Speak the WORD only

In Mark 9:14-23 we learn that one about a time when a man brought his son with a dumb spirit to the disciples to cast out, but the disciples were unable to. In verse 23 Jesus says "If thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believes." Jesus is clearly saying that all things are possible to those who believe.
If you cannot believe it, then you cannot have it.

Mark 11:23-24 again states that "what things so-ever desire, when ye pray, believe that ye received them, and ye shall have them." This is a law- if you can believe it, then you can receive it.

Often times we say we believe it, yet we never really do because nothing comes to pass.
You believing is key to getting the promises of God, because God has already said YES and AMEN to all your promises. No where in the Bible will you find a promise where God said No. No where will you find God saying maybe to a promise. Every promise of God has already been said yes to.

Lets think for a moment on how powerful our words are. According to Proverbs 18:21 "life and death are in the power of the tongue." It does not say the power of the devil. It does not even say in the power of God, but the power of the tongue. WE KNOW THAT GOD HAS ALL THE POWER, BUT HE HAS GIVEN YOU AND I THE AUTHORITY IN THIS EARTH.

Well, how do we get our breakthrough? by speaking the WORD only. We have to CONFESS IT, BELIEVE IT, AND ACT ON IT. You see there are no limits to mankind EXCEPT for what we place on God. Think about it- there is no lime to your operation in the earth or what you can do EXCEPT for the limits you place on God. There is nothing that God cannot do (except lie), so my LIMIT IS GOD.

While at Teen Mania Ministries we had one of many core values that we lived by. One that I held close to my heart was "we dare to dream as big as God dreams and BELIEVE that with God on our side, we could achieve the impossible." You see that is what it is all about. God is our LIMIT therefore NOTHING is impossible. If we believe it, then we shall have it. You see God wants to take a step that is beyond our ability. By taking that step, that is your belief that with God all things are possible. Believing simply means to act on the Word of God, to be fully committed to the Word of God.

Abraham believed in the Lord, what happened? we got this book here called the Bible has a result of it, but Satan who is a liar has tried to convince us that God did not really mean what He said.

How many times do we see an advertisement advertising a sale at your favorite store and when you see it, you say to yourself, man I got to have that. WHY?... because you believed what you read.
Or you are at the doctors and he proceeds to tell you that you have a disease and he writes you a prescription. You don't walk out of the doctors office and wonder if he is really telling you the truth.
Or you are in Florida and the weatherman comes on the TV saying that there is a tornado coming in 2 days, you immediately run to Walmart and stock your entire house up on supplies for this tornado. Now you have not seen this tornado, you don't really know if it is coming, you just heard a man say one was coming.

We believed what he was saying and reacted on what we heard. If that be the case, God who wrote the Bible, and now all of a sudden He says something and we begin to have doubt and unbelief. I just don't get it. Now God is the one who cannot lie, the one who has never lost a case, who has never failed anyone who has trusted in Him, yet we doubt that God said what He said.

You see what happens is this... God has scoped our your life already. He has already seen your life form the beginning, all the way to the end. He knows what you are capable of doing and He knows what you did before you even do it. He knows what you need next week. My point is that every promise in this Bible has been given for you.. for your benefit.

When I was 17 years old I made a decision to go on a mission trip to Panama's Darien Jungle. It was alot of money to raise, plus it was going to be during my senior year's Christmas break and I had some folks around me that began trying to talk me down and out of this mission trip. "Trista that is alot of money... how are you going to raise it"? "Trista don't you want to enjoy your Christmas vacation and just relax" They were trying to bring me down to the place where they could do it and me not having to rely on God. This is not what God wants. In Genesis 18:9-14 it says "is anything to hard for the Lord" The mission trip cost and me going was not up to my ability. If I had done that, then I would of brought the entire trip down to where I could figure out how I was going to get the money and doing it all in my strength but God does not want it there. He wants us out there so far that if He does not come through we really are going to fail.

You see, when you read that advertisement and see that sale, you immediately get your money together and get on down there because you believe it. You believe the weatherman or the doctors report but why don't we believe God?

You have to say that you are going to take God at His Word and if you take God at His Word then act on it.

