Have you hit the wall?

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."(Philippians 4:13)

You're running the race set before you, moving full speed ahead with God's blessing overtaking you at every step. Then suddenly, wham! You hit the wall. It may be a wall of sickness or financial trouble, of spiritual failure or family problems. But, regardless of the form it takes, the effect of "the wall" is always the same. It stops you cold. The question is, once you hit a wall like that, what will you do? You'll be tempted to quit, to turn back in defeat. But don't do it. Because God will enable you to break through that wall and keep right on going. I'm not going to tell you it's easy. The truth is, it's tough. But you have to push on through the tough times if you're ever going to have a breakthrough. Ask any athlete. He'll tell you that! Because if he's a winner, he's been there. He's pushed his body to what seems to be the maximum. His side has hurt. His lungs have ached. He's had cramps in his legs and thighs. And just when he felt like he couldn't go on, he's heard some coach yell, "Come on! Move it!" Athletes call that "hitting the wall." It's a time when the body says, "That's it. That's all I can do. I can't go any further. I can't go any faster. I quit." But the seasoned athlete knows that "the wall" isn't the end. It's a signal that he's on the verge of a breakthrough. If he'll toughen up and push himself a little more, he'll get a second wind. Suddenly, he'll go faster than before. He'll reach a level of excellence he couldn't have reached any other way. When you feel the worst, when failure is breathing down your neck, press into the Word as never before. You may meditate on a particular scripture for days and even weeks sometimes, trying to get a revelation of it, seemingly without success. Then suddenly, like the dawn of the morning, light will come pouring in. You'll see the way to break through. All you have to do is punch one little hole in that wall of problems, dig one tiny hole in it with your faith and with the Word of God. Then keep tearing away at that hole. Don't quit! And, before long, the forces of God will come bursting through, demolishing every obstacle in their path! Once that happens you'll never be the same again. You'll be hooked. It will only take one breakthrough like that to make a never-dying, never-quitting champion out of you.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

(contributed by Al Jones)

Weekly Wisdom-Dare to Follow Your Dream!

"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? And he said, Certainly I will be with thee."(Exodus 3:11-12)

Have you ever had a Holy Spirit inspired dream, a dream of doing something really great for Jesus? A dream of being so prosperous, for instance, that you can finance a nationwide revival? A dream of leading thousands of people to the Lord? At one time or another, you probably have, but perhaps you backed away from it. Maybe you thought, "Oh my, I couldn't do that. Satan's kept me defeated for so long I have a poor self-image." If so, I have some good news for you. If you'll believe God, even a poor self-image won't keep you from success. Look in the book of Exodus and you'll see a man who proved that. His name was Moses. Moses didn't have a very good self-image. He'd made a terrible mistake early in his career. It was a mistake that drove him into the wilderness and kept him there for 40 years herding somebody else's sheep. He'd once dreamed of being a deliverer of God's people, but no more. As far as he was concerned, he was finished...a failure...a flop! But God didn't think so. In fact, when God came to Moses in that wilderness, He didn't ask for Moses' credentials. He didn't mention his shady history. He just told him to go see Pharaoh and tell him to let God's people go. Moses, however, was still wrestling with his poor self-image. "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?" he stammered. You know what God said in response? He just said, "Certainly, I will be with thee." You see, it didn't matter who Moses was. What mattered was that the living God was with him. The same thing is true for you today. You don't need a history of successes behind you to answer God's call. You don't need a string of spiritual credentials. All you need is the presence of the Lord. Think about that when the devil tells you you're a failure, when he says you'll never be able to do what God has put in your heart to do. Put him in his place. Tell him it doesn't matter who you are because the living God is with you. Then dare to follow your dream!
Exodus 3:1-14
(contributed by Al Jones)

Weekly Wisdom--Armloads of Blessings

"It seemed like a dream, too good to be true, when God [gave us the victory]…Now, God, do it again… so those with heavy hearts will come out laughing, with armloads of blessing"(Psalm 126, Message)

