Have you ever thought about how much time we waste doing the same thing over and over again?

Have you ever thought about how year after year you're spinning your wheels trying to overcome that one thing that has had you bound for 20 years? If you've had a red flag go up, you recognize that you need to quit but not understanding how to quit, you just stop for a season and as soon as that temptation raises its ugly head, you fall back into the arms of that thing, and the cycle starts all over again. Are you addicted to something and your heart's desire is to quit? The answer to all that you need is in your loving and trusting a God that you've never seen. Nothing worth having is ever free, but at least you did not have to give your life or the life of your son for the freedom that you're seeking. God has taken care of that for you and me.

The Good News of the Gospel

The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is just what you need. We don't have to wander in the wilderness any longer; we can go in and possess the land that's flowing with plenty; in this case, it's our mind. Yes, that is exactly what I said—we need to possess the promised land of our mind. We have to declare like Joshua declared, we are able to go up and take the country and possess the land from Jordan to the sea. Though the giants may be there, our way to hinder, God has given us the victory. Amen.

Understanding Our Authority

Man struggles day after day seeking to find a way to escape from the conditions of their lives, not understanding that God, from the foundation of the world, has already designed a plan for those who will receive His protection and provision for their lives. He tells us that whosoever will, let them come—that encompasses a multitude.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. In the natural, the shepherd looks out for the welfare of the sheep. Much more will the Father of the Shepherd look out for those who trust in Him. We live in a world where Adam gave his authority to Satan, and now Satan is the god of this world. Even so, we have been given authority (by God) to put our flesh under subjection to our spirit. But if your mind is constantly on evil things, it is impossible for your spirit to be in control of your body. Therefore, we have to renew our mind with the word of God. In so doing, we give our spirit man authority over our flesh, and that comes from each individual taking authority over their mind.

The Power of the Mind

Our mind is like an oven; if you don't take the time to turn it on, nothing is going to get done. I beseech you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, that you present your body a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable (you owe Him) service.

Personal Reflection

For many years in my life, I felt alone even though I came from a family of eleven siblings. When I had time and was not working in the fields, I would spend hours writing stories and poems. Later in life, when I went off to college, there was always someone playing cards in the student union, and I got pulled into participating so that I would not appear anti-social, but that wasn't my cup of tea either. I later married a man from Chicago who was on a tour of duty in Germany. So, in my last year of college, I got married, and a couple of days later, my then-husband was off to Germany, and I had to wait for paperwork to be completed before I joined him. Weeks later, I was off to Germany traveling alone to a country I had only seen on TV. I was only 20 and on my way to another country alone to be reunited with a man I had only really known for one month.

While in Germany, I would have these dreams of scary things holding me down, and I was unable to get up, although I was awake. On one occasion, I was able to call home and explained the incident to my father. His reply was, "Those are demon spirits riding your back, coming to oppress you. What you need to do is, when that happens again, call on the name of Jesus and keep calling until they let you go." I thought, thanks dad, I'm over here hundreds of miles from home, and you tell me this.