No submission, no promotion!

No submission, no promotion!
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

II Kings 3:11
But Jehoshaphat said, “ Is  there no prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of the Lord by him?” So one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.”

Notice the introduction of Elisha, one of the greatest prophets that ever lived - one who poured water on the hands of Elijah. Elisha submitted to the authority of Elijah. Without submission, there is no promotion.

Every authority in your life is ordained by God. Submission is a voluntary attitude of giving yourself to your authority or putting yourself under your authority to honour them, to serve them, to obey them, to bless them and to pray for them for the glory of God and for the name of Jesus.

"I acknowledge that every authority in my life is ordained by God and I submit to them for the glory of God and for the name of Jesus. Thank you Lord for taking me to the very heights of opulence and prosperity. In Jesus Name, Amen."

SPEAK to your mountain!

SPEAK to your mountain!
- Pastor Ashish Mathews.

Mark 11:23
For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

Jesus said speak to your mountain. A mountain is anything that is trying to stop you from going forward. It could be a demon, a sickness, debt, addiction or some other challenge that you are facing. Don't speak about the mountain, SPEAK TO IT. Don't fast or pray for the mountain. SPEAK TO IT. David spoke to Goliath. Ezekial spoke to the dead bones. Jesus spoke to the fig tree. SPEAK TO THE MOUNTIAN.

"Mountain, I command you in the name of Jesus, Be removed and be thrown into the sea. I am victorious in Christ. Jesus is my Lord and the best is yet to come."

Citizens of Heaven!

Citizens of Heaven!
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Philippians 3:20
But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.

The day you received Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, you became a citizen of heaven. You were translated from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of light, the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Your heavenly citizenship is a new testament reality.

To be born again means to be born from above. You are from above, from heaven because you are born of God. Jesus said in John 6.38, 'For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.' Though we are in the world, we don't belong to this world. We are from a different planet, the government that rules us is in heaven and our way of life is in heaven. Colossians 3.1,2 says, 'If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.' There is a huge difference between earthly people and heavenly people. Every country has a peculiar language, a distinct dressing, culture and an unique set of principles and values. Heaven has a language, a culture, a mindset and strong principles and values. You come from heaven and you are sent on the earth to fulfill your calling and to manifest the beauty and the culture of heaven.

Friend, be conscious that you are a heavenly person. Your protection is from heaven. Your provision is from heaven. The word of God, the Bible is the constitution of heaven. Let the word of God dwell in your richly. Don't let the earth and earthly things distract you, be focused on fulfilling your work, assigned to you by God. Don't depend on the earth for anything, look up! The government of heaven backs you, the angels of God surround you and the mighty Holy Spirit lives in you. Heavenly citizen, you are so powerful. Go on with Jesus!

God works in you!

God works in you!
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Philippians 2:13
for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

God lives in you. Not only does He live in you, He's working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. You are not alone, the mighty Holy Spirit is in you.

We don't create the desires, it's He who creates the godly desires in us. The Holy Spirit gives you desire for godly things, things that please the Lord Jesus Christ. He creates godly desires, spiritual desires and holy desires within you. Without the work of the Holy Spirit, none of us would be interested in the things of God. Thank God for the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is working in you right this moment. Acknowledge it and thank God for His work. Not only does the Holy Spirit give you the desires but He also gives you the power to fulfill those desires. He creates in you the desire to live holy and gives you the power to live holy. He creates a desire of forgiveness and empowers you to forgive. He creates in you desire for the word and gives you the energy to do the word. He makes spiritual things alive and exciting. His desires cannot be fulfilled by human strength and power, it's only by the power of the Holy Spirit. He makes available divine energy to fulfill the desires He creates. Isn't it wonderful to know, that you have the power and the energy of the Holy Spirit to fulfill the good pleasure of God?

Friend, be conscious of the Holy Spirit who lives in you. Give Him the opportunity to work in you by consistently beholding the word of God. As you fix your mind on God's word, the Holy Spirit will create in you desires and give you the power and the ability to fulfill those desires. God works in you! Acknowledge! Yield! Surrender! Change your world!

Forget and focus.

