OUR SPIRITUAL RENEWAL!

“Though our bodies are dying, our Spirits are being renewed every day.” 2 Corinthians 4:16

As we begin to age, we become very familiar with looking in the mirror and seeing a picture of a body that no longer reflects the strength of a young person. It shows the wear and tear of the years of our lives on this earth. It shows the wrinkles that reflect the struggles we have encountered in this life. It shows a human body that is slowly, and sometimes quickly, dying and fading away. However, 2 Corinthians 4:16 encourages us to not lose heart as we watch this process happen to our bodies. What is important is the spirit that is inside of us. It is our spirit that is renewed each day when we give our lives to God and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We never grow old when our spirit renews. It becomes new each and every day. God in heaven has poured out his Spirit on his people and he is working powerfully through each of us to show the world around us how real and mighty and good Jesus is. As our spirit is renewed daily, we allow the Holy Spirit to guide our lives. We find a peace and joy in every situation we encounter while the world struggles with worry and concern about the events happening around them. We go to the Word for our answers and the Lord our God comforts us through prayer and meditation. He loves us and has promised to take care of us. With that promise we can renew our spirit daily with confidence that no matter the situation we will be victorious in Jesus! JESUS IS LORD! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

Daily writing prompt
What is one word that describes you?
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I WILL!

” The Lord says, ‘ I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.” Psalm 91:13-16

The Lord our God is not telling us that he might save us. He is not telling us that he should protect us. He is not saying that maybe he should be with us when we are going through troubles. He is promising us that he is going to be with us. The conditions that he has set forth are those of love, trust and honor. We are to love him, trust in him and honor him.

We should love him by obeying his commandments for our lives. We should live a loving faith-filled, and purpose driven life. We must allow God to lead the way. We should stay close to him at all times in our thoughts, words and actions.

We should trust him by seeking his truth through his scriptures. We should live in and walk with the Holy Spirit and wait patiently for him to answer us, knowing all along that he is faithful and trustworthy. We must surrender our lives to Him and put him at the center of our lives.

We should honor Him by talking about him to others. We should ask Him to open our spiritual eyes to find opportunities where we can honor him in our everyday experiences.

Our God is working in our lives everyday. He is showing his promises to be true and faithful. We are to be thoughtful, loving, sincere, prayerful and dedicated to Him and the life he will provide to us if we love, trust and honor him.

PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What was the best compliment you’ve received?
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THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE!

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

I have read this scripture many times over the many years that I have known Christ. It is one of the most important scriptures in my mind due to the direction the Lord wants us to go. I have broken down the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE in today’s message.

The Way: Jesus described Himself as the “only way.” A way is a path or a route. The disciples had expressed concern and confusion, at the time, as to where Jesus was going and how to follow him. As Jesus told them from the beginning, and continues to tell us today, “follow me.” He makes it clear that there is no other way to heaven but through faith and trust in him. We must come to Jesus and be saved. Jesus is the only way to salvation! When he knocks at your door, open it and invite him in!

The Truth: The truth in the eyes of Jesus is doing and being in God’s will in a consistent and obedient manner. Our faith and our trust in him must be strong enough to consistently drive us to him every day. Our lives must reflect his ways, his words and his actions. We must live in our Lord as He lives in us. Jesus is the truth, and we must plug into him each and every day!

The Life: Christ is the bearer and giver of everlasting life. He is the true source, of not only physical life, but also spiritual life. He is the true vine, and we must be attached to the true vine in order to live. When we are attached to him, we listen to his word. We pray and converse with him often. We strengthen our ways because we are receiving our power from the one and only source of life.

There is only one path that is important to follow, and that path follows Jesus into eternal life and into the presence of our God everlasting!

PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

OUR ADVOCATE THE HOLY SPIRIT

” And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit who leads into all truth.” John 14: 16 & 17

“Our qualification comes from God. He enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant.” 2 Corinthians 3:5 & 6

But under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.” 2 Corinthians 3:6

Just what is an advocate? The definition defines advocate as being “one who pleads for another.” Jesus is our advocate with our Father in heaven. He pleads for us, using understanding, justice, and mercy. When Jesus was about to leave this world, and go to be the Father, he told his disciples that he would ask the Father, and the Father would send another advocate, and this advocate would never leave them. This new advocate was the person of the Holy Spirit. The presence of the Holy Spirit lives directly inside each of us and goes to bat for us everyday. He teaches us everything we need to know and reminds us of the truths that our Lord taught us. He helps us to better understand the Holy Word of God and to interpret the deeper meaning of God’s thoughts and desires. He also gives us the strength to refute the evils that surround us as well as the misunderstandings of those who do not know the ways of Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom and understanding. The Holy Spirit is God in the third person, and He dwells within us as believers and that makes us the temple of God. The Spirit gives us life and helps us to live our earthly lives in such a way that allows us to show those around us the ways of God. The one truth about the Holy Spirit that we must remember is that He is God! He is not a mere force that comes from God, but He is God himself. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

ORDAINED BY GOD

“For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.” Romans 13:1

While the church itself has special services to ordain men as pastors and deacons to offices in the church, it should also be recognized that each believer in Christ Jesus is ordained by God himself to work on his behalf as duly committed believers. We may not be ordained to a church office, but we are appointed to be a fruitful Christian. We are chosen to represent our God and teach to others the ways of Christ. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we become accepted into his one and only church. We are then given the rights, the privileges and the responsibilities that come with this great honor. We are to live our lives as examples of our God. We are to teach others about his ways and how he expects us to live. We are to pray for others and console those who are in troubles they cannot climb out of. We are ordained by our God to be his representative as one who follows his ways and, in some cases, become living bibles to those around us. When we accept Jesus, we are appointed to his ways and his powers. We don’t have to be a minister to actually minister to others. The Lord has given us power through him to help others using his ways and under his conditions. We must read and study his word, pray and communicate with him, and praise him each day for the honor he has bestowed upon each of us. We all have a ministry. Let us not be neglectful of our duties. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What strategies do you use to cope with negative feelings?
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THE GREAT AMEN!

” And through Christ, our ‘AMEN” (which means yes) ascends to God for his glory.” 2 Corinthians 1:20

” for it is by your own faith that you stand firm.” 2 Corinthians 1: 24

We all have gone to our God in heaven in prayer. Have you ever wondered just what we are saying when we close our prayer with AMEN? When we say AMEN, we are confirming what we have said before God. We are responding and becoming personally involved in our conversation with Him. We are asking Him, through the name of Jesus, to take action in our lives, or the lives of others, and we are, at the same time, calling upon ourselves to act as well. We are claiming to be in complete agreement with God. We are claiming to support him and his decisions. We are to put forth our own effort and actions in our own lives that reflect our agreement with his holy Word and his actions on our behalf. It is by our own faith that we stand before him in prayer, and it is by our own faith that we believe he will answer us. It is by our own actions that we know what His word says, and it is by our faith that we stand on His promises and believe! When we finish with AMEN, we are sending our message to Him with glory and praise. We are trusting Him to help us without failure. We are thanking Him and surrendering ourselves to His actions. He loves us and will never fail us! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What activities do you lose yourself in?
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GOD’S COMFORT FOR OUR COMFORT!

“God is a merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all of our troubles so that we can comfort others.” 2 Corinthians 1:3 & 4

Our God in heaven is the source of all comfort. When we become discouraged, disappointed, or we are grieving or dealing with a painful situation of any kind, we can run to His Word for strength, healing and support. Our God provides whatever comfort it is that we need at the time. We as people are broken and are sinful. In Romans 3:23 it says, ” everyone has sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious standard.” Because of this, people do not have the same ability to provide comfort for others as God does. As we turn to God in prayer, pouring out our hearts and seeking his presence; as we read and meditate upon his scriptures to find verses of comfort, hope and understanding, we begin to feel his divine presence in our life. We begin to feel the warmth of his breath and His loving arms wrapping around us. The Holy Spirit comforts us through His assurance of our salvation. It is our Lord God’s desire that all believers in Jesus Christ experience the assurance of their salvation. He wants each of us to walk with confidence in the knowledge that we’ve been welcomed into His eternal family through Jesus, whom we have been united with through faith. As we become strong in our assurances in Christ Jesus, we are then able to display our love for Him to those around us and help them to gain insight to the comfort of our Lord God in heaven. We become His tools and His help in comforting others in this world, as we live our lives within the guidelines our Lord has set for us. Remember, he comforts us so that we can comfort others.

Daily writing prompt
What movies or TV series have you watched more than 5 times?
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MY CUP OVERFLOWS WITH BLESSINGS!

” Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17

If we take our time to step back and look at all of the things good in our lives, I believe that we will be tremendously surprised. We have a tendency to focus on the bad things that happen to us, therefore our lives seem full of troubles and problems. Living as a child of our God is not and never will be easy. We were never promised a problem free life upon accepting Christ. It is quite the opposite. However, if we change our focus onto the good and great things that are given to us, we will be surprised at all of the blessings coming our way. The many blessings from the Lord makes us rich. He blesses us with wisdom, protection, abundance, ability, grace, joy, freedom and peace, all of which are resting upon us and whatever we put our hands to. 1 Peter 4:10-11 tells us: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace… so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. As we look and see the blessings coming our way, we can see that our cup is overflowing. It is important that we put these blessings into action within our own lives so that we serve our Lord as he continues to bless our talents, abilities, capabilities, and opens up ample opportunities to display his gracious gifts. Remember, He loves us beyond our understanding! Let us count our blessings and not our problems! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
Are you superstitious?
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OUR FOCAL POINT

“But don’t be concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking eternal life that the Son of Man can give you.” John 6:27

We are not to be concerned about surviving in this world. Instead, we are to keep a straight view of our focal point in Jesus Christ. We are to trust him to help us and guide us through this life. We are not to allow worry or doubt to steal away our riches that have been given to us by our Lord God. He is our Father, our Protector, and our Guide in this life. We are to focus on Him and the gift of eternal life that is ahead of us. He will help us through any and all situations here on earth, but we must put our trust and faith in him and never allow doubt to enter. We must remember that with Jesus we can do all things! But without Him by our side we can do nothing but worry, fear and struggle through life. He loves us, he provides for us, and he will get us to eternal life, but we must believe, receive and live our lives in Jesus! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
Which animal would you compare yourself to and why?
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WE MUST BE REMINDED!

” We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer.” Proverbs 16:1

” And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

We often times forget who we are. We forget that we are human beings and that human beings make mistakes. We forget that we are not the answer to all of our problems, and we continue to try to solve them on our own behalf. There are so many times in the God’s Holy Word that he reminds us of his power and who he is. He has to remind us that our lives can be so much easier if we just take our problems to him, lay them at his feet and trust and believe for him to answer our prayers. We have to be reminded of the promises that he has given us and reminded that he never fails on any of his promises. We have to be reminded that we are to follow his ways and not our own. We have to be reminded that even though we are allowed to make our own plans that God’s answers are the only right answers. We have to be reminded that our God is faithful and is always in control of our lives, if we just step back and surrender to him. We have to be reminded that he loves us and continues to love us the same today as he did yesterday and will love us the same tomorrow as he loves us today. We have to be reminded that his love runs deep and that we must be able to tap into the richness of his love, his protection and his grace. Sometimes we must be reminded that he is God, and we are not. We are human beings who make mistakes and must constantly be reminded that our God loves us, strengthens us and gives us peace of mind and wisdom when we are in need. Our faith must be unwavering and continue to grow each day. We are humans and must always be reminded! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
Write a letter to your 100-year-old self.
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BELIEVERS NEVER DIE!

