Romans 11:19-21, “Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.”

Hey OTP Family! The topic of unbelief has been in my spirit for a few days now and I felt a pull in the spirit to dive into this topic today. In Matthew 13:58, Jesus said he could not do many miracles in his home time because of their unbelief. He noted their familiarity with his upbringing stopped them from receiving from him. But this was just an excuse to hold on to the things they were not yet ready to let go of. Look at your life – is there any unbelief lurking around? If so, deal with it because unbelief will block God from moving in your life. It is not that God is powerless in your situation. Rather your unbelief makes you unreceptive to his ministry. It blocks you from receiving from God. The end result? Just as Jesus left his home town because of unbelief and went to the places where he could work miracles. Your unbelief will also turn him away from you.

What is Unbelief?

Spiritual unbelief is a rejection, distrust, or lack of conviction in spiritual truths, God, or religious principles, often manifesting as stubborn resistance to faith, reliance on worldly evidence over divine promises, or prioritizing personal emotions/pride over spiritual understanding. It’s seen as more than just doubt, involving a determined turning away from spiritual connection, which leading to negative consequences or separation from God.

Key aspects of spiritual unbelief:

• Refusal to trust: It’s an active refusal to believe what God has revealed, rather than just a questioning mind, and can stem from pride or self-reliance.
• Distrust and disobedience: Often linked to distrust (Greek: apistia), it can become disobedience (Greek: apeitheia) when one ignores God’s commands or promises.
• Reliance on senses: Trusting feelings, worldly evidence, or logic above God’s Word is a common source of spiritual unbelief.
• Spiritual blindness: It’s characterized by a spiritual blindness that prevents recognition of divine reality, even when presented with clear signs.
• Varying degrees: It’s not always a total absence of faith but can be a significant struggle within a believer, as seen in the “unbelieving generation” Jesus addressed, where parents cried out, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!

When unbelief is left unchecked it does lead to separation from God. Our unbelief will sever the connection we have to God. It is like a cancer that will impact the healthy cells around it until the cancer spreads throughout the body. The end result – you will no longer find yourself attached to a body of believers as you find excuses to stay away from God and his people.

The Danger of Spiritual Unbelief:

It acts as a barrier to God’s promises, leading to separation from Him, spiritual ruin, condemnation, and a failure to experience God’s blessings. It can stem from doubt, fear, or a focus on earthly problems over faith, causing individuals to drift from God, lose courage, and turn away from divine guidance, potentially resulting in eternal consequences for the soul.

How it Manifests:

• Wavering & Doubt: Fluctuating with conventional opinions instead of holding to God’s word.
• Focusing on Obstacles: Overemphasizing problems (like giants in the land) rather than God’s ability to overcome them.
• Unwillingness to Trust: More and unwillingness to trust than an inability to understand, often fueled by fear or discontent. 

Overcoming Unbelief:

Today, the morning message was on the topic of “Close the Gap” (Apostle Aaron B. McNair, Sr.). We don’t want to leave space for the enemy to come in and wreak havoc. But we are instructed not to give place to the enemy. So we must examine ourselves and close any gaps to prevent the subtle strategic infiltration of the enemy. The same concept should be applied to unbelief.

We must examine ourselves, detect the gaps where unbelief has crept in and close them through prayer (communion and fellowship with God), worship and praise. Through Bible study (faith comes by hearing the word of God), and fellowship with other believers. We are our brother’s keeper and we need one another. The scriptures say we over come by the word of our testimony. When we share our testimony with one another we are working to strengthen and encourage each other.

Once you recognize unbelief in your life – you must call it out, repent (ask God for forgiveness). Then you must be prepared to perform spiritual surgery to cut it out. Just as a surgeon must cut out the cancerous tumor, we must spiritually do the same to unbelief. Then apply ongoing treatment to keep you free of this cancer is as follows.

Spiritual Practices (aka Spiritual Warfare)

• Study Scripture: Faith grows by hearing God’s Word; read, listen, and meditate on it daily to renew your mind. 
• Pray Honestly: Bring your doubts and struggles to God in prayer, asking for help, rather than hiding them. 
• Remember God’s Faithfulness: Keep a journal of answered prayers and past blessings to see His track record. 
• Act in Faith: Take small, obedient steps based on what you already know;obedience strengthens faith. 