It says in the Bible that by His stripes you were healed. He did not say "feel healed" He never asked you how you felt... He told you to believe that you were healed.
"Well I don't know if I am healed"- He never asked you anything about know- He said believe
"Well I can't see that I am healed"- He never asked you to see- He said believe.

This is not just for healing, but for a new job, promotion, a pay rise. There is NOTHING to great that cannot be turned around with your tongue. You have to speak to that situation that you are facing.

You see you are more than a conqueror, you are the head and not the tail, above and not beneath. You are the lender and not the borrower. You are blessed coming in and going out.

YOU WILL GET YOUR BREAK THROUGH WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU DON'T DO IT. Your job is to CONFESS IT, BELIEVE IT, AND ACT ON IT. I am not saying to be lazy and do nothing because you have to be diligent in walking it out, taking steps to seeing it come to pass.

No one can stop you from reaching your destiny but yourself. I was told all my life, that I was nothing, and that I was a mistake, that I would not amount to anything. But I am here today telling you that nobody can stop you from your destiny. My family tried several times to stop me, my friends tries, even church folks tried to stop me but no one can stop you from reaching your destiny but YOURSELF because your destiny is coming out of you. You cannot let your past dictate your future. It is time to give up your past. I don't care what people think of you or even what they say about you because the Word of God says...no weapon formed against you shall prosper and that every tongue that shall rise up against you in judgement shall be condemned. It is time to stop making excuses and start speaking the Word of God.

Calling those things that be not as though they were

Our biggest fight is not with Satan but with our own mouths. Have you ever really took a step back to listen to the words that come from your mouth, because what you believe is evidence in what you say. Are you speaking faith or doubt? If the Word of God says it then, why do we struggle to believe it? We cannot chose to believe what we feel like believing. Often times, I will stop and just listen to what people are saying, and more times I hear doubt rather than faith. Words of doubt spew out of our mouths so much easier than words of faith. Why is that? It comes down to TRUST. If we TRULY trust God and TRULY trust the Word of God, then we would have no dilemma, when it came to speaking in faith or speaking with doubt. Often times I hear people say things to one another then say 'well you know I was just joking" but I challenge that statement by saying scripture say that "out of the abundance of your heart your mouth speaks" so therefore you weren't really joking. We often use that phrase a lot to avoid confrontation, however "out of the abundance of your heart your mouth speaks. So what you believe is what you speak.

When it comes to circumstances or crisis are you going to focus on your situation that is contradicting the Word of God, or are you going to focus on the Word of God. God's Word must move us, and not the fat that you have zero dollars in your bank account and have 5 bills due. Being moved by God's Word, and not the fact, your spouse or kids are not living for God at the moment. Where lies your trust? Is your trust in God who says He will never leave you nor forsake you, or is your trust in your current economic situation or in your job? Is your trust in God who says that by Jesus stripes you WERE healed, or in the doctor who just gave you month to live? Is your trust in God who says that if your delight yourself in the Lord, He will give you the desires of your heart or is your trust in the world?

You see trouble has an expiration date-- it is temporary- things that you go through are temporary. Your attitude as to be ' this to shall pass"

My husband and I have been in situations that were hard and looked like we were never going to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We first got married and following the voice of God, we moved to Texas and at the time neither one of us had a job at the time we moved. My husband soon got a job at a car dealership, working 12 hours days, sometimes 6 days in a row, and if he did not sell a car, then he did not get paid. It was super hard seeing bills come in the mail and yet no paychecks at times. I wanted to throw in the towel, and yell, and throw a temper tantrum about how not fair my situation was. We were being obedient to the voice of God yet hardly making ends meet. Instead, we remained focus on God's Word, allowing that to motivate us as well as only speaking God's Word. We did not look at our checkbook and speak doubt about not meeting our bills. Instead we looked at our checkbooks and spoke money cometh to us in Jesus name. We spoke faith and not doubt. I remember one time we had just change in our pockets and zero dollars in our back account ant my husband turned to me saying lets go before the Lord and we are not getting up from our knees until we hear from Father God. We did just that and wouldn't you know that God spoke to our hearts very clearly to get into our car (which had just enough gas to get my husband to work the next day) and drive. We did not know where to drive or why we were driving but we chose to be obedient and be moved by God's Word and not doubt. As we were driving a man approached us, he was stranded without any gas money and all he requested was some change. I looked at my husband and he looked at me, and we immediately handed him our last bit of money. For a moment, I wanted to doubt, but I knew what I believed and I knew doubt was not going to win. God so softly whispered... "trust in my Word..." We gave our last bit of change away and drove back to our apartment. We went to sleep that night, knowing we were obedient to the voice of God, yet not knowing where our next bit of money was going to come from. That same week I received a job offer making more than Louis and I were believing for as well as he received a much better paying job, thus resulting in more money coming into our hands than we ever imagined. I tell this story, because my husband and I had a choice to do it the easy way or the hard way. You might be thinking well, you both did it the hard way, but I disagree. We did it with God. What if we were not obedient? We had a choice and yes at the time it was hard, but what mattered was that our trust was in God and nothing else.

Whatever situation you are in right now; this to shall pass. Your trouble has an expiration date. The Word of God is still alive and working.
Your lack is subject to change!
Your debt is subject to change!
How you feel in your body is subject to change!

We have to do our part and speak the Word of God, calling those things that be not as though they were. If you speak more about the problem, then you are saying that you believe the problem more than you believe God's Word. We have to make it up in our mind, that we are going to speak what that problem is OR speak the Word only I often say that you can tell what a person believes by what they speak.

Declare the things that you desire. God desires us to have the best. In Luke 16:19-21 you read about a beggar. This beggar desired just the crumbs,yet what he did not realize was he could have had more than just the crumbs. What do you desire today? Crumbs... or all that God has for you..

We have the authority over lack, poverty, over sickness and disease. Faith is why we can have peace in the midst of a storm. The world does not understand why we get increase in the middle of a recession.

God calls us to call things that be not as though they were. The world was formless and He spoke, and it happened. Everything you see in because God spoke it. We have to imitate God.

So I ask you today, What words are coming from your mouth? Words of Faith or Words of Doubt? Where is your trust? Trust in God or trust in the World?

Trista Carr Ministries is excited to announce the upcoming adventure of dare to be DIFFERENT Conference. This is an excellent opportunity to bring young people to come and be transformed by the power of God. Trista's desire is to travel worldwide, holding these conferences. This conference is a two day intense time worshipping and learning about God. At the conference there is anointed praise and worship, fun filled drama that tells a story, as well as powerful and challenging teaching.
Recent surveys show that the United States has the highest teenage pregnancy rate and that every year it is estimated that 750,000 teens will become pregnant. More than 2/3 of teens that have babies will not graduate high school. Studies show that 19 million new STD infections occur every year, and more than 50% of these cases are young people ages 15-24. Sexting had become a new thing these recent years and statistics report that 20% of teens have posted nude or semi nude pictures/videos, as well as, 39% of teenagers have sent It received a sexually seductive text. Alcohol kills 6 1/2 times more times than all other illicit drugs combined, and 20% of 8th graders have reported using marijuana. Studies show that some illicit drugs use is on the decrease, however abuse of prescription drugs is at an all time high. Teen suicide is the 3rd leading death in 15-24 year olds, and the 4th leading death in 10-14 year olds. It is reported that every hour and
forty five minutes, a young people commits suicide, resulting in an average of 5000 teenagers dying each year.
Today, we are facing a crisis that needs immediate attention. It is time to fight for our young people. The enemy is attacking our young people and our desire and goal is to see the dare to be DIFFERENT Conference be used to teach and equip them for battle.
We pray that as you have read this blog, you will see and feel the passion that we have for our young people. We pray that you would help us embark on thus adventure by bringing young people to a dare to be DIFFERENT Conference, or schedule a Conference at your church.
For more information in dare to be DAIFFERENT Conference you can ring 412-552-9030, email tristacarrministries@yahoo.com or visit WWW.tristacarrministries.org.

