I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO MY LORD OF MY GREAT ETERNAL HOME!

“Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to His name.” Hebrews 13:15

When I was in school, we would always begin our school day with the pledge of allegiance to our flag. This was a display of our loyalty to our flag and the great nation that we live in. At the time, many of us did not totally understand the meaning of what we were doing, but it became a staple in the way we grew up honoring our country. The same is true to all oof us who are children of our precious God in heaven. We are to stand up and pledge our allegiance to his name every day. We are to shower him with praise and thanksgiving. We are to begin each day recognizing who we stand for and who we are dedicated to. We are not to hide our faith or our trust in Him under a basket or behind a door. We are to stand up and be seen and heard in the ways we have been taught in Jesus. We are to live our lives with great effort in our testimony for his righteousness. We are to proclaim his great mercy and gracious forgiveness in our lives. We are to put on the armor of God each day and go into battle on behalf of his holy name and push forward through the evil that stands in our way. We are to be loyal to his promises and stand for every one of his truths. As we confront great obstacles, we are to believe with faith for our ability to overcome and be triumphant in our ways. He is our great King, our great Savior and our one and only Forgiver of sins! I pledge allegiance to Jesus! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What’s the one luxury you can’t live without?
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THE GREAT COMMISSION!

“I have given all authority in heaven and earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

We have been given the responsibility to go forth and to make disciples of non-believers. We are to live our lives in Jesus without fear or weakness. We are to be forthright and loving to those who have not been introduced to Jesus and not yet given the opportunity to develop a personal relationship with him. Our great God in heaven is using you and me to be his messengers for his great message, of which proclaims the death of Jesus on the cross, as the way to salvation and everlasting life. He has given us each the great commission, the hard venture, the large responsibility, to go out into the worldly jungle exposing ourselves by plainly confessing our faith and professing our beliefs in Him! When we accomplish this great feat, this world will begin to see more in fellowship, more living in the truth, and more people placing their lives in the hands of our God in heaven. We must be brave and put forth our best efforts, and under the direction of the Holy Spirit, accomplish the great commission we have been charged with! We have been given the promise that He is always with us even to the end of the age! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
If humans had taglines, what would yours be?
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THERE IS NO MESS! GOD IS IN TOTAL CONTROL!

(THE LORD IS MY SHEPARD I SHALL NOT WANT)

“The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies: thou anoints my head with oil; my cup runneth over. surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23

There is plenty of natural chaos going on in this world. There is evil at every turn and things happening that we cannot understand or explain with earthly words. There may be chaos but there is no mess. Our God in heaven is in total control. He is an orderly God and does nothing without great thought and patience. He created the world and all things in the world. He created the sun, the moon and the stars. All of these things are his possessions and will exist until his plan is complete. It may look as though our world is a mess, but we can be completely confident that it is not. With Jesus in our hearts and the Holy Spirit living within us we can calmly settle into this world with total confidence that God’s plan is unfolding just as He has planned. We do not know the time of the end, but we do know that He will comfort us through trials and temptations. Given the opportunity he restores us at every turn. He leads us to the right paths and nudges us along. In the midst of the chaos, he prepares us for the great homecoming we are going to soon experience. With the faith we have developed within our being, we can follow, learn and experience Jesus, knowing that His mercy and grace is with us constantly and that He will stand beside us always. He loves us and will not fail us. His plan is unfolding and our God in heaven is in total control! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What are the most important things needed to live a good life?
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THE CONSEQUENCES OF GREAT FAITH!

“But some were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword.” Hebrews 11:35-36

“All these earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised.” Hebrews 11:39

Searching for and obtaining great faith is hard. Great faith in our Lord Jesus results in consequences. It is not hard to see the beginning of a great war against Christians in today’s world. As you and I prepare for this struggle we must realize that there is only one way to survive, and that way is Jesus. Our faith must continue to grow, and we must not allow even a small crack to develop in it. We must be able to stand up and confess without doubt and show that our hope is in Christ Jesus. Our hope is in He who we have not physically seen. It is in the One who stands beside us in His silent manner and gives us strength, wisdom and understanding. It is Jesus Christ, the one and only Savior of the world, who protects us in the persecution of our faith. There will be hard days before us but with the hope, and presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we will be prepared. There should be no worry, doubt or fear. There should be only faith, hope and the strength in our spirit that provides us with God’s power that cannot be overcome. We are spiritual beings living in a physical world. We are looking to the future and not the past. We are living in the now and not yesterday. We must increase our faith by much prayer and reading of God’s Word. There are great consequences to be paid for our hope and faith in Jesus. Are you ready? PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
Who do you spend the most time with?
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TAKE OFF THE GLOVES AND TELL THE TRUTH!

“Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, ‘ If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’ ” John 8: 31-32

” I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes the Father except through me.” John 14:6

It is time to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. It is time to take off the gloves and land some hard punches. This may seem harsh, but it is the truth. The time we have to finish our duties here on this earth becomes shorter each day. Every time we miss an opportunity to talk about salvation through Jesus, we may be allowing someone to be left behind when Jesus does returns. Telling the truth about Jesus and why he came to this world is not about us looking good in the sight of others. It is not about us looking foolish or standing out in a crowd because of what we believe. It is all about the lives of those around us. It is about salvation, about forgiveness, about healing, about the Holy Spirit, and about the truths of Jesus. Our Lord died so that we could be saved. Our salvation comes from his death on the cross and by hearing and believing about this event that happened thousands of years ago. He left us with witnesses to his death, the Holy Spirit to help us, and a Holy Bible that gives us all that we need to proceed in talking to others about his purpose. We live in a time where we need to be forthright in our witnessing and not dancing around the subject. It is time to put forth the truth and nothing but the truth! Jesus is Lord and without him hell is our vision but with Him comes everlasting life. It is so important that we not waste a minute in our ability to talk about Jesus. It is important because there are those around us who may hear about Him only by our testimony. It is time to stand up and not fear, but instead, to have faith and a focus on loving others and giving them the same opportunities we have in Christ Jesus! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

Daily writing prompt
If you had to change your name, what would your new name be?
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THE GREAT GUARANTEE!

“When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, I WILL SURLEY BLESS YOU AND GIVE YOU MANY DECSCENDENTS. And so, after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.” Hebrews 6:13-15

“People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. ” Hebrews 6:16-20

Our hope is in the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our God guaranteed for you and me hope for the present and the future. Jesus was sacrificed and became our priest forever, so that you and I could live with the hope of eternal life. We should hang on to this hope with the strength of a vice grip, never letting loose. As it is plainly put in Hebrews 6, our God cannot lie! It doesn’t say he may not lie, but instead says he CANNOT lie. With that we should take his promises for what they are and run with them. They are the truth and the way, to not only eternal life with Him, but also with the truths and promises for helping us to live stronger and peaceful lives here in this world. He loves us with a love that we cannot comprehend, and he guaranteed that love by using himself as the guarantee. There is no one greater to confirm his promises than God himself. So, just as Abraham did, we also are to wait patiently in truth and in faith for the hope he has given. He is the Great Guarantee! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
Describe your dream chocolate bar.
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THE EVIL OF SELFISHNESS!

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interest but each of you to the interest of others.” Philippians 2:3-4

“For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.” James 3:15-16

Selfishness is at the root of all sin. Selfishness is a sin and is a characteristic of sinful man. With selfishness we become self-centered and think only of our wants and needs. We throw away the needs of others in order to satisfy our desires for things that will help us to get along in this world. As described in the bible, selfishness is the direct opposite of love. Being selfish in our lives will destroy marriages, friendships and family relationships. Selfishness will not allow us to grow spiritually in Christ and keep us defenseless in times of trouble. Selfishness will not allow relationships to grow but does allow the weeds of destruction to sprout up among us. We can look all around us a see the results of selfish and jealous attitudes. There is anger, destruction, idle words, lying and cheating that overcome this world and allows for the fall of anything in their paths.

As followers of Christ, we are to use humility to fight the selfish attitude that arises inside us. We are to look at others as though they are better than we are. We are to watch out for the good of others instead of what is good for us. We are to display the ways of Jesus when he walked this earth. If he had thought of himself and what was good for him, he would never have gone to the cross. However, he was pure in his love for us as sinners and thought of us and our needs before his own. We are to surround ourselves with things of God. We are to be ready to fight the good fight and not turn back. We are to fulfill God’s plan to help and love others. We are to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. We are to be humble in our actions and become truly strong in love, joy, patience, peace and compassion for those around us. We are to stay rooted in Jesus and not the sins of this world. We are to focus on the good and not the bad. When we do these things, our lives become peaceful and productive on behalf of our Lord God in heaven. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
Do you remember your favorite book from childhood?
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THE INFILLING!

“Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18

As we go about our days, we come across experiences and obstacles that are sometimes good and sometimes bad. Sometimes we are prepared for these experiences and other times we are not. When Jesus went to be with God and sit at his right hand our Lord sent us the third person, the Holy Spirit of God to live within us. As Christians we all have the Holy Spirit residing within us. However, it seems that so often we push Him off into the corner of our lives and give little thought to the fact he has been sent to live in us for the purpose of guidance, understanding, wisdom, spreading the love of God and allowing Him to be our decision maker. We treat him as a resident in us with no powers to help us. We are told in scripture to be filled with the Spirit. Just what does that mean? The infilling of the Holy Spirit is the control of the Holy Spirit over our lives, and this occurs when we surrender our lives completely to His control. We allow the Holy Spirit to control our actions, our desires and our priorities. If we are not allowing the Spirit of God to live in us and be the controlling factor in our lives then we are allowing fear, condemnation, doubt and worry to take up residence and control our thoughts, words and actions. Our God in heaven has so blessed us with the power of the Holy Spirit. He is our guide in hard times. He is our message to all of those around us. He is our decision maker in everything we do. He is not a thing or a figment of our imagination! He is a real person and one with authority to help us to live lives worthy of our God in heaven. We must never shove him into a corner of our life or the closest of our thoughts only to be shoved aside as an afterthought. We must believe in the Spirit of our living God and understand that the Holy Spirit is our great and understanding helper. He must be our first thought in times of need. We must listen closely as he will nudge our thoughts to make decisions in one direction or another. We must never allow fear, doubt or worry make decisions for us. Instead, we must use the great gift of the Holy Spirit! We must train ourselves to be good stewards of the gift of the Holy Spirit. We must train ourselves to be sensitive to his thoughts and his words in our life. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
List three books that have had an impact on you. Why?
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PATIENT ENDURANCE!

“Let us hold tightly without wavering the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.” Hebrews 10:23

“So do not throw away your confident trust in the Lord.” Hebrews 10:35

“Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.” Hebrew 10:26

Hold on tightly and never let go. It does not matter the struggles that confront us nor the anxieties of this world, we must hang on to what God has given us and never let go. He promises throughout his word that he will protect us, strengthen us and give us the abilities we need in order to accomplish our roles here in this world. We are only temporary visitors on this earth and will soon be on our way to our eternal home in heaven. God has a great plan, and you and I have a part to play in that plan. However, we must be strong and never weak. We must stay forever trusting in the promises God has given us, even if we have not received them. We must never turn our eyes toward anyone or anything of this world but instead keep focused on what is right and truthful. God sacrificed for us once and for all. He forgives of us our sins and never remembers them again. He takes away the guilt when we our hearts are in the right place. He gives us compassion and love for those around us, that we are to use in prayer and praise for Him. We are to never lose sight of what he did for us and what he continues to do each day. Every day that we wake up we are given another assignment and opportunity to fulfill his mission on this earth. There are so many who are wandering in this world searching for what we already have. It is up to us to represent our Lord God and be a bridge to those who seek salvation, forgiveness and healing in their lives. We are to be completely obedient in the way we live and speak. With our lives solely imbedded in Jesus we are capable, through Him, to win others to Christ and to the Kingdom for which they strive to reach. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What fears have you overcome and how?
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THE PURPOSE

Your name, O’Lord, endures forever, your fame O’Lord, is known to every generation. For the Lord will give justice to his people and compassion on his servants.” Psalm 135:13-14

Have you ever wondered or asked God just why you were put upon this earth? The purpose of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. The fellowship between you and the Lord is meant to be holy and one that cannot be separated. However, when sin entered this world things changed for the worse. Our minds and thoughts changed, with our purpose for our lives being driven by the desire for wealth, glory for ourselves, self-centeredness, and with a self-created desire to control our lives without God. Evil changed the world and the purpose of each of us. Our God in heaven has gone to great lengths to change all of that. He gave to us the greatest gift he could give. He gave Jesus, his one and only Son, to be sacrificed for us, to be persecuted for us and to be sympathetic to us. He knows our hurts because he has been through them, he knows our struggles because he has experienced them, and he knows our hearts because he is God. In accepting God’s gift of Jesus Christ, we are accepting once again his purpose for us. We are accepting our duties to glorify and to love him. We are accepting our responsibilities to trust in him and to have faith in his realities for this world. As God’s plan continues to unfold, the devil continues to get crazier and more potent. He is the master of deceit, and we must be constantly on alert. We cannot let down or we will be deceived and be in jeopardy of losing our focus and our purpose. It is so important that you and I stay the course God has set us on. We must never waver in our love and thankfulness for our God in heaven. His purpose for you and me is to glorify Him and love Him without letting anything deter us. He loves us so much that he has gone to great lengths to save us from the terror of this world and the destination of those who do not believe! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
Describe one simple thing you do that brings joy to your life.
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SUBMIT TO HIM! HIS STRENGTH IS PERFECT!

