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About the episode:

Jaime Luce’ story begins with emotional and financial struggle as a single mother trying to survive. Today, she has been married to the love of her life for almost three decades, owned two companies, and has become an author and podcaster. She is on a mission to help others walk through the valleys of life with hope and knowledge that God always has a way.  Learn more.

Related reading:

• How To Heal Through Responsibility and Faith
• How To Use Your Kingdom Authority In Prayer
• Plug Into A Warfare Prayer Source
• Have a Different Spirit
• Be A Good Gardner

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Full Transcript

This transcript is auto-generated and not perfect. We hope it blesses you.

Welcome to the Jaime Luce podcast. Hi, everybody. Thank you for joining me today. It’s my pleasure that you have stopped in to listen to today’s message. And I had this thought, and I’m, I’ve kind of been touching on this lately over some of the other podcasts. But I wanted to kind of focus this message, again during this first month of the year and really gaining our perspective on how to go forward. How do we tackle a new year? How do we? How do we go about this year different than last year? And what are the advantages of doing that, as a Christian, there’s so many things that that we could pinpoint and focus in on. But I wanted to talk about today, the fact that and I’ve mentioned this in the past. So this might ring some bells for you. But I want to break it down a little more today. There is a scripture and we’re going to read it in just a moment that talks about that everyone has time and chance. But I also wanted us to look at the fact that no matter what we do going forward, no matter what chances we get, no matter what opportunities lay before us. We are people of faith. We are believers. And as a believer, we have really valuable weapons at our disposal, to to win the fight of life and to be conquerors to go about doing God’s work, and being Victors not victims. And it’s time that we recognize who we are in Christ that amongst the world, right now, identity is at an all time low. People don’t know who they are. They don’t know what they are. And we do as Christians, we are children of the Most High God, we have all of Heaven on our side, the god of Heavens armies backs us up. When we go about doing what he’s called us to do.

We literally have all of Heaven behind us, not just cheering us on, but doing whatever needs to get done for us. While we’re doing that, no matter what attacks come, we have the Holy Spirit who is fighting on our behalf, giving us wisdom that we know which way to turn, we know what to say we know how to respond.

We know what decisions to make. He’s giving us wisdom he has come alongside of us so that we know exactly it’s kind of He’s almost like your continual encyclopedia, he’s your GPS, he’s your eye and so much more powerful than that. I hate to diminish him with these little examples. But no matter what you need, God gave us that gift when he gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit. And so we are people of faith, faith having faith in Jesus Christ matters. You want to live the life of a Christian with faith? What good does it do a person to call yourself a Christian and have no faith? What good does that do? I mean, do you have enough faith to even believe that you’re going to heaven because it takes faith to believe that? So I think we need to make the decision. I’m going to be this year a person of faith. And then what do I do with that faith? How does that faith affect my decisions? How does having faith in God real faith, genuine faith, have faith that says right now I believe, no matter what I’m facing God, I believe you. I believe you’re positive you’re able, I believe it’s possible. I believe that you have good plans for me, no matter what is in front of me, that you will see to it, that your purpose is fulfilled and that no weapon formed against me can prosper. So let’s look at Second Corinthians 10 verses four and five. It says For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God. These are mighty God did not give us flimsy little plastic forks, knives and spoons to do battle with.

He has given us mighty warfare weapons. And these are mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. How many times do we have things coming against what we know about God? Your own thoughts, situations, our emotions, this flesh man, the enemies on the outside and the enemy within meaning, we have Christ. So I’m not calling Christ or enemy, but this flesh, the the nature that we have put down the old man, that enemy, that that thing that is contrary to the knowledge of God, no matter what form that comes in, and who that comes from. We are able with these weapons, these mighty weapons to bring every thought into captivity. And I like that word, because it actually says bringing. So this is a continual doing. This is an ongoing process, I have to be bringing every thought, into captivity, to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. So when we obey, when we do what God has called us to do, and we walk in obedience, that obedience then punishes the disobedience. It punishes, it brings justice to the disobedient. And so this is our weapon. These are our weapons, these this is what we have to go into battle into warfare. If you happen to miss the episode I did with evangelists, Tiff, Shuttlesworth, you’re going to want to go back and hear that, because we talked about the strategies of the enemy, and how he will use a four step process to seduce us into sin, which in that process, we have left faith, we are no longer walking in obedience, but then walking in disobedience. And in doing that, there is a punishment that comes there’s trouble that comes. And so we have to understand that it is obedience, that actually punishes that disobedience, and that we are not victims. We are those who have the power.

