GIVE ALL – LEAVE NOTHING!

” I tell you the truth, Jesus said, this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is has given everything she has.” Luke 21:3-4

Have you given everything you have to God? Have you dedicated your time, your strength and your wisdom to his work? Is he your primary source of all things that you have gained in this life on earth? Sometimes the efforts we make are not enough. It takes outside circumstances to show us just how much we need our God in heaven. It may take a disaster in our life to make us step back and realize that we have not done enough. Our God in heaven is able and willing to help each and every one of us. We must, however, be willing to sacrifice for him. We must be willing to put everything we have gained in this life on the line for him. We must get ourselves to the point of no return. When we join our God’s army, we are be “all in”. When I entered the Air Force many years ago, I dedicated my life to what was before me. It was a life of military service, and it was strange to me. I had no choice but to be all in. The military would not stand for me being there just some of the time. I was commanded and told what to do and what not to do. There were my ways of doing things and there were their ways of doing things. I had to change my attitude and do as I was told. I remember that when I first got to basic training, I was issued military garb. On the very first day of training, our unit was commanded to take our civilian clothing and use them to clean the latrine. We were told that from that moment forward the military was our life. We had to give up what little we had in that civilian clothing by letting it be used for a menial purpose and then be disposed of. The only difference in military life in this world and joining God’s army is that He gives us a choice. What we must remember is that we must give it all when we join. When we accept Christ Jesus we must change clothing, change our attitude and change our thinking and speaking. We must not leave anything on the table. The old must be destroyed and the new uniform put on. We are to represent Jesus with honor and never be ashamed. We must believe and dedicate our life to what is unseen. Jesus is Lord and he is our savior, healer and forgiver. Our pay, for giving things on this earth back to the world, is eternal life with Him! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What are your favorite types of foods?

INNOCENT OR NAIVE?

” Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Luke 18:16-17

After many years of learning the ways of the world and going to school to learn the subjects that support the ways of the world, it becomes very difficult to throw all of that experience and learning away and become as innocent as a child. However, the Lord is very direct in his words that speak to how we must filter our ways and look at the world through a different kind of lens. Childhood innocent is a quality that is characterized by a child’s lack of knowledge, simplicity and purity. The things around a child become simple and they develop a natural trust in the goodness around them. When it comes to trusting and relying on the Lord, we are to do just that. We must be simple in our ways and try hard not to create confusion with our thoughts that have clogged our minds for years. We are to trust God in our simplest form. We are, however, not to be naive. We must continue to understand that there are things going on that will try to hinder our thoughts and beliefs in Jesus. We must continue to study and read the Holy Word of God. We must know what he says and how he wants us to accomplish the tasks at hand. We must understand God’s ways and know that he is always with us. We must be able to go to him on bended knee with his knowledge and his strength in our grasp and not that of the world. No, we are not to be so simple that we become naive. We must know right from wrong. We must not believe just anyone or anything. We are to know God and believe what he says. We are to know in our hearts that he does hear our prayers, and he does answer our prayers. We must believe that we receive because He is our Source. When we become a child of our living God we become a new creature. We become a newborn in his eyes, and we must grow in him. We are children in the eyes of God, and we must accept him as such. We must start all over growing in Jesus and grow in Him and not the world. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS

Daily writing prompt
How often do you walk or run?

THE POWER WE ARE GIVEN!

” You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet.” Psalm 91:13

There are too many Christians in today’s world who are running scared. There are too many churches that are succumbing to the pressures of the world. We are doing things, teaching things, and becoming a part of things, that are openly in disagreement with what the Word of God teaches us. Little by little we see our ways begin to transition into a church that is unrecognized by our God in heaven. We see the church begin to claim ideas and ways that are the exact opposite of what we are taught by the Bible. It happens in such a way that many do not even notice the differences, or they believe that we must change our ways as followers to be able to reach those who live in the ways of this world. What we are doing is becoming a part of the problem. Our God created us to give us all that he has. He gave us his one and only son, Jesus, as an example of the ways we are to live our lives. The world is not the definition of life, Jesus is. We as Christians are not to be conforming to the world but the world is to be conforming the ways of God. Psalm 91:13 represents the strength our God has given us. It does not matter what stands in our way. We are to continue to read the Word of God, meditate in His Word and live it! Our Lord has little patience for the evil of this world. He will soon return and destroy those who follow the earthly ways. You and I are a part of a great army. We are included in the battles that are being fought spiritually and physically. We cannot doubt and we cannot fear. We must stay strong in our faith and use the strength, wisdom and understanding our God has given us. God will have the last say. It is His plan that is taking shape. It is he who will be the victor and you and I are a part of his team. Never let down! Always stay the course and keep your focus on what God says and not the world. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

IT IS TIME TO PRAY AND TO PRAY WITH THE FEAR OF GOD!

” Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear him who can destroy both the soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. so do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:28

Praying with the fear of God is not being scared of God. It is being true to him and believing in him for all things. It is showing reverence and respect for his strength and wisdom in our lives. It is being in awe of his wonderful works in our lives and recognizing his greatness and majesty. It is being humbled before Him by recognizing our own weaknesses and his great strength. It is being in submission to him with the readiness to listen and do as he tells us to do. Praying with the fear of God is about approaching God with a deep sense of reverence, respect, and humility, being sensitive to His sovereignty and seeking to align our life with his will.

It is time to take our thoughts away from this world and begin to apply them to the greatest protector we have. It is time to submit to the Lord’s ways and to be obedient to him in every action we take. It is time to do away with fear of what the world may do to us and begin to live with the authority of Christ Jesus in our lives. It is time to pray and to pray with the fear of God! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What’s your favorite word?

LET US PRAISE AND GLORIFY OUR LORD GOD IN HEAVEN!

” Let the godly sing for joy to the Lord, it is fitting for the pure to praise him.” Psalm 33:1

It is wise and necessary that we praise and glorify our God in heaven every day. Our Lord deserves our praises, and we must remember that worship is all about our Creator and Savior. When we get to heaven, we will be privileged participants in proclaiming praise and glory to the only one worthy of praise. However, we can begin our praise journey here in this world. When we praise and glorify our Lord, we begin to draw him into our lives. We let him know that he is the only one we glorify, and he is the only one we serve. When we praise him, we begin to better understand his worthiness. We begin to see that we owe everything to him. He is the one who created us, gave us air to breath and a life to live. When we praise our God, we begin to focus on him and become more aware of his presence in our own lives. We begin to communicate with him and depend on him for all we were created for. Praising the Lord opens the gates of Heaven and the doors to blessings. Praise does away with worry and lessens concern and fear that try to drag our lives down. When we praise our Lord, we enlist God’s holy protection. Our faith increases and we begin to become stronger in the ways our Lord wants us to live. Our words change for the better and our actions become more caring and loving. We will begin to draw the presence of those around us and God will open doors that will allow us to fulfill his plan in our lives. Our praise will also open doors for others as they watch and see how we live our lives and become honorable servants of Christ Jesus. We should make our praises to God a priority each day. He loves us and we should love him. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What are you doing this evening?

GOD’S LOVE FROM BEGINNING TO END

Who is the King of Glory? The strong and mighty; the lord invincible in battle.” Psalm 24:8

Through a journey that began over 50 years ago my wife and I continue to grow daily in our Lord Jesus. Through good times and hard times, we get stronger by the day. We learn from our mistakes, and we depend upon the Lord a lot more than we did many years ago. We have found that Jesus has been with us through times that we didn’t recognize him. We also have found that he has made our lives much easier because we try to put him first in our lives. We don’t always succeed but our efforts are always rewarded. You see, our God never fails. He is never late in any situation. He is always there for us just at the right time. If he wasn’t then we would not be able to succeed. We would not have the faith we have today. We would not be able to walk through the fires of this world. He, however, takes us by the hand and walks with us. It is never easy. Our Lord never told us it would be. But he makes it easier. He helps us get through the sadness that life provides. He helps us get through fires that take place in our lives. He is always with us. We have found that we must depend upon him and no one else. He is our safety net when we fall and our strength when we are weak. He is our life through good times and bad. He is Jesus our Savior! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What personality trait in people raises a red flag with you?

JUST HOW DEEP WAS GOD’S SACRIFICE OF JESUS?

” And when he marked off the earth’s foundations, I was the architect at his side. I was his constant delight, rejoicing always in his presence.” Proverbs 8: 29 & 30

Just how deep is the meaning behind the sacrifice of Jesus by our God in heaven? How much of a sacrifice was it? When God sent Jesus to the earth for the purpose of dying for you and me, he gave us the greatest gift he could give. He gave us everything he stands for. God gave his undisputed love for us. When Jesus came into the world, he became humiliated and endured the raw and intense persecution of this world. He was tortured and put to death in the most traumatic way possible. He was nailed to a cross and raised up high for all to see. As he marched toward his death, he carried the weight of all the sins of humanity, reconciling us to God. As he was dying, he forgave those who persecuted and tortured him. His sacrifice for you and me redeemed humanity. He saved us, he healed us, and he forgave us once and for all. He gave each of us an opportunity for a renewed relationship with our creator, our God in heaven. Without Jesus we are dead. We have no future and nothing but the sins we roll around in each day. However, with Jesus we are alive! We are refreshed in the cool breezes of salvation. We are loved, so that we can love. The sacrifice our God made by giving his Son to the world runs deep. It runs deeper that we can ever realize. He loves us so that we can love Him. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
Describe your ideal week.

TAKE THE TIME TO SEARCH!

” I love all who love me. Those who search will surely find me.” Proverbs 8:17

Searching for Christ is a spiritual journey that involves seeking a personal relationship with Jesus. It is a journey to understand and accept a true connection with God through Christ. Our search should include what Jesus is all about. It should include his journey, his sacrifice and all of his teachings. We should pray for wisdom and for a better understanding of his life and its meaning for ours. As we search, our Lord will show us the need for spiritual guidance and salvation. He will show us the need for prayer, meditation in his word and the need for worship. Our lives will then begin to reflect the truths of Jesus and his many teachings and values. Our faith will begin to increase and take our lives to the next level. Instead of looking for our needs and answers from the world, we will begin to look to our God in heaven for our answers. We will begin to realize that he is our source of life, our food source and our source of strength, wisdom and understanding in times of trouble. We must never cease from our search. Our communication and the building up of our faith is always existing and never ending. He loves those who love Him. What better way to show our love for Him than to search and find his love and dedication to us who believe! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
Name the professional athletes you respect the most and why.

BUSINESS AS USUAL!

” Yes, it will be business as usual right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed.” Luke 17:30

” If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it.” Luke 17:33

Our world goes on day by day. It revolves around the sun and night and day appear as usual. You and I plan our days with our calendars, and we look forward to tomorrow with anticipation. We have jobs to get to, parties to attend, families to take care of and just business as usual as we live our lives in the world. It is in rare instances that we consider the return of Christ Jesus. Our minds and our time are filled with things of the world. We are too busy to consider our Lord and his return. It is just as God intended. He described to us just how Jesus would be revealed. Just as it was in Noah’s time it was business as usual. Our Lord will return in the moment when we least expect it. We do not know the time, but we do know the season. The season is now. The people of the world are living on the edge. The more involvement in worldly activities the more they become like the world. The more they depend upon the earth and its ways the more apt they are to go along with its ways. The time is now that we must pay close attention. We have been warned and some don’t heed the warnings. There are those who love their lives in this world. There are those who don’t believe or have the faith needed to believe in Jesus and his return. There are also those who say they believe, but instead, prove by their actions that they actually believe in the worldly things, and not the spiritual ways of our God. It is my hope that there is nobody who reads this blog who fits into any of these categories. We are to be wise and always prepared. We are to be ready for Jesus to return and any moment. Our lives may be cut short at any instant or Jesus may return next week, either way, we are to be prepared. We are told in Luke 17:33 that anyone who clings to their life in this world will actually lose it. But those who let go of the world and its ways will save their life. Our Lord is talking about eternal life with God in heaven. Where are you in your walk with Jesus? Where is your main focus? Is it on the things of the world or the things of God in heaven? The time is now! Business will go on as usual, but in the twinkling of an eye it will change, and we will be caught up in whatever phase of life we are in. Think of Jesus often! Pray to him constantly! Stay tuned to his station and never turn it off. Stay plugged in to the right source, Jesus Christ, and be saved! It is business as usual. Our business is to stay prepared and be ready! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
How do you relax?

RELOAD DAILY!

” Be strong and very courageous.” Joshua 1:7

Life on earth contains many obstacles that are necessary for us to overcome. As we meet these obstacles, we need continued strength and courage. There is no way we can overcome the evil set before us on our own. It takes great effort on our part to be patient in anxiety and fear. It takes great strength to be able to be patient and wait on our Father in Heaven to work in our lives. Even though action is being taken behind the scenes we don’t always see the immediate result. The devil and his gang of bandits are very good at making us impatient and instilling the fear that our God hasn’t heard us or doesn’t care. It seems easy to listen and follow the fears instilled in us by the devil because it appears that no action is taking place. However, patience produces victory. Our God is said to work in mysterious ways. I believe that instead of working in mysterious ways he is working within his time schedule. Everything that happens in God’s world happens for a reason and on time. Our God is never late. Through prayer and meditation in God’s Word we are to reload daily. We are to continue to fill our tanks with his mighty word and increase our faith with his fuel. We are to surround ourselves with his promises and continue to believe we receive even though God’s answers may not be immediately manifested in our lives. We are to rest assured, that without doubt, our Lord is at work and that all things are possible through Christ Jesus. We should never be in doubt but always in faith. If we reload daily with prayer and listen intently to the Holy Spirit, we will be overcomers and will be victorious! Always remember that God is never late but always right on time! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
If you had to give up one word that you use regularly, what would it be?

HE IS WAITING!

” I have one message for Jews and Greeks alike- the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.” Acts 20:21

Jesus is returning soon. However, he is waiting. He is waiting for God to tell him to take his step forward and return to earth to snatch away those of his family who have repented and looked to him for salvation. Is he waiting on you or someone you may know? There are still those in this world who are on the edge. They are ready to step over and ask for forgiveness and ask Jesus to come into their lives. But there is a huge battle going on for their eternal life. There is someone or something telling them that if they do, they will be looked at as weak and be made fun of. They are told that they may be persecuted or maybe even be put in jail. They are ready but just can’t make the leap of faith. God is waiting. He wants as many to come to Christ as possible, so he waits with anticipation and love. He never pushes, he just offers. He will not wait forever. There will be a time that he will decide that enough is enough! That time is on schedule to happen soon. The season we are in is showing the leaves turning brown and the grass not growing as fast. The world has gone crazy, like nothing we have seen before. If you know someone who has not made a decision for Jesus, they are living in dangerous times. They are on the brink of making a decision for eternal life with Christ or eternal damnation. The world and its influences are strong. They never let up. We must be just as strong, especially now as each day brings us closer and closer to the return of our Lord and Savior. We must be all in for Jesus! We must fight for our family members and our friends who have yet to gain salvation through Jesus. We must spread God’s Word like there will be no tomorrow. There is no time to waste. We do not know the day or the time, but we do know the season. All prophesies have been met and historical and spiritual events are taking place right before our eyes! We must spread the Word of God and do it with the compassion and love of our Lord in heaven. The time is short! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
Are you holding a grudge? About?

WE CANNOT LIVE IN HYPOCRISY BUT IN TRUTH ALONE!

Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word which is truth.” John 17:17

Living in the truth is to follow God’s revealed truth and aligning our lives with it. The Bible teaches that there is only one truth, and that truth is Jesus Christ. We are to learn and understand the ways of our God in heaven and continually follow him. As we follow him, we are to be watchful. We are to be aware as to what is in front of us. We are to understand his commands and know what our duties are as his followers. We are to become one in Jesus. We are live our lives and be consistent in his ways by putting them on display in the way we live. Living in the truth means to follow the example Jesus left for us and to tell others about sin, righteousness and judgment. Living in the truth is much more than just spilling out words from the bible and then living our lives as the world does. We are to love the truth (Jesus) by having a personal relationship with him. We become like him. He lives in our hearts and leads our ways. The Bible also tells us to worship God in “spirit and truth” (John 4:24). He has even given us a helper, the Holy Spirit to guide us. By living the way God commands us, we are allowed to develop relationships with those around us and to develop these relationships built upon God’s solid foundation and not the sandy soil of the world. Pray always! Meditate upon His Word! Develop a personal relationship with Christ that can never be destroyed! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

ALWAYS STAY CHARGED!

” Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me. All day long I put my hope in you.” Psalm 25:4-5

When we plug ourselves into the right source, we will stay strong in what we believe and live our lives with a focus on the right things. When bad things happen to us, we have a tendency to want to think about the bad things and not the good. When we do this, we become selfish in our ways and find that we are not plugged into the correct source. It is important that we stay strong in our faith in Jesus. We must stay plugged into his scriptures and pray to him every day. I learned long ago that prayer is basic communication with God. I learned that the instant I have a problem, I stop what I am doing and ask for his help. It may be just one word, or it may be a longer conversation, but I don’t attempt to solve the problem on my own. Prayer does not have to be formal, showy, or long and drawn out. It is a conversation that you and I have with our Lord. We are to be truthful, honest and not ashamed to go before him with our concerns. This is a tough world. We are surrounded by evil at all levels. There is no way that you and I can overcome the evil by ourselves. The Lord knows each one of us intimately. He knows before they happen, all of the problems, we do and will have, and what our struggles are. It is so important that He become our focus and our source for all things. We cannot survive in this world if we don’t stay charged up each and every day. We cannot live our lives with our batteries only half charged. The problems we face are too strong and will drain us to a point of depression in our lives and succession from those around us. They will get us so low that we will become defeated and make it hard to reestablish our strength in Jesus. Just as we charge our phones on a regular basis, so should we charge our faith each day. We cannot live life in Christ without a strong faith. It is vital that we know the Word of God, that we know how to talk to him on a regular basis and we know how to make him consistent in our lives. Life will be victorious if we just keep the faith and rebuke the evil! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

LOSE EVERYTHING BUT GAIN IT ALL!

So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.” Luke 14:33

In the world we live in we become extremely attached to the physical things we own. We sometimes believe that we cannot live without them. We fall in love with our television, our tablets and our phones. We love our sports teams and the food we eat. We consider the things we have as the necessities of life. Without them we are completely useless and cannot function. That may seem like a bold statement but every word in true. We all attach ourselves to things that are here today and will be gone tomorrow. Jesus tells us that for us to follow him we must give up everything we own. Just what does that mean? It means that we must release the love we have for our possessions, in our hearts and realize that what we own is not really ours in the first place. They have always belonged to God. He has allowed our possessions in life, and they can be taken away at any time. We must recognize that we are stewards that have been commissioned to use all of our resources, including our physical possessions, and our God given abilities to honor God and fulfill his plan for our lives. That may mean to literally give it away, to use it in our ministry, or to meet other needs. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we surrender to Him. We become his servant, and He should be our focus. This does not happen overnight. We must train ourselves to be servants of Christ Jesus. We must build up our faith and begin to believe that even if we are told to give everything we own, to someone else, that our God has something better to replace it. What we sacrifice will be for the good of others and for our own well-being. God has a plan. You and I are a part of his plan. We cannot function in his plan if we are not obedient to his word. It important that we pray for understanding, wisdom and the love of his nature to overtake us in our lives. We must listen to the Holy Spirit and pray for understanding when hearing Him. When we sacrifice our physical things, we do nothing but gain even more. We gain everlasting life and love from our God in heaven. He is our source for our physical needs and not the world. When we give, we gain, and our gain will be much more than what we have given. Being obedient to our Lord God opens the door to what his mission is for our lives, to love Him, obey Him and live a life that represents Him well! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What brings a tear of joy to your eye?

SURVIVAL THROUGH CHRIST JESUS!

” So, do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

” I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

” And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

” Even when bad things happen to the good and godly ones, the Lord will save them and not let them be defeated by what they face.” Psalm 34:19

There are so many fulfilling scriptures within the bible that support those who are of God’s holy family. He loves each and every one of us and will never let us be overcome by anything that we confront. We are not to fear or be dismayed. Instead, we are to become stronger through our trials. Our faith is to take over our thoughts and actions. God promises us that he is with us through all things. He is with us in all situations. He will deliver us so that we can become even stronger in the next confrontation we may have. He works for the good of those who love him. You and I have been called according to his purpose, just as Romans 8:28 describes. Because of our calling, we can count on our God to not only help us, but to use what we go through, to help others to believe in and accept Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior. As we confess our faith our lives are on display every day. We are the focus of many who need help. They watch to see the evidence of our confession. They watch to see how we survive bad times and how we deal with things that do not go our way. Our life should put on a show of love, compassion, faith, truth, peace of mind, understanding and knowledge. We should walk each day with a sense of confidence that is given to us by our Lord God in heaven. When we do, there is nothing that can or will defeat us. Our Lord is always in total control and when we believe and live our lives in this way there is nothing that can stop us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

WHAT IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD LIKE?

” Then Jesus said,’ What is the Kingdom of God like? How can I illustrate this? It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in the garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds make nests in its branches.’ ” Luke 13:18-19

” He also asked, ‘ What else in the Kingdom of God like? It is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.’ “ Luke 13: 20-21

The Holy Word of God is a living, breathing road map the Lord has provided to each of us. Whether we use it or not is totally up to you and me. Living in his Kingdom here on earth means that we trusting that God will provide for us, being thankful when he does and then being satisfied with what he provides. When we begin to live in his word our lives change. They change because we allow his word to grow and be nurtured within us. Our faith becomes stronger each time we depend upon what God does for us or when we depend on what we know he can and will do for us. The Kingdom of God begins to permeate just as the yeast does, in the example he gave to those in Luke 13. It begins to take over, not just one part of us, but our life in totality. As we begin to do the things we are instructed and live the word as we are told and shown how to do, He begins to get involved in other parts of our life. Our faith grows stronger each time and we begin to produce what our Lord has intended for us to produce. We become mournful over sin, submissive to God’s will, passionate for righteousness, compassionate, merciful, authentic, ethical, peacemakers, and joyful even when things don’t go our way. As we begin to live our lives in this way the blessings begin to flow. When we fulfill our responsibility, we will begin to recognize and enjoy these many blessings. There are Four Pillars of the Kingdom: BELIEVE, LEARN, LIVE AND LOVE. We are to stay in his word, pray every day, give all the glory to our God that he so richly deserves and believe that we receive because He is our source! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
Interview someone — a friend, another blogger, your mother, the mailman — and write a post based on their responses.

GOD’S GREAT RESTORATION!

Through the resurrection of Jesus, we are given new, everlasting life.” Romans 6:4

” Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” Romans 12:2

” Through the saving work of Jesus on the cross, we are reunited with Christ.” Romans 5:10

We are in the greatest restoration project to ever take place in this world. God is in the process of doing things to restore his children to Him. As we become a part of this restoration project, we must understand what happens during this process. Our God is replacing, renewing, reviving and returning and restoring things in our lives. We are in the process of being rescued by our Lord Jesus. God is replacing our hardened hearts; he is reviving us by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross; He is renewing our focus by turning it to his mighty word; and He is reuniting us with Him by the death of Jesus on the cross. It is easy to begin on the right path and wander away. It takes great faith and hard work to stay the course and not be shaken in this world of evil. We, however, have a great God. He is so great that he forgives the sins we have committed, throws them away never to remember them again. He is so great that He desires to have us close to Him and to live the kind of lives we are to live when we are close to Him. The time is close for his return. He is at the end of watching the evil being done to His children in this world. We are in the last days and just as the devil is working long hours to take us away from God, our Lord is working harder at restoring our values and love for Him. He does not want to lose even one person to the devil. We sometimes wonder why it takes so long for God to show us his final outcome. The reason is that there are still those in the world showing promise of coming back and being restored. Our Lord is still working, saving, forgiving and healing those who need it. He is so loving and compassionate that he wants as many as possible to come to everlasting life. Our country is in restoration mode. The right people are about to be put into place to change things for the good. God’s mighty hand is working hard and never sleeps. You and I must stay on course and be willing and able to be used by God when he needs to use us for the saving of others. We never know when or where but we can be assured that God will use us if we just submit and are willing to give. God’s great restoration project is in action, and we are right in the center. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
How are you feeling right now?

THERE IS A PURPOSE!

” Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. ” Psalm 27:14

” Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks.” Luke 12: 35-36

” You also must be ready all the time for the Son of Man will come when least expected.” Luke 12:40

There is a purpose. God has a purpose in everything he does, and he has a purpose for everything we do. Whether we are going through ups or downs in our lives our God has a plan. He created this plan in the beginning and has never changed it. You and I are a part of his plan. As followers of Jesus, we are soldiers in the army of God. Our party is not Democrat or Republican but instead we are the party of faith. We put on our uniform each day and go out into the world weaponized with the true word of God and all the tools necessary to overcome the evil that comes against us. We can rest assured that our God in heaven is working behind the scenes to confront and defeat the devil at this own game. Those who are evil in this world should be concerned, they should be fearful of what is happening. The devil knows. He knows exactly what his future is. He knows Jesus personally and even tried hard to get Jesus to change uniforms. Our faith in the truths and the promises of our Lord are what carry us forward. It is faith that reminds us that the Holy Spirit lives in us and directs us in good and bad situations. It is our faith that allows us to be strong in the Word and not be fearful or worried about the things to come. As humans we do get concerned from time to time and I believe that our Lord is ok with that. It is through the fires that we walk that our faith becomes even stronger. Each time we overcome, each time we are victorious, each time we have troubles, we know for a fact that our Lord God in heaven has his hand in the issue and will turn those troubles into good for his purposes. We are His children! We are His army! He has a plan and a purpose, and we are a part of it! Let us be patient in waiting on Him. He is about to come back, and we are to be ready. We are to stand up and be fearless in these troubled times! Jesus is coming soon! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What daily habit do you do that improves your quality of life?

WORRY, THE OPPOSITE OF FAITH!

” Can all of your worries add a single moment to your life?” Luke 12:25

” Everything that does not come from faith is sin.” Romans 14:23

If we were take the time to consider how many minutes a day we worry, we would be amazed. When we worry, we are suggesting that God cannot be trusted to take care of us. We are putting ourselves in situations where we distrust, mistrust, and doubt our God in heaven. Worry is always wrong. It paralyzes active faith in our lives. When we worry, we take over responsibility for the things we never intended to handle. When we worry our minds are divided between what is useful thinking and what is hurtful thinking. When we worry, we take our thoughts and actions away from the Lord and put them on ourselves and we take the place of God in our lives. Worry opens the door to worldliness. Worry causes fear to crowd out faith. Worry shortens our life instead of extending it. Worry is evil and not good!

It is very important that we recognize that worry is sin. It is a confession of the lack of faith in our existence. To change our direction from worry to faith we must be able to change our focus. We must concentrate on Jesus and not the world. We must confess our faith and not worry. We must give thanks to the Lord in our times of trouble instead of confessing our fears and doubts. We must confess Jesus in our life and all of His great and everlasting promises. Where are your today? Are you embedded in worry or are you embedded in faith? If worry has overcome your life, then pick up your bible and begin to read. Pick up your prayer life and make it more consistent. Begin to give glory to God in heaven and He will bless you in bad and good times! Faith is of God, but worry is of the devil. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What was the last thing you searched for online? Why were you looking for it?

DON’T JUST EXIST, BUT LIVE IN CHRIST JESUS!

” Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

” Jesus replied, BUT EVEN MORE BLESSED ARE ALL WHO HEAR THE WORD AND PUT IT INTO PRACTICE.” Luke 11:28

” Look straight ahead and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.” Proverbs 4: 25-27

Without Jesus in our lives, we are just existing in the world. We have no plan for our eternal future, and we become a part of the world. When we accept Jesus, we can depend upon our Lord being with us in all that we do. We are not to be afraid to stand up and be counted as who we are. We are not to become discouraged in our travels with Jesus. Instead, we are to keep our focus. We are to look straight ahead and march toward eternal life with Him leading the way. It is when we look behind us or to the left or the right that we become tempted to turn and go a different direction. It is then that we take our eyes off of Jesus and begin to concentrate on other things that lead us into confusion and ways of life that we try to support from our own resources. It is then that we get ourselves into trouble and go through experiences that we could have avoided. Yes, we are all human and we all make mistakes. Jesus is always there to pick us up when we do. However, Jesus tells us that even more blessed are those who hear the word and put it into practice. Doubts, worries and fears suddenly go away when we live in faith. We are able to do things that we were once unable to do. Our lives become books that are being read by those around us. We are living examples of how God wants us to live and represent Him. Remember, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Stay focused, read His Word, pray every day and give Him the glory and the praise He so richly deserves. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What TV shows did you watch as a kid?

LIVE BY FAITH; TRUST BY FAITH; RECEIVE BY FAITH!

” Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

Living a life of faith is not the easiest thing you will ever do. It takes a sincere dedication of believing in the things unseen and not the things of this world. Some will persecute you and others will laugh. It is not our natural human nature to live with faith in the things we cannot see. We were all born sinners. As a human we believe in the things that we see and not the things we don’t see. However, when Jesus comes into our lives we change. It takes faith to believe in in our God in heaven. It takes faith to believe in Jesus and how he accomplished his mission on this earth. You and I are not to just profess faith in our lives, but we are to live our faith. God provides us with many promises throughout the bible. We must understand and believe that he never fails on any of his promises. He is always faithful. We too, are to be faithful. We too are to be trusting in what he says and focus on Him and not the world around us. We must be faithful to read his word, study his commands and live our lives without hypocrisy. Those around us, whether believers, or non-believers are watching. They watch to see how we live, talk and survive. Our ways should be different. Our God is a spiritual God, one who is all encompassing and with us in good times and bad times. He is with us when we are down and when we are celebrating. To live in faith, we must be able to see things through the perspective our God in heaven. We must be able to listen to the Holy Spirit and do as He instructs us to do. We must be dedicated to the study of his word and pray with sincerity. We must believe what we pray and that our prayers are answered because they are! We must thank Him and praise Him for his answers and His love for those who sincerely follow and spread his word. We must live by faith; trust by faith and receive by faith! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What’s your favorite time of day?

LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BRIGHTLY!

” No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where the light can be seen by all who enter the house.” Luke 11:33

There are a lot of closet Christians who live in the world today. They profess Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but they do it privately without letting others view their joy and excitement for the Lord. People become closet Christians for many reasons, but the main reason is fear. They fear what others will think of them. They fear what declaring their faith will do to their standing within the community. They fear that others may persecute them or make fun of them. They fear that they may be left out of their circle of friends because of what they believe. None of these reasons are good reasons. There is no good reason for hiding what you believe. We worship Jesus because we believe that he died on the cross for our salvation, healing and forgiveness. I remember when I first accepted Christ, I was extremely excited as a newborn Christian. I wanted to yell it at the world. As time went by the fire seemed to get smaller and smaller. I started, to once again, mingle with my friends and make conversation just as the world did. But then I realized that I was supposed to be a witness for my Lord and not a person who hides my faith from those who need to hear it. I began to read the Word every day and live my life in accordance with God’s values and commands. I began to pray each morning before beginning my day and every night before I went to sleep. I invited the Lord, once again, to enter my life, but his time I made him a part of my life. Those around me began to see a difference and I felt good about that. The more I read the bible, prayed and learned scripture, the more confident I became in the Lord and his ways. It is important, especially in today’s world, that we live as we are truly on fire for Jesus. There should be nothing that stands in our way. The evil around us does not fear to expose their values and we should not be afraid to live ours. We must shine brightly in a world of darkness. There are those around us who need the light we provide. Jesus is depending on us to spread his word in every way we can. We must be strong, be fearless and let our light shine! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What’s your favorite recipe?

WHO IS IN CONTROL?

“Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me.” Psalm 19:13

Just who is in control of your life? Who is allowed to help you make decisions in your life? Is it a relative? Is it a friend? Is it the circumstances surrounding you? Whoever or whatever is helping you to make decisions are all ok, but we must not allow our sinful nature to control us. We sometimes need those around us to help us keep going in the right direction. Many times, the Lord will use others to help keep us on the right path. He will use them to help us to keep our thoughts rational and not blown away by our surroundings. But we must not forget that we have a hot line to God in heaven. Praying to God in the name of Jesus allows us to take our problems directly to Him. With prayer we allow Him to hear our thoughts and allow Him to be active in our lives. We are inviting our Lord to be a part of what we are doing. We are allowing Him to act and to take us by the hand and lead us in the right direction. Friends, relatives and others who are close to us are a vital part of our decision making. However, there is no one who can or will replace our direct communication with the Lord. If we know Jesus on a personal level, then He knows us on a personal level. We are given full and complete access to our God in heaven through Jesus, and we have a direct hot line to the one who will give us the answers. It is by faith that we must believe that our God hears our prayers. It is by faith that we must allow the Lord to work in our lives. It is by faith that we must be patient and able to wait on the Lord. He loves us and will never fail us! Let us all put Jesus in control of our lives! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
Tell us about the last thing you got excited about.

STAY SIMPLE, STAY TRUE AND STAY CONSISTANT IN PRAYER!

” This is my command- be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

” And so I tell you, keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks finds. And to everyone who knocks the door will be opened.” Luke 11:9-10

Sometimes we must be reminded that God is always with us. It doesn’t matter where we are physically, mentally or spiritually our God is right there beside us. He gave his son, Jesus to die for us. He sent his Holy Spirt to guide and help us along. He has made himself available to us all hours of the night and day. Many of us have been brought up to believe that we need to be in church in order for God to hear our prayers. Others believe that they need the Pastor or the Reverend to pray over them to receive. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Our God wants to hear from us. It does not have to a long flowing prayer as we hear some pray. All we have to do is keep it simple and from the heart. There have been times in my life where I stop what I am doing and take time to reflect on a short conversation with the Lord. It doesn’t matter what the situation is, our God has the answer. We can always rest assured that he hears us and is ready to help. Whenever fear, discouragement, doubt or worries try to overcome us we should always go to God in prayer. He should always be the first and the last in our plan to overcome. He tells us to be consistent in prayer. We are to never stop knocking at the door or stop seeking the truth. He promises that the door will always be opened. He promises that to those who seek that they will find. With Jesus all things are possible! Our prayers are heard and always answered! We must believe we receive because God is our source! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES!

“They searched the scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.” Acts 17:11

I know people who are steady church goers who have never opened the bible. They attend church every Sunday to hear the Word of God. It is great that they attend Sunday and Wednesday night services. Their dedication is to be commended. However, how do they know what they are being taught is truthful? How do they know, without doubt, that the words they hear, and take as gospel, are coming from the Lord our God in heaven? The short answer is that they really don’t know. They believe that just because it is church everything is trustworthy and from God. I can say with experience that this is a very dangerous practice. We should understand that the devil goes to many churches and gets his hands into many of the teachings. He spills confusion all over. He throws kernels of doubt among the church goers. He can take God’s Word and mix the words so that the meaning comes out differently than the meaning in the context of God’s message. It is always wise to carry your fact checker (your bible) with you. Always follow along and don’t just believe what you hear, but believe what God actually says. There are those who are going down the wrong road because they believe that just because they go to church and listen to the sermon they will be saved. They believe that just because they go out and do good deeds during the week they will get closer to God. There are even those in the world that believe the closer they physically live to the church the safer they are. Good deeds will not get you into heaven. But faith in Jesus will help you to produce good deeds. There is only one way to eternal life and that is through Jesus Christ. It isn’t how close you live to the church that will get you where you want to go. It is your personal relationship with Jesus that will get you there. There is only one way to learn and that is hearing and hearing is by the Word of God. It is up to each of us to search the scriptures just as the hearers of Paul and Silas did. We must know his word, live his word, and be truthful and honest, so others can see and believe in his mighty word through us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
Where did your name come from?

A WORLD FULL OF WOLVES!

” When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, ‘Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name.’ Luke 10:17

This world we live in is full of wolves. Some stand out and live their lives with a reckless abandon. They don’t care what others think. They display the evil of the world and do it with the fearlessness of the evil one. There are others who also are reckless in the evil they participate in, but they participate behind a mask of peace. They talk a good game. They influence those who are weak and willing to follow. They tell others what they want to hear but when they have them in their clutches, they begin to display their evil without mercy. As Christians we are warned of all of the evil of this world. We are shown and told what to do to prepare for our experiences in the world. Our God has given us the greatest tool we could ever imagine, he gave us Jesus! When Jesus walked this earth and then died on the cross, he conquered all evil, and in doing so, he showed himself to the devil and all of those around him. The devil knew instantly that he had made a huge mistake in crucifying Christ on that cross. With that action Jesus began to spread like a huge lava spill among the people. With his name they began to acknowledge their power and their abilities to overcome the devil and his demons. It has been the objective of the evil one since then to defeat the name of Jesus. The devil has tried to lie about His name, threaten those who use it, bring heaps of trash talking to those who are fearless in its use, and to put doubts in the minds of the weak and undecided. However, he knows he is defeated and that his time is short. It is because of this that we must be strong in Jesus. With the name of Jesus, we have the ability to heal, to rule over demons, to win others to eternal life and to be secure in the life our Lord wants us to live. With the name of Jesus, we are unbeatable! His name is a great gift from our God in heaven, but it is up to you and me to use it in our times of need. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

THE COST TO FOLLOW JESUS…

“As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, ‘ I will follow you wherever you go.But Jesus replied, FOXES HAVE DENS TO LIVE IN, AND BIRDS HAVE NESTS, BUT THE SON OF MAN HAS NO PLACE TO LAY HIS HEAD. He said to another person, COME FOLLOW ME. The man agreed but said,’ Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.’ But Jesus told him, LET THE SPIRITUALLY DEAD BURY THEIR OWN DEAD! YOUR DUTY IS TO GO AND PREACH ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD. Another said,’ Yes, Lord, I will follow you but first let me say good-by to my family.’ But Jesus told him, ANYONE WHO PUTS A HAND TO THE PLOW AND THEN LOOKS BACK IS NOT FIT FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD. Luke 9:57-62

There is a huge cost in following Jesus. There are many in this world who want it all. They want to be able to follow Jesus in his ways, but they also want to be able to do what they have been doing in the world. They want to keep one foot in the world and one foot with Jesus. The Lord makes it very clear in Luke 9 that this is not possible. Our hearts must be in the right place when we follow Him. When we make our decision to walk with the Lord, we must cut ties with evil and make our intentions good and live life with the wisdom of God. Yes, we will stumble and even fall at times, but the Lord is always there to pick us up and put us back on the right path. When we do make mistakes, it is up to us to train ourselves to immediately go to Him in prayer and be repentant for what we have done. We are to then ask for His forgiveness and move forward in his ways. Some believe that when they walk with the Lord their lives will become easier. It is actually just the opposite. Jesus did not live an easy life here on earth. He had no home to retire to at night, he was persecuted, laughed at and even spit upon. Jesus explains to those around him that there is a great sacrifice to follow him. We are to change and to never look back at the ways we once thought and lived our lives. We instead, are to look forward and focus on the ways of Christ Jesus and be examples in this world to those we know and are associated with. We are to help our families to have better lives in Christ and be not only safe from the world but be overcomers. It may not seem possible as we look at Jesus through our human eyes, but as we begin to see things in God’s perspective, they become clearer, and we are able to represent him without fear or doubt. It is hard work to follow Jesus! It takes dedication and a deep desire within our hearts! However, in order to achieve eternal salvation, we must follow Jesus. Are you ready? PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

PRAYING YOURSELF OUT OF TROUBLE

” But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear or harm.” Proverbs 1:33

” Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.” Acts 16:25

In acts 16:25 Paul and Silas find themselves in the deepest part of the jail. They were bound with shackles making it impossible for them to escape. However, even though what looked like the most impossible situation, they were still looking up to God for answers. The scriptures tell us they were praying and singing hymns to God. They were not moaning or groaning about their situation. Instead, their faith allowed them to know that God was in control. It didn’t matter how they were treated or how severely they were persecuted they believed that God was in control and had the answer. They knew in their hearts that God had a plan. We are no different that Paul and Silas. We also find ourselves in difficult situations. We may not be in prison or in shackles, but we are living through troubles in our own right. Our Lord God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He has not changed in his ways, and he will not change. He doesn’t love Paul and Silas more than he loves you and me. The difference is that they were satisfied to let him do his work. They didn’t get in his way. They were willing to be used by God without complaining or doubting or feeling sorry for themselves. Many times, we allow these feelings to get in our way. We think that just maybe we can do what it takes to get ourselves out of trouble. God has a plan. When we try to do things on our own, we detour his plan. Sometimes we are so forceful in our ways that God must use others to complete his activities instead of us. It is important that we slow down, think of our God in heaven and begin to pray to him. We should take our problems and leave them at his feet so that he can handle them in his ways and not ours. When we take our problems to the Lord we must stop worrying about the answers and begin to praise him for the answers, whether we are experiencing them in the moment or not. We must trust him, just as Paul and Silas did. When we do, our lives become more pleasant and allow us to become more open to step up and be ready for the next assignment our Lord has planned for us to be a part of. Let us pray ourselves through problems and allow God to work in our lives! PRASIE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

BE RENEWED DAILY!

” Be careful to obey all these commands I am giving you. Show love to Lord your God by walking in his ways and holding tightly to Him.” Deuteronomy 11:22

We do a lot of renewing in our lives. We renew subscriptions, we renew prescriptions, we renew our membership to the gym, to Sam’s Club and to anything else that that is meaningful to us. If we forget to renew, then we will eventually find that we have lost access to these much needed or wanted things. There is big difference in what our God is asking us to do and what we already do on a daily basis. The only small difference is that we have the Lord in mind and not our own self-righteousness. We are to renew our spirits each day. We are to go out into the word refreshed and ready to tackle whatever we confront. When we renew our spirits, we rejuvenate our spiritual lives and draw closer to God. It involves shedding our old thoughts, words and actions and adopting a renewed mindset that is in line with God. When we do this, our Lord promises to equip us to live for Him. Each day we may confront many troubles in our lives. But we are not to lose heart. We instead are to renew our spirits and be made ready for these problems. In Ephesians 4:23-24 we are told: “instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature created to be like God- truly righteous and holy.” It is very easy to allow ourselves to wander from God and begin to get involved in the world. Since we are surround by the ways of the world it becomes easy to live in its ways and practice these ways on a daily basis. However, to fight this, we must stay connected to our source, our Lord Jesus! Every day He must be a part of everything we do. We must keep Him in our minds and practice what he teaches us. We must use it or lose it. Believe me when I say that it is easier to lose it than to sustain it. We must pray and read his word each day, reminding ourselves of what his ways are. We must practice them until they become a part of us and cannot be lost. We can keep our lives so much simpler if we just renew our spirits each day! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What do you love about where you live?

BEING SOLD OUT TO JESUS

” My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So, I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God then there was no need for Christ to die.” Galatians 2:20-21

To completely sell out to Christ Jesus is nothing like you have ever done before. Being sold out to Jesus is not the salvation experience, it is the next step. It is the level by which your faith becomes overwhelming to the world around you. If you come to this place in your walk, where you love Christ more than you care for anything else in your life, including yourself, then you know what being sold out feels like. If you have totally sold out to Jesus, you will know it. There is a great lack of understanding for the term sold out. Just acknowledging right from wrong is not it. This level of belief and dedication in the Lord Jesus is a level that not all achieve or achieve at the same time. It is very difficult to separate from the world around us and totally depend upon the unseen instead of the proof in the seen. Scriptures tell us that we must Love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength. Jesus tells us that we are to deny ourselves and take up our Cross and follow Him. That Cross he refers to is the old self that must be crucified. It must pass away and be replaced with the new you. It is dying to this world and living for the next. Some may ask, are we still saved if we are not sold out? The answer is yes. If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are saved. Your life will reflect change of heart and attitude. However, when you sell out to the Lord you will be consumed by Him. Everything you do and say will be laid upon his ways and your desire to satisfy his ways. Is everyone who is saved sold out to Christ? I believe not. But that does not mean they are not going to heaven. Our lives on this earth can be so much easier with Christ in control. With Jesus at the helm there is nothing that can overcome you, disrupt your attitude of faith and trust in His Living Word. Meditate upon His Holy Word every day. You will be surprised at how much your life will change and how your thoughts and deeds become more useful and helpful to all around you. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What positive emotion do you feel most often?