Praise is beautiful.

Psalms 147.1
Praise the Lord ! For it  is good to sing praises to our God; For it  is pleasant, and  praise is beautiful.

God says it's a good, pleasant and beautiful thing to praise the Lord. David said I will bless the Lord at all times and His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Praising God simply means exalting him, magnifying him, extolling him and acknowledging the greatness, the strength, the wisdom and the glory of God. The Lord inhabits the praises of his people. God is well pleased when you offer your sacrifices of praise to Him. Your praise has more adoration and depth, when you know and understand the love of the Father manifested in the person and the works of Jesus Christ. Grow in the knowledge of Gods character.  Know your Pappa God through the word and the Holy Spirit. The more you know him, the more in awe of Him you will be and the more you will praise Him. He is worthy of our praises, our worship and our adoration. Praise the Lord!

Develop a habit of praising him for every single thing for all things work together for the good of those who love God. You can never be disadvantaged, bless his holy name. Years ago, I decided to say, 'Praise God' for every single thing and by doing so it has become my language today. Friend, why don't you take some time every day to offer to God a pleasant, good and beautiful sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of your lips, giving thanks to his name. Praise is beautiful, good and pleasant. Let's minister to the Lord and Bless His Holy Name. He is worthy.

Are you really strong?

Proverbs 24.10
If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small.

The strength of a person can only be known when he is in the midst of adversity, challenges and troubles. This verse tells us any person who faints or gives up during challenges is one whose strength is small.

Everyone is strong when there are no challenges, but when challenges show up, strength is revealed. Adversity reveals the strong ones. So don't be afraid of challenges, it's an opportunity for you to reveal the strength and the resurrection power of God. Why do people give up in the midst of adversity? I believe it's because of the lack of feeding on and excercising the word. The more you feed on and exercise the word, the stronger you become. The stronger you are, the more you can endure. Strength begins with the word of God.

Everyone in the Bible faced adversity, some fierce but all did. Because they were consistently feeding on and excercising the word, they could face challenges and pressures and come out victoriously. These were simple people but faithful, consistent feeders and excercisers of the word. Friend, adversity is inevitable but falling down or standing up is a choice. The word will help you overcome and conquer the challenges and make you an example to the nations of the world. The word is your strength and therefore be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.

Do not rebel against authorities.

Proverbs 24. 21 - 22
Fear the Lord and the king, my son, and do not join with rebellious officials,  for those two will send sudden destruction on them, and who knows what calamities they can bring?

God does not tolerate rebellion. This verse says don't associate with people who rebel against God or the king, meaning authorities. The king would include authorities at your home, work place, country, church or the police for that matter.

What is rebellion? Rebellion simply means opposition against authorities, it means refusing to obey or submit to authorities, it means defiance or resistance. The word says rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft. God and the authorities that He has placed over you, have power over you and they can use their power in a way that you could be very expensive to you. So the word of God, which is the wisdom of God commands us not to rebel and not to associate with those who do because its very expensive.

Rebellion is a result of pride and selfishness. Notice, we don't submit to authorities because they are good or bad, but simply because the word says so. Any time you rebel, you have literally stopped yourself from moving forward in that organisation. Rebellion guarantees stagnation or even demotion. God is never unjust or partial, He is justice in action. Trust Him and do not take the law in your hands. Trust God and He will make a way where there seems to be no way. Be submissive, have a good attitude, be faithful and note, your God is not sleeping. Let patience have her perfect work so that you may be complete and perfect, lacking nothing. Remember, wisdom is the most important thing.

Your gift will make room for you.

Genesis 41:40‭-‬41
You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”

Pharaoh made these statements to Joseph, the one who came to Egypt as a slave. This is staggering to me. Is anything too hard for the Lord? Can anyone stop God? Can any situation discourage or depress God? Nothing, absolutely nothing.

Joseph had a gift of interpreting dreams. He used his gift to help people not to manipulate people. The word says God has given each one of us gifts for the profiting of people. So the gift you possess is for serving people not to become famous. God's purpose in giving you the gift is to enable you to serve people and thereby glorify God. You remember, when Joseph was in prison, he was assigned with the responsibility of taking care of the chief baker and the cup bearer, who were in prison for offending Pharaoh. Both, the chief baker and the cup bearer had a dream and Joseph interpreted their dreams and it happened exactly as he had interpreted. You see, when the cup bearer was restored, he totally forgot about Joseph. What people remember about is not how good you look or how much you know? They remember the problems you solved. So when Pharaoh had a dream, the cup bearer remembered the dream interpreter. People always remember the problems you solved. So use your gift and serve people, solve problems. So Pharaoh sent for Joseph and brought him out of prison and made him stand before Him. Joseph interpreted the dream accurately and his gift made room for him and He was  made the second most powerful person in Egypt. Hallelujah.