Trista Carr

If I have no love, I am a useless body... I am nothing. I began thinking of the LOVE of Christ even more than usual. During my quiet times with the Lord, I sat in awe once again of what Jesus has done for me. As I continued reading the pages in my Bible, I realized just what LOVE was. I always knew and so often preached about it, but I began seeing LOVE in a different way. I often read 1 Corinthians 13, but one morning I decided to really dissect the words because I wanted to LOVE the way that Jesus LOVES us. I wanted to have the LOVE for people the way Jesus does, the LOVE that drew Him dying on the cross for us. I began searching out examples for each adjective that 1 Corinthians describes LOVE to be. Jesus was patient with Peter's lack of faith as he stepped out if the boat and then began sinking because he took his eyes off of Jesus. Jesus was patient with Peter even when he denied
Him three times. Jesus was kind to the lepers even when according to Scripture lepers were considered unclean yet Jesus showed kindness to then by touching and healing them of their disease that once made them an outcast. Jesus was never envious. No where in the Bible, will you find an example, where Jesus wanted to have what belonged to someone else. He was not jealous. He was content with what He had. He was not jealous of people. Jesus was not boastful. He did not approve of those who sat on their own pedestal wanting people to look up to them. Countless times in Scripture, you will Jesus telling somebody He just heaped to say nothing about what happened. Max Lucado writes "how can we point to God if we are only pointing to ourselves. Jesus swapped a spotless castle in heaven for a dirty stall. He exchanged the worship of angels for the company of killers, he could hold the universe in His palm but gave it up to float in the womb of a
maiden." Jesus was never haughty nor conceited. Jesus demonstrated the ultimate example of humility. He never ceased being God, but He set aside the glory He had with His father in heaven and humbled himself to become a man. Jesus himself and was crucified on a cross, a humiliating and excruciating way to be killed. Jesus was never rude. He treated people with dignity and respect. No where in the Bible, will you find where Jesus insisted on His own rights. He was selfless. You read all throughout how Jesus was all about the needs if others, and never about His own needs. Jesus Himself said, "I did not come to be served but to serve." Jesus was never resentful. He never held a grudge because when He forgave, He forgave completely tearing down any walls between Him and us. Countless examples show this very way of LOVE. Jesus forgave the paralyzed man lowered on a stretcher through the roof, He forgave the woman caught in adultery, Peter
denying Him, the thief on the cross, as well as those who crucified Him. Never does Jesus keep any record of wrong. Scripture says in Acts 3:19 "to repent and turn to God and your sins will be wiped out." He never delighted in evil but rejoiced in truth, no matter how deserving it may have seemed, for someone to get what was coming to him or her. In fact you see the injustice broke the heart of Jesus. Jesus bore all things, believes the best in all mankind and He never failed. He bore ourbsin, our shame, our beatings, and went to the cross for us, even when none of us deserved it. He believes the best about us, even when others can't see past the flaws. He endured it all, for the sake if LOVE.
As I really searched, I began to realize that WITHOUT LOVE I AM NOTHING, A USELESS BODY. We are designed to LOVE as Jesus LOVES. We have the best examples to follow. I left that quiet time very challenged. I examined the ways I LOVE and how often I fall short. I am not perfect but I have this feeling that if we as Christians make it our ambition to LOVE truly the way Jesus LOVES, then we will win more souls to Christ.
I challenge you to take ten minutes out of your day and examine the adjectives you demonstrate, when it comes to how you LOVE.

We are in a battle for this generation.

I want to show teenagers a whole new way of looking at the world. A way that is radically different from moral relativism that contemporary cutures teaches them. I must provide honest, intelligent, biblically grounded answers to the serious questions that many teens are asking.

Recent Survey, Pollester George Barna reported that 83% of teenagers in this country believe that moral truth depends on circumstance. Only 6% believe that moral truth is absolute. Only 9% of born again teens believe in moral absolutes.

This is a war for the heart and soul of a generation that we can win if we all take action.

There is a great risk in this battle for this generation yet there is a greater risk if we do nothing.

Action SAVES lives.

This battle for this generation requires sacrifice.

88% of kids raised in a Christian home do not continue to follow the Lord once they graduate.

Real lives are waiting on the other side of our obedience.

Winston Churchill once said " We must do whatever is required to win."