“So don’t go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many advisors.” Proverbs 24:6

We are in a war. We get up each day and ready ourselves for the biggest moments in our lives by using prayer. We petition our Lord God in heaven for his mighty hand to take the evil away from us and allow us the victory we so desperately fight for. We are in a huge struggle in our beloved country, the United States of America, and in this would as a whole. Our freedoms that were founded upon the principals of our Lord God have been taken from us. There is fear at every corner and struggles that never end. There have been warnings after warnings about how we take what we have for granted and that we must begin to pray in earnest to our God in heaven for his mighty hand to save us. Since my salvation took place in 1976, I have read the bible on a consistent basis. I have not always understood the words I read but I always prayed to God for him to explain to me his meanings and thoughts. I have always known that our world, as it is today, would appear in this disastrous form. I knew there would be wars and rumors of wars and that nations would fight against nations. I knew that the sons and daughters of Christs would be arrested and persecuted to the fullest for their beliefs in Jesus. I knew that the times would become so troubled that many would turn away from Christ and begin to betray and hate one another. I knew that sin would run rampant and that the love of many would grow cold. I also knew that the gospel of Christ would be preached across this world for all to hear. What I did not know, nor did I realize at the time, was that I was living in the times explained to us throughout Matthew 24. There have always been troubles and anxieties in this world but nothing like we are seeing in today’s world. To be a Christian in today’s world takes great courage, strength and a huge amount of faith and trust. These can only be obtained by deep and concentrated prayer through the Holy Spirit of our God in heaven. It takes more than just going to church on Sunday and then living in the world the rest of the week. Things look bad right now and will probably get worse before they get better, but God has promised us, that to those who endure to the end will be saved. I cannot yell it loud enough that the end is near. His time is coming soon! Please keep up the faith and pray constantly without wavering. PRAISE THE LORD INA LL SITUATIONS!

Daily writing prompt
How do you know when it’s time to unplug? What do you do to make it happen?
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DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEART TOWARD JESUS!

“The Lord says, ‘ I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name.’ “ Psalm 91:14

What does it mean to harden your heart toward Jesus? It means that you refuse to hear or respond to God and not recognize his spiritual realities. It means to pay no attention to the efforts our Lord makes to help us, to communicate to us, and to save us. Many do not realize they are even doing such things. It is, however, easy to succumb to this world and the evil things it puts before us. It is easy, little by little, to become integrated into society and its ways. When this happens, we begin to pay more attention to the things of the world and the ways we do things in this world to satisfy those around us. We take our eyes off of Jesus. We begin to separate ourselves from the Lord and what he is teaching us. We begin to slide into the ways of things going on around us. We are to be in this world, but we are to separate ourselves from the ways of the world. We are not to be of the world! It is hard to follow Jesus. It doesn’t seem like it should be, but with the devil and his band of bandits always tearing at our spiritual beliefs, we must not only believe but we must receive. When we receive the ways of our God we will begin to live in his trust and our faith becomes our life. We focus on Him in good times and hard times. We desire to read and study His Word, and without hesitation, we go to him in prayer for family and friends. He is our source and our resting place at the end of a hard day’s work. He is our morning coffee who gives us strength and wisdom. It is important that we succumb to the Lord and not the world. He is our strength, our knowledge, our wisdom and our safety net. We must continuously focus on his Word, always be in communication with him in prayer and never be lacking in praise for his love, grace and mercy. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What quality do you value most in a friend?
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RELATIONSHIP OR RELIGION?

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3

Relationship or Religion? Which of these do you have in your life? Religion consists of the things we do to make ourselves right with God and others. A personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ means that we know we can never do anything to truly make ourselves right before Him. Religion typically consists of a system of rules and regulations with a list of things we can do and a list of things we should not do. A relationship with our Lord means we have a personal relationship with Jesus and with that comes grace, forgiveness, and justification. The difference between going to church and not having a relationship with Christ and going to church a developing a relationship with Him, is the matter of your heart and truly having a meaningful and active relationship with Him. It is one thing to go to church and go through the motions of what we think our God wants us to do, but it is another thing to go to Church and have a personal relationship with Jesus, where we walk and talk with Him on a daily basis. Our Lord wants us to develop a relationship with Him that will allow us to submit to him in every situation. He wants to walk alongside us and give us help and strength. He wants to be our refuge in times of trouble and our safety net when we fall. There are many different religions in the world today and they all have different beliefs along with their rules and regulations. However, there is only one Jesus and one relationship with Him that counts. It counts because He is alive and well and is always by our side. Relationship with Jesus or religion? I will take my relationship with Christ Jesus every day of the week! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What jobs have you had?
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DO NOT BE FOOLED!

“Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give into temptation. For the Spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” Matthew 26:41

“Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent.” Hebrews 6: 11-12

To follow the ways of Jesus in our world today takes strength, wisdom and a solid foundation of faith. As we go out each day and interject with those of the world, we must be sure that we separate ourselves as different. As Christians we are different in the ways we think, the ways we talk and the ways we believe things will happen and take place within our own lives. Since we are surrounded by the ways of the world every day, we must stay strong in prayer and in study and meditation of God’s Word. We must insulate ourselves so that we can function with complete and total trust in our Lord God. It can become so easy to begin to slowly slide into the ways of those around us. It can happen subtly and without notice on our part. We may begin to think, little by little, that the ways of life in today’s world is ok. Our own thoughts begin to adjust to the worldly ways and allows the world to sneak in a little at a time. For these reasons it is necessary that we fill up our tank each morning with truths of God. It is vital that we pray earnestly and believe without doubt the promises he provides to us. It is so important that we know what God is saying to us. We must study his word, every chance we have, in order to fight off the urges to living in this world. We must listen carefully to Holy Spirit as he guides us through trials and temptations. The devil and his army are very good at what they do. The subtleness of their ways are dangerous and life threatening. The only way we keep from succumbing to evil is to let God’s light shine and show us the way every day! We are not to be fooled! Instead, we are to grow in God’s word and become stronger and stronger in his principals and ways of life. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
Do you practice religion?
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HIS SACRIFICE FOR OUR SALVATION!

“My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done and not mine.” Matthew 26: 39

“While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death.” Hebrews 5:7

The anxieties, the pain and the suffering our Lord Jesus went through for you and me, sometimes, if not most of the time, go without our recognizing his pain and anguish during his time on this earth. We all know of his sacrifice, but do we really feel his sacrifice? Jesus knew what was coming. He knew the ways of man and the evils that lay before him. He knew the pain, both mental and physical, that was about to take place. It was so horrible in his eyes that he cried out to God to have this terrible scene of God’s plan lifted away from him. However, for the sake of you and me, he realized the significance of what he was about to go through. He knew that you and I could not withstand the hurt that was about to happen. We could never withstand the persecution he went through, nor could we suffer the pain. If being saved was left up to us then there would be no salvation, healing or forgiveness of sins. This world would go into total self-destruction and never be re-created into a new world. As we set back and look at what Jesus did for us, we should reflect on just how painful it all was. We should reflect on just how much love was displayed upon that cross when He died. We should shower Him with our praises each day and glorify him for who he is and what he did. We should try hard to see that Jesus did more than just die on the cross. His death was our life. He died so we could live in eternity. We should take every moment we can spare, in our ever so busy world, and study his word, pray to him, thank him, praise him and glorify him. We must always remember that what he went through for you and me was more than just an action, it was the purest of love and dedication to those, whom he loves without any conditions, other than our acceptance and belief in Him! PRAISE THE LORD IN AL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
Do you remember life before the internet?
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DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS!

“You must warn each other, every day, while it is still today, so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.” Hebrews 3:13

“For the Word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than a two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Hebrews 4:12

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Hebrews 4:16

Our God in heaven is alive and well. We must do everything in our power to make wise decisions as we move along on this earth. The devil and his army are tugging at every decision we make, every thought we have and every action we take. They are trying their very best to sway us in their direction and away from the righteousness of our Lord Jesus. God’s Word (the bible) is not just a book that we read. It is the LIVING word of God. It is the living, breathing tool that God has given us to make our lives strong and non-wavering within him. We may think that our secrets can be hid from our Lord, but we are wrong. We may think that our thoughts are ours alone, but we are wrong. God’s Holy Word has the ability to cut through the red tape of this world and expose our inner-most thoughts and desires. There is absolutely nothing that we can hide from our Lord God in heaven. We must not be deceived by this world. We must come together and comfort one another with the knowledge our God has given us. We must remind each other of the wisdom and knowledge available to us and the strength given to us by the Lord. We must build one another up and not tear one another down. As we do, we will become faithful in our life to Jesus and his ways. We will be able to go boldly before our God in prayer, stand before him with strength, knowledge, and an unwavering faith, knowing that Jesus is our mediator and our support. Our God is merciful and gracious and will help us in the times that we need Him most. He has never failed and will not fail us now. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What are you good at?
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BENEFITS OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS!

“Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.” Hebrews 2:18

” No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.” Psalm 25:3

When we think of the blood of Jesus we always think of and are thankful for our salvation, healing and forgiveness of sins. Jesus offered his own blood for us to be able to access these life-giving gifts in our lives. However, there is so much more that the blood of Jesus has accomplished for each of us. His blood gives us power and protection as we plow through the weeds of life. His blood frees us of the bondage of sin and the blindness it causes. The blood of Jesus is a powerful weapon in spiritual warfare that gives us victory over Satan and his followers. The blood of Jesus brings us a peace of mind, as it cleanses our conscience. His powerful blood brings us a peace and satisfaction with our God in heaven. Jesus has been through it all. He knows how it is to hurt. He knows the feeling of being persecuted, yelled at, spit upon and made fun of. He knows what it is to be hurt physically, to be tired, unrested, hungry and beat down. He has been through it all. He gave his precious blood on the cross so that you and I can live with a spirit of power and strength. The blood of Jesus allows us to serve him as we are washed in his blood, fully cleansed and ready to go to work on his behalf. The blood of Jesus has many benefits, but it is precious to us and everlasting in our lives because it is the blood of God’s dear Son, Jesus Christ! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

THE TEACHING OF GOD’S WORD GIVES LIGHT!