Forget & focus.
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Philippians 3:13
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I  do,  forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,

The Apostle Paul went through many challenges, disappointments, trials and persecutions in his life and ministry. Yet, he was successful in finishing his race with joy. He was a laser focused man, a man of one thing and moved with great zeal towards fulfilling the call of God.

Unless we forget what's behind, we won't be able to reach forward to the things that are ahead, we won't be able to stretch towards the things that are in front. To forget in this verse means to neglect, giving no care to the things that are behind. Philippians 3:14 says, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. The things that are behind can stop you and hinder you from fulfilling your destiny, the high call of God in Christ Jesus. Know this, what's ahead of you is bigger and better than what's behind you. Do not allow the challenges, mistakes, trials, disappointments and failures of the past to keep you from going forward. The fulfillment of God's plan for your life is the most important work in your life. The Apostle Paul knew this and therefore reserved all of his energy in focusing on the things that are ahead.

Friend, holding on to the past will consume your energy and drain you. Let go! Receive your forgiveness in the name of Jesus. Forgive. Forget. Learn. Celebrate. Move on. The plan of God is bigger than your past. Your past cannot stop you from fulfilling your destiny. Choose to focus on the things that are in front. Do not make anyone or anything more important than the call of God. Be focused like the Apostle Paul and fulfill God's call for your life. Stretch! Press! Keep moving! Jesus is coming back!

"I forget what's behind and I move towards the high calling of God. My past will not stop me. The blood of Jesus has wiped out my past and I press towards my destiny. I forgive, I forget, I look to Jesus and I keep going higher and higher."

God of completion!

God of completion!
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Philippians 1:6
being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Our God is the God of completion. He will always complete what He starts. He doesn't stop halfway, He doesn't let opposition, discouragement, disappointments and challenges to distract Him from finishing what He started. Glory to God!

God's word is God's only responsibility. He will only finish what He starts because His word is His only obligation. The Lord needs our cooperation. The only reason some of His work remains incomplete is because of the lack of cooperation from His people. What He started in you, He will by all means complete, if you cooperate with Him by relying on Him and doing exactly what He says in His word and through His Spirit. Relying on yourself for completing God's work will only frustrate you and drain all your energy. God is well able to complete what He starts. He doesn't need anyone's help, all He needs is our cooperation. What has God spoken to you? What has God shown you? Does it look impossible to complete? God showed Joseph a throne and we know Joseph sat on the throne. What God promised to Abraham, He brought it to completion. What He started in Jesus, He finished it when Jesus sat on the throne at His right hand. He always completes what He starts. He is the God of completion.

Friend, don't give up just because you don't see the completion or understand the working towards the completion. Just trust God and know, What God starts, He always completes. Just like Jesus, Abraham, Joseph and the others, why don't you cooperate with God. Rely on His strength and let Him guide you into the completion of His work and your destiny. Be of good cheer, the Lord has not forgotten you. You will fulfill your destiny. Go on with Jesus, for He is the God of completion!

Imitate God.

Imitate God.
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

Ephesians 5:1
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

Have you seen little children imitating their fathers? God Almighty is your Father and you are His beloved child. To imitate means to do the same thing as another. The Apostle Paul, by the Holy Spirit, tells us to imitate our Father God.

We imitate God by looking at Jesus because Jesus is the image of the invisible God. He is the exact representation of the Father and the brightness of His glory. There is no other way, Jesus is the only way to the Father. Imitating Jesus is imitating the Father. The next verse says, Ephesians 5.2, 'And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.' To imitate the Father is to walk in love. God is love and he who abides in love abides in God and God in him. By our love walk, we manifest the Father and His Son, Jesus to this world. John 13:34‭-‬35 says, 'A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.' How will all know that we are the disciples of Jesus? When we love one another. Loving one another is our command from Jesus and we do it because we love Him. We love Him because He first loved us.

Friend, study the life of Jesus for He is the love of God in action. There is no greater example of love than Jesus Himself. Your imitation of Him is a response to His love towards you. Show this world who your heavenly Father is! Show this world who Jesus is! Know that God loves you unconditionally. Receive His love and let His love flow through you. Imitate God!