Praise your way to a Breakthrough!

Do you need God to make a way out of no way? The swiftness and surety of your deliverance starts with how you respond to hard times and difficult situations. Hear me when I say, God is not moved by your tears or your complaints….., but He is moved by your Praise! It is not just enough to thank God and honor Him only when you've received a blessing. God wants you to show the extent of your faithfulness and trust in Him even in the midst of going through a challenge. The power of your praise will determine the magnitude of your breakthrough. Not how loud your praise is, but how large your faith is in God! Praise is not just clapping your hands or applauding God. It is showing respect, honor, and gratefulness, by using your whole heart, mind, soul, spirit and body to honor God with the fruit of your lips, despite your circumstances. Paul and Silas didn't wait until they experienced a breakthrough to praise and thank God. In the midst of difficult circumstances, they praised God and received the breakthrough they desired. Let’s look at this text of scripture…… Acts 16:25, 26 (New Living Translation) reveals, "Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!" Paul and Silas praised God even when their backs were bleeding and their feet and hands were in chains. Despite the pain and suffering they were going through, they praised God anyway; and as a result, God shook the very foundations of the prison, setting them free But their praise did even more....everyone who was connected to them in that holding cell was set free too! If you trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding; If you believe in the Lord and know that everything is working out for your good; If you refuse to mumble, grumble or complain…: In the midst of your circumstance, situation, test or trial…God will shake the very foundation of your prison; your bondage, your problem...and not only set you free, but those who are connected to you and the circumstances as well! Make a quality decision right now to Praise God and give Him Thanks, no matter what. Praising God should become second-nature for all Believers. Because we know that all things are working together for our good! In Psalms 102:18 it reads, "This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord". We were created to praise God, and it becomes a natural expression of your love for the Father when you spend time in the Word and meditate on His goodness, and Praise Him in advance. Listen, If you don’t cry out and praise Him with your whole heart, God will allow the rocks to cry out! If God can cause water to BREAK FORTH out of a rock, how much more should our Praise cause our blessing to breakout and break free, as it places a demand for the elemental forces and hindering entities to loose and let go the promises of God! Enough is Enough!! When you have a heart for God and you know He loves you, your confidence in His ability to deliver you soars to higher heights. You know help is on the way and you eagerly anticipate it. You know that the answer has been released and the intensity of your praise mixed with the tenacity of your faith causes the angelic host to excel in strength to cause the kingdom to invade your situation. As it is in heaven, it shall be on earth!! Then as it is in heaven it shall be. Listen folks…. Do you hear that sound…. Heaven is coming!!!!! First Thessalonians 5:16-18 encourages, "Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus" (NLT). Do you belong to Christ? Then His will is for you to be joyful; never stop praying; and give Him thanks in ALL things! You cannot be selective if you want or need a breakthrough! That does not mean that God wants you to thank Him for negative circumstances; He says to thank Him while you're in the midst of them. Doing this shows that you trust Him to bring you out. And He will bring you out. Look back at the last insurmountable situation you were in. Did not God bring you out. He is the very same God. He has not forgotten you… and He knows your name!And this time He will bring you out with a Shout! If you want a tough stain out...SHOUT IT OUT!!!Shake it off and Praise your way out! The storms of life are going to come; but don't let them disturb your peace and affect your thoughts and emotions. This will only move you into self-pity and frustration. Instead, maintain an attitude of gratitude and praise. Don’t allow the enemy’s feeble attacks to become effective and shut up your praise. He is like a lion; he is NOT the Lion!! Praise is a weapon of warfare. The devil knows when you mean business by your faith in God; and your Praise simply confirms your faith and trust in a mighty God!That's your roar. And when the enemy hears that sound, he begins to flee, because you have announced that you are resisting his tactics. The kingdom of God suffers violence and we the violent take it by force with our.... PRAISE!!! Your first line of defense is the Word of God. Meditate on it and give it life by speaking it over your circumstances. If you need healing, meditate on scriptures that reveal God's ability to heal. Receive that Word in your spirit and begin praising God for your healing. Then act on it. Do something you could not do. Faith