Kingdom Keys - a book about God's teachings in my life

A few years ago, the Lord instructed me to share some of my experiences and testimonies with Him.

The result was that I wrote and published a little book called Kingdom Keys.

It contains a variety of Biblical principles that the Good Lord taught me during a particularly tough season in my life. When applied, each Key combined to strengthen me and help me on my journey with God.

I regularly mention Kingdom Keys in Praise & Pray (for others) posts and discussions. However, I'd like to offer you a copy of the Kingdom Keys e-book for free today if you'd like it.

The book takes you through a variety of practical steps you too can take to grow in faith and to dispel the spirit of fear which seeks to overwhelm and stifle the children of God. I know that by His grace, they helped me and I believe they will help you too.

If that interests you, just click the link to get your free copy -

GET KINGDOM KEYS.

God bless you!

Learn the season's lesson - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) February 7, 2023

I remember when I started to walk in earnest with the Lord. Some days were great, but then there were others that were beyond trying. On those days, a random person would be rude for absolutely no reason or, a loved one would say the wrong thing. And before I knew it, all that I'd learned would fly out the window and I'd be right back to my Before Christ days. By the time I got on my knees to pray at the end of the day, I'd be filled with so much remorse.

The Lord had to teach me to accept that such things would happen. That as soon as I learned some new way to change and grow for Him, the devil would fling obstacles to keep me from being better.

Nevertheless, I had to understand that my mistakes were the lessons that prepared me for the next spiritual level. Although I didn't enjoy the failures, God showed me that they strengthened me so I could oppose the enemy the next time it attacked. With time, I discovered that through each failure, God wanted me to learn to identify how satan thought it could attack me. Slowly and with the Lord holding my hand, I got better at recognizing snares and hearing God's caution to stay far away from them. Sometimes, I'd want to be stubborn, thinking that I have enough of my Father's grace to go wherever I wanted, whenever I wanted. However, the Lord taught me a simple truth from His word - Proverbs 22:3 - Sensible people will see trouble coming and avoid it, but an unthinking person will walk right into it and regret it later (GNT).

This taught me that I should only go where the Lord sends and that not every place or issue requires my attention or presence. I also learned that every soldier in God's army needs their training before they can step into battle. The failures will often qualify as training. So, skipping those lessons is never wise.

Are you looking at your life and hoping to step out of the 'stage' you are in? Are you getting tired of the failures and feel ready to move to the next phase in your walk with God? This is very normal and yet I implore you - please don't seek to skip the lesson God has for you right here in your journey with Him. The Israelites needed 40 years to discover how to properly relate with the Lord because despite how much of His love and might He displayed, they still doubted Him.

It is better to ask God to help you learn the lesson of this season so you step into the next well-armed. This is the key.

Lord, help us to learn the lesson You have for us in this season that we may apply it for Your glory and by Your grace, IJMN, Amen.

See you at Noon EST for fellowship where we'll worship, intercede and call on God for the lessons we need to learn.

As you wait for fellowship, consider reading the following previous P&P messages:

1. Trust God - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) June 30, 2020

2. Wait on God - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) May 18, 2021

3. But, can you wait? - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) June 17, 2022

4. Patience: A Fruit of The Spirit - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) July 6, 2021

5. Faith vs Trust - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) September 10, 2021

6. Patience - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) October 5, 2021

7. Hold On - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) November 16, 2021

The Well - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) February 3, 2023

During His time on earth, Jesus Christ traveled around teaching people about God and Godly living. Additionally, He restored sight to the blind, cleansed the skin of lepers, and made the lame walk. During a trip, He met with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well in Samaria (John 4:6). He asked her for a drink of water and she was shocked because Jews typically avoided her people for a long list of reasons.

Ignoring that she was a Samaritan and a self-confessed fornicator, Jesus didn't stop talking to her. This makes sense, because He was all about doing His Father's business (Luke 2:49 NKJV). And here's something the Samaritan woman learned - John 4:10 - Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

Although this didn't make sense, she continued speaking with Him. Their conversation eventually ended with Jesus revealing He was the Messiah she and her people were waiting for. The Samaritan woman ran to get everyone from her village and over the span of two days, many became believers!

Imagine if the woman hadn't gone to the well that day? She might have missed out on the chance to meet the Messiah and be transformed. What if she'd opted to leave the well when Jesus - a Jew - showed up? Or, if she'd decided He made little sense and chose to come back another time. Instead, she remained at the well. As a result, she was not only born again in the Spirit but she also led many of her people to meet Jesus and be saved as well.

It all happened at the well. It was there that the Samaritans were able to draw and drink living water.

Each of us needs to draw from the same living water so that we are equally transformed and saved. Like the Samaritan woman, we must be willing to listen to Jesus, ignoring any customs and fears that would block us from receiving what He has to give. And what He's offering is the Holy Spirit and even better, union with the Lord.

Fortunately, we don't have to travel to the Middle East to accomplish this feat. Jesus said in John 7:37-38, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” The Bible further explained, "By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified" (John 7:379).

We are the very people who will believe in Him later, just as the Bible mentioned. We are those who get to receive the Spirit of God from Jesus by drinking Him in. If only we can each believe that Jesus is the Son of God and submit to Him being our Lord and Savior. This is the starting point in a beautiful spiritual journey and it means choosing to give your life to Christ. From there, we have to study the Word of God, pray, fast, intercede for others, and give praises to the Lord. We have to apply these Kingdom Keys to grow spiritually. These will have us well positioned for any trial that comes our way because we'd be well planted at the well of living water. We'd be filled with the Holy Spirit who will tell us what to do so that we receive God's best and are filled with His fullness of life. For we are promised in Isaiah 21:3 - With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

May we receive increased grace to patiently sit by the well so we can always draw from the never-ending supply that is a benefit of having Jesus as our Messiah, IJMN, Amen.

John 4:14 - but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.