Category: Mindful Moment

It seems almost natural for us to believe that the decisions which other people make are not merely between them and God, but between us and them and God; Even the decisions they make in the privacy of their home which have no effect on us.
It is not natural for most of us to let people make decisions that we believe are harmful to them without trying to put our nose into their business.
Yet God never asked us to fix other people’s issues, or to expose their sin.
In fact, the Gospel has nothing to do with exposing sin, and everything to do with exposing a loving God to others.
It has everything to do with exposing Life, not death.

BY: Bishop Joshua Maynard

The Bible says, “the letter kills”.
Some might say that such a scripture only refers to the Old Testament.
I don’t know about you, but the New Testament in my Bible is full of “letters” too.
The letter kills no matter which Testament you find it in.
Follow Christ, be led by the Spirit and you may live long enough to see God do some amazing things in your life.
BY: Bishop Joshua Maynard
God IS love.
We are representatives of the Father.
Ambassadors of Christ.
Representatives of Love.
Let everything we do and say reflect this truth.
Let us not condemn ourselves when we fail to love, but give thanks to God and ask for more opportunities to show His love to others.
BY: Bishop Joshua Maynard
You are special.
You are one of a kind.
You have something to contribute that no one else does.
You may not love yourself.
You may not like yourself.
But God loves you no matter what you do.
As you start to believe God’s love for you, watch as it transforms your attitude.
BY: Bishop Joshua Maynard
The only doors that God closes are those where the Devil is waiting.
Every other door to what is pure and good for you is open wide!
Who dares to accuse God of keeping you from doors of prosperity, blessing and provision?
Who reasons with ignorant reasoning that God doesn’t think your ready or worthy enough for His best?
Who dares to speak over you that God has closed a door because you didn’t tithe enough or pray enough or go to church enough?
Who dares to speak over you that God has kept you from a better job because you have to love the Hell of a job you are in NOW, before you can be released into the job that He has for you NOW?
Who dares to accuse God of withholding the best from you?
If the people in your life that you call friends and family are telling you that God is withholding from you, don’t listen!
The devil is a liar!
If your pastor is telling you that God can’t bless you or won’t bless you because of something you’ve done, don’t listen to him!
The devil is a liar!
These people might be the most well-meaning Spirit-filled friends you know, but their words are killing your faith.
The Devil uses people you trust to tear down your faith!
Who are you going to choose to believe?
Matthew 16:22-23 KJV
[22] Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. [23] But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
BY: Bishop Joshua Maynard
I used to ask God to forgive me. I asked Him to forgive me out of guilt, fear and sorrow.
I also asked forgiveness because I had been taught that if you don’t ask, you aren’t forgiven, since you aren’t truly repentant.
I no longer pray and ask God to forgive me.
I have a revelation of God’s love for me and His forgiveness.
I also have a revelation of the finished work of Christ on my behalf.
I’m not trying to earn my salvation.
You can call me arrogant, irreverent, or any other label you like, but I’ll just call you “traditional”, “religiously oppressed” and “deceived”.
Asking forgiveness for our sins denies the finished work of the cross, and the fact that God already forgave us before we ever sinned.
Not only did He forgive us, but He chose to forget our sins and call us righteous in Christ Jesus.
One might argue that asking forgiveness shows humbleness before God and concern about the gravity of our transgressions, but those arguments are a lie.
If you are a believer on Christ, it is not humble to ask God to forgive you, it is unbelief.
You don’t need to have concern about the gravity of your transgressions, because you ARE FORGIVEN!
Instead of asking forgiveness, just thank God for already forgiving you and keep on moving forward.
BY: Bishop Joshua Maynard
Did you know that if you know to do good, and fail to do good that it is sin? (James 4:17)
Did you know that God is only good, and in Him there is no sin? (James 3:5)
Does God put sickness on people?
You might say, “No, but He allows sickness for a reason or to perfect our faith.”
Did God cause the storm that took all of those lives and destroyed so much property?
You might say, “Of course not, but He allowed Satan to bring the storm and used the storm to bring people to salvation for His glory.”
Did you know that when we say that God “allowed” something bad to happen or “allowed” evil to manifest itself that we are saying that God is committing sin by knowing to do good, and refusing to do it?
Think about it: If God knows to do good, and does it not, to Him it is also sin, and it is impossible for God to sin because in Him there is no sin!
So, before you start saying “God allowed” or “God used” evil for His purpose, you should be aware that you are ascribing sin to God.
God doesn’t allow evil!
Evil prospers because of man and Satan alone.
God warns; God blesses; God leads; God guides; God comforts; God heals; God saves.
God is good all the time!
By: Bishop Joshua Maynard
Jesus said, “Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” John 5:14
Jesus never said, “Sin no more, lest I take away your healing!”
Jesus never said, “Sin no more, lest I put a disease on you that is even worse!”
Jesus never said, “Sin no more, lest I revoke your salvation and cast you into Hell!”
Let’s be clear about what Jesus said and did and stop ascribing things to God that are better ascribed to ourselves or Satan.
By: Bishop Joshua Maynard
Jesus showed love, grace and forgiveness and revealed the character of His Father in Heaven.
He also made a whip, turned over tables and chased some people out of church.
Grace has to drive out religion before Truth can take hold.
And let’s face it, sometimes Truth can hurt at first, but helps in the long run.
By: Bishop Joshua Maynard
Jesus never preached Hell to the multitudes.
It was always something discussed privately with his disciples.
I believe that says something about Jesus’ ministry and especially about ministries today that use Hell as a scare tactic to “win souls”.
I don’t find any “winning” in that kind of ministry.
It is a ministry built on fear and not established in faith.
By: Bishop Joshua Maynard
Christ Jesus which came “out” of the grave was forever changed, transformed, transfigured from the Christ Jesus that entered “into” the grave three days prior.
We too, having been buried and raised with Christ, are forever changed, transformed and transfigured with Christ.
When Jesus walked among his brethren, they didn’t recognize Him at first.
When we walk in the newness of Christ among our brethren, they don’t always discern the change in our spirit.
Sometimes the sinful nature of the old man rears it’s ugly head.
Yet, we ARE changed, and the Holy Spirit bears witness within us that we belong to Christ.
Remind yourself that you ARE different and you ARE changed.
Say to yourself today,
“I am Christ’s, and He is mine.
I am a new creation, and the old has passed away.”
If your spirit doesn’t leap within you and catch on fire when you speak these words in faith, then your wood must be wet!
By: Bishop Joshua Maynard
Most Christian churches and organizations have mandatory leadership programs that one must pass through before being allowed into leadership.
Do you know what it took to become an Apostle of the early church: A casting of lots (like drawing a name from a hat, or rolling a dice) with the faith that God would lead who would become the next Apostle by guiding the choice. No programs, no certifications, not even a “Word from the Lord”, a vision, a dream or a confirmation. The Apostles “rolled the dice” so-to-speak and asked the Holy Spirit to guide their hand, to pick the next Apostle.
Today, most Christians would call that “divination” or witchcraft. Truly there is more paganism and witchcraft in Christianity today than people care to acknowledge.
I am convinced that most Christians would be better off “rolling the dice” a little by faith, than to stay still; to stay stagnant and not move or choose because they haven’t heard God’s still small voice give them direction.
God leads us when we step out.
By: Bishop Joshua Maynard
Holy living does not equal “gaining approval” with God.
Sinful living does not equal “losing approval” with God
The “God is pleased/displeased” game will kill you if you let it.
God is always pleased with His children because of Christ, not because we are good little children.
I love my son because he is my son, not based on what he does that is good.
My parental love supersedes my “pleasure or displeasure” with his actions based on the “law” knowledge of “right and wrong”.
God is not judging us under the “law” knowledge of “right and wrong”, “good or evil”.
My sins are covered, removed, and forgotten, even the ones I might commit today. God cannot remember them or impute them to me or He would be in violation of His own Word.
Just because I remember them, you remember them or even witness them doesn’t mean that I’ve lost approval, protection, fellowship or salvation with God.
My desire to live Holy is based on Christ’s love.
Study the Word: God doesn’t take back His gifts. Salvation is a gift.
I’ll never turn away from believing in my Savior or believe that my self-effort to not commit sins is good enough to earn me a spot in Heaven.
By: Bishop Joshua Maynard
If I can be real, and not some “higher than thou” figure that looks down on those that don’t meet certain standards…
If I can be down-to-Earth, and not some preacher-idol on a pedestal…
If I can be approachable, and not a minister that runs from the flock, and their questions…
If I can be fallible, imperfect, rough around the edges, but always striving to sharpen myself and others…
If I can tear down traditional expectations and stereotypes of what it means to be a “minister”…
If I can show people that a real God loves me in all my imperfections and loves them in theirs…
If I can let people know that we don’t have to be perfect, agree on everything or meet some standard of what the religious call holiness…
Just maybe, I can reach someone with the truth of the Gospel and see them set free.
Just maybe, someone will give God another chance…
Just maybe, someone will start thinking for themselves…
We are not defined by what people think of us, but people ARE defined by what God thinks of them. They need to know that God loves them.
The eyes of legalism blind people to the freedom of the Gospel.
The facades of preachers upholding the unsustainable expectations of perfection produces the same result.
Get real.
By: Bishop Joshua Maynard
Jesus did not focus on sin. He always focused on the person.
If you are focused on sin, either in your life or in the lives of others, then you are not expressing the mind of Christ or the character of the Father.
I’m not condemning, just telling it how it is.
The only sin that God takes issue with, is to reject a relationship with Him through His Son. All the rest of the things that we call “sin” are merely speeding people along to their mortal death.
These “sins” are not keeping them from relationship with God, or a fellowship with the Holy Spirit, and Jesus isn’t running away from them.
For the born-again believer who struggles with sin, Jesus stays right there with you through it all, palm to his face, shaking His head, saying “Child, when will you learn who you are in Me and stop acting like a fool?”
By: Bishop Joshua Maynard
Some extreme religions and cults demand the ultimate sacrifice of their followers in the name of their leader or god.
God has never and will never ask a Christian to die for Him or for anyone else.
God will never require your death because His life is living in you, and He has the most important part of you already in His possession.
The world and Satan would gladly kill you.
Some of you may disagree but study your Bibles. Disagree with God, not me.
By: Bishop Joshua Maynard
As soon as America started misinterpreting and adding to the Constitution of the United States, we set ourselves on a path of self-destruction.
We’ve had the Constitution for about 225 years.
Looking at America today, there has been a lot of damage done in that amount of time to our beliefs, culture and morality.
We’ve had the Bible for well over 1000 years.
How much misinterpretation and additions have been made to our beliefs about the Word of God in 1000 years?
How many Christians are on self-destructive paths thanks to over 1000 years of religious foolishness?
– Bishop Joshua Maynard
I’ve seen posts about “100 days of Favor” and posts asking for the Favor of God.
I’ve seen posts of churches announcing “A wave of Favor” coming to those who attend during a certain time.
Friends, I walk in God’s Favor 365 days a year, every year.
I have always walked in His Favor, since the day I was born again. Even when I didn’t recognize it.
If I woke up one morning and wasn’t walking in Favor, it wasn’t because Favor left me.
If I woke up one morning and wasn’t walking in Favor, it wasn’t because I stepped out of Favor and into something else.
If I woke up one morning and wasn’t walking in Favor, it wasn’t because Favor was not given to me.
Favor is just as faithful to be with me as the God who gave it.
You see, Favor exists in the person of Christ Jesus living in me every moment of every day of every year.
If I woke up one morning and wasn’t walking in Favor, it was a deception of the Enemy, nothing more.
God won’t withhold His Favor from me.
Satan can’t take God’s Favor from me.
People can’t convince me to deny that His Favor is always with me.
Is what I see with these two eyes, my reality?
Does what I feel and sense in this body, have more substance than my faith?
Is what I am told by other people and the Enemy, truer than God’s Word?
 – Bishop Joshua Maynard
Many things are “of” sin. Many things are “of” faith.
However, people have twisted that scripture to say “Whatsoever is not of Sin is Faith.” and have made the scripture of no effect to them.
If people would focus on the things that are “of” faith as the scripture really directs, and not on the things that are “of” sin. Then the preceding scripture, Romans 14:22 “…Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.” would be fulfilled in their life, and condemnation for their sins and mistakes would have no more power over them.
– Bishop Joshua Maynard
You can’t revive what has already been made alive.
If you need to experience revival, then you either need to be born again, or understand what being born again has done in you.
Revival is for the unsaved, who are spiritually dead in their sin.
Christians need to stop trying to revive themselves and realize that just as their salvation didn’t come in pieces, parts, waves, movements or phases, they have been revived once, and once is eternal.
– Bishop Joshua Maynard