without works does not reveal your faith to the enemy. Likewise, If you need finances, meditate on scriptures that reveal God's ability to bless you in spite of. God wants to prosper you. He wants to heal you. Why? Because John wrote, "Beloved, I wish above all things that you would prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers. So as the Word of God declares, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:4-7, NIV). When you are in a situation and there seems to be no way out, open your mouth and praise the Lord---and don't stop. Instead of crying and complaining, give God praise because you know He has a plan for you that includes deliverance, restoration, redemption and peace. Thank Him for His goodness because your praise will stop the enemy and move the hand of God. And if God be for you who can be against you! When your deliverance comes, continue to praise Him because He has more in store for you. Thank Him for breakthrough in your home, in your marriage, on your job, in your business or ministry; thank Him for breakthrough in your health, your finances, in your relationships and with your children. Through your authority in Jesus, place a demand on your breakthrough and watch God show up in your life and show out in ways you would have never imagined. So today,let me close with this short prayer for 'Breakthrough'. I want to give you the opportunity right now to exercise your faith and praise God. Praise Him, because you know you have already received the breakthrough you needed for your personal circumstance and situation, for your health, relationships, your finances, your employment, your education, your business, your visions and dreams, ministries…. So at the end of this prayer, right where you are... Praise God from whom ALL blessings Flow! And when the answer you have received arrives or manifest, make sure you testify and tell others about your God who is the Lord of the Breakthrough! Email rfl@rhondaflewis.com and share; Place it on our facebook page or share your testimony on one of our forum lines . So Come …. Let us pray… According to - Psalm 91 for our Breakthrough Confession: right Now in the Mighty name of Jesus, I take authority over this day and the rest of this year, in the name of Jesus. I decree that all the elements of this day and for the rest of this year will cooperate with us. I decree that these elemental forces should refuse to cooperate with our enemies and the hindrances to our breakthrough. I speak unto the sun, the moon and the stars. They must not smite me. I speak dichotomy, acrimony, and segregation into the air, land, sea and fire. I pull down every negative force and energy planning to operate against my life this day and this year. This is the year the Lord has made, We will rejoice and be glad in it. I dismantle any power, witch or warlock uttering incantations trying to capture my breakthroughs for the rest of this year. I render such incantations and satanic prayer null and void. I retrieve this day and the rest of this year out of their hands, in the name of Jesus. Spirits of favor, counsel, might, a fresh anointing and power, come upon us now, in the name of Jesus. We shall excel during the rest of this year and nothing shall defile or stop us. we shall possess the gates of my enemies. This day the Lord shall has anointed us with the oil of gladness. We come against the spirit of heaviness, oppression, depression, worry, stress and anxiety. For what can man do to us? The Joy of the Lord is our strength. The fire of the enemy shall not burn or consume us. Our ears shall hear good news and we shall not hear the voice of the enemy. For we know that our future is secured in Christ, in the name of Jesus. God has created us to do some definite services for and to mankind. We were created for purpose and He has committed into our hands some assignments which He has not committed to anybody else. He has not created us for nothing but for something. Therefore we shall do good. We shall do His will. We shall do His work. We shall be agents of peace. We shall be carriers of His anointing. We shall be disciples of love. We will trust Him in whatever we do and wherever we are and in any situation we are involved in. We can never be cast aside, cast out or seemingly downgraded. It is only a set up for a come back. And when God restores, He restores with benefits. We are ready for an upgrade even now in Jesus mighty name. There will be no poverty of body, soul and spirit in our lives for the rest of this year. The anointing of God upon our lives gives us favor in the eyes of God and man all the days of our lives. We shall not labor in vain. We shall walk into our season.For this is the set time for God's unmerited favor. Breakthrough is upon us and we cannot be refused. So give it up, cough it up, loose it and let it go. Don;t hold back. This is the day and year for victory and liberty of the spirit. We retreated only to advance. We are moving forward and we won’t go back. Therefore we have what we say and we decree and declare breakthrough, breakthrough, breakthrough, In Jesus Mighty name….. Hallelujah!!! This is Rhonda Ferguson-Lewis your Spiritual and Transitional Life Coach, the CEO of 'Soul Sessions' of The Winning Image!