A Crisis at Hand

This week I have been thinking alot about the Lord and this generation of young people. As I began my time with Lord my mind went straight to the crisis we face in America and yet I feel as though people are not responding. I see everyone running and donating to the efforts in Haiti and don't get me wrong I am in full support of donating and helping those who have been devasted in Haiti. I am all for it and I believe as a body of Christ we are to reach out and do all that we can do for Haitains however what about the crisis here in America.

The Crisis at Hand....

First... The President of the United States of Ameica is all for same sex marriages as well as abortion. We have a President who call himself a Christian yet is not upholding the Word of God. The Bible speaks on same sex couples. According to Leviticus 20:13 "If a man lies with a male as if he were a woman, both men have committed an offense (something perverse, unnatural, abhorrent and destestable) they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. " Leviticus 18:22 says "You shall not lie with a man as with a woman; its an abomination." 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 says "Do you not know that the unrighteous and wrongdoers will not inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God? Do not be decieved (misled) neither the impure, and immoral nor idolaters, nor adulters, nor those who participate in homosexuality." How can a person who calls themselves a Christian completely ignore the Word of God? How can a person who calls themselves a Christian allow abortion and yet sleep at night knowing that he is endorsing murder- innocent lives that do not have a voice being aborted away. We as the body of Christ must pray for our President and those in around him. We must stand in the gap for the innocent lives that are being killed daily because no one else will. It is a call for ACTION! WILL YOU FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT?

I think that some Christians have lost or never had the fear of the Lord. We as Christians are to live as Christ did. We are to be a light in these dark times but to many have allowed compromise in their lives adn thier light is so dim that you can barely see it. We as Christians are to be the salt of the world yet to mant Christians have lost their saltiness and decided to be just a "Sunday Christian." If Christians would stand up and put the same effort into their walk with God and to this crisis we are facing as they put in other matters; what would it look like? It is a call for ACTION! WILL YOU FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT?

We are in a crisis that some Christians don't even have the answers to help. We have crime, violence, teenage pregnancy, abortion, a wildfire in teenage STDS, yet so many just close an eye to it all. We are called to the lost yet often times when the lost look at Christians they see no difference. How are we supposed to reach the lost if they see the same thing in us as in the world? We have MTV telling our young people what is cool, how to dress adn how to act. Teenage girls attain their wardrobe from what MTV says is the "latest style". We have girls wearing "belts" for skirts, midriffs showing, and cleavage exposed. Our bodies are meant to be sacred adn not have the world see what only our husbands are to see. We have MTV telling us what is hot on the music charts yet take no responsbility for for what these lyrics say. We have Kanye West singing about how he sold his soul to the devil and others singing about kissing a girl and liking it. We have the world telling todays teens what it is okay to have sex but just use protection. MTV has commericals about getting HIV tested yet no commericals about staying pure. Protection does not always work and they do not make condoms for your heart. Sex was not meant to be with just anyone. It was meant to be with a man and woman who is husband and wife. We have wildfires that todays teens are standing in the middle of. STD'S are rampant in today's generation as well as teenage pregnacy. We have high schools giving out condoms to todays teens. Teens are not taught that when they have sex with someone else that you become emotionally connected to them and when things do not work out, there is no condom to protect thier hearts from being completely shattered. We have a crisis for this generation. The enemy is fighting for the souls of our young people. We have a generation that is looking for something and only Chirst will satisfy them. We have video games that provided teens with the opportunityt to have sex with prositutes as well as shott others just to get a high score. But, when we hear of school shootings and we learn that the shooter was playing these hostile video games, we sit back and do nothing, we actually let our children keep playing the same games because so many have the mindset that a video game would not make someone shoot random people. As Christians we need to take a stand and do something about it. We have a generation of teenagers that are being attacked and it is time to equip them for battle and prepare them to walk into the enemy's camp and take back everything that was stolen from them. It is time for America to take a stand for Christ. When America is under attack by foreign soils we immediately rise up and take action. We send out the troops in mass and they go and fight for our country. Our teens are being attacked by the lies of the enemy. As Christians we need to be sent out in mass and fight for this generation. Todays teens are our future leaders of tomorrow. If we don't rise up what will America be? It is a call for ACTION! WILL YOU FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT?