I do not know if you are like me, but as I get older I have a tendency to look back on the past year. I want to test the qualities of my Christian life. The older we get, the shorter the time we have to see God perform great and mighty acts in and through our lives. Do you ever feel like you have missed out on God’s power in your life? Do you read certain portions of scripture and question if you are a DOER of the Word and not a mere hearer? God can and wants to do great things in and through your life. Here are a couple of examples: Take the epistle of James as he writes in the first chapter about trials and, if anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God. We are given a prerequisite, that we are to ask by FAITH. God says that by faith, we are to ask not wavering, for wavering produces uncertainty. That person is consid-ered a “double- minded man unstable in all his ways”. How is our faith affected by doubt? What does it mean that we are unstable in all our ways if we allow doubt to affect our faith? Does it really mean we will receive nothing being double- minded when asking God? Now apply that into areas of your life you want to see God work. I really want to challenge myself to act upon my faith without doubting. I do not want to be considered as double- minded by God in my faith. I want to see God do great and mighty things. Don’t you? We have only a certain amount of time in our lives and we need to make it count of God. Singleness of mind I believe is critical to God. Without faith it is impossible to please God. The person who comes to him must believe that he is. The wind of circumstances plays havoc in our daily lives like the wind plays havoc against the sea. How we respond to the circumstances of life either by faith or doubt determines what we will receive from God. Faith determines the out-come and there is no way around it.

Another area of challenge is TRANSFORMATION by the RENEWING of our minds according to the Word of God. Is God transforming your life? Are you experiencing God’s renewing of your mind and causing you to make positive changes in your life? Either we will be con-formed to the world or we will be transformed by the Word. There is no in between. Is God transforming your faith as shown by your walk, your talk, and your daily actions? Are you satisfied with your life? There is only one way to be transformed and it is according to the Word of God. Sometimes I get so busy that I forget the process. We need to be STUDENTS of the Word! Ask yourself, what is it that is keeping you from the Word? Our lives should be a light that shines in this world and is set on a hill. It is to shine that all may see. I know I am not satisfied with my life. Let us not forget we struggle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and the rulers of darkness. We struggle against the un-seen forces that want to keep us conformed to this world and not be transformed. I chal-lenge you to be a DOER of the Word and not a mere hearer. We need to take action where we are and to become people of change in our world. Many of us just take for granted that we cannot change our lives. We are who we are. Christ revolutionized his world with his life. Are you ready to revolutionize your world?

Finally our struggle is not against people but against the forces of darkness. Satan and his forces of darkness are at work against us in this world. When you think of your daily trials of life and things that block your spiritual growth, remember our adversary is Satan. He is here to hinder you in your daily walk. The Word of God describes his tactics. He attacks through our minds. He brings accusations against our personal lives to defeat us. We are responsible to take the shield of faith and protect our minds from his accusations. It all comes down to faith and God’s ability to do what he says he will do. Are you a person who is described as “double- minded”? God says do not expect to receive anything if you waver in your faith. I want to challenge us all to be “people of faith” in 2012. Let us move with conviction and in God’s power. Let us be single- minded and unmovable in our faith! Let us look to God for great and mighty things in 2012!