Let Go and Embrace Change!

Every year about this time, I start thinking about what my theme word will be for next year. Then, in December, I will take the last 2 weeks and reflect, review and clean up whatever I need to in order to keep things rolling in the direction I desire. This year has definitely been a year of high-impact change. (many changes in the shortest amount of time) Thank God there remained a few folks that stayed along with me for this bumpy ride that now seems to be leveling out! Coming out on the other side of massive changes in my life this year has been a really wonderful, exciting and sometimes downright terrifying experience. I've learned to love change though through many transitions – lost, death of a love one, breakups to make-ups, illness, course correction and change, to name a few. I've learned to surrender and be in the moment, listen to God in our conversations and be okay " with learning how to be content in whatever state I’m in.Oh, yes, these times they are a changin'! Change is all around us and within us. It's so exciting! And yet, though frightening,It’s all good! Everything seems to be changing.... Our government, our economy, our careers, our residence, our relationships, our selves. What do you do? How do you manage it all? Let go of the old and allow for the new. The old what?? The old that no longer serves you. Old jobs, relationships, friendships, material things, mindsets, beliefs and perceptions. There is so much new awaiting you! So much new to create and embrace. But you have to let go of the old to allow for the new. During this season, You must Let Go… and Let God! Some of these things are happening in your life anyway and without your permission and regardless of your prayers. Many are losing jobs and/ or homes, intimate relationships are ending, friendships are dissolving. It can be very stressful yet believe it or not, it's all for your good. How do you know what is "old"? If something is causing you stress, anxiety or fear, you’re driven to try to hold on even though it is not working anymore, chances are that it reflects the old way of doing things. The cloud has moved!! But, If something generates feelings of peace, love and movement, it represents the new. We are in new era now, so we are no longer aligned with the old. Everything is new and that means that it can be exactly the way you want it to be. For you shall decree a thing and it shall be so! Let the old things go. Just let it go and allow for the new. The new that awaits you is truly all that you want it to be. It is your creation, rooted in your truth, your creativity and your choice. Imagine a life exactly as you want it. One that includes fulfilling and meaningful work. Financial freedom and prosperity from using your gifts and talents. Relationships founded in love, respect and caring for self and others. Residing in a community that truly supports each other. Having a balanced life. Just imagine this and more! It is available to you. It is at your fingertips. You just have to let go of the old so that the new can arrive. You couldn’t stop change if you tried. So why fight the inevitable…. Let Go of the Old and allow the New…… let Go and let God! Let go of patterns in relationships that are unhealthy and don't support what you truly desire. Release yourself from the belief that everything has to happen in a certain way or it won't happen. Don't be attached to what it looks like. The more we hang onto how something is "supposed" to look like or how something is "supposed" to happen, the less we are open to the new ways things can look or happen. The tighter the grip on the old, the more we resist the new. If you are feeling stresses, anxious and fearful, chances are you are gripping the old. Recognize this so that you can begin a welcoming of the new. Releasing attachments to the old will open you up to opportunities you never imagined. Exciting opportunities and perfect solutions you never dreamed of. So why are we so afraid of change - even positive change? Here are some thoughts: 1. We don't know for certain what the endpoint or end-game will be. When new territory is crossed, we can only go one step at a time. Many people find that very unsettling - not knowing their destination. Yet step by step is the ONLY way to make progress. That’s how God teaches us to trust in Him and lean not to our own understanding. 2. Paralysis from fear. Trying to peek into the future with certainty is a clear formula for anxiety, fear, worry, frustration and failure. No one is certain of the future. The bible says that even Prophets Prophecy in part. Tomorrow is not promised and sufficient should be today. For tomorrow may not come. I mean, you don't go to bed every night terrified that the sun won't come up tomorrow, do you? Probably not. Yet, there is still is no guarantee. And for that reason some will subconsciously reject change, because the now to them is all that matters, They live in the NOW, Not realizing that they are somewhere in the future and they look much better than they do right now! 3. We think it's going to hurt. Making positive change in your life is the only way to ensure success and happiness. If you don't make that change, you will be stuck in an unfulfilling, purposeless life filled with regret at the end. No one wants that. Your purpose is to make choices, preferably God-like choices , so if you've got too much or too little of something in your life - something's got to change. Have you started thinking about the changes you want to make - in your relationships, health, career, finances, and life? What might your one word theme be for next year? Mine is going to be FLOW (Flow = Favor, Love & Overflowing Wholeness in every area of my life spirit, soul & body! In order for the Love of God, the Wisdom of God, the favor of God and the Wholeness of God to FLOW in my life, does not mean that I will have to severe myself from everything and everyone that I know. But to Allow for the unhealthy parts of these things to fall away and be open for the situations to become new, however that looks, I Must let go of the Old to embrace the new. You will be surprised at what the Spirit of God reveals when you are open! Because what God reveals he desires to heal! God has given you – US the gift to change. He said to be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…. To RENEW is to change! You can change habits, you can change emotions and life by changing the way you think. Submit to the process of renewing my mind, and expect divine progress and supernatural change. Believe the love that God has for you produces change. Refuse to accept past definitions and limitations. Take the Limits off! Embrace God’s view of you through the mirror of His Word and NOT through the thoughts of the old Man in the Mirror. Embrace the NEW – Get ready, be prepared to walk into your next and new season! You are being changed into His image NOW! So, Welcome to The Winning Image! I’m Pastor Rhonda Ferguson-Lewis and this concludes another Winning Wednesday!

Overcoming Rejection - Part 1

Overcoming Rejection: Rejection is such a big cause of demonic bondage, and it's one of the most common things to address in being set free. I had one highly experienced deliverance minister tell me that spirits of rejection are among some of the most common demons that he has encountered throughout his ministry…. In the church!!! It seems that almost everybody is affected by rejection to some degree. Many of us never measure up to man’s expectation and then we reject God’s expectation of us, because we feel unworthy. It's vital to understand how rejection works, and how to begin to walk in our victory of the Spirit of Rejection! Why does rejection wound us so deeply? Because rejection attacks the very person that we are. It destroys our true identity, and attacks who we are and our purpose in life. This is why it is one of the most common tools the devil will use to destroy a person's life and their God-esteem (being made in His image and His likeness). God never wanted us to feel rejected or abandoned. He desires for you to know who you really are, and realize how deeply He loves, accepts, and appreciates you, so that you can live out the fullness of what all God has ordained you to be and to do. God's Word tells us that without being rooted and grounded in the love (and acceptance) of God, we cannot experience the fullness of God in our lives: Ephesians 3:19 - And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Rejection has a way of destroying a person's life in a way that few other things can. The sad fact is that the number of people who are affected by rejection is staggering. Many of us practice some form of rejection every day without even realizing it. We reject our skin tone-race-color; we reject our eyes, nose, our facial features; we reject our hair; we reject our body features or shape; we reject our car; our home; our job; our spouse – our parents; our lives and …we even reject God, when we are not obedient to Him and His word!!If we want to be all that God has created us to be, then overcoming rejection and its affects is vital and absolutely essential. Many people who have faced rejection and abuse as a child, grow up with unresolved emotional wounds. Rejection causes emotional wounds, which if not cleansed and released, will grow and fester into spiritual wounds (such as unforgiveness, envy, blaming God, jealousy, etc.). Those spiritual wounds open us up to evil spirits which love to take advantage of any opportunity to invade our soul and our human spirit. The goal of the enemy is to get us built up with emotional baggage inside and negative feelings in our hearts against one another, ourselves, and God. Rejection has a lot of fruit which can widely vary from one person to another. Some of the common symptoms of rejection include: Rebellion in both children and adults; Fabricated personalities (being somebody you aren't, in order to be accepted); The tendency to reject others, so that you aren't the first one to be rejected; A tendency to always wonder if a person rejects or accepts you; The need to fit in or be accepted by others and be a part of everything;; Self-pity where a person feels bad for themselves being all alone Inability to be corrected or receive constructive criticism; Rejection creates an environment where you are starved for love or just don't fit in; A tendency to blame God ("Why did He give me this big