The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand.” Psalm 119:130

The word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105

When we hear the word of God, we suddenly are hearing the truth. There are no lies, doubts or any hesitation to what he is saying to us. His holy word gives us the understanding as to how we are to live, to stay healthy and to communicate with those around us. His word is like a flashlight that leads us in the darkness. Without his light we will bump into the evil around us and not know how to react or to handle the things we confront. Instead of using anger, distortion and lies we will know to use his ways, which consist of peace, patience, joy and love. Even though we may deal with people who are unbelievers or those who just don’t know the Lord, He shows us the way to handle things. He gives us the words we are to use and the actions we are to take. It is the gift of the Holy Spirit who leads us and guides us into all truth. It is the Spirit of God who enables us to understand the word of God. It is by prayer that we ask for understanding and it is by belief that we receive the understanding from Him. As we talk with others about the ways of God, we help his light to shine before the path of those around us. Through us he uses his light to shine to help others to understand his teachings. We are to be well prepared and able to talk the truths and of his promises. We are to understand and live in his promises. He is the light and without Him we live in the darkness. We must always be prepared to be used by our Lord. He will put us in situations where his light is needed, and we will be charged with providing his word to those who need it. We must remember that he is the light and without him there is total darkness. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
Who would you like to talk to soon?
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UNDERSTAND YOUR FAITH!

” Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.” Psalm 36:5

Having faith in Jesus means relying on and believing His teachings. It means believing that even though we do not understand all things, He does! Our faith and our trust in our Lord Jesus are ways of life that we build within our spirits and our lives. Our Lord gives us a seed of faith, but you and I must be able to water and nourish the faith he has given us. We must be able to stay focused on Him and have a trust so strong that we obey whatever He commands. As we place our faith in Jesus Christ, becoming His obedient disciples, He will forgive our sins and prepare us for our return to him. He has provided us with all the tools that we need to develop the faith we need. He has provided us with everything we need to strengthen our faith in Him. He gives us His Holy Word to meditate upon, an avenue for us to pray daily and even allows us to go through trials and tribulations that will help to build ourselves up in His holiness and truth. The more we are with Him the more we believe in Him. We should allow Him to be a part of everything we do and everything we think and speak. He should be the first person we talk with each morning and the last person we talk to at night.

Our faith depends on our relationship with Him. It becomes stronger when we allow Him to be our Father, friend, associate, partner and involved in all that we do. We must continue to study His Word consistently and pray to Him constantly. We must allow ourselves to be able to talk with Him without needing to be in a formal setting. He listens when we talk, and he gives when we ask. We must, however, have a faith so strong that we are allowed to believe that we receive because He is our one and only source! We must understand that our faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Use the tools he has provided and continue to allow his presence in your life! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What personal belongings do you hold most dear?
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“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. Isaiah 40:31

Always keep Jesus in focus. Never allow yourself to waiver in faith or trust. Always be strong in your words and your actions. Be patient in all your ways and hand all things over to our living God in heaven. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

WELCOME OTHERS AS HE WELCOMED YOU!

“So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me.” Philemon 17-18

Forgiveness. All Christians have received forgiveness from God, so we should forgive others as well. That is the reason Paul wrote to Philemon who was a believer from the church at Colosse. Philemon owned a slave named Onesimus, who had fled from his master. Paul met with Onesimus after he had fled, and Onesimus became a believer in Christ. Paul sent him back to his owner asking Philemon to forgive Onesimus and treat him like a brother in Christ.

We all have situations just as Philemon had. We all know someone who we disagree with or maybe even dislike as a person. One of the greatest duties you and I have is to forgive those around us. We must realize that we are not the judge, nor the jury and we have no rights to act as though we are. It is our responsibility to forgive and not to judge. We should welcome, with open arms, those who have wronged us by using the tool of forgiveness given to us by God, and then turn our adversaries over to the Lord. The Lord has made it perfectly clear to us, just as Paul did to Philemon, that if others have wronged us in any way, we should give that wrong to the Lord and not try to take it upon ourselves to solve or judge right from wrong. We do not know the future. We don’t know what will happen with that person as they continue in life. It should be our desire that they accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Only God knows their future and what life holds for them. Only God knows what decisions they may or may not make. We are all sinners but by the grace of God we have all been forgiven. Our judge is our Lord and not those around us. And the judge of those around us is the Lord and not you and me. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What is the legacy you want to leave behind?
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MY CUP OVERFLOWS WITH BLESSINGS!

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. ” Philippians 4:19

Blessings from God marks an intimate relationship between us and God, serving as proof that we find ourselves in God’s favor. Blessings from God consist of good things He does for each of us, whether in our spiritual life, worldly circumstances or in our everyday life experiences. God has provided us with so many blessings that we sometimes overlook what he does for us. When we read through the following blessings let us take time to search each one and understand how faithful our God in heaven is. His blessing consists of:

1. Being chosen by him before the creation of the world.

2. He sees us as holy and blameless.

3. We have been adopted as His sons and daughters through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus.

4. He extends his glorious grace to us through His son Jesus.

5. We have been redeemed through the blood of Jesus.

6. He forgives our sins of the past, the present and the future.

7. He has sent His Holy Spirit to live in us and to guide and help us make right decisions in life.

Our God blesses us each day as we live our lives in Christ Jesus. He protects us, heals us, helps us understand, gives us wisdom, strength, joy, peace of mind, love and an amount of faith that allows us to grow it into large proportions.

With the blessings we experience every day, here on earth, it is hard to imagine what we will experience when we get to heaven itself. It is our responsibility to pass onto others the results of the blessings we have received from our God. We are to love others and not hate. We are to forgive others and not hold grudges. We are to be examples to people by living our lives with a strong faith and in truth. Our Lord loves us, and we are to love others as He loves us.

PRAISE THE LORD AT ALL TIMES AND IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES!

Daily writing prompt
How do you feel about cold weather?
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HANG ON TIGHTLY AS THE RIDE HAS JUST BEGUN!

“Rather cling tightly to the Lord your God as you have done until now.” Joshua 23:8

“For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go.” Psalm 91:11

“For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.” Matthew 24:24

You and I have been chosen to live in special times. We have been chosen to live in these chosen times for a reason. Only our God knows exactly what the reasons are. Little by little, as we follow his directions, do we learn of our duties and our instructions. We are living in times of unprecedented actions taking place. Our world has been turned upside down and things that are evil have become good and the things of our God in heaven have become what the world considers to be evil. Our faith in our Lord Jesus is in the beginnings of being challenged, because it is through Christ that our world can and will be reborn. As the devil runs amuck, we are all susceptible to his anger, his lies and his many deceptions. We must hang on tightly to the word of God in heaven. We much build our faith to a level where nothing matters to us but our God himself. We must learn and try to understand his promises and believe them. We must be able to walk through the fires set by the devil and not blink. We must focus and look straight ahead at what Jesus has done for us and be ready to sacrifice the things of this world for the things of God. Our Lord has given us chance after chance to follow him and to strengthen our faith and trust in him. We continue to be warned of the trying times ahead, but some just laugh and go on with their worldly lives. Rest assured that the end is near. Each day brings us closer and closer to end of this chapter. Jesus is coming soon. We don’t know the day or the time, but we do know the season. All prophesies have been fulfilled and the signs point to the season as now. There are those who say that all these things have been happening for centuries and nothing has happened. They consider this as just another scare tactic on our part. Don’t be deceived or lulled into those thoughts. Pray and read God’s word. Meditate on it and learn of his warnings and how they take place. Don’t be deceived by anything or anyone around you for our Lord is the only true source with the true knowledge. Hang on tightly as the ride has just begun! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
Have you ever broken a bone?
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REMOVE THE MASK AND LIVE THE TRUTH!

“First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean too. Matthew 23:26

“Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Matthew 23:28

There are many on this earth who live in a world of their own. They seem to know what the truths of Jesus are, but they display only a mere image of the real truths, while on the inside, they are full of jealousy, hatred, greed, doubt, worry and fear. They have ideas of evil that fill them to the brim. They are like wolves in sheep’s clothing. Because of what they say, they become convincing to those who are weak and unsure of the path they should take. They say one thing and do another. To your face they are kind, gentle and discreet but behind your back they ridicule, defame and persecute you.

You and I cannot teeter on the edge of salvation. We must make decisions in our lives and the biggest one we will make is to follow Jesus and live his truths. Jesus walked this earth to free people from sin and to forgive them of their sins. He also walked this earth to teach us how to walk upright and blameless lives. He sent the Holy Spirit to live in us, to guide us and to show us the way we should live before others. By taking the life of Jesus seriously, and listening to the Holy Spirit of God, we begin by cleaning the inside of our house first. We begin to throw out the garbage that has built up within and replace it with the ways of our Lord. When our house is clean on the inside then we will begin to reflect His ways in the ways we live our lives on the outside. We will be truthful, joyful, patient, caring and understanding to those around us. Our hearts will be fruitful by displaying the fruits of Jesus and by putting his promises into action in our lives. Our roots will grow down deep into his presence, and we will live in ways that some will not understand. We must, however, commit our ways to Him. We must faithfully read and meditate on his word. We must communicate with him and be able to pray on a whim. We must have the faith of a rock so that it cannot be destroyed by the devil or any tool he uses against us. We must dive into the truths of Jesus and immerse ourselves in his mercy and grace. We must take off our mask and show those of this world who we are and what we stand for. We are children of our living God in heaven, and we are on the road to everlasting life. Our desire is to take as many of our friends, neighbors and family members with us! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
How do you balance work and home life?
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HERE I AM, TAKE MY HAND!

” For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people.” Titus 2:11

When Jesus came into this world he came for one purpose and that purpose was to save the world. When God created the earth and everything in it, He created the perfect world, and it was without sin. But then sin entered the world through Adam and Eve and this earth was no longer perfect as God had intended. Throughout thousands of years sin has done nothing but spread wider and deeper into the hearts and lives of the people of the world. Our God, however, did not give up and surrender to the messy and demanding sin of the world. Instead, he showed his true character and spread his grace upon those who would accept it. He gave us who live in this world a second chance by sacrificing his only son, Jesus Christ. Through accepting who Jesus is, we are accepting our God in heaven. We are telling God that we love him and believe in him. We are showing him that we believe his every promise and will stand up in the face up in of sin with no fear, worry or doubts. We live in God’s time of grace. It is so important that we take advantage of his graceful nature and accept his son, Jesus as our redeemer and our safety net. What we have to do is so simple but yet so hard. We must believe. That is simple, right? Well, it is simple until sin tries to steal our faith away and then it becomes very difficult. When this happens, we become torn between the now and the future. We must make a solid decision because we cannot live our lives dedicated to both worlds. We must choose one and discard the other. Which sounds better to you, life in this world or everlasting life with our God in heaven? Jesus is here now, and he is saying: HERE I AM, TAKE MY HAND. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What sacrifices have you made in life?
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THE DISCIPLINED LIFE!

“He must live a devout and disciplined life.” Titus1:8

“Such people claim they know God, but they deny Him by the way they live.” Titus 1:16

In Titus Chapter 1 Paul is writing to Titus concerning the conditions for being an Elder in the church. An Elder of the church is one who is responsible for administering spiritual matters and leading by godly example. I believe that in today’s world it is vitally important that we all act as though we are an Elder of God’s church. In reality we are! We are responsible for administering spiritual matters and we are responsible to lead by godly example. You and I are to develop into strong and vital examples of Christ in today’s world. We are to grow each day in our faith and begin to lead by spiritual example. As we become more disciplined in our relationship with Jesus, we are able connect others with the power of the gospel. We can help them to align their hearts with God and protect themselves from the self-interests of the world.

Learning and understanding God’s ways help us to strengthen our faith. When we become disciplined in his ways our actions begin to reflect how he wants us to live our lives. There are those in this world who say they know Christ but the actions they take, the way they talk and the way they are disciplined to live their lives show they actually deny Jesus. We are to meditate in his word, pray daily and live lives disciplined in the Lord. When we do we become good stewards of his word! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What’s the oldest things you’re wearing today?
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TAKE IT ALL PERSONAL!

“Lift up my eyes to you O’ God, enthroned in heaven.” Psalm 123:1

Our God in heaven is not someone who lives in some faraway place. He is not someone with whom we must make a long-distance phone call in order to talk with him. Our Lord has made our relationship with Him, personal. It is a relationship that is deeply rooted in the truths of our Lord and with the beliefs that he is with us at all times. God sent His Holy Spirit to live within us. He is with us all of the time and not just when he feels it is convenient to him or when we feel it is convenient to us. He is there to listen and help us in a moment’s notice. We don’t have to stand in line to wait to talk with him. He is with us in the present and will be the future.

It is sometimes easy to feel that God is good for someone else’s problems, but our faith will sometimes not allow us to believe his presence in our own lives. We must build upon our faith every day to allow ourselves the benefits of our personal relationship with Christ Jesus. When we develop that personal relationship, we begin to feel satisfied, content and peaceful. Our personal relationship with Him helps us in our relationship with others. We begin depending upon Him and not on those around us. We must take our relationship with Jesus as personal because it is personal to Him. When we do, he becomes our only source in life, and we know that He is with us at home, at work, on vacation, at church, in the car and anywhere else we may be. We don’t have to wait for even a moment to talk with Him. He is as at our side and ready to help us immediately. He is our personal Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

Daily writing prompt
Are you a leader or a follower?
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