Tough People Triumph Through Tough Times

The bible says in the last days there would be perilous times(2 Tim 3:1) We see these things unfolding over the face of the Earth. Its attempting to infiltrate families marriages and finances. Jesus said in the last times there would be wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes pesilences offenses and betrayel. in these days its time to take a tough stand and fight the good fight of faith. Its the time to penetrate and piearce through enemy lines until we touch the hem of his garment in victory! We are not called to whine but to shine for the glory of God! Were not wimps but warriors in the army of the living God! Hes given us the weapons of our warfare that are not carnal but mighty through God, hes fashioned each element of the full armor of God that we must PUT ON. When Jesus hung on that cross in his last breath said IT IS FINISHED(John 19:30) It meant that everything has been bought and paid for but it must be applied and appropriated. This comes by us having a spine of steel not of sphegetti. How do we be tough and triumph in tough times? Number one, Attitude. Our attitude is an advance man of our true self. Its roots are hidden but the fruit is always revealed. Its an attraction or its a repelent. Our attitude is our choice. Jesus said that no man can take our joy, and elaenor rossevelt said that "no one can make us feel inferior without our consent" Whether were bitter or better, pitiful or poweful is all a result of our attitude. Attitude changes atmospheres. we can be in the midst of the toughest time and attitude will be a catalyst that caterpolts change. Consider Joeseph thrown into a pit and into a prision by his own family. He remained steadfast in his attitude! as a result he went from the prison to the palace in one day. Paul & silas at the midnight hour chose their attitude by praising God so loud the prisoners heard. They were delivered so supernaturally that a jailor fell to his knees asking what he could do to be saved! Habbakukk in the midst of a tremendously tough time said I WILL REJOICE in the God of my salvation and his feet were made like hines feet. Dr victor frankel a jewish doctor captured during the holocost exeplified the true essence of an awesome attitude. After it ended he made this statement. "Everything can be taken from a man but his right to choose his own attitude" Never forget this next phrase, allow the HolySpirit to burn it into your mind from this time forward. Our attitude determines our ALTITUDE! God can only promote us where our character can KEEP US! When the going gets tough the TOUGH GET GOING! This is what reveals to God if were really made for the next level. Our attitude also determines our ATTAINMENT! Thomas was a doubting thumbsucker that would only believe when he saw, Paul was a warrior who walked by faith and was shipwrecked slandered and stoned! The difference? ATTITUDE! When do we choose our attitude? First thing in the morning or beginning of your day. God said througth the mouth of David This is the DAY the LORD HAS MADE I WILL REJOICE and be glad in it(Psalm 118:24) and he also said EARLY WILL I SEEK THEE(Psalm 63:1, Prov 8:17) Number two, Awareness. We must be aware that God has the power to change the darkness into light, the scar into a star and the ashes into beauty. God specializes in taking lemons and making it lemonade. We must look to HIM! God said through the mouth of Paul UNTO HIM that is able to do EXEEDINGLY ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL THAT WE ASK OR THINK(Eph 3:20) God said through the mouth of Zekeriah NOT BY MIGHT NOR BY POWER BUT MY SPIRIT SAITH THE LORD(Zec 4:6) Every miracle begins with nonething, and miracles come in CANS!!! Remember when Jesus fed the five thousand? This was a tough thing in the natural. There wasent nearly the supply for it to be done. Oh but when JESUS gets involved!!!!!!!!!!! Power permiates and produces! Let Jesus come into your marriage, family, finances! He'll do what you cannot do! We've got to be aware that hes able and than think like it speak like it and act like it in the name of Jesus! Number three, Attention. our full undivided attention must be on the word of the living God. The Lord said through the mouth of Bro Copeland Make no plans on the media or what politicans are saying. He has a plan for us and its good and will lead us to a strong place of victory. We have a choice in this time, Whose report are we going to believe? The words of man or the words of God? The bible says that God is not a man that he should lie(Num 23:19) and God said through the mouth of Paul Let God be true and EVERY MAN A LIAR(Rom 3:4) The bible says My son ATTEND TO MY WORDS(Prov 4:20) The order from headquarter is very clear, only focus on the words of Jesus that are spirit and life(John 6:63) If your born again, you have the HolySpirit abiding and aboding on the inside of you. Jesus said that he would lead us into all truth and show us the things to