What are you believing for?

October 3, 2020 Gaspar Anastasi

Finding significance in life, Making positive change

Years ago, someone asked me, “How are you doing?” My answer and their subsequent response changed my life forever. I said, “Oh, I’m hanging on.” Their response was, “Don’t just hang on. Stand on the promises of God!” I suddenly realized that my faith wasn’t secure in any foundation. I didn’t know specifically what I was believing God for.

Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him.” Faith must be strongly founded on something to work. That foundation is our belief, trust and hope in God’s promises for our lives. God’s promises (His word made real to us) are always “yes and so be it (2 Cor. 1:20).” God’s promises don’t work just sometimes, or if you do everything perfect and right in His eyes. They shout “Yes and amen!” all of the time because His love is unconditional. No strings attached.

I find that even most Christians are skeptical about God loving them unconditionally. Why? Because it’s spiritually discerned, not naturally. They doubt His promises to them because they lack the solid foundation of belief necessary for their faith to work.

He doesn’t do anything outside of your faith. And your faith is not operating if you don’t believe God for a specific promise that He revealed to you in His word. In fact, He commands us to remind Him of His promises, giving Him no rest (Isaiah 62:7).

The reason I responded to “How are you doing?” with “Oh, I’m hanging on” is because:

I didn’t know God’s promises to me regarding my present circumstance or condition.
I wasn’t convinced that God loved me unconditionally. The people in the church I attended loved one another conditionally. They declared Jesus Christ, but they were judgmental, critical and performance-oriented. So that’s how I perceived God’s love for me.
I lacked the assurance that says If God said it, I believe it and that settles it for me! Like many of us, I had no foundation for my faith to work from. Yes, I was praising God, shouting with the best of them, but I wasn’t standing on His promises.

Are you just “hanging on” like I was, hoping for something good to happen? Or is your faith built on the strong foundation of belief in God’s promises personally to you? That’s what allows Him to release blessings into your life. Don’t deceive yourself into thinking that just going to church regularly, reading your bible and living the best you can for God will earn His blessing. Many people live their Christian lives like that, hanging on for dear life, hoping God will see their desperation and move on their behalf.

Know your God! He isn’t moved by your circumstances or condition, but only by your faith. Sure, He cares what you go through and He hurts when you hurt. But His method of blessing is through faith that is based on a strong foundation. So the next time someone asks, “How are doing?” your answer should be, “I’m standing on the promises of God!” Then confess what they are. What are you believing God for?…

Discover the Cure for Loneliness

September 26, 2020 Gaspar Anastasi

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Making positive change, Overcoming depression, Success & victory

You don’t have to be single to be lonely. I know quite a few married folk who are extremely lonely. God created each of us for an intimate, personal relationship with Himself first and then with one another. When that doesn’t occur, it brings emptiness inside our spirit, producing feelings of loneliness.

When we spiritually and emotionally connect to our Creator and other humans, we feel fulfilled and whole and are strengthened to handle our problems with greater success. By and large, lonely people don’t handle stress well and are more prone to break down emotionally. They are also more susceptible to depression, suicidal thoughts and sickness. But, married or single, loneliness doesn’t have to be your plight.

Here are some things to help cure loneliness:

Stop looking for another person make you happy and fulfilled. That’s too much pressure for any one person to bear. Look to God. He alone gives true fulfillment, joy and happiness. He will use other people, but He is the source of life and the antidote for loneliness. Many married couples suffer severe loneliness because they look to each other for what only God can supply!
Recognize that you are valuable all by yourself. Too many singles look for affirmation through anyone who’s available. In their quest for acceptance and personal value, they make poor choices in friends and soul mates. Two wounded, unfulfilled individuals don’t make a whole relationship. Quite the contrary!

God wants you to connect with other people. However, you will never conquer feelings of loneliness until you first connect with your creator God and recognize how valuable you are as an individual in Him.

Instead, find your identity in Jesus Christ. Know that when He made you He didn’t make junk. Connect with His plans for you by giving Him access to your heart. That connection comes from reading His word daily and believing what He says about you. For instance, Ephesians 3:20 says: “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” The power that works in us is faith in God’s word. I recommend you search for scriptures that tell you who you are in Christ and all you can accomplish in Him. Philippians 4:19 says: “I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me”.

Take the pressure off those you’re relying on to fill your void. Release them right now and place your eyes, trust and hope in God.
Take inventory and count your blessings. Too often, we focus on what we don’t have, instead of what we do have. Taking inventory of all God has given you will make you realize how much He loves you.
Finally, take dominion over your thought life. Loneliness is produced by a series of thoughts about your past, present and future. Don’t let the devil play with your mind. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7). Decide today to make Jesus Lord over your thoughts.

Every time feelings of loneliness overtake you, stop and realize that the problem is in your mind. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the thoughts that are plaguing you. Then, with His help, tear them down and replace them with God’s thoughts (His word).

God wants you to connect with other people. However, you will never conquer feelings of loneliness until you first connect with your creator God and recognize how valuable you are as an individual in Him.…

Live above your own means.

September 19, 2020 Gaspar Anastasi

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Making positive change, Success & victory

Many of us put limits on what God can — and is willing — to do for us. We severely limit our prosperity when we base it on our own ability and circumstances. Not having a good education or being born “on the wrong side of the tracks” or into a broken family—in God’s plan and purpose, none of these things disqualify you from His greatest resources.

Truth #1: God has an unlimited supply of resources for you! And His greatest desire is that we receive them and live far beyond our own means (Matthew 6:33).

Truth #2: God isn’t holding back on you. The wrong impression we have about God (and give to others) is twofold:

1. We are waiting for God to bless us. That it’s all up to Him, so we must continually beg Him in our prayers. No! He’s waiting for us.

2. We have to earn God’s blessings. No again! All of God’s blessings are freely given because of His unconditional love (John 3:16 & Eph. 2:8,9).

Truth #3: Your heart must be pure. Your desire to prosper shouldn’t be motivated by selfishness. God isn’t opposed to us having material blessings. He is looking for people who want to live larger for Him. He wants people who will use His resources to expand His influence and His kingdom in every way possible. Selfishness can greatly hinder our level of prosperity.

Truth #4: We must be willing to make room for increase. Many of us have the right heart, believe God has all the resources we need and that He is not holding anything back, but our thinking — and faith — is too small. (As a man thinks in his heart; so shall he be).

Maybe we’re believing God for a hundred-dollar blessing when He wants to give us a thousand! We stop at believing for our marriage not to cause us problems, when God wants us to experience marital bliss! Or we just trust Him for a raise, when He has in mind a new job, a higher position and a tripled income!

God first releases His resources in our hearts and minds before they ever become a reality in our lives (Eph. 3:20). In other words, you must see it in your imagination before you can receive it in reality. Make room by stretching your imagination to believe what God says He wants to give you (Hebrews 11:6).

You and I determine our level of prosperity — not God. We can raise our level of prosperity by walking in agreement with these truths. Start today to apply them. Let the Holy Spirit paint on the canvas of your heart the increase God desires to give you!…

What’s following you?

September 5, 2020 Gaspar Anastasi

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Finding significance in life, Making positive change, Success & victory

No one lives this life without affecting others, whether for good or evil. Our influence makes lasting impact for generations. Our legacy lays a path for our children and grandchildren to follow. It will either lead them to do greater things or cause them to stumble.

Deuteronomy 30:19 says that the choices we make today will bless or curse those who follow us. Every one of us has an account in heaven where we make daily deposits for our future—either blessings of mercy or curses of iniquity.

What are you depositing?

We store up blessings of mercy by making God-honoring choices that put Him before ourselves. When we make time to go to church, give tithes and offerings, forgive others and overlook their wrongs, resist temptations—all these things bless God.

Conversely, taking the easy way out, compromising, giving in to temptation, refusing to forgive, following our feelings and intellect, inconsistently attending corporate gatherings, holding back tithes and offerings—these actions store up curses for our future and that of our children and grandchildren (Exodus 20:5).

Look back in your own family tree, and you may realize that a legacy of mercy, favor and blessing was stored up for you by your parents and grandparents who paid the price in sacrifices and right choices. You may also see how some of your present struggles are inherited from them.

The buck stops here!

Those curses of iniquity need not go any further. We’ve all sown bad seeds in our lives, but its time to reverse the curse. You can be the “bloodline-changer” in your family and end its negative effect on your children and your children’s children. Ask “What is in my heavenly bank account? Blessings of mercy? Or curses of iniquity?” The buck can stop with you!

The legacy we leave is more valuable, enduring and life-changing than silver and gold that perish.

The Apostle Paul pointed out to Timothy that his strong faith first lived in the hearts of his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice (2 Tim. 1:5). Their deposits of faithful prayer and worship into their heavenly bank account benefited their child.

Wouldn’t it be great if God could tell your descendants the same about you when they see divine favor and special blessings in their lives? The legacy we leave is more valuable, enduring and life-changing than silver and gold that perish.

Every family needs a David.

That’s why Solomon asked the Lord to remember the mercies of His servant David (2 Chron. 6:42). David wasn’t a perfect man, but he knew how to honor God, which deposited blessings of mercy in his heavenly account for his sons to withdraw.

God honored David’s sacrifices and his right choices. For all that, God promised David that, instead of giving them what they deserved, He would correct his sons with mercy if they turned away from Him (which they did).

God’s covenant of mercy also extends to you and me. Be the David of your family! The next time you put down your flesh and make a right decision, remember that, like David, you are depositing mercy in your heavenly account. Leaving a lasting legacy for future generations.…

Light the fire again.

August 29, 2020 Gaspar Anastasi

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Finding significance in life, Making positive change, Success & victory

Isn’t it amazing how big a $20 bill looks when you take it to church and how small it is when you take it to the mall? Or think about how long an hour serving God seems compared to the same 60 minutes spent watching TV, playing sports, sleeping or taking a lunch break!

