just a privilege but also a responsibility to live and walk accordingly. The world has many gods, we have only one Lord - the Lord our God. The world has many ways, we have one way - the word of God. The world hates, but we love. They lie, we speak the truth. There's a difference. We know who we are and we live accordingly. You are His special treasure!  Celebrate it and acknowledge it by living accordingly.

"I am holy to the Lord, His special treasure chosen by Him to be His very own. Hallelujah. I am the Lord's and I live in a manner worthy of the Lord. My life radiates the fact that I am a special treasure of the Lord.”

You are blessed!

You are blessed!
- 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 greatest decision of your life is when you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. The moment you believed that God raised Jesus from the dead and confessed ‘Jesus is Lord’, you were included in Christ.

You became so wealthy, your wealth cannot be measured. You see, this verse is a mirror and it shows you who you are in Christ and what you have in Christ. God the Father has blessed you (not going to bless you) with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. You are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. There is nothing you lack. There is nothing you need that you don't have in Christ. Everything you will ever need, want and desire, God has already blessed you with it in Christ. You lack nothing. Do you understand? You lack nothing because you are in Christ. Some one might ask, ‘I am in Christ but why don't I see these blessings in my life?’. Well, let's see the verse again. You are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

Note, it's spiritual blessing (not physical blessing) and it's in the heavenly place (not earthly place). We live by faith and not by sight. Faith words and faith actions bring these blessings from the heavenly places to the earthly places and from the spiritual to the natural. You are seated in the heavenly place with Christ. Fix your eyes and your mind on the heavenly things and speak the word of God in faith. As you do it consistently with a good attitude, you will begin to enjoy these blessings which the blood of Jesus has made available for you. Go on with Jesus!

"I am in Christ and I have everything I need, want and desire because I am blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. I have no lack. I am full and satisfied. I live in the consistent manifestation of the blessings of God. Hallelujah.”

Call it into existence

Call it into existence.
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Romans 4:17
(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;

This verse gives us a picture of how God works. God calls those things which do not exist as though they did. God called a man who had no children as a father of many nations. God called out light when He saw darkness.

You are made in the image and likeness of God. You are to walk and work exactly as God walks and works. Note this, your Father calls into existence whatever He desires. Before you start calling things, you need to understand that in Christ, you are blessed with every spiritual blessings in the heavenly places and you have everything you need for life and godliness. Whatever you need, desire and want - more than you can imagine has been given to you. It's in the invisible, spiritual realm and when you begin to call those things - it begins to exists in the visible, natural realm. We don't call to make it ours, we call because it is ours.

What do you need? Find scriptures that talk about your need, want and desire. Once you have the scriptures, begin to call them out in the name of Jesus. Know that it already belongs to you and as you call it out, you will see the manifestation of the blessings. Imitate your Father.

"I call out everything I need for life and godliness. I call out divine word revelation, word illumination and word inspiration, divine health, divine opportunities, divine protection, supernatural favour, divine wisdom, divine connections, divine success and supernatural wealth in the name of Jesus. I am ever increasing in life and ministry with the glory of God."

I want to be rich.

I want to be rich.
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

1 Timothy 6:9‭-‬10
Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

The world is full of people whose top most objective and priority in life is : I want to be rich. These verses tell us exactly what God thinks about it. A believer who wants to get rich is in a dangerous path - headed towards self destruction.

This is one of the many verses that is used by some believers to convince other believers that financial prosperity is not of God and therefore its not good. It seems like God doesn't want His children to be rich, but to be in need all the time and always depend on other people and banks to help them survive and meet their needs. What is the truth? Let me help you. The love of money is this eager desire and pursuit to have more and more money - to a point where anything can be done to get it and to keep it. God is not against His children having money or prospering financially but God is against His children walking in the love of money - walking in greed and covetousness. God is against - you making yourself rich. Stop it! Take a break! Breathe! Enjoy the day in the presence of God!

Don't make yourself rich, let God do it for Proverbs 10.22 says, 'The blessing of the Lord makes rich and He adds no sorrow to it.' Purse the word instead of pursuing money. Money follows the word of God just like fishes followed the words of Jesus Christ. Excel in your giving. Excel in your trust in God. Excel in the word. I want to know my Lord Jesus Christ more and more!

"I seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness - His way of doing things - and all things are added to me. I don't follow money, money follows me because I trust Jesus and His word is the top most priority of my life. I am as rich as Jesus. Hallelujah"

Endless possibilities

Endless possibilities
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Isaiah 48:21
They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow for them from the rock; he split the rock and water gushed out.

God has a million ways of meeting your needs, you can't think of three. A desert is a very dry land with a very warm climate and recieving very less rainfall annually.  With God on your side, a desert becomes the garden of Eden. Without God, even the best of the gardens are turned into a wild desert.

Nothing is too hard for God. Nothing is impossible for God. When His people were in the desert, there was no way they could have water in a dry land. But God! God, our loving heavenly Father did not let His people thirst. He made water flow from the rock, He split the rock and water gushed out and their thirst was quenched. Naturally speaking, there's no way water can come out of rocks. Science cannot explain it. Reason cannot understand it. Logic cannot analyse it. But God did it. My Father God did it. Hallelujah. Don't let science, reason and logic limit you from believing God and receiving from Him. Let me also say this, the waters from rock satisfied the thirst of more than six million people.

Don't try to figure out how God is going to do it. You won't be able to fathom it. Just trust Him and do what He says. Let your Father figure out ways to help you and bless you. His ways are beyond your comprehension. Just think about this, water out of rocks. Trust Him and He will take care of the rest. Rejoice! Nothing is impossible!

"My Father loves me and He is well able to bless me in ways beyond my thinking, imagination and comprehension. I trust Him completely and He makes my deserts like the Garden of Eden. Nothing is impossible for me. Hallelujah"

For your sake!

For your sake!
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Isaiah 45:4
For Jacob My servant’s sake, And Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me.

How great is the Lord's love for His people, for His chosen ones! This verse talks about how the Lord for the sake of His people called, named and anointed someone who didn't even know or acknowledge Him to help His people.

Israel was in captivity for seventy years in Babylon. But the Lord, because of His covenant and His great love refused to forsake His people and demonstrated His love for them. He called, named and anointed King Cyrus, one who did not know the Lord, to shepherd the people of God. It was under the rule of King Cyrus that Jews were first allowed to return to Israel after 70 years of captivity. King Cyrus actively assisted the Jews in rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem and restored the temple treasures to Jerusalem and allowed building expenses to be paid from the royal treasury. 2 Chronicles 36:22–23: “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: ‘Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, “The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the LORD his God be with him. Let him go up.”

Think about this, God used someone who didn't even know Him to bless His people. For the sake of His people, because of His great compassion towards His people, He did this. How much more will he do for you in the New Covenant. Know and believe His love - for He gave His Son for you. Romans 8:32 says, 'He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?.' For your sake!

“Lord, I know and believe you love me greatly. Just like you called, named and anointed Cyrus for Israel, you have anointed people for my sake and they are working for my Shalom - all round prosperity. Thank you Father. Jesus is Lord.”

Know where to go.

Know where to go.
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

John 2:3
And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”

When you face a challenge, who's the first person that comes to your mind or who's the first person you call? It reveals a lot about whom you trust.

Well, a marriage in Cana faced a big challenge - they ran out of wine. It's amazing what Mary does - she didn't contact the caterers, she didn't complain, grumble or accuse, she went to Jesus! Know where to go! First go to Jesus! Its better to trust in the Lord than to trust men. II Peter 5.7 says, 'Cast all your cares on the Lord for He cares for you.' No matter what challenge you are facing, like Mary give it to Jesus, put it on Jesus and then carefully listen to His instructions and do exactly what He says. Mary, the mother of Jesus said to the servants in John 2.5, ‘Whatever He says to you, do it.’ When you give your cares to Jesus, now He becomes the boss and He will take care of it. When the servants obeyed the Master in this situation, the problem was solved and the family's dignity was saved. Hallelujah.

Jesus loves you! Go to Him first! Many times believers go to Jesus as the last stop when there is no help from anyone. No one can help you the way Jesus helps you. He is our ever present help in trouble. Love people but only look to Jesus! Go to Him first! He will guide you and bring you out of the problems and place you on top with dignity, honour and joy. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

“I trust Jesus and no matter what I face, I always go to Him first. I give Him all my cares because I know and believe that He loves me and cares for me. I pay close attention to His instructions and I do exactly what He says. All my problems are fixed, solved and taken care of. Hallelujah to Jesus!”