nose? Why did God make me so short?"); A sense of pride that says, "How dare they reject me!"; Opinionated personality and the need to be right about things; A Sense of Entitlement; Feelings of worthlessness, insecurity, or hopelessness; Seeking a parent's or leaders approval is a sign that you’re basing your identity upon what they think of you; Envy, jealousy, bitterness and even hate can be rooted in rejection; Fear of confrontation (because your identity is based upon what they think of you); A person who has a hard time admitting they are wrong, or receiving constructive criticism has an underlying problem with rejection. How do we know that? Because they are basing their identity, who they are, upon their ability to be right about everything. Stubbornness can also be rooted in rejection as well for this same reason. They have to be right, or else they feel worthless... that's because "who they are" (their identity) is based upon them being right. This also ties in with opinionated personalities, who are always there to tell you all about something, even if they have little or no real understanding to speak from. People who are challenged with a spirit of Rejection also have performance orientation and drivenness, certain variances of OCD, etc. where a person is basing their identity and who they are upon how well they perform at something in life.( Boy, do I know a lot about that!!) Whenever we base who we are upon our performance, or our being correct about something, then we fail, it is a blow to our identity. And since there is no failure in God, then there should be no agreement with failure in ME or you!! Those who struggle with rejection can also become what we call fixers; a fixer is a person who is eager to tell everybody else how they need to be doing things, but many times have little understanding or experience in such matters, and no real follow through or experience with God in this particular area of advice themselves. Such a person attempts to be the Holy Spirit in other people's lives, where they have no authority or right to step in. They find their identity in fixing other people's problems, and they love it when people come to them for help or advice. The truth is that we were created to be loved, accepted, and appreciated. Rejection is an anti-Christ spirit because it opposes the very nature that God created in us. Rejection starves a person from love and acceptance that they were designed to receive. The problem is that when we turn to others or even ourselves for that love and acceptance, we are setting ourselves up for failure and the damage of rejection. Only God can be trusted as the source of our identity. Join me on Winning Wednesday's, every Wednesday morning at 6am, to hear these post live on the Truth Forum. 712-432-3900 854739#

It's The God In Me - The Holy Spirit!

The God In Me – the Holy Spirit! God is forever through his indwelling spirit in us, leading, guiding and prompting us for His will and purpose to be fulfilled in our Lives. In our pursuit of Him we must remember, that, we need not strain ritualistically, for all the time we are pursuing Him, the word says we must apprehend HIM who has already apprehended us! What makes us hunger after God and thirst for Him?? As the scripture states, it was God in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. So He is with us; and not only with us, but get this he ( The Holy Spirit) is ‘IN US’!! It is God now expressing Himself in us, if we would but only yield. A point of fact, I will boldly proclaim today, is that most churches do not lead followers to know God for themselves, but instead to know Him through their church experience, which if not being led by the Holy Spirit, is driven by the personality and subjectiveness of the Pastor or the influence of a voting board of trustees. The focus becomes more on the “program” and the excitement of the fellowship, while leaving believers returning home to the identical habitual routine behavior of having a form of godliness while denying the power therein. Not that the pastor is not teaching and/or preaching the Word of God, but it is OUR responsibility to live the Word and allow the Holy Spirit to transform us into the very image and likeness of ‘The God In ME’! But if, after hearing the word we forget what manner of man we ARE,… then can I tell you that if there is not a change or if the body of believers are not reflecting the love and the life style of Christ; and if there are no signs and wonders, then where is the HOLY SPIRIT?? He is not a feeling we get at church; He is not a worship experience; He is not in a shout or a dance… He is GOD! Although we live in a high tech society, we must understand that high tech can never take the place of this ‘high’ that you can only get in your pursuit of a relationship with the Holy Spirit; and we who worship Him, must worship HIM in Spirit and in Truth! But in our reality, we treat God like we treat our other relationships, and God is NOT a man… He is the creator of man. He is GOD! And we should not be like those who marvel at the wonders of Gods mighty works and continuously seek his hand, but we should marvel in His presence as we continuously seek His face. Likewise, we as Christians