All of the wise men and magicians could not interpret Pharaohs dream yet it was so easy and smooth for Joseph. You know why, it was his gift given by God. Friend, what gift has God given you? Birds fly, fishes swim, whats your gift? Discover it and use it to serve people around you. Be lavish and extremely generous with your gift and serve people with the sole purpose of blessing them and glorifying God. Your God given gift will make room for you and bring you before great men and you will glorify God. Honour God with your life and gifts and He will make sure your fruit abides for eternity. Shalom.

Look to Jesus!

Psalms 34.5
Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

David says anyone who trusts in the Lord will never be ashamed. The question is, to whom are you looking? Who or what is your strength? Where is your confidence? Every human on earth depends on someone or something. It can be God, money, people, governments or strength, hard-work or just luck or may be yourself.

David in this Psalm says anyone who looks at Jesus becomes radiant and they will never be covered with shame. Martha was looking at the resurrection day to see Lazarus again. Jesus told her dont look at the resurrection day, look at me for I am the resurrection and the life. He told Abraham, I am your shield and your exceeding great reward. He told us all throughout the gospel of John that He is the way, the truth and the life, He is the bread of life, He is the good Shepherd, He is the light of the world and He is the Son of God. Everything you need today and everything you will ever need is in Jesus. He is all in all. If he doesn't have it, I don't need it and its none of my business to have it or get it. He's my all in all.

Friend,  if you are sick today, He is your healing. If you are depressed, He is your joy. If you are in debt, He is your freedom. If you are struggling financially, He is your wealth. If you are tempted today, He has defeated all temptations and He is your righteousness and sanctification. If you are stressed, He is your peace. If you are confused, He is your wisdom. He's everything you need. Hebrews says look to Jesus, consider Him and you will be on your way to the greatest and glorious days that you ever seen. "Jesus is my Hero. Jesus is my Standard. I look to Him and I am radiant and glowing, I will never be covered with shame." Remember,  Jesus is Lord and the best is yet to come.

Can these bones live?

Can these bones live?
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Ezekial 37. 3-4
And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord God , You know.” Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord !

The Lord took Ezekial in the spirit to a valley of dry bones and asked him, ‘Can these bones live?’ You know, naturally speaking it's impossible for the bones to live. They are dry meaning that they have been in that state for months or probably for years.

God commanded Ezekial to prophesy to the bones. He didn't tell him to figure out or analyse how the bones are going to live. I believe that's what most believers do, they try to figure out everything. God will figure out how the bones will live or how the situations will change. That's his part. Our part is to prophesy to the bones, to the mountains, to the situations. When you do your part, God will do his part. Isn't it better to obey God and do what He says instead of getting worried, stressed and frustrated?. Thank God that Ezekial didn't try to figure it out instead He prophesied to the bones just as the Lord commanded and when He did His part, God did his part. The dry bones turned into an exceeding great army standing on their feet alive.

Nothing is impossible for God. Let me say it again, Nothing is impossible for God. You have a part and God has a part. What He told you to do, do it and what He said He would do, expect Him to do it. He is faithful. Prophesy to the bones, to your future, to your family, to the debt, to your children, to the challenges that you are facing. Don't lean on your understanding, just do what He says. Develop a habit of prophesying. Practice it. Become skillful in it. As you faithfully do your part, God will turn the valley of dry bones into an exceeding great army. Speak. Prophesy. Celebrate. For the battle is the Lord's and the victory is yours. Hallelujah.

“I prophesy God's word to the dry bones, to the mountains and to the challenges that I am facing. I speak the word of God by faith and God moves the mountain. I refuse to give up on speaking the word. I always speak the word and I am unstoppable in Christ.”

You are a seed

You are a seed!
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

John 12.24
Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.

There's so much God given potential in you. You have the potential of blessing the nations for the glory of God. A seed is extremely powerful. Not because of how it looks but because of what it carries, because of what's inside. Man looks at the outside and laughs but God looks on the inside and says Wow.

You are a seed and you have the potential to bless all nations on earth. This is how God sees you. Every believer is a world overcomer. In order for us to impact the nations, we must fall to the ground and die, only if we die we can produce a flood of impact. To fall to the ground and die simply means discover your God given calling and give yourself and everything you have for the fulfilment of the vision. Therefore I can say, the biggest hindrance to greatness or a great impact is selfishness. Notice, Jesus said if a seed doesn't die, it remains alone. May we never remain alone but by giving ourselves to His cause impact the nations for the glory of God. Jesus said if a person saves his life he will lose it but if he gives his life for Me and the Gospel, he will find it. When you make a decision to invest your entire life for the fulfilment of Gods vision for you, you will find satisfaction, contentment and happiness.

You are not insignifacnt or useless, you have great potential. A potential that can turn this world upside down. Friend, God has made you so powerful, only if you knew it. God has a specific plan for you and it's beyond your wildest imagination. It's huge. As you make a quality decision to give yourself to do what you were created to do, you will impact, influence and change the world. Get around the right people. Serve your church and your Man of God. Love God, Love others and Love life. Jesus is Lord.

"I have great potential in me because I am the  seed of Abraham. I give myself to the work of God. I stay in the right environment of the word, prayer and godly people. I serve my church and my man of God. My fruit is impacting the world for Jesus. Hallelujah."