Mindset Shifts (change your perspective)

• Stop Overthinking: Don’t rely solely on your limited understanding; trust God’s higher plans. 
• Block Negativity: Actively counter negative thoughts and voices. 
• Embrace Humility: Admit your need for God and surrender your self-reliance. 

Community & Action (add works to your faith)

• Fellowship: Connect with other believers who build you up in faith. 
• Take Risks: Do hard things and step out of your comfort zone to build discipline and faith. 
• Live Transparently: Be honest about your feelings, even when struggling

Along with this ongoing treatment it is also necessary to make changes to those people who influence you (or have influence in your life). Unbelief is contagious. If you constantly hang around those who refuse to believe God, eventually their words of doubt can find their way into your heart. It is necessary to protect (guard) your heart, mind, and peace. Once God has delivered you, please be selective with those you spend time with. Most of the time spiritual victories are hard fought battles. It does not make any sense to willingly subject yourselves to the same influences that initially lead to your bondage.

Once you expose your struggles to God and ask for help, I guarantee you – your help is on the way. It is a faith battle, and you must spiritually dig in to survive and come out victorious. This is not the time to stop coming to church. This is the exact time to come out and gain strength from one another. It’s the perfect time to lean into God, not lean or pull away.

Prayer Time:

If this lesson has found you, let’s pray the prayer of faith together:

Heavenly Father, I confess my doubt and unbelief. Please forgive me for not fully trusting you. The scripture says “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief! Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. Help me believe that you are real and that you reward those who earnestly seek you. Strengthen my faith, help me believe your word above all else, and replace my fear with hope in Jesus’ name, Amen.

God bless and have a great day!

2 Timothy 1:12’ “for which cause I also suffer these things; nevertheless, I am not ashamed. For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.”

Hey OTP Family! I just wanted to share some encouraging words to help you make it successfully through this week.

Understand that the same God who promised to never leave or forsake you truly has your back!

We just need to be fully convinced and confident of this fact, and to trust him with our cares. If we trust him then we can cast our cares upon him knowing he can (and will) work every thing out for our good.

Have a blessed Monday everyone! ❤️

Psalms 118:24, “ This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Hey OTP Family!! Just wanted to share some morning encouragement…

Praying God’s blessings be upon you and in you!

Have a great day!

Proverbs 26:16, “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.”

Philippians 3:13 & 14, “Brethern, I do not count myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press on toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Hey OTP Family! God is so very good to us. He is patient, faithful, and long suffering. He does not give up on us even when we want to give up on ourselves. I just wanted to take a moment to encourage to show yourself some grace. You may not always be perfect or do everything just right. You will fail and you will fall down from time to time. But the key is not to lay there and wallow in your failure. We get back up, shake ourselves and get back in line. We repent, ask for forgiveness, ask for strength to move one and continue to do what God has given us to do. Here is the key – we have to accept the forgiveness God freely gives to us.

Our problem – we still remember what we did wrong. We still think about how we failed, how we did not do what God told us to, etc. But when God forgives us, we have to forgive ourselves too. We need to receive that forgiveness with a whole heart and let the past go. Yes, the past – because that is where the failure lives. We cannot take our past failures into the bright future that God has planned for us.

The thing to remember is that no matter what your gift and calling is without repentance (Romans 11:29). Which means God’s gifts and His selection of people for a specific purpose (His calling) are irrevocable; He does not change His mind nor regret them. With that in mind, understand you do not have the option to walk away from this anointing. We need to get it together and get back to work.

But remember to give yourself grace. This race is a marathon and not a sprint. Our focus is to finish the race. You do not have to be the first to the finish line, the goal is to stay in the race and finish strong.

Trust God’s plan for your life and focus on being the vessel for his will to be done.

Prayer is essential. The believer needs to have a consistent prayer life. This is our life line. Most of our failure is precipitated by a lack of prayer. Prayer is our daily (sometimes hourly) conversation with God. This is our opportunity to seek God, to cry out God, to vent our frustrations, admit our weakness, to surrender to his will, and to get direction and guidance. The scripture says it like this – “Be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (Philippians 4:6).

Show yourself some grace on this journey. Trust God and all will be well.

Stay encouraged and have a blessed night.

Psalms 150:6, “Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.”

Psalms 100: 1, “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing,”

Nehemiah 8:10, “Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Hello OTP Family! Have you ever ran across something that is so monumentally important for your life, but is also such a small thing that it can be easily overlooked? That is how I look at praise. It is, indeed, essential to the life of the believer, but many take the attitude that they can take it or leave it. But the truth of the matter is this – praise is one of the most important weapons in our arsenal to fight against the enemy.

Today I want to talk a little bit about praise. I want to be transparent in our conversation to share why I praise God like I do.

What is Praise?

Praise is to express warm approval or admiration. Biblically, praise is the reverent adoration of God for who He is and for what He has done, expressed through expressions of gratitude, awe, and worship.

There are 3 main reasons why I praise:

1. It is a command of God (see Psalms 150).
2. Psychologically, it relieves stress and opens my ears to hear and receive from God.
3. It confuses the enemy.

Now that we know what praise is, let’s take a deeper look at each reason to praise

The Command of God.

In Psalms 150, we see the great command from God – “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” With this command it is clear that every living being is required to give praise to God. This chapter goes into great detail on where, why, and how praise should be conducted.

Where: in his sanctuary and in his mighty heavens.

Why: for his mighty deeds and for his excellent greatness.

How: with trumpets, lute, and harp. With tambourine and dance. With strings and pipe. With cymbals.

It is clear that music and dance are essential in the praise process! But simply, we are to acknowledge the greatness and goodness of God. To acknowledge that God has been good to us and for that alone he is worthy of the praise.

Another thing to realize is that praise requires your whole being. Your mind, your body. This encompasses our attitude. It is essential to have an attitude (the way you think and feel) and posture (of your heart – humility, reverence, and obedience) of praise. It is not just lip service. It is more than surface level involvement. Praise is something that flows from your heart, from your inner man. It is passionate and expressed with deep meaning.

It involves you pouring out of your heart gratitude and thanksgiving to God. Because of this great passion it flows directly to worship for this who walk in the spirit (John 4:24). But we will save the topic of worship for another time.

Praise is a Stress Reliever.

For me, during those times when I recognize that I am under an attack of the enemy, or if I feel my mind wanting to cross into fear and wander down the ‘what if’ rabbit hole – I can go into praise and let go of the cares of this life. I don’t have to worry about bills being paid, or my job, my children, the state of the world, etc. I can leave them all at God’s feet and just rest in praise. I cannot explain the light feeling I have after a good praise session. It is a feeling of release that is unparalleled.

There are added benefits to praise. As I draw closer to God in praise, he draws nearer to me too. James 4:8, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” Praise brings us closer to God so that we can better hear his voice. This encourages us as believers to exercise the word of God in our lives. We will find ourselves quoting the scripture and actively applying it to our lives. Adding works to our faith.

When are ears are open to hear what the spirit is saying, we are strengthened to walk in obedience and the favor of God. This positions us to receive from God. When we can better hear from God our ability to trust him increases. Our ability to walk in our call and anointing also increases. God is so awesome – He gave us this awesome gift of praise that brings glory and honor to him. But he also uses this same gift as a door way to receive from Him.

Psalms 22:3, tells us that God inhabits our praises. When we praise Him, we bring his presence in our midst. With an atmosphere of praise we can receive whatever we need from the Lord. Healing, deliverance, salvation, freedom, etc. Whatever we need we will have access to it with an atmosphere of praise.

Our Praise Confuses the Enemy.

The enemy just does not understand why we continue to praise God despite the fact that he attacking us on every side. 2 Chronicles 20:22 reminds us as we begin to sing and praise God, God will set up ambushments against our enemies. Our praise will cause them to attack themselves, so much so that the trap they attempt to set against us will ensnare them instead.

Praise – this joy of the Lord – becomes our strength. Through praise we are strengthened to endure, to resist the enemy of our soul. We can do this with a joyful heart because we recognize that His strength is made perfect in our weakness. We can live on this exchange principle. He takes our weakness and gives us strength. He takes our pain and gives us peace. He takes our sorrow and gives us joy.

When the children of Israel would go into battle, they would always send the praisers out first (see 2 Chronicles 20). We must also learn to lead with praise. Praise is a weapon that God has given us. We just have to be willing to use it – daily. The enemy is always looking for opportunities to attack. We must be just a vigilant to use what God has given us to thwart this plan. Praise, prayer, and thanksgiving – this is a combination that we depend upon to navigate this walk with Christ.

Summary

The matter can be summed up simply by Psalms 100:1 , praise Him, serve Him with gladness, and come before Him with a song of praise on your lips and in your heart. This is both your weapon and strength as a child of God.

Become proficient with this mighty weapon of praise.

Have a blessed night.

1 Peter 1:7, “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perished, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto the praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”

Hello OTP family! Have you ever been in the place where God has revealed himself to you in some profound way through his word? A place where you are so grateful and thankful because of the revealed word. Where you are standing on this new revelation and decreeing and declaring this word over your life? Then the next thing you know it seems the very gates of hell are breaking through in your life? A time where it seems that nothing you do to fix the situation works. If you answered yes to any of these questions or the statements resonates with your experiences – do not be alarmed. God is just working that newly revealed word out in your life.

The bible tells us that our faith must be tried. The trial of our faith is a foundational point of the believers life. We are told to study the word… “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that neededeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15). We study to know God’s word so we can, in turn, apply the word to our lives and stand upon it. God is faithful, that he promised in John 14:26, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” This is why it is so important that every believer spend time in the word of God. How can God remind you of something you never took the time to study (hide in your heart) before?

Getting back to the topic. We do not live in a vacuum. The enemy is also aware of what God is doing in your life. He is not all knowing like God. But he does know how to understand human behavior. He also hears the words that you speak. He sees the difference in you when you are standing on the word of God by faith – using that word to fight against his plan of attack. Just like God allowed Satan to attack Job, he also gives him permission to pick at our lives too. But just as with Job, God places parameters around just what the enemy can do against us. He declares the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). You will not be in this thing too long. Another thing to remember is God also promised he would not put more on us than we are able to bear (1 Corinthians 16:13).

So when the revelation of the word – a particular scripture, or principle – comes, just know a trial is coming too.

But be encouraged, we also serve a God who always causes us to triumph (2 Corinthians 2:14). But understand, we do need to walk through the fire. However, there is a blessing in knowing that God is in the fire with us. Hallelujah!

Back to my testimony. I find myself in this very situation and I bring you salutation from the middle of the journey. I am still in the fire, fighting the good fight of faith. The weirdest thing is, I am thankful for my journey. I am seeing everyday just how faithful God has been to his word. As God sees us standing upon (decreeing and declaring) his word, he watches over it to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12).

For me, the moment I began to rejoice in the deep knowledge of this biblical principle and share the word with others, I also began to be tried by this same word. Here’s the thing – God has been faithful. He has supplied all of my needs – in ways I never imagined. Most importantly, I am happy and content. I don’t have any regrets. I am just thankful.

No, I am not fully on the other side of this thing yet. It is tough and I have to remember and speak the word daily. Yes, it is a daily battle. But I am also not sitting in sadness and tears. I am standing in the light of God’s word, knowing he has my back.

With a full heart I choose to lift up my head to where my strength comes from. I choose to give God praise, rather than complain about what I don’t have or the unfairness of the situation.

My prayer for you – if you find yourself in a similar situation – do not give into despair. Understand 2 Corinthians 4: 8 – 9, “we are troubled on every dies, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken, cast down, but not destroyed;” Understand, what ever trial you are in, it is because you have been built to survive it. Not only that, you were also made to thrive in spite of it. Do not let it define you, it is just something you are temporarily going through at the moment. Eventually, you are going to testify how God brought you successfully through it. Stronger than ever before.

Have a blessed night.

Psalms 23:5-6, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”

GM OTP Family! Welcome to another day full of blessings and God’s goodness. 

God is truly a wonder and so very true to his word. I am truly amazed at the faithfulness of God. He watches over his word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12). I can say with surety and experience – God is actively ensuring that His promises and pronouncements will come to pass exactly as He intended. But we do have responsibility in this equation. 

We have to:

• know the word,
• pray the word to God,
• and finally stand on that same word by faith.

Once we have met our requirements then the ball is back in God’s court. He actively looks for his work mixed thoroughly with our faith. This frees God to move according to his promised word.

With this in mind, we must understand that faith without works is dead (James 2:17). If you truly believe the word of God then your faith must be in action. True belief is not passive and must be demonstrated through actions. This reinforces our responsibility as noted above – know the word, pray the word and stand by faith on the word.

Doing this keeps our cup full and running over.

This begs the question – What is in your cup?

But before we delve deeper into that, let us first examine the overflowing cup. The overflowing cup is an expression of profound gratitude and overwhelming abundance. It symbolizes that you have received so much of God’s goodness, blessings, and prosperity that – as a result – has caused your own cup not just to fill to the brim, but overflow on to what is under and surrounding it. John 10:10 confirms that Jesus came so that we might have life, and life more abundantly!

This “cup” that is being referred to here is your life in Christ. Your life should show an abundance of God’s mercies. The evidence of God’s promises should be seen through your life. Now, do not be fooled, we are not saying that you should have a life of ease and trouble free. In fact, the opposite is true. As the saints of old use to say – this is a suffering way. Jesus tells us in John 16:33, in the world you will have tribulation. We are instructed to take up our cross and follow him. And advised to arm yourself with this mindset, understanding that suffering is a part of the Christian life. But that is also comfort provided – Jesus said I overcame the world and you can too!

To this end come the promises of God. Even though we are apart of a suffering way, we are also given tools to effectively deal with whatever the enemy throws at us. Additionally, we are given power (through the Holy Ghost), and authority in Jesus’ name to both thrive and triumph. 

In other words – the deck has been stacked in our favor. But if we don’t know the word of God, it becomes hard to understand just who we are in Christ, and by extension, it is difficult to fully operate in this power and authority freely given to us.

Let’s look at what is in that cup again – there should be the peace of God, joy, favor, patience, healing, provision, and wealth – just to name a few. Whatever you need is in this cup. We just need to access it through faith. 

From this overflowing cup, we should also pour out to those who God has placed in our circle of influence. Charity starts at home before it is shared abroad (1 Timothy 5:8). God expects you to share his goodness with everyone you can. When you do this God will enlarge your territory, so you can reach more people than you ever thought possible. 

What is in your cup? Whatever you need. Search the scriptures. Find that firm foundation that you need, then pray that scripture back to God. Tell him what you need and how you are standing on his word by faith. Then every day of your life, put that word in action. This is the works that should be attached to your faith. Before you know it, you will have just what you need based on just what you asked of God. 

Remember, the scripture says you have not because you asked not (James 4:3). Do not be afraid or timid when it comes to seeking God. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6). It is his will for you to do just that. The best part? God promises if you seek him, you shall find him (Matthew 7:7). Let God fill your cup til it overflows.

Have a blessed day!

But it takes a new perspective!

Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart,  and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths”

NIV translate vs 6 as: “in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Hey OTP family! They say if you do what you have always done, you will get what you always gotten. So it makes sense that if you want something different, something  better, something greater, then you will have to do something different. Change is possible. However, to get there, you must change the way you operate. This includes a new perspective, and taking different actions.

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same things but expecting a different outcome. With this in mind, let’s step away from the crazy and take steps toward the change we so desperately need. 

If you are anything like me, you enjoy being in control. Making your own decisions and managing the outcome as best as you can. The problem with this, is our decisions are based on faulty knowledge and experiences. We have a very limited view of our situation, so our solutions to problems only address the portion we can see. There is a certain amount of interpretation of perceived facts that lead to an educated guess. But this is also faulty system because. Our perception is not always based in reality.

However, we serve an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent God.  He is all knowing, all powerful, and everywhere at the same time. There is nothing hid from him. He is our source. And we should allow him to be our navigator.

He is also faithful. God provides the answer to our current dilemma in Proverbs 3:5-6. We are our own worse enemy when it comes to figuring out what comes next. Why? Because we have reasonable intelligence and access to resources that gives us a false sense of our own ability to get things done. We tend to think we don’t need to depend on God to help us work things out. This is the opposite of faith. 

Faith requires us to forsake everything, and totally depend on and trust in God for everything. This includes relinquishing our decision-making capabilities. Total transparency moment – yes, you will still make decisions. However, now your decisions should be God directed. Yes, God will guide you, but ultimately, you still need to choose to follow the directions he provides.

How does Proverbs 3:5-6 work in real time?

-We must first totally submit ourselves to God.

-Then we must give the situation to God.

-Next, we ask God to direct our path. To show us the way we should go.

-Finally, we listen for the answer. This requires us to develop our spiritual ear to hear what God is saying to us.

We must learn to patiently wait on God. This is not a passive state of waiting. We will continue to do what God has called us to. We will continue to work in ministry. What is key here – to understand we are not desperate! There is always time to wait on the answer from God, and not allow the enemy to trick us into making moves that God has not ordained for us. We will wait on God in praise and worship. This is where we learn to hear God!

Once we have that witness from God in our spirit we know that the path has been made straight. We now have the direction we need. Often times, this is scary because it may seem counterintuitive to what we think is the plan of God for us. But stretch out in faith and make the move that God is propelling you toward. If you follow as he leads, you will have good success. Remember the first part of our scripture text – “Lean not to your own understanding.” You have to trust God and follow as he leads.

I am not saying that this process is easy. It will take daily dedication and practice. But if you remain faithful to the process. Be mindful of the commitment you made to change your MO (method of operation), you will experience the power of Proverbs 3:5-6 in your life.

This is how change is possible. Because it does require us to view things from a new lens. This new lens brings a new perspective and a new way of doing things.

Personal testimony – I have been applying this to my own life and must admit I have less anxiety because of my new perspective. I am very much a work in progress but I have to say that I am enjoying the journey. I can testify that Matthew 11:28-30 is true. 

Have a blessed day,

Acts 28:16. “And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him.”

Acts 28:30, “And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,”

Hey OTP family!! I am excited today because God is so amazing that even when the world see us as being in bonds (bound/in jail/oppressed, etc…) that God still declares us free! We may be in these circumstances indeed, but in our spirit, heart, and mind we are free! We can rejoice and live our lives, giving glory to God as if we are not in those circumstances.  This is the blessing of serving God with our whole hearts.

For Paul, in the scripture text, had just gotten off a ship that barely survived a storm. But all survived on broken pieces and boards and made it safely to land. Eventually they were able to finish their journey and make it to Rome. When they did finally get to Rome, Paul still remained bound to the duty or purpose that God called him to. He was still going to appear before Cesar to testify of God. However, his court date was going to take some time. It was not an immediate arraignment. He had to serve many years before he was given the opportunity to stand before Cesar.

However, God, in his infinite wisdom, allowed Paul to find favor with centurion that his experience was house arrest, rather than a jail cell. What a mighty God we serve that even in custody we find favor with those who philosophically oppose us. 

Eventually, Paul moved out of the centurion’s home and was able to hire his own house. It was in this situation that he found himself still able to send letters, and to minister the word of God to those who would come and see him. 

Paul wrote many of the New Testament books. Of these many were written while he was in custody awaiting his appeal onto Cesar. However., the fact that he was in custody didn’t stop him from doing God‘s will. Paul was yet able to speak peace while in custody.

Think about your own situation. What are some of the situations where we recognize them to be tools of the enemy. Situations where he has tried to bind us and keep us down and discouraged us from doing the wheel of God? 

We have to recognize that there are times in our lives when the weapons form. We must stand fast in the knowledge that God promises us they will never prosper. With this fact in mind – during those times where we know we are standing in the path of the weapon – we can press forward, knowing that we will be triumphant. 

Just as Paul looked around and saw his circumstances, but refused to allow them to keep him from accomplishing God‘s will, and purpose, we must have that same mindset.

We must be able to speak peace while in custody!  

What does that mean? That means your physical circumstances should not control your state of mind.. For example the person who may be experiencing pain in their body, should not focus solely on the pain that it keeps them from functioning in life. We pushed through the pain daily.. We understand that people are depending upon us and we can’t allow the pain to keep us from doing our necessary work. In the midst of the pain we go to work we shop we cook. We tend to the necessities of our lives. 

We may be in the custody of pain, but yet we speak peace. We do what we must because the love of God constraints us or compels us to do so..

Isn’t it amazing that some people on the outside of our lives looking in would identify us as being in some type of custody, but we do not? Why? Because we can stand in the midst of it and rejoice, serving God and speaking peace. What a mighty God we serve. 

It is a state of mind. What some people see as a limitation, we see as an opportunity to give glory to God. “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”(Philippians. 4:12-13).

So today, OTP family, I encourage you – no matter what you’re going through you can stand in the middle of it and still speak peace. This thing is not the end of you. For God‘s plan for your life will be fully accomplished. I’m gonna say that again. – God‘s plan for your life will be fully accomplished! We stand on God‘s promise to us recorded in Jeremiah 29:11. 

Speak peace in the midst of custody and have a blessed day!

Acts 16:6-7, “Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.”

Hey OTP Family! I don’t know about you, but I have always wondered about ‘real time’ navigation when it comes to the Holy Spirit. I mean we live our lives from moment to moment and at any given time the enemy desires to set traps and pitfalls to snare us as we walk with God. I am amazed and grateful to see God operating in ‘real time’ with his people. This scripture shows us know that God desires to be our navigator in this walk – if we will let him. 

By definition, navigator is a person who directs the route or course of as ship, aircraft, or other form of transportation, especially by using instruments and maps. 

God desires to be this for us – the navigator. And the amazing part is that he does not need to use any external devices to get the job done. He is all knowing, all seeing, and he is everywhere at the same time. He already knows and desires to share the information that we can handle. All he needs are people with an ear to hear what the spirit is saying to us. For he is always speaking – he is our daily bread, but we are not always listening.

Looking at our scripture text – in verse 6 God had told them not to preach the word in Asia. But on their journey, they wanted to go to Bithynia, which is a region in Asia minor. God had to constrain them again, not to preach the word there. It wasn’t that God did not what his word spread there, but it was a timing thing. God would eventually allow Paul to preach in Asia.

God has a way of sharing tidbits with us, but they are not for right now. We hear/see what God is saying and we want to move right away. However, God wants to be our navigator to take us the way we need to go in order to be prepared for the vision. It is not always a straight line from A to B. There are times when we have to go on a journey to point B that will burn off all the things that cannot be carried there from point A. It is the middle part of the journey that we really need to hear his voice. This is because if we get to point B too soon, we are not ready, the people there is not ready, and the end result will not be what God originally showed to us. Then we question God why? The answer is, you did not follow as God lead. You put the cart before the horse and made a wreck of everything. Now God has to back track and fix everything you messed up.

How many times has this happened to you?

What has God giving you specific instructions not to do but you still try to circumvent his will to do what you wanted to do?

We have to prepare for the journey. 

Just because God has put some temporary restrictions on you does not mean that you should stand still. Truthfully, this just means you need to pay closer attention to what God is saying so you can do what needs to be done right now. In patience, possess ye your soul (Luke 21:19). Patience here is taken from the Greek word hypomone, which means enduring hardship, persevering through trials, and weathering storms without succumbing to fear or despair.

This is especially appropriate for us when we have seen that tidbit from God and are rejoicing with a heart that is ready to walk in that promise. But again there is some baggage we carry that cannot go to this next level. God has a plan to excise this weight and sin that can so easily beset us (Hebrews 12:1). To effectively accomplish we need God to be our navigator.

Introspection time – look at your self, and your current circumstances. Ask yourself, how did I get here? If the space does not feel as if this is where the Lord wants you to be then check your navigation system. Did you follow your own plans there? Or was God leading you to this place?

If it does not feel in your spirit that this is where God led you, then repent – with a sincere and wholesome heart. Take your hand off the wheel, and let God guide you back to the place you need to be.

If you are walking according to the word and your spirit give you confirmation, then stand ten does down! This is your place of spiritual battle, and you will come out victorious. This is a place that God is using to burn off some of that extra weight that cannot go with you to the next level. Let God work on you. It is a hard place, but a necessary one on your way to the next point. Eventually, you will be allowed to go exactly where God needs you. As you will be prepared for anything you might face there.

When Paul could not go into Asia right away, they found themselves in Berea, a Greek area, but the people received the word readily (Acts 17:11). This shows us that God will still use us mightily on our journey. Although they were not yet in Asia, they were will ministering the word of God every they went. This is the blessing of God’s navigation skills.

Let God be your navigator. No matter where the journey takes you the blessings of God will meet you there.

Have a blessed day!