When you have a heavy heart, when life deals you a difficult blow, God wants to turn things around in your favor. Not only does He want to bring you out, but He wants to bring you out with a smile and better off than you were before. He wants to give you the victory and fill you with armloads of blessings!
You might be thinking, “That sounds too good to be true. You don’t know my situation.” But understand, God wants to overwhelm you with His goodness. He wants you to feel like you are living in a dream. The scripture says that He delights in the prosperity of His people. In other words, it gives Him great joy to bless you. You can be certain that when you stand in faith, even when it’s difficult, God will reward you. He’ll fill you with His peace. He’ll give you supernatural strength. He’ll give you the grace you need to face those challenges. You can be sure that He’ll always lead you into victory and fill you with armloads of blessings!

Father in heaven, thank You for Your promise of victory and blessing. I choose to keep my heart and mind focused on You. Have Your way in me and lead me into the life of blessing You have in store for me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

(contributed by Al Jones)

Weekly Wisdom--The Breath of God

"It is] the Spirit of God that made me [which has stirred me up], and the breath of the Almighty that gives me life [which inspires me]"(Job 33:4, AMP)

In Genesis, the Bible tells us that God breathed life into Adam. Not only does God breathe life into our physical bodies, He breathes life into our dreams and desires. He breathes new life and inspiration into your heart. I believe, even right now, He’s breathing a bigger vision into your spirit. One scripture says, “It’s not by our might. It’s not by our power. But it’s by the breath of Almighty God.” As God breathes on your life, things are going to get easier. Negative situations are going to turn around. You’re going to have wisdom beyond your years. You’re going to have a resolve that will not give up, an attitude that refuses to quit.
Everywhere you go, you need to imagine the most powerful force in the universe is blowing in your direction. Believe that His favor and inspiration are on your life. Look for those opportunities that God will use to take you further than you dreamed. As you trust that God is breathing in your direction, you’ll see His hand of grace and favor moving you forward in victory in every area of your life!

Heavenly Father, thank You for breathing in my direction. Thank You for giving life to my dreams, hopes, and desires. I trust that Your favor is working on my behalf. I give You glory for every good thing in my life. In Jesus’ Name. Amen

(Contributed by Al Jones)

Weekly Wisdom

"And you shall be secure and feel confident because there is hope…"(Job 11:18 AMP)

In the world today, it seems there are so many things trying to pull us down. Every time you turn around, you're being bombarded with bad news. Life can be difficult, but there is a peace that God can give you in the midst of the challenge. If you'll keep your hopes up and keep your mind focused in the right direction, you'll get to the place where you'll say, "I should be upset. I should be losing sleep at night. But I'm not the least bit worried. I know God is still on the throne. I know He's working this out for my good."
When you keep your hopes up, you eventually step into the anointing of ease. You don't drag around discouraged or despondent. You're in faith, hoping, believing, and expecting. That's when God will move on your behalf. That's when you'll look up and say, "You know what? I don't struggle in this area anymore. God took the pressure off. Things are starting to fall into place." You may not be there just yet, but there is hope! God who promised to deliver you is faithful, and He will lead you in victory all the days of your life!
"Heavenly Father, I declare that I put my trust and hope in You. I know that You are faithful, and I believe that You are making a way where there seems to be no way. Fill me with Your peace and joy and give me the strength to serve You all the days of my life. In Jesus' Name."

(contributed by Brother Al Jones)

Language School--A New Beginning

Today was our first day of classes at the language school in Costa Rica. We will need your prayers! Learning Spanish is one of the biggest challenges we face. But, we know that with God, all things are possible! Actually, it seems almost like going back to college again. We have several different classes during the day. We change teachers along with the classrooms. We have noted one huge difference, in half of our classes, there are only 4 people, counting the two of us. In the others, there are a total of 8. The school has many classes, but they have designed them to be small. We have started our first day with homework, so we are sure we will be busy! But, we will keep our focus on God, and we will keep all of our friends and ministry partners in our prayers! May God Be With You!