Greg Durante Podcast

We are commanded to magnify and exalt the Lord above our circumstances. And this will be our confidence when we magnify God despite our problems, that He is indeed able to handle every impossible situation. And we will know Him more and more when we trust and obey Him as the Lord and the God of our lives.

Troubles can easily beset any person. The onslaught of problems, especially when it hits close to home, can mess up even the most successful ones. But a man who possesses a delivered and freed soul, mind, and emotions can overcome these because he will be passing them to the Lord in prayer.  The freed person now enjoys peace despite the chaos around him as he holds on to the exchange that when you lay down your sorrows and burdens to God, He will give you His yoke, which is light and easy, and all His promises you can now enjoy towards a bright and prosperous future.

We have come to a time where distractions can easily sway our focus from the most important obsession we should cultivate. We can be readily consumed by what we see, feel, and hear in our surroundings. And when we lose that focus, that's when our faith becomes lukewarm. So we must not let this one obsession fade. We should press on towards our devotion to our God. Fix our eyes on Him, listen to His Words, meditate on Scripture, and pray fervently and continuously.

We practice what we preach when we live our lives in reflection of what the Bible says. There should be no distinction about how we live our lives in church, at work, in school, or wherever we go. We must also aim to imitate how Christ lived His life while here on earth. 

God in the flesh, that is how Jesus is best described throughout the Bible. When He came to earth, He carried power and authority, mystery and leadership. He is the Son of God. He came from God. He is the all-powerful God!

Have you thought about all the blessings you have experienced before and how God saved you and redeemed your situation, even when you didn't deserve it? He, the God of all the earth and the universe, owes us nothing because He is complete as He is. Yet, He gave us everything, His only, and most loved Son, Jesus Christ, to die and share with us the inheritance He has as the firstborn child of God. Now, with all of its benefits, as a child and co-heir with Christ, what are you doing in exhange of that? How do you thank God who owed you nothing but then gave you His everything?

The Bible said in Numbers 23:19, "God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" What a great comfort that is! Our God is ever true to His Word and His promises to those who believe. We can rely on His Word, which will not change, no matter what. Our promises, assurances, commitment, and even word of honor, when it comes to times of testing, and sometimes just a mere change of circumstances, can be forgotten or changed just for the sake of it. But not God. He is ever true. Ever faithful.

We were saved not just to be saved but to do the will of God in our lives and the lives of other people around us and the people we meet. We are now the instrument of how God's love will flow. And if we are willing and obedient, our labor of love will not be in vain. When we surrender ourselves to God Almighty, He has promised that He will take care of everything for us. 

The love of the Father given to us is not meant to just stay within us. It is meant to be shared and spread to as many as we can, because its source is infinite. A closed vessel on one end will fill up and just overflow and may touch those who are nearest, but an open one, from end to end, will become a mighty vessel and instrument of God to the world. Give out love, and it will come back in many forms. In this, they will know that it is the Almighty God working in us and through us. 

Holiness and righteousness are more than just a state of being; they are a way of life. It is a continuous, conscious effort to choose what is right in God's sight. Our daily routines must honor our God. It is a pursuit we must actively engage in to draw closer to God. And to attain this, we must have an intimate, personal relationship with Jesus Christ, allowing His life to flow through our lives.

There are things we would want to change about ourselves, by ourselves, but cannot do it on our own. That kind of power to change comes only from God. Read His Word. Stand on His promises. Do not waver. God is not a man that He should lie, the Bible says. There is peace and freedom in His presence, even in the midst of the storm.

Arise and shine! As much as morning is not very welcome to a night owl, because our natural tendency, as not a morning person, is to draw the curtain of the sunlight, drown in the darkness, back to sleep. The same is true in the spiritual. We tend to draw back, but when we welcome the light of the dawn, we cannot miss the beautiful sunrise and the life waiting for us. Wake up and experience the fullness of the life that God, our Father has promised to each of His children.

We all face challenges and difficulties in our lives, but let us remember this one important and profound truth: that we are never alone in these struggles because we always have Christ on our side. We can always rely on His power and strength. And all we have to do, is trust Him.

We are called differently from other people. We have been chosen and marked the moment we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. And the Bible says, let us be holy as our Father in heaven is holy. Yes, in this world, many are the influences and things that might affect our walk, but God gave us Jesus to be our greatest example of living in the midst of trials and problems in life that might pull us to the dark side. And not only an example but a Helper, too, in the Holy Spirit. 

Proverbs said that our tongue has the power of life and death, meaning, whatever we say, we will receive if we believe. Our mind processes first what we will say. So let us fill our minds with the Word of God. Fill it up with His promises of good things and of abundant life and healing, of blessings and peace, and love. And then let it go forth out of your mouth, believing that it will happen, spreading goodness and blessings, for surely it will, as He has also promised that His Word will never return to Him without accomplishing first what it's supposed to do.

Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness in high places. The advancements of the Kingdom are greatly and heavily opposed by the kingdom of darkness. Therefore, force is necessary to obtain what is rightfully ours. It is not about physical force but spiritual force, where faith must be so determined and aggressive to take all the promises of God and exercise the power and authority given to us.

God, our Father, only wants us to live a full and blessed life. He has promises in His Word about it. Even when the world around us contradicts what we should believe, just keep believing and pressing on. Renew your mind and align it with His Word. He has even sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, for us to live a blessed, full, and abundant life. Trust that He's got the whole world, even you, in His loving hands.

Jesus, being our Shepherd, means that we consider Him as the "Shepherd of our souls" or the keeper of our souls. When we let Him lead our lives, we will have everything we need because the "Shepherd" will be watching over every detail of his flock's whole well-being, leading them to safety and abundance.

God’s love for us, His children of the promise, is not just a promise for the good times but also a refuge and source of strength during our darkest days. And to know that He generously gives it all the time, secures our souls that we are really never alone in whatever situations we are in.

Jesus, being full of grace and truth, as what John 1:14 says, embodies the attributes of God, and how God keeps His promises. Jesus Christ's appearance is proof that God is a loving Father, whose love to us is steadfast yet also guided by a standard of righteousness.