must not get lost by simply getting excited about the Word of God; but we must also get excited about knowing God and cultivating a relationship with Him through “long and loving spiritual intercourse! Where NOTHING distracts us or separates us from the Love of God. Where we are focused on enjoying Him and Him alone! As believer’s, we all need that intimate time with the Lord. It is when we cultivate a desire to perfect our intercourse with HIM, that we allow Him to perfect our other covenant relationships. Just as Jesus prayed,“Father, make them one, as you and I are one”. I don’t know about you, BUT I want to be Living for the Love of Him!!All that I’m giving needs to be For the Love of Him!! Wherein, when you see the Father you see me! When we see others prosper in things like “The Secret”, and others misuse the scripture “ we are little gods”, they are tapping into the soul power, where allows us to simply obey the laws in the earth realm and still have results. But when you do more than tap, but connect and allow the Holy Spirit to flow in you and then through you, you no longer have to create or manufacture results, because you automatically have the results you need in Him. It’s in Him we live, we move and we have our very existence! And when He the Holy Spirit appears (that is in your life’s circumstances and situations), He is the revealer of all. He will lead and guide you to all truths. This world will always be camouflaged and deceiving, but the TRUTH(the Holy Spirit) always lies behind the base of your reality, waiting to be a revealer of all things. If our relationship and communication with God is to be realized, we must be personally aware that it does not come through fellowship on Sunday with a body of believers, as such, but it is made known to the individual and to the body through the individuals which compose it”. If we do not comprehend the Holy Spirit’s promptings, his leadings, then we are no better than Gods’ lower creations. It is our conscious awareness and our pursuit of a relationship with the Holy Spirit that makes us unique creatures, called Sons of God. But, there is a remnant who will not be content with a contrived manufactured religious experience in exchange for true relationship. These saints want to know God and experience Him to the fullest of their capabilities. They want to taste, to touch, to handle; to hear His heart and bask in His presence; they want to know his mind and comprehend the depth, the height and the width of His Love. I will continue to pursuit HIM, who has already capture my heart and saved my life…. What about you?? For there is a Winner in ME and He is the Holy Spirit – He is God. ….. And as HE is so am I, in this world today!It is the God in Me! And even though He is unseen with the natural eye, He in ME, is the picture perfect winning image!

Soul Prosperity - Part 1

Soul Prosperity - Part 1 God wants us to prosper in life - but only as our soul prospers. All external prosperity must be rooted in a strong, healthy and prosperous soul. If not, the gap between what we have and who we are can become our downfall. The writer of Proverbs puts it this way: ‘An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning will not be blessed at the end.’ Why? Because when sudden external prosperity meets inner soul poverty, the gap is very dangerous. Lottery winners have been recorded as saying that they wish they had never won for this very reason; they wanted the money but not the greater problems that sudden external wealth created for them internally, mentally, emotionally and even physically. So What is the soul? 'And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul". The soul is defined in the hebrew as "nepes" or nephes, a life, a living being; self, person or personality, mind, ;inner desires and feelings; heart. The unique personal life or self of an individual. OR defined in greek as Psuche root word for 'psychology'. Psuche is the soul as distinguished from the body. It is the seat of the affections, will, desire, emotions, reason and understanding. The soul is made up of our mind, emotions and will; or how we think, how we feel and how we choose. The soul is the primary battleground of our lives; the battle for our mind, emotions and choices is unrelenting. Peter said: "Dear friends I urge you as aliens and strangers in the world to abstain from sinful desires which war against your soul." *SpiritBody* There is a war against our soul, and the millions of resultant casualties and fatalities within the church indicate that we are not winning that war. Multiplied millions of believers have been taken out of the race because when the war hit their soul, they lacked sufficient inner strength to survive. Many of those believers were the most charismatic, tongue-speaking and gifted individuals in the church. And we who saw them backslide were left shocked that such spiritual people could fall. The reality is however, that most of our problems, challenges and temptations are not actually spiritual, they are mental and emotional; issues of the soul. Rhonda Ferguson-Lewis,CEO The Winning Image, Inc. Soul Prosperity - "Life Coaching for the Soul" rfl@rhondaflewis.com 786-431-6198

Making the Decision to WIN!

Making a Decision to WIN! Good Morning and Welcome to The Winning image, Today is July 25, Our Winning Wednesday, and today’s topic is ‘Making a Decision’! Before the children of Israel crossed over the Jordan river to enter into their Promised Land, Moses stood on the mount as the spokesperson and Prophet of the Lord and said, 'Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by: 1) loving the Lord your God, 2) obeying him, and 3) committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land of Promise that the Lord swore to give your ancestors.” Decisions………Decisions…………Decisions! There is a single mental move that each of us make daily which, in a millisecond, will solve enormous problems or either create them for us. It has the potential to improve almost any spiritual, personal or business situation you will ever encounter…. And it could literally propel you to a path of incredible success in every area of your life. It is call a Decision! Decisions or the lack of them are responsible for the making, breaking or destroying many lives, marriages, relationships, businesses and ministries. Believe it or not those who know their God and hear His voice and a stranger’s voice they do not follow, and are NOT influenced by the opinions of others, are those whose Success is NOT negotiable. The intimacy of your relationship with God, the health of your mind and body, the well-being of your family, your marriage, your social life, your business or ministry and even the type of relationships you develop…. All are dependent upon your ability to make sound decisions. You would think that anything as important as decision-making, when it has and hold such far reaching consequences and power, would be taught in every home or school… but It’s not! And to compound the problem, not only is decision-making missing from the curriculum of our educational institutions, it has also been absent from many corporate trainings, most human resource programs and I dare to ask, when has it ever been taught in our religious institutions or churches. The power of a decision is seen throughout the scripture from the beginning when God made a decision to design creation; to Jesus making a decision to say ‘Not my will but your will be done!’ Decision making is something you cannot avoid. Even NOT to make a decision, means you just made one! You can virtually eliminate conflict and confusion in your life by becoming proficient at making decisions. Decision making brings order to your mind and of course, this order is then reflected in your life, your home, and in your relationships. The cardinal principle of decision making is DECIDE RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE … WITH WHAT YOU BELIEVE…. AND WITH WHATEVER YOU’VE GOT. (REPEAT). Remember your thoughts become your words and your words become your actions. So You will only be able to decide according to your thoughts and beliefs combined with your knowledge concerning a matter. And this is why most people don’t master this aspect of life. They permit there circumstances and situations, and of course their resources, to dictate if and when a decision will be made. Can I tell you based on what you believe, as soon as you made a decision, you call attention to angelic host that are waiting to harken to your words and put things in motion, to bring your thought and decision to pass. So, the decisions we as Christians make should be based on the principles that are designed to create winning opportunities, that will allow God’s glory and honor to fill the earth to be seen by mankind! This in return, will lead to DECISIONS by mankind, to want to become acquainted with our God. Now, I can give you a plethora of biblical examples of this very thing, but today I have DECIDED to make this a more practical coaching session and give credit to a few examples of those who practiced the principles and tapped into the laws God has placed in this earth realm for those who will make a decision to only believe. And believe it or not, this works for anyone. Both those who are saved or unsaved can call those things that be not as though they are and if they do not doubt in their heart, they shall have what they say. Listen, When John F. Kennedy asked Werner Von Braun what it would take to build a rocket that would carry a man to the moon and return him safely to earth, his answer was simple and direct. The will to do it. The bible says, if you are willing and obedient you will eat the good of the land. President Kennedy never asked IF it was possible. Because, ALL things are possible for those who believe. Nor did he ask if they can afford it! Why, for where there is vision there will always be PROvision! President Kennedy made a decision. He said, I will put a man on the moon and return him safely to earth before the end of the decade. That fact that it had never been done in hundreds of thousands of years in history was not even taken into consideration. He decided where he was, with what he believed; and what did he have…? A dream! MLK had a dream……. and sometimes decisions you make for the dream can cost you everything. He knew he was not going to make it into the promise land, just like Moses. But with boldness and confidence after stating he would not get there with us, he still made a DECISION to go all the way. He knew just like Jesus that his decision had the power to change the whole world as we knew it. And boy…. Did it! The objective was accomplished in President Kennedy’s mind the moment he made a decision. It was only a matter of time….