I'll always reminder the day when a couple of friends and I stopped at Bojangles, my favorite fast-food restaurant.

As a seed of appreciation for their kindness in providing transportation for the day. . .I indicated I wanted to buy breakfast for them.

One of the two. . .said "no, thank you" even though she hadn't eaten breakfast and for the record, she is a generous person.

In a spirit of fun. . .I called her a “blessing burglar.”  Once those two words came out of my mouth. . .I knew God had just given me an incredible word for the Body of Christ.

Here are seven things blessing burglars need to learn. (seven things blessing burglars must overcome or seven ways to avoid being a blessing burglar.

1.      Learn to receive.

John 1:12 in the Amplified Bible says:

“But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name.”

According to Strong’s Concordance the Greek word for receive is H2943 and it means:

Failure is an event. . .it’s not who you are.  Failure is never final if you have the God-given desire and direction to change your destiny.

Here are the A to Z’s on how to turn failure straight into success.

A-Admit it when you mess up.  The best way to overcome failure is to face it, learn from it and move on.

Proverbs 28:13 in The Living Bible says:

“A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance.”

B-Boldy refuse to accept failure as final regardless of how badly you may have messed up. 

On May 29, 1953, Sir Edmond Hillary was the first man to climb Mount Everest. . ..29,000 feet straight up. He was knighted for his efforts.

People remember his triumph but few people know that he failed in his first attempt a year earlier.

Later he was asked to speak to an audience that recognized his first attempt at greatness. But Edmund Hillary saw himself as a failure.

He walked to the edge of the platform, made a fist and pointed at a picture of Mount Everest. Then he said in a loud voice:

How’s your vision?

I’m not talking about your natural eyesight but your spiritual vision.

Do you know God’s vision for your life?  And if not, why not?

If you already know His vision for your life. . .what are you doing to bring it to pass?

The word vision appears in the King James Version of the Bible a total of 96 times.

Genesis 15.1 says:   “… the Lord came to Abram in a vision.”

Genesis 46.2 says:  “And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night…”

Daniel 2:19 says:

“Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.”

Hosea 12:10 says:

“I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.”

On today's program we're going to discuss seven "G's" to overcome if you want to walk in victory over your past.

# 1  Ghosts. . .something from the past (sin or otherwise) which you feel is real though it isn't visible to you or anyone else.

Popular culture is filled with talk of ghosts. . . on television programs and in movies. . .especially this time of year.

Let's just look at what the scripture has to say about ghosts.  And for the record, there are a lot of Christians who faithfully attend church, believe in God, who also believe in ghosts.

Matthew 14:25-27 in the New International Version says:

“Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

Jesus did not believe in ghosts; He knew the truth, but His superstitious apostles had evidently bought into that folk tale.

When they encountered something they couldn't understand, they immediately assumed it was a ghost.

Luke 24:37-39 in the New International Version says:

We’re going to make a profound statement and we want you to write it down.

Moses is dead. . .but you’re not.

You are part of the Joshua Generation ready to claim your Promised Land. . .flowing with milk and honey. . .having every need met. . .with more than enough to share and bless others.

Joshua 1:1-8 fires me up and fills me with an incredible, never-ending expectation. 

I strongly encourage you to put these eight verses in your smart phone, iPad, tablet, note card or whatever tool is available to you.  Refer to these verses frequently. . .get them engrafted in your spirit.

On your outline. . .I’ve listed them in order. . .but I will refer to the various verses at different times during this teaching.

1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,

2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.

A new chapter is about to unfold in the lives of the children of Israel.  The leader they knew. . .the deliverer they followed … is dead. . .but the promise, the vision is not.

Never base your pursuit of a vision on the man or woman of God who taught it but on our great God who promised it.

The verse simply sees “arise.”  According to Strong’s Concordance the Hebrew word for arise is (ko mmm) quwm (H6965) and it means: