http://www.identitynetwork.net Romans 8:31 contains a powerful rhetorical question and I encourage you to memorize it. Unfortunately, there are still some believers today wondering, "Is God really for me?" Well, my friend, the Word of God does NOT say "maybe God is for us" or "hopefully, God is for us." It simply says, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Indeed, when God is for you, what opposition can succeed against you? When God Himself fights for you, defends you and vindicates you, what adversity or adversary can stand against you? There are none! Hallelujah! http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?articleid=301314&view=post&blogid=2093 Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400 I know this is the right thing to do, and I want to do it. I just can't make myself do it! In fact, I fall back into doing the wrong thing!!! (Romans 7:15) Most of us have been taught that transformation is an information problem. Learn the right principles, apply the right rules. Study the right theology. Hear the right sermon. Think better thoughts, add a little discipline if you have to. Fix the argument and the behavior will follow. It won't, and it doesn't. Not because the information is wrong — but because information doesn't reach the place where your life is actually governed.  http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?articleid=301315&view=post&blogid=2093 Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400 Every morning, I wake up, make my coffee, and settle into my favorite chair, often without interacting with anyone else in my family. I spend time with the Lord and think through the day ahead. I'm ready to shine as a beacon of love, patience, and sacrificial service. But then I encounter other people. Often my resolve crumbles under the weight of my own sin, and I struggle to love people as God commands. Too often, there's a disconnect between my vertical relationship with Christ and my horizontal relationships with my husband, kids, and friends. http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?articleid=301262&view=post&blogid=2093 Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400 This Word is for those who have allowed themselves to be hindered and distracted from their highest calling. This is a day of Restoration. Can you imagine having a life that is carefree, full of joy, and full of the ambition to do The Father's Will? Well, that is the type of life that is promised to you if you would only cast all your cares upon The LORD and stand on the many promises given to you in His Word. Many are carrying their cares and are overloaded and overwhelmed, because they are trying to take control when they should be giving all control to The Master of their life. http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?articleid=301267&view=post&blogid=2093 Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400 When we suffer, it can be hard to look around at the blessings that some Christians enjoy and wonder what happened with our lives. Social media does not help, as it gives us front-row seats to the blessings of hundreds of people we know (and millions of people we don't know). While even the average person in relatively pleasant circumstances can struggle in this way, the experience is greatly compounded for those enduring comprehensive and/or chronic suffering. It's one thing to envy the prosperity of the wicked. Asaph describes his own experience of that in Psalm 73, and the psalm is instructive for believers who envy the blessings of unbelievers. http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?articleid=301140&view=post&blogid=2093 Tue, 7 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400 I have an old blue hoodie that should have been thrown away years ago. It has, in fact, seen better days. I bought it because I liked the color. That's it. There wasn't some deep, emotional connection. I wasn't trying to make a fashion statement. I simply saw the color, thought, "Yep, that'll work," and took it home. What I didn't know was that it would become one of the most comfortable pieces of clothing I've worn. Apparently, somewhere during the manufacturing process, angels, grandmothers, and clouds all signed off on the fabric. http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?articleid=301141&view=post&blogid=2093 Tue, 7 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400 One of the greatest misunderstandings in the Christian life is the assumption that God's promises depend entirely upon our effort. Yet God consistently reveals a different pattern. The Father gives, His children receive, and together they establish His purposes in the earth. Jesus declared, "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." That single statement reveals the entire dynamic of Kingdom living. Grace gives. Faith possesses. Partnership governs. Everything begins with the goodness of God. The Kingdom is not earned. It is not purchased by perfect behavior or exceptional spirituality. It is an inheritance. http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?articleid=301121&view=post&blogid=2093 Mon, 6 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400 We can tell so much about a woman's faith by the way she handles pain. Not when life is easy or when everything is going her way, but in those moments when her heart is aching, when disappointment has settled in, and when life feels unfair and unkind. It is in those sacred and stretching seasons that our faith is truly revealed. In 1 Samuel 1, we are introduced to a woman named Hannah. Her story is both tender and deeply relatable. Hannah longed for a child, yet year after year her womb remained empty. This was not a quiet or private sorrow, but one that was magnified by the presence of another in her life who continually provoked her and reminded her of what she did not have. http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?articleid=301029&view=post&blogid=2093 Thu, 2 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400 You were handpicked and handcrafted as a beautiful reflection of your Creator. Do you know what you call something like that? A masterpiece. That's what God calls it, too. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 We all know what a masterpiece is. It's a creator's prized piece, his or her most valuable work. Artists are blessed if they have a single masterpiece. Few throughout history are fortunate enough to have had more. Beethoven is one of them. So is Vincent van Gogh. So is Michelangelo. http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?articleid=301037&view=post&blogid=2093 Thu, 2 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400 When you think about prayer what comes to mind? Has prayer been a struggle for you or are you eager to pray each day? Do you wonder if your prayers really matter or do you believe that God uses your prayers to accomplish His plans and purposes? Are you eager to grow in your prayer life or are you content to remain where you are? Prayer is a gift from God. Therefore, believers should delight in talking to God the Father through the Son by the power of the Spirit. It's good, then, that the Bible teaches us how to pray. Some chapters in the Bible record for us the prayers of God's people. Daniel 9 is one of them. Through Daniel's prayer we especially learn that God is merciful to those who confess their sins and seek Him. http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?articleid=301004&view=post&blogid=2093 Wed, 1 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400 The phrase, "The Dark Night of the Soul," has been around for over 500 years. It represents a deep season of suffering and confusion when we feel abandoned by God, but the ultimate purpose of the 'dark night' is to deepen our spiritual union with Him. Theologian R.C. Sproul, in an article, wrote that this darkness is something that "the greatest of Christians have suffered from time to time. It was the malady that provoked David to soak his pillow with tears. It was the malady that earned for Jeremiah the sobriquet, 'The Weeping Prophet'." He clarifies, "This is no ordinary fit of depression, but it is a depression that is linked to a crisis of faith, a crisis that comes when one senses the absence of God or gives rise to a feeling of abandonment by Him." http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?articleid=300986&view=post&blogid=2093 Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400 There is a kind of safety most of us have been chasing our entire lives without ever naming it. It is the safety of the arranged world. The safety of a healthy bank account, a stable relationship, a secure job, a locked front door, a clear diagnosis, and a peaceful country. The safety that comes when the circumstances around you finally line up in a way that lets your nervous system exhale. We spend decades trying to build this kind of safety. We work hard. We plan carefully. We mitigate risk. We accumulate enough of the right things so that the outside world will finally give us permission to feel okay inside. http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?articleid=300870&view=post&blogid=2093 Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400 The dark night of the soul. This phenomenon describes a malady that the greatest of Christians have suffered from time to time. It was the malady that provoked David to soak his pillow with tears. It was the malady that earned for Jeremiah the sobriquet, "The Weeping Prophet." It was the malady that so afflicted Martin Luther that his melancholy threatened to destroy him. This is no ordinary fit of depression, but it is a depression that is linked to a crisis of faith, a crisis that comes when one senses the absence of God or gives rise to a feeling of abandonment by Him. http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?articleid=300843&view=post&blogid=2093 Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400 God loves it when we ask for His help. Did you know that God is interested in every single detail of your life and that He loves to hear from you? For years, I felt like I was bothering God with my prayers or, when I did pray, I was certain I wasn't doing it the right way. However, God never meant for prayer to be complicated. God desires for us to view prayer as a simple conversation with Him. It's asking Him to meet our needs or someone else's. It's praising Him and thanking Him. It's talking to Him about everything and anything that matters to us. http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?articleid=300844&view=post&blogid=2093 Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400 There are Religious Spirits still alive and well in the Church that are doing everything possible to shut down our relationship with the Third Person of the Trinity. And for those who feel a longing in their spirit for deeper fellowship with the Lord, it is only through the Holy Spirit that relationship with Christ can happen. And this isn't about seeking gifts or manifestations. The Holy Spirit is a Person. Not an "it," a manifestation, a gift giver, or a power source. He is fully God – equal with the Father and the Son. And the Holy Spirit longs for fellowship with us in the same measure. http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?articleid=300684&view=post&blogid=2093 Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400 "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." Hebrews 12:1 (KJV) Throughout scripture, one truth keeps rising to the surface: God is not only calling His people to believe, but to live ready. Ready for His coming, ready for His presence, ready for His voice, and ready for the life He has placed before us. The Christian life is not passive waiting; it is active surrender. There is a life that carries the awareness of eternity into every decision. http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?articleid=300687&view=post&blogid=2093 Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400 Jesus said in John 16:13, "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future." The disciples were dependent on Jesus to help them understand spiritual truths as well as everyday life. When Jesus left, they required help, just as we do. The Holy Spirit came to dwell with them and in them to give them understanding and access to all the wisdom of God. "He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you." John 14:17 http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?articleid=300661&view=post&blogid=2093 Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400 The cost of living continues to rise. Prices increase while purchasing power seems to decrease. Families feel squeezed. Businesses face uncertainty. Hard-working people often discover that despite greater effort, they are struggling to gain ground. In fact, economists have increasingly described our current environment as the quiet erosion of the middle class. The pressure is not imaginary. It is measurable. It is affecting households, businesses, and communities everywhere. The natural response is understandable. When pressure increases, people instinctively tighten their grip. They become more cautious. They focus on preservation. They begin measuring every decision through the lens of what they can afford. Yet Kingdom people are called to live differently. The Kingdom does not ignore reality, but it is not governed by it either. Faith does not deny circumstances. Faith refuses to allow circumstances to have the final word. http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?articleid=300505&view=post&blogid=2093 Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400 This past week, I've been thinking quite a bit about the two followers of Jesus who were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus after Jesus's death. Discouraged, disillusioned, and despairing would best describe them. Their hopes had been dashed and their dreams shattered. The story is found in Luke 24:13–34. As the two were walking and talking about all that had happened over the past few days, Jesus Himself came up and walked beside them—but they didn't recognize Him. I find that fascinating. Jesus had been brutally crucified on the cross, yet when He appeared to these two, the scars must not have been evident. http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?articleid=300506&view=post&blogid=2093 Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400 "Go. Be Jesus." It's only three words, but it may be one of the simplest and most challenging invitations a person of faith can embrace. In a world filled with arguments about religion, politics, morality, and culture, those three words cut through the noise and bring us back to what really matters. They remind us that following Jesus was never supposed to be primarily about winning debates, defending institutions, or proving we are right. It was always about becoming people who embody the love, grace, compassion, and mercy that Jesus modeled. http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?articleid=300511&view=post&blogid=2093 Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400 Not every person in your life who is thriving is thriving because of their own anointing. Some are walking in overflow because they are positioned near someone who carries the unusual, weighty favor of God. This is called proximity to favor. There is a profound truth buried inside the early chapters of Genesis that many believers overlook about the favor of God. Lot became wealthy while traveling with Abram. This is an example of proximity to favor that is truly remarkable. What this means is that not everyone carrying the favor of God is the actual source of it—some are blessed because they are connected to the one carrying the unusual favor from God. http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?articleid=300476&view=post&blogid=2093 Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400 Recently, I heard the Lord say that greater shaking was ahead and that this is a crucial time to possess the Spirit of the fear of the Lord. I came across an article I had written and sensed that it was time to republish it: Fear can be either good or destructive, depending on who—or what—is being feared. We never need to fear the enemy or any circumstance when we are walking within the will of God. However, if we step outside His will, fear becomes a warning signal. God created fear as a protective mechanism to keep humanity from harm. In this sense, fear can serve a redemptive purpose by drawing us back to God and producing obedience. Hebrews 10:30–31 reminds us that the Lord will judge His people and that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?articleid=300477&view=post&blogid=2093 Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400 Decisions are made with the heart, not the head. Whether it was your last purchase of a house, car, clothing or selecting the spouse you fell in love with, your heart made the decision, and your brain made the justification. The head rationalizes what the heart has already decided. Neuroscience bears this out too: research into emotional processing has consistently demonstrated that patients who lose access to the emotional centers of their brain become incapable of making decisions, even when full rational capacity is intact. Hearts make decisions — but the implications depend entirely on the framework you bring to it. New thought philosophy hears "the heart decides" and concludes that the heart is simply the subconscious mind, a programmable mechanism that can be loaded with the right imagery, affirmations, and identity cues in order to produce desired outcomes. http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?articleid=300485&view=post&blogid=2093 Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400 Smith Wigglesworth was a great preacher. But before he was a preacher, he was a plumber who wasn't a Christian—nor a very nice man. Fortunately for him, he had a godly wife. He didn't want her to go to church, but she went anyway. When she did, he'd lock her out of the house, and when she came home, she'd have to sleep on the back porch. In the morning he'd unlock the door and she'd come in and say, "Good morning, Smithy!" and make him breakfast. She was a godly example for him. She prayed for him and God gave her the grace to be good to him in spite of his rude behavior. http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?articleid=300438&view=post&blogid=2093 Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400 Not long ago, I got a personal prophecy from a prophet.  You may be thinking, wait a minute, I thought you were a prophet. Why are you getting a prophetic word from another prophet? Well, the truth is I still look for confirmation and insight into what I may not be seeing or things God already told me.  In any case, I got a prophecy from a prophet, and he told me something God is about to do.  It was confirmation on something I knew God needed to do and something I have been praying for.  So, I accepted the prophetic word with joy. http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?articleid=300440&view=post&blogid=2093 Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400