Well, while the temptation or the sin or the thing that the enemy is, planning, or just our weaknesses, whatever those things are, that are hindrances to us, advancing the kingdom of God and walking in a life free from the old man living a new life in Christ. We have to understand that in all of that God has provided what we need. And these weapons enable us to battle and get the victory. Whether the thing that we’re fighting is small, or whether that thing is large, it makes no difference. If we look at David’s life, and we’re going to be talking about David and his mighty men. But if you look at his life, even as a young boy, he was full of faith and did great exploits for the Lord. It’s not about our age, it’s not about how long we have served the Lord. Now, experience helps, because the longer you walk with the Lord, like David, he had killed a lion and a bear. And, and because of those victories, was not afraid and knew he could take down Goliath. So there are benefits to longevity as a Christian, being faithful to God. But it’s not necessary that you you don’t have to lose battles just because you’ve only served the Lord for a short time you can be winning battles from the very beginning. By faith, we lay hold up all of these mighty weapons that God has given us to do this battle. So what is might if these weapons are mighty, what is mine, so I looked this up, it was kind of comical to me, I liked this definition, but it was so weak compared to the biblical but if I look up in Merriam Webster’s Dictionary, what might is it says the power, authority, or resources wielded. So it’s not just a resource, but it’s a resource you use, you wield that the word wield is talking about like using it with a sword, it’s like a battle. So, the Power Authority or resources wielded as by an individual, so one person can do this, or group, by a group, the body of Christ, when we come together, when a corporate body comes together, when a church body comes together, when when we do things as a group, as a family, as a couple, as business partners, whatever when we come together, we can use this might this power, this authority, these resources, to gain the victory, it also means bodily strength, and it means the power, energy or intensity of which one is capable.

So I want to remind you today we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We are capable. Not only are we able, we are well able is what the Scripture says we are well able to possess our lands. Whatever God has called you to; I’m telling you today you are well able if you are a believer and lay hold of real genuine faith. Faith that says, I really believe God, I agree with God, whatever he says that’s going to happen.

So I’m going to take steps to obey and do what he says, because I’m willing to see that outcome. I know the power of His Word. I know once his Word goes forth, it has to accomplish what it was set out to do. When I know that and I step out in that my victory is sure, and I am using, by faith, all those mighty weapons that the gift of the Holy Spirit has provided for us. So I looked up that same word might in the Strong’s dictionary, and in the Strong’s is a paragraph long with this word means so stick with me. In fact, if you got your pens and paper out, and Bibles, I want you to be able to see all this, the earlier scripture reread, if you’re taking notes with Second Corinthians 10, verses four and five, and I’m looking up just the word might in both Merriam Webster and in the strong. So here’s the Strong’s definition, it says, to be capable, or competent, able, powerful, skill, be strong, capable in something, distinguish oneself in it in word, and deed, I mean, this just keeps getting bigger, bigger, better, better when you think about the might of God what the weapons of our warfare, avail to us. The weapons that God has given us to warfare by the Spirit, to do life in obedience by the Spirit. I mean, this is all about obedience in Christ, when we do it God’s way, the way that God has called us to do it. This obedience punishes disobedience.

This obedience actually enables us to pull down strongholds, to cast down arguments to bring every thought captive. So when we understand that there are weapons that God has given us, that our faith, our belief in God causes us to do warfare spiritually, not in the physical, not against flesh and blood, but enables us to warfare, where we are able to do this on every playing field. And we are capable, competent, we are able, we are powerful, we have skill, we are strong. In fact, it says Be strong. So it’s nice that you do things because you think you are strong, or in your own strength. This warfare mite that God has given us causes us to be strong, even were like Paul, when he says, in my weakness, I am strong, he was able to boast in his weakness, because the power of God would manifest and God was strong in his weakness. So it says, Be strong, this might causes us to be strong, capable in something to distinguish ourselves in it, that we are distinguished by our faith in this that we have might in this end, it distinguishes us from the rest in Word and indeed, then it goes on very effective in speech and action, when you are called upon to have to speak up when you’re called upon to take action. This might is what gives you the effectiveness, the effectiveness in your speech and action worthy of exceptional honor. Wow. Well versed in the scriptures. Boy, I loved that when you are someone who has given your life to do it God’s way. And you are someone who loves God’s Word so that you have hidden His Word in your heart. That being well versed in the scriptures is a mighty power for warfare, because that scripture comes up out of you. And that word has already been given forth from the Lord. You’re just agreeing with it.