come(John 16:13) Do we need to listen to every news report to know what to do? A million times no! Jesus said himself we'll not be shocked or suprised. However we must attend to him! This doesent happen overnight. We have to spend time allowing him to lead us by still waters meditating on his word day and night and its than his spirit will bear witness with our spirit(Rom 8:16) We'll KNOW IN OUR KNOWER when and where and what to do! Glory to God! Number four, Association. we must be connected with those that are going to encourage and empower us. We must be surrounded with those that will affirm and not assault the fact that the tough time will turn into tremendous triumph! One of the greatest lessons any of us can learn is the power of disassociation. God told Abraham to seperate from his Fathers house and his kingfolks(Gen 12:1) The bible says that the disciples forsook all to follow him in the gospel of Luke! Jesus throughout the synoptic gospels would seperate himself and spend time with the Father. Why? Its so he could POWER UP! So he could be tough in tough times! The ten spies bringing forth the evil report caused two million to die in the wilderness from ages twenty and up(Num 13,14) God said through the mouth of Paul Bad company corrupts good manners(1 Cor 15:33) If we play with fire, we'll be burned, if we spend to much time at the barbershop we'll eventually end up with a haircut, getting to close to the beehive will get us stung! Number five, Agreement. There is power in twos! Jesus sent the church out two by two(Luke 10:1) The bible says that TWO puts ten thousand to flight!(Deut 32:30) Jesus said that if any two of us agree on touching anything we ask it shall be done by the Father in Heaven(Matt 18:19) In the book of Acts the bible gives us an incredible account of the power of agreement in the midst of a tough time. Peter was in prison and the early church went to war in the power of agreement and he was so supernaturally delivered that they didnt even regognize him when he showed up on the doorstep!(Acts 12) Agreement will assimulate his awesome ability into our tough time! Number six, Annointing. The annointing is the tangible transfer of his power into our present. Jesus said that the spirit of the Lord was upon him to heal the brokenhearted and set at liberty those that are bruised and proclaim the good and acceptable year of the Lord(Luke 4:18) God said through the mouth of Isiah The yoke shall BE DESTROYED BY THE ANNOINTING(Isiah 10:27) God said through the mouth of John that we have the annointing abiding in us!(1 John 2:20,27) Its not a matter of the annoitning being in us, its about it being released! How is it released into our tough times? There are a number of ways that the bible presents. Our words, points of contacts(prayer cloths, communion) sowing seeds into an annointed ground( as in the case of the widow of Zeraphath and the Shunamite Woman) Praying in the HolySpirit for the Lord said through the mouth of Paul that the sprit searches the mind and KNOWS the will of God and doing so causes all things to work together for good(Rom 8:27,28) Number seven, Aggression. Jesus said that the VIOLENT TAKE IT BY FORCE(Matt 11:12) Its not a time to be passive but AGGRESSIVE! In the book of Numbers Josua and Caleb displayed this when they said Lets POSSES the LAND! They did'nt see the size of the giants but GOD! In the book of acts Peter and John displayed this while preaching in the name of jesus which gotr them cast out of the temple, they got wioth their own company and PRAYED THAT THY WOULD SPEAK THE WORD WITH EVEN MORE BOLDNESS!!! This is agression my friend! The best defense is a good offense. Aggression impresses Jesus. In the book of Matthew There is the account of the Syrophenician woman that was not from the lost sheep of the house of Isreal. These at this time were the people that Jesus was called to reach. When she came to him decreeing her plea. Jesus said that its not meet to take the childrens bread and cast it to the dogs. Oh but listen to the response and reply Yet the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters table(Matt 15:25,27) Can someone say agression? Oh Glory to God! Think about if Jesus would've called you a dog lol Would'nt you had been tempted with the thought of oh boy this is useless? This woman was agressive and the lord is calling us to be agressive in this tough time. finally blind Bathameaus a begger on the side of the road. he had heard that Jesus was passing by. He began to cry out with a loud voice and the crowd charged hom to hold his peace, BUT HE CRIED OUT LOUDER! Than get this next verse JESUS STOOD STILL(Mark 10:49) Oh theres something about faith and fortitude that causes Jesus to stop in his tracks! Dont bend or bow to the tough time engage with the blood word and name! Keep going to church and surround yourself with a posse that will pray with authority! TOUGH PEOPLE TRIUMPH THROUGH TOUGH TIMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!