(which is the governed by natural laws) before his decision would have to line up with the spiritual law set in motion, by his faith in action. Soon, the goal was manifested for the whole world to see. Anyone who has made a study of the great thinkers know that they are great result getters too! Why, because they are not afraid to make sound and yet faith-filled decisions. You and I must realize that our thoughts ultimately control every decision we make. You are the sum total of your thoughts. Every decision you made was decided upon based on your thoughts. For as a man thinks in his heart, so is the man. By asking the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you to all truth, you can exercise the faith needed to make good and godly decisions. Those decisions that would not only please God but effect change positively for others. The greatest stumbling block you will ever encounter when making important decisions in your life is CIRCUMSTANCE. We let circumstances get us off track and then block us from moving forward into the land of promise. We are then like Ruebenites that decided to stay on the east banks of the Jordan in the wilderness instead of crossing over into the Promised Land. More dreams are shattered and goals unfulfilled because of life’s seemingly impossible circumstances. But God has made us more than able and qualified to make decisions when we yield to the leading of the Holy One who lives on the inside of us. How often have you heard yourself saying, I would like to do this or have this, but I can’t because…….. Whatever follows after because…… is YOUR seemingly insurmountable circumstance. Circumstances cause detours in your life, but you should never permit them to stop you from making the right or important decisions. Lack of expectation in your vision will always override your decision to agree with what God has a desire for you to have or accomplish in this life. Many years ago Helen Keller was asked if she thought there was anything worse than being blind. She quickly replied YES, there is something much worse. She said, The most pathetic person in the world is a person who has their sight but no vision….. At 91, JC Penny was asked how his eyesight was. He replied that his sight was failing but his vision had never been better. When a person has no vision, they perish….. they will not SEE a better way of life, and then they automatically will DECIDE to give up and allow life’s circumstances to rule them instead of them taking dominion and ruling and reigning over life’s circumstances as the Kings and Queens we were created to be. The Bible said you shall decree a thing and it shall be so. To decree is defined as a judicial decision or order. One of the eternal purposes of God, by which events are foreordained. In other words you are simply Deciding to agree with heavens will. As it is in heaven is shall be on earth… Once you decided to agree with God and God’s word…..You WILL have what you say…. 16 'So the people answered and said: “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; 17 for this is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we went and among all the people through whom we passed. 18 And the Lord drove out from before us all the people, including the Amorites who dwelt in the land of promise, so, We also will serve the Lord, for He is our God.” In other words They decided to Represent the Lord in a foreign land, but in a land that was promised. You and I have been commissioned to Represent the Lord and let our light so shine that when Men see you they see Christ. We stated when we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior that we too,as the children of Israel, would make the choice or decided to 1)love the Lord our God with all our heart mind soul and strength , 2) obeying him, because obedience is better than any sacrifice we could ever make and 3)committing yourself firmly to him. Committing our work to the Lord, so he can established it! This is the key to OUR life. We MUST DECIDE To love and obey the Lord, and we will live long in the land of Promise that the Lord swore to give your ancestors.” Today I Decide to Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and then all these things I desire will be added unto me. Today I decide to choose God… My success is NOT negotiable…. What about yours? I am Rhonda F Lewis, your spiritual and transformational coach. Any comments can be made here, emailed to rfl@rhondaflewis.com or post on the Fb fanpage of rhondaflewis.com. Yesterday I may have dared to struggle, but today I DECIDE to WIN

Focus on the Promise!

Day 3:"See the Promise NOT the Problem"!This is what I thought- I thought I'd think my way out of a problem; pray my way; plan my way out; fight my way out(spiritually); Confess, declare and even praise my way out of the problem. But what I found out is that True Worshippers don't even SEE the problem as a Problem! Agree to agree with what God says, and the Promise will overshadow the problem. Resist the devil and he will flee!