Encouragement

Thought For The Week...

‍Focus

When we surrendered our life to Christ Jesus we made a conscious decision to trust God and the plans He has for our life; we placed our hope in Him. It is with this hope that we come to understand the blessings and promises of God. However, the adversary will attempt all that he can to keep us from realizing and achieving these blessings and promises. He uses his tricks to divert our attention from God’s Word with the hope that we will revert to our unregenerate lifestyle. He plays havoc with our emotions so that we become confused and return to wallowing in the filth and stench of the sins of the world that we’ve been delivered from.

As a believer, we have a rich heritage and all that God has deemed for us is ours; He alone knows the plans and purposes He has for us. It is up to each of us to walk in the spirit so that we do not fulfill the lust of flesh and fall prey to the adversary and his trickery. It is imperative that we come to understand the height, depth, length, and width of God’s Word and abide in the knowledge that His Word is yay and amen. As we concentrate on God’s Word, reading, studying and adhering to its principles and precepts the more we will mature and live as a child of God. God has given us everything we need to thwart the strategies of the adversary and walk holy and upright as His chosen generation. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that we direct our attention to God’s Word, making it our focal point and when we find that we are wavering between two opinions all we need to do is ask Him for wisdom and He will liberally supply us with it.

Listen and take heed…

…let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], (Hebrews 12:1c-2b — AMP

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Rev. Donna M. Humphries

Heaven Gates Ministries, Inc.

Thought For The Week...

Believe II

What is it that you’ve been trusting God for? Have you been faithfully resting in His promises or have you been allowing the adversary to torment you with his ifs, buts, can’ts, and why nots. The adversary will always attempt to torment the children of God because he doesn’t want us to come to the realization that God will do exactly what His Word says, bless us and fulfill His promises when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and adhere to His principles and precepts, living holy and upright.

The adversary knows that if we become confident in the truth, the existence and reliability of who God is and His promises that he’ll be defeated and have no control over us. The adversary wants nothing more than to keep the children of God from understanding who they are and whose they are so he pulls out every dirty, filthy, degrading trick and tactic he can to lure us into his web of deceit with the hope that we will fall for them and been tangled in the threshes of sin. We must understand that the adversary’s only goal is to kill our spirit, steal our witness and destroy our faith in God. Therefore, it’s up to each individual to relax, abide, dwell, rest, and become comfortable in God, embracing His love, grace and mercy. And, if and when we should fall prey to the tricks of the adversary and he lures us off our perch of faith, it is imperative that we immediately repent, receive God’s forgiveness and reposition ourselves in a spirit of confident assurance being convicted that we are more than conquerors and have the surpassing victory in Christ Jesus. Further, it is imperative that we trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not to our own understanding and in all our ways acknowledge God; and as we do this, He will direct our paths into living by faith and not by sight.

Listen and take heed…

Hear me, O Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe and trust in the Lord your God and you will be established (secure). (2 Chronicles 20:20b— AMP)

For this reason, I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, andy ou will [get it]. (Mark 11:24 — AMPC)

 Rev. Donna M. Humphries

Heaven Gates Ministries, Inc.

Thought Of The Week...

Believe

We say that we trust God but there are times when we are like doubting Thomas; we want assurance, we want to see proof with our own eyes for whatever it is that we are waiting on. It’s sad but true; far too many of us want to see the manifestation of our desire/need come to fruition before we’ll trust God. Well, we’re not the first person and we certainly won’t be the last that has issues with trusting God. We all at one time or another will have to ask God to help our unbelief.

The adversary of this world will plant thoughts of discord, despair and disobedience; he’ll do whatever and use whomever he can to get us to the point that we’ll begin to question God’s Word. It’s a fact, that we can’t conqueror and/or overcome the adversities and adversarial attacks on our own, but with the help of the Holy Spirit we have the strength, stamina, fortitude, and perseverance to forge ahead, resting and trusting in God and His Word that we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. So, with that being said, the next time that old sleuth footed devil comes lurking around attempting to instill a spirit of doubt, fear, etc., and derail our assurance, all we need do is remind him, with complete boldness and the authority of the Holy Spirit, that God is able to keep us be steadfast and unmovable in complete assurance of that which we are trusting.

Listen and take heed…

Blessed [with spiritual security] is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord And whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord. (Jeremiah 17:7 — AMP

Rev. Donna M. Humphries

Heaven Gates Ministries, Inc.

Thought For The Week...

Abundant II

There’s nothing neither sparse nor scarce about our God; if He said that He is going to do something then that something has already been done. The moment He spoke it came into existence. If we want to see the manifestation of God’s blessings and experience the overflow and promises that He promised then we need to line our will with His will.

Listen, no matter what this day entails, we can be confident knowing that we serve a God who has already provided us with an overflowing and plentiful basket of blessings and, it is this bountifulness that will keep us and bring us to the end of the day victorious. The adversary will have us think that God has forgotten about us, that He doesn’t love us and won’t forgive us. But, we that know the Lord, know that He casted our sins into the sea of forgiveness never to remember them again. Those of us who know the Lord know that He hung on the cross at Calvary and died for our sins. And, those of us who know the Lord know that He said that He would never leave or forsake us. So, with that being said, we can be assured in our sanctified soul knowing that the name of the Lord is a strong tower. And, because He is a God of more than enough, He will protect us, keep us and present us faultless at the Day of Judgment.

Take heed…

The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). (John 10:10 — AMPC)

Rev. Donna M. Humphries

Heaven Gates Ministries, Inc.

Thought For The Week...

Abundant

Today is the beginningof a brand-new day; there’s never been a day like this before and there willnever be another day as it is. God is a God of newness; each day, He gives usrest in our bodies, breath to breathe, ears to hear, eyes to see, noses tosmell, hands to feel, and a tongue to taste. We have been equipped with amemory, reason, conscience, intellect, and affection so that we are afforded theopportunity to learn from past mistakes and live free of the residue of our sinnature. He has endowed us with a spirit of hope, faith, reverence, worship, andprayer whereby we can live with a calm, loving and peaceful nature and give Himglory and honor even in the midst of trying and adverse times.

Our Father God loved usbefore we were. He formed us. We were intricately woven and fashioned after Hislikeness and it is because of that that we have all that we need. Not only didGod provide for us, but He also richly supplied our needs in great quantity. Heensured that we would have more than we would adequately need. He supplied ourneed in an over sufficient manner so that people would know that we are Hischildren and that He takes care of His own. With that being said, if we trulywant to experience the magnitude and omniscience of His existence then we needto rest, rule and abide in Him so that we can feel and see the manifestation ofthe overarching presence of His Presence as it permeates the atmosphere of ourlives, surrounding us with His love and protection.

Listen and take heed…

But God—so rich is Hein His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us, Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own]shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved ([a]delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation). (Ephesians 2:4-5—AMPC)

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Rev. Donna M. Humphries

Heaven Gates Ministries, Inc.

‍Thought For The Week...

Refresh

It’s something, when we want to be invigorated and energized, we’ll go to the spa, get a massage, have a drink, use drugs, get a makeover, buy new clothes, etc. We’ll do anything we can to appease our troubled spirit. However, the average person rarely thinks of going to the Word of God to seek His counsel as to what is needed to move orth when they feel pressed by the trying circumstances they are faced with.

Now the born againbeliever stimulates their spirit with God’s Word knowing that it provides strength,stamina, fortitude, security, joy, love, peace, and encouragement. They havefirsthand knowledge that the Word of God enables them to count it all joy whenthey are going through adverse circumstances and situations. Listen, regardlessto the circumstances and situations we may find ourselves in, we know that Godwill teach us and instruct as to the best path for us take all the whilewatching and guiding us. He’ll provide an oasis in desert times and give us asong to resonate throughout our spirit to strengthen and encourage us as wejourney through this life. Therefore, no matter the adversities or what theadversary presents before us, we can be confident that our Father God hasalready supplied a fortified shelter where we can go and be renewed, restored,revived, and enlivened.

Be renewed in your spirit…

He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in thepaths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him—not for myearning it, but] for His name’s sake.

Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadowof death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [toprotect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me. (Psalm 23:3-4 — AMPC)

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Rev. Donna M. Humphries

Heaven Gates Ministries, Inc.

Thought For The Week...

Peace

As long as we have breath in our body we will be faced with one challenge after another; in fact, before we come out of one situation another has already been devised. The situations of life can be so devastating that they can leave us reeling and attempt to harbor us in a cocoon of self-pity, doubt, fear, worry, anxiety, and weariness. However, God never intended for His children to live afraid and downtrodden but to trust Him that He will perform His Word and keep them in spite of the obstacles presented before them.

Yes, the challenges of life have the potential to keep us burdened down but when we understand that God will perform His Word, we can be assured that we can live, move and have our being and walk in a spirit of serenity where our minds are free from the annoyances, distractions, obsessions, and anxieties of everyday life. The more we trust God the more we can abide and rest in a spirit of patient endurance of hardship, injuries and/or offenses. With that being said, it is of the utmost importance that we allow the mind of Christ to rest, rule and abide in us so that we can live in state of calmness, quietness, security, tranquility, contentment, and in mutual harmony with others.

Listen and take heed…

You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You. So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages]. (Isaiah 26:3-4 —AMPC)

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Rev. Donna M. Humphries

Heaven Gates Ministries, Inc.

Thought For The Week...

Forgive

It’s a fact, people will hurt us and sometimes those hurts are so grievous that we find ourselves steeped in the dredges of bitterness and find it hard to find a way out of the misery. And, the pain of the hurt is even worse when it is a person that you care about. No matter the hurt or how deep the wound, we must not allow it to have us take up residence on Bitter Highway and not be able to trust again. We have to release the pain and the person to God.

When we allow the pain caused by a person to keep us stagnate in bitterness, we give them control over our feeling and emotions. We must always remember that God sees everything and if they don’t repent and seek God’s pardon, they will pay the penalty for their sin. The person that wounded us may have wanted to defame our character, cause turmoil in our relationships or, it may be that they were wounded along the way and didn’t know better. Hurt people hurt people! Whatever the situation, whatever the hurt and pain caused, God will use it for our ultimate good. Therefore, it is imperative that we move on; it may take a minute, but we must move on and stop feeling angry or resentful towards the person. We must not allow the offense to keep us offended to the point that we dress up every day putting on the garment of offense but make a conscious decision to release the offense and be freed. We can use the hurt and pain caused as a teaching tool and be mindful that we don’t do the same thing to someone else. When we release the pain and the person from what they did to us, we are freed of the bondage that attempts to hold us bound.  

Listen and take heed…

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:14-15 — NIV)

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Rev. Donna M. Humphries

Heaven Gates Ministries, Inc.

^{Thought For The Week...}

‍Praise

As we begin each day, we should awake with an attitude of gratitude, thanking God for a new day and new mercies. While we make our plans for the day, we really don’t know what lies ahead of us; the adversary has already laid snares in our path to trip us up and have us focus on the obstacles before us. It is imperative that as we wake up that we take the time to thank God and laud Him for His plans and purpose for our life.

Godis an awesome God; He continues to watch over us ensuring that no weapon, nothing that the adversary does, will prosper against us. Yes, the adversary will present various temptations, tricks, tactics, and strategies to defeat us, but we have been given authority and weapons to thwart the adversary’s plans and itis up to each of us to use those weapons. Those weapons are: 1) applying God’s Word; His truth to every situation, 2) a spirit of offering grateful homage to Him in words and songs as our mode of worship, 3) expressing our gratitude and admiration, 4) singing songs of worship, expressing our love for God and His protection, 5) glorifying God for His Presence in our life, 6) exalting Him for the gift of salvation, repentance and restoration. There should never be a time that we take God’s lovingkindness for granted. With that being said, we should count it a privilege and honor that we are able to open our mouth and worship God for His goodness and mercy. As we laud Him, we are letting Him know that we trust Him even in the midst of life’s storms, that we are confessing with our mouth and sealing it in our spirit that we know that He will bring us through any circumstance, situation and/or adversity. Yes, God's love is amazing and itis because of that love that we can sing and proclaim that His lovingkindness is better than life. Praise binds the strategy of the adversary and through it we are victorious.

Listen and take heed…

Let the saints be joyful in glory; Let them sing aloud on their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,..to bind their kings with chains, And their nobles with fetters of iron; (Psalm149:5-6, 8a — NKJV)

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Rev. Donna M. Humphries

Heaven Gates Ministries, Inc.

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Thought For The Week...

‍Steadfast

‍It is imperative that we put in the time, expertise and wherewithal to accomplish the task at hand. We must be determined to push pass the challenges, obstacles, oppositions, situations, tactics, and tricks that we’ll be faced with. We must be determined to do that which God has destined for us to do and know that if He has provided the opportunity for us to accomplish something then He has already made the way for us to succeed.

^{We must not allow our minds to be vagarious but be fixed and planted on the directions that God has ordained for us; firm in our purpose, resolute, walking in faith, our feet firmly established in holiness, and our gaze steadily looking to God, the author and finisher of our faith. Of course, we will be challenged with the adversarial oppositions that exist, but we can be confident knowing that God who began a good work in us is able to bring that work to completion. And, when we position ourselves to hear God and allow His Word to have its perfect work in us, we can and will be refreshed day by day, having our minds centered in Him, knowing that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. It is important that we remember that in and of ourselves we can do nothing. With that being said, when we are God centered, our mindset will be, each and every day, create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right and steadfast spirit within me.}

^{Listen and take heed…}

^{Therefore, my beloved brethren, be firm (steadfast), immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord [always being superior, excelling, doing more than enough in the service of the Lord], knowing and being continually aware that your labor in the Lord is not futile [it is never wasted or to no purpose]. (1 Corinthians15:58 — AMPC)}

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Rev. Donna M. Humphries

Heaven Gates Ministries, Inc.