Where are your priorities?

Consider how laborious it is to read a chapter in the Bible, but so easy to cuddle up with a 200 page bestselling novel. We may have trouble getting up for church on Sunday morning but no problem whatsoever staying out late on a big date the night before.

Isn’t it strange how quick we are to trust directions from a total stranger if we are lost? Or take the advice of the latest pop-psychologist? But we are so hesitant to seek God’s direction in the Bible for the issues of our life. You get my point.

It comes down to priorities. You may go through life convinced that your priority is loving and serving God, but is it really? When examined more closely, your actions may betray your true priorities.

1. Recognize your condition and repent for living a hypocritical Christian life!

Admit that, like the Church of Laodicea in the Book of Revelation, your heart for the things of God is lukewarm at best.

According to scripture, a lukewarm Christian is worse than an unbeliever. At least an unsaved person, when faced with the truth of their ungodly lifestyle, may recognize their need for Jesus. But a lukewarm Christian is deceived into thinking that everything is good. How far from the truth!

2. Study God’s Word to find out what He expects of those who have His Spirit.

John 15:1-7 tells us that, if we’re connected with Him there must be evidence (fruit) of His life in us. We should obey His Word, demonstrate a giving nature, show unconditional love for one another, worship and praise Him continually, develop a prayer life and—last but not least—come together regularly to worship Him.

3. Get baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit daily.

He is the presence of God and He will keep you passionately in love with Jesus. When the fire goes out, we’re all subject to living a compromised Christian life, but the Holy Spirit is available every moment of our life. Get into the habit of being filled with His presence daily. It’s as simple as asking, “Please fill me.”

4. Share your faith with someone daily.

I believe this is absolutely necessary. Why? Too many of us are closet Christians… afraid of rocking the boat. Or we’re deceived into thinking that we should keep our faith to ourselves.

We must flow the river of God’s love by sharing our faith with others. This allows God to continually pour more of Himself in us and keep us fresh in His anointing.

Let’s rip the veils of deception off of our eyes and start living the true Christian life! Don’t buy the lie many Christians are falling for today: They believe they’re going to heaven, while not believing there is a hell!

It’s time to face the truth and get your priorities straight… or face the consequences. Believe me: It’s worth the effort.…

What am I living for?

August 1, 2020 Gaspar Anastasi

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Making positive change

Wouldn’t it be great if the only thing people didn’t like about today’s church was our radical commitment and our fanatical, on-fire loyal devotion for Jesus? And, in spite of that, they still wanted us to be their bosses, their friends and would want their sons and daughters to marry ours? Unfortunately that is definitely not the reason they don’t like the church!

Why do people resist the church?

The main reason people resist the church is that we are no different than the world. We lie, deceive and cheat just like the world. We don’t have integrity in our word and we hold unforgiveness and hatred in our hearts for one another… just like the world. At the end of the day, our approach to Christianity is about ME. It is self-centered and has little to do with others. We say things like:

“I need to get my life in order, so I better start going to church on a regular basis.”

Or “I need to go to church so I can receive answers to my prayers.”

Or “I better give so I can get blessed.”

The focus is on “ME” and making sure that I please God so He will bless ME. We create a lifestyle of hypocrisy that causes the people in our sphere of influence to resist church. But, Jesus came to teach us a completely different model of what His church is to be.

The price of love

Jesus’ church is all about others and how we can love them. It’s about focusing on the other person, not you. Following Jesus means leaving everything that’s all about you and focusing on what’s all about others! He invites us to love people the way our heavenly Father loves them–by laying down our lives. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Jesus’ model is a lot simpler (but more costly) than today’s religious model with all its conditions that are necessary to please God. The price we pay is to love our enemies and do good to those that hate and persecute us.

To love us, it cost our heavenly Father the sacrifice of His Son. It cost Jesus His life. So what will it cost you to be a disciple of Jesus and follow him? Everything!

Jesus showed us His model of church when He not only laid down His life on the cross for us but also when He took off His robe, wrapped a towel around His waist and washed His disciples’ feet. He told His disciples that if He did it, they should also do it. Matthew 10:25 says that a disciple is just like his master. In John 13:34, Jesus said we will be known as His disciples if we love others as He has loved us.

Christian or disciple?

It pleases God when you love others the way He loves you. Christianity has a bad name because it presents such a broad definition of what a true follower of Jesus really looks like. You can be a liar and still be called a Christian. You could backbite and sow seeds of discord and still be called a Christian. The world sees you on the job and hears how you talk and treat others. No wonder when you invite them to church they don’t want to come!

The first followers of Jesus weren’t even called Christians; they were called Disciples. A disciple is like his master and the definition of the word disciple offers a narrower description of what a true follower of Jesus should look like.

The question is: Which one are you? Look at all the empty seats in the church and ask yourself, “How many people want to come to church because of me? Am I a Christian or am I a disciple?…