So it has to accomplish it’s the it’s the gavel that comes down. It is the the sword that pierces it, it is it is the winning ticket. God’s word is the answer. And so when we speak God’s word, when we have his might we have we are well versed in the scriptures in everything that one does. Weapons that are powerful enough for the thing or something, whatever that thing is, it makes things to be possible. They are now being possible. It is possible no matter what seemed impossible, it means more completely as soon as possible. I love that when you need it as soon as possible. Gods might warring in the spirit world. With the mind that God gives, makes things happen as soon as possible. And I need that a lot. I don’t know about you, but I need that a lot. God’s power and the realm of possibility. You know, there’s a little movie called is it called the vacation or something like that holiday, I don’t know. Anyway, in it, a woman thinks she’s going to die. And she goes around, doing spending all her money and thinking go ahead and live up life because she’s gonna die because of a diagnosis. And she had kept a book of all these things, kind of like a bucket list. But all these things that she wanted to do in life and things that were that she felt, if she really worked, she could, she could attain these things. And she called it her book of possibilities. And I love that I even make jokes about this to my husband all the time, we’re putting that in my book of possibilities. But this is what this word might means that God’s power and the realm of possibility. Everything that I need, God can put in my realm of possibility, he can put things into my book of possibilities for my life. That’s mighty, that’s what Mighty is. So now let’s turn into in our Bibles to Ecclesiastes 911. It says, I returned and saw under the sun, that the race was not to the Swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill, but time and chance happen to them all. We folks have given to all of us, no matter our beginnings, no matter our station in life, what we all have in common, and what this what this scripture is saying what this, this is in Ecclesiastes. So this is Solomon, what King Solomon is saying is that, in order to have riches, you don’t have to be a person of understanding.

For someone to have favor, they didn’t have to first have skill, for somebody to be able to eat bread and be satisfied. They didn’t have to be wise, to win the race, you didn’t have to be the fastest, what he’s saying is everybody has these two things in common. And it depends on what you do with those two things that determines your outcome. What are those two things, they are time and chance, you have time, a time that is given into your hands to do something with, you’ve been given a time your lifetime is your time, your time is valuable, your time is much more valuable than money. Because more money you can get, you can’t get more time. Whatever your time is, the clock is ticking. That’s your time. And we need to be busy using our time wisely. You have time and you have a chance. Well, we just talked, we just talked about what gives you your chance. What are your possibilities, the best way to make use of your chance on this earth is to do it through Jesus Christ, when you will live your life doing what God has called you to do, you are using your time and chance with the power of God’s might behind you any warfare that you have to battle and, and come into, you have the might of Heaven behind you. That might gives you everything you need. It takes everything from the realm of the impossible, and brings it into the realm of the possible that the plans that God has for you. They’re good. He has not got harmful plans for you. The plans God has for you or to prosper you. The plans God has for you is to give you hope and a future. But it takes doing it God’s way, using the might of heaven, doing it God’s way with the tools that God has provided. If we all get time and chance, what matters is what we do with them. The Bible is full of mighty people who were just people like you and me. If you look at the prophets, in fact, I don’t want to quote it because I’ll give you the wrong scripture reference. I do this all the time. Sorry about that, folks. But the prophet had the scripture says of the Prophet, he was just a man like you and I. But he was a mighty prophet. If you look at King David, he was just a shepherd boy. If you look at Mary, the mother of Jesus, she was just a young teenage girl.

Folks, all of us are just people. But we’ve been all given time and a chance. And I want to really show you what some of these people in Scripture did with their time. have a chance, how powerful it was what they did to use it. And this did not take faith that was not attainable. Because sometimes we just think, well, you just have way more faith than me. And we just, we excuse ourselves, we give ourselves every excuse in the book to not be people of faith, shame on us. Well, no wonder we’re living with what we’re living with. God has done everything he needs to do. There’s not one thing he didn’t do and provide for us. We’re not waiting on him. He’s given us everything. It’s all at our disposal. It’s whether we pick it up and use it, it’s nobody else, no one’s going to hand it to you. No one’s going to just give you what you’re looking for. It takes you saying, I believe God, I’m going to do this, I’m going to accomplish, I’m going to win, I’m going to be the one who ends up in victory, I get the crown. I am focused on God’s ways I am focused on who God is, I want to love God, I want to know God, I want to do God’s will. I want to see his kingdom advance. When we have that mindset, we have everything we need. You’re not going to get off track, having the right kind of mindset, having a mind that’s been washed, having a mind that’s focused on Jesus Christ and not not the satisfaction of what I can get for myself in this world. You know, the Scripture tells us that what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but he loses his soul? It won’t do you any good. Having your mind and your vision focused on the temporal, we’ve got to be eternally focused, have our minds on eternity to be able to make wise decisions and know what it is that we’re called to do? And how to do it. So let’s look at First Samuel 22, verses one and two. David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam.

So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him and everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented, gathered to Him. Does that sound like you? Are you in debt? Do you have distress? It? Are you discontent with where you are? Look at these men, these were ordinary men with major issues. These were not high and mighty lofty, came from all the best circumstances, had a silver spoon in their mouth never knew what it was to need or want. That’s not who we’re talking about. These men had issues, okay, and it says, So David, he became captain over them. And there were about 400 men with him. Now, you can look at this and realize that it took one man who had faith, one man who had faith, who also had trouble who was running for his life, because King Saul was after him. So he’s running for himself. And what is he doing? He’s hiding in a cave, folks. He is hiding, running for his life. So this man who has faith, but it’s very much dealing with a very serious situation, life and death situation, hiding and trying to save and spare his own life. 400 other men in trouble themselves, all dealing with stuff, come and find David enjoying themselves to him.

I’m saying let’s do this, folks, let’s be these people. No matter what our situation is, no matter what we’re facing today, let’s be determined. We are coming together as the Body of Christ, we are joining ourselves together. If you have been out of church, get back in church, get back and be a part of a body. Join yourself with other like minded people of faith. And let’s see what changes in our life because we decide to go forward. In one mind, in one accord, what happened in the upper room. It just takes a group of people who are determined to go in one mind and one accord. God can pour out His Spirit on whatever situation we need it poured out on we are carriers of His Spirit wherever I go, he’s there. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have any I don’t even have to pray the prayer. Holy Spirit come, he’s there. I carry him you carry him. We can have we can say Holy Spirit explode us. Use me do whatever you need to do give me wisdom, or just have your way but you’re here. We can just use what God has given us. He has gifted us with the Holy Spirit. Now if we go through this was in First Samuel 22 But if we go to First Samuel 23 Now it says 200 More men came they were up to 600 men. Then we’re told about the top 37 of these poor disjointed you know in trouble men These men the top 37 of these men we learn about in Second Samuel 23 And I’m going to begin reading in verse eight. It says these are the names of David’s mightiest warriors. The first was Joshua beam, the Hackman knight who was the leader of three, the three mightiest warriors among David’s men.

He wants us to spear to kill 800 Enemy warriors in a single battle. Go to verse nine. Next in rank among him was, the three was Eliezer son of DoDI, a descendant of a Hola, once Eliezer and David stood together against the Philistines when the entire Israeli army had fled. He killed Philistines until his hand was too tired to lift his sword, and the Lord gave him a great victory that day. Let’s go to verse 11. Next in rank was Shem ah son of a GI from Harar. One time the Philistines gathered at Lehigh and attack the Israelites in the field full of lentils. The Israelite army fled but Shema held his ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory. Verse 13, once during the harvest when David was at the cave of Adullam, the Philistine army was camped in the valley of fim. The three who were among the 30, an elite group among David’s fighting men. So what is it about these men? They weren’t his mighty men, but what kind of men were they? They were fighting men. That’s what we started with. Folks. That was our Scripture. We started with that we have a warfare to wage we do have a warfare. There is a battle we need to fight but it’s spiritual. And we have been given mighty weapons. Okay, these were fighting men, and it says they went down to meet him there. David was staying in the stronghold at the time and a Philistine detached and accom and occupied the town of Bethlehem. Verse 15, David remarked longingly to his men, Oh, how I would love some of that good water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem. So the three broke through the Philistine lines, drew some water from the well by the gate and Bethlehem and brought it back to David. These men went into an entire army camp three, just these three men and get an entire army broken just to get David a glass of water. Do you realize that having the mind of God enables you that in any situation you face no matter how impossible it looks like that God gives you the strategy, the power and the strength to satisfy you in the times that are difficult. No matter what you’re facing, no matter how hard it may seem. And you’re just hoping for a drink of water longing for that refreshing. You’ve been in this battle a while you’ve been running for a while from this thing that the enemy has been trying to do.

You haven’t been caught. You’re still the victor. So many times we think because we haven’t finished the battle yet that we’re not victorious. That’s a lie. You’re victorious. You’re still here. The devil hasn’t had his way. You’re still here, folks. You are still the victor. Change your mindset change your perspective. You haven’t lost yet. You’re still here. You can get that refreshing the mind of God provides the refreshing we need, even in the midst of a terrible battle.

Let’s go down to verse 18. Abishai, son of his Uriah, the brother of Joab, was the leader of the 30. He wants us to spiritual killed 300 Enemy warriors in a single battle. It was by such feats that he became as famous as the three Abishai was the most famous of the 30 and was their commander, though he was not one of the three. So he had done just what this word might says he had distinguished himself. Even when you are in debt, even if you are discontented, even if you are distressed, you can still be distinguished, you can still set yourself up in that place and not you are not a victim. You can rise to the top, you can still be the number one person that God is using and and and that gains all the victory and is not defeated. You’re not done. You’re not defeated. God is on your side. You are mighty. The weapons you have are mighty, they will pull down the strongholds that you are facing God is on your side. Let’s go to verses 24 to 39 says of the members of the 30 included oh you know I skipped one. I don’t want to skip that. Let’s go back verse 20 says there was also benign son of J hawaiiusa. I’m not saying these names right, I’m sure a valiant warrior from Camp zeal. He did many heroic deeds. These down and outers did many heroic deeds and that’s you today. Even if you think you’ve been down and out, you can do mighty exploits you can do heroic deeds, which included killing two champions of Moab. Another time on a snowy day he chased a lion into a pit and killed it. Once armed only with a club, he killed an imposing it sorry Egyptian warrior, who was armed with a spear, but nya wrenched the spear from the Egyptians hands and killed him with it. Deeds like these made Vinaya as as famous as the three mightiest warriors. Do you see how each of these of these men no matter where they fell in the rank, they still distinguished themselves they were still mightily used by God. They still did great exploits. Now let’s jump to verses 24 Other members of the 30 included Assa ossa, hail Joe ABS brother, el Hernan, son of dodo from Bethlehem Shema from her Herod ileka from her rod hollows from Milan, Iris, son of ishka, from Toccoa. I mean, he gives us their names all the way down through 30, verse 39, it says the there were 37 in all, these are all mighty men who took it, who took their time and chance and did something with it. They didn’t allow their minds and the and the voices around them, or the culture around them to tell them that they couldn’t do it.

They didn’t allow the fact that they were being chased by King Saul to affect what they did. They rose up in might and power and so can you. Even if we look at David himself, who used his time and chance as a shepherd boy, to kill the lion and a bear, he used that same time and chance to then kill a giant and bring victory to a nation. Let’s jump to the New Testament. The disciples were men and women who were just like us. Peter was a quick tempered swearing fisherman. Thomas was a skeptic by nature. Mary Magdalene was someone who had to be delivered from seven demons. James and John were power hungry climbers. Matthew was a tax collector, Paul was a Christian hater and murderer, folks, we could go on and on. We all have an opportunity with the time and chance that are now in front of us. We have everything we need to win. We have the might of Heaven going before us. We have our God’s name. We have his blood, we have his word, and we have His Spirit. You have everything you need. You have everything you need. It’s time to stand up and take and use our time and chance with the mighty weapons that the Spirit of God has provided for us. Let’s take that today. Let’s make that chant that make that change in our decisions and our mindsets and our outlook. Instead of being earthly focused. Let’s be heavenly minded and eternally focused and see what God will do for us. Thank you so much for joining me today. We will see you next time. Bye bye.