“I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never die.” John 11: 25 & 26

“The body without the spirit is dead. ” James 2:26

“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall return to God who gave it.” Ecclesiastes 12:7

Believers never die. They just relocate. We are all spiritual beings. When our body gives out and the Lord our God says our mission on this earth is finished, then our spirit returns to the one who gave it. We go directly into the presence of the Lord our God. We no longer live on this earth but in a much better location, heaven itself. As humans it is very natural for us to miss those who move away. It is natural to feel a sense of loss and a feeling of sadness in our own life. That is why our God gives us ways to grieve and to heal. However, if we look at death as it is, a transfer of live from one location to another, then we will better understand, that as born -again believers, we will again reunite with our loved ones and rejoice. Death is not the end all. It is not to say “good-by” but instead to say, “see you soon”. Those of our family who have relocated before us have done just that. They have relocated and have gone to be with the one who created and gave them to this earth. So, as we believe in the life and the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who went to set at the right hand of God the Father, then we must also believe that we too will die and go immediately to be with our Lord God in heaven. Remember, we must not say “good-by but instead say, “see you soon.” PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
Where would you go on a shopping spree?
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HE IS KNOCKING! OPEN THE DOOR!

” God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.” 1 Corinthians 12:6

” The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy.” John 10:10

The Lord our God in heaven is knocking at your door. It is important that you answer his knock and invite him in. There are many reasons that people knock on our doors. The action of knocking is the same but the purpose for the visit is, in many cases, different. The same is true with Jesus. If you have not been rescued and saved, then he is knocking to save you. He wants to come in and provide you the opportunity to live with him in eternity. He wants to invite you to be blessed with his salvation, healing and forgiveness of sins. He wants to invite you into the kingdom of God. He wants to recruit you into his mighty army. Open the door and invite him in!

For others he is knocking because he needs you to stand up and be counted for Jesus! We as children of God are in a mighty spiritual battle with the evil of this world. Scripture tells us that the evil one has a purpose, and that is to steal, kill and destroy. If we are not strong in our faith and trusting in the ways of our Lord God, then we will succumb to the attacks of the devil. If we are not strong in faith and belief, then we have no power and will struggle mightily. We must open the door and be renewed in the spirit and refreshed in the presence of our Lord. We must choose the winning side and not the defeated side. The devil knows quite well that his time is short. He knows that he is defeated and that will not be able to withstand the power of God and his army. Time is short. Open the door and invite him in! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What is your middle name? Does it carry any special meaning/significance?
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OUR RESCUE

” For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.” Psalm 91:3

Our lives are full of problems. Some are created by us and others are created by attacks from the devil. We face sickness and disease on a daily basis, whether we are dealing directly with sickness or whether we have those close to us dealing with these things. As long as we are living on this earth we are destined to deal with problems. However, we have a gracious God in heaven who has provided us with promises to protect us from sickness, disease, and other attacks from the evil around us. He has never failed, is not failing and will never fail on any of the promises he has given us. As our God holds up his end of the bargain, we must hold up our end. If we choose to do things our way, our lives will then reflect that. We will flounder, flip and flop trying to pull ourselves out of problems. In doing so we will many times cause more problems for ourselves. If you find this happening to you then it is time to call on Jesus. It is time to lay your problems at his feet and believe that no matter the outcome it is to glorify Him! It is time to read and meditate in his word. It is time to pray and have a conversation with the Lord. It is time to build up and put our faith into action. It is time to stand on God’s word and demonstrate to the world that we have the answer, and that answer is found in Jesus. It is by faith in Jesus that we are saved and that we have opportunity to live a life of strength and of joy and peace. Trust Him and be patient in the Lord. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What is the last thing you learned?
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STRENGTHEN THOSE AROUND YOU!

” The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name.” John 10:25

In John 10:25 Jesus was talking to those unbelievers around him. When Jesus was sent to earth by God the Father he was just not instantly accepted as the savior of the world. As we read through the scriptures, we find that Jesus did many things to convince others as to who he was. His life here on this earth was lived in the righteousness of God the Father. His love for others was displayed through his miracles and the love that radiated from him. He had to put God’s ways into action here on this earth. The people of this world required to see results rather than just hear the words. As followers of Jesus, you and I are in the same situation. We must perform within the righteousness of our God in heaven and be doers of his word and not hearers only. We must be able to have faith and trust in the word that is graciously given to us by God. We must go through the troubles and problems we face on earth with the power of belief in the results of his mighty promises. If the unbeliever sees us believing and trusting, then they too have a greater chance of doing the same. We have not been promised to be delivered from evil attacks or any other problems we may face, but we have been promised a way through these things. If we believe, trust and are doers of His word, our Lord will help us through these situations. Let us all reflect the life of Jesus and live in joy, love and peace of mind. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What is the last thing you learned?
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OUR LORD IS EVERYTHING AND CAN DO ANYTHING!

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

As a born-again believer the Lord my God in heaven is everything to me. I focus on him from the time I get up to the time I shut my eyes at night. When I go through trials and temptations, I remember what Jesus did for me. He died for me. He knew that the only way I could go to heaven to be with him was through his death for my life. He put himself through things on this earth that I cannot even imagine. He was spit upon, persecuted, whipped, taunted, treated as dirt, threatened and then died a humiliating and painful death for me. As I read and meditate in his Holy Word each day, I learn something new. He shows me new insights that I couldn’t handle yesterday but can today. His love for you and me was so strong that he committed himself to death. He wanted all of those who love him to be able to come to him in the easiest way possible. He was willing to do anything in is righteous way to receive his children to his home in heaven. There is nothing our Lord cannot do. He sees the whole picture and works with us and helps create the most perfect ending for each of us. It takes time and sincere commitment to build faith and trust in our Lord. However, it is worth every moment of the time we put in. Each day will become a new spiritual revelation in our lives. Each day will bring our relationship with Jesus to a new and exciting level. Each day will be a new opportunity to help bring someone near us to Jesus and eternal life in heaven. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What is one question you hate to be asked? Explain.
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ONE FAITH MOMENT AT A TIME!

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

” So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing from the word of God.” Romans 10:17

“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

Just what is the building up of your faith? The word of God in heaven will build up assurance, confidence, and faith in our hearts. We are then to exercise our faith. We are to use it. We are not to put it on the shelf and let it collect dust. It is important that the measure of faith God has given to each of us is to be increased by doing two things: (1) by feeding it on God’s word, and (2) by putting it into action or practice it in our everyday living. When we come to God, we must believe in faith that He even exists. Without faith we cannot believe in His promises, wisdom or understanding. We all live by faith in something or someone. However, faith in Jesus Christ is different than having faith in something or someone. The purpose in our faith is not to make life easier or better. It is not to experience miracles of healing or deliverance, although God can do these things and has displayed them throughout history. We cannot trust the Lord as our rewarder until we see God himself as our reward. The purpose of faith is to know God and to please Him in all that we do. When we confront troubles of any kind or faith in our Lord must be strong enough to sustain us through those troubles. We learn through those circumstances and our faith becomes even greater. We may or may not receive a miracle in our situation, but faith, one moment at a time, will get us through and help us to our next adventure with Jesus. How we live by faith from the inside will reflect how we live by faith to those around us. We must remember that our “faith reward” is God himself! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?
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WHY ME LORD?

Why was this man born blind? Was it because of his sins or his parent’s sins? IT WAS NOT BECAUSE OF HIS SINS OR HIS PARENT’S SINS, Jesus answered. THIS HAPPENED SO THAT THE POWER OF GOD COULD BE SEEN IN HIM.” John 9: 2-3

Have you ever asked the question, why me Lord? Have you ever run into a problem too big for you to handle or a sickness too strong for you to be able to overcome? Have you ever had a loved one succumb to a disease or be taken from this earth in a time that we consider to be too soon? As we live in this world it is easy to focus on things around us, the problems we face and the sorrows that seem to overwhelm us. Jesus had an answer for this, and his explanation was a simple one, if we just think about it. As he was asked this question about the man who was born blind, he quickly answered, that it was nothing the blind man had done nor his family. The blind man was being used as a tool for God to show others the power of God. The man would ultimately be healed by the power of God and there would be many witnesses to see this great miracle with hopes that others would become followers. The same can be said for both you and me. We may never see or totally understand why something happens to us or a family member. However, we can rest assured there is a purpose. Our God in heaven has a master plan. We all have a part to play and if we obey, we will be blessed with a successful ending, whether in this life or the next. Our purpose in life is to help others to come to Jesus. We are to accomplish his purpose in any way the Lord sees fit. He is in total control, and we are to listen to Him and obey his instructions for our lives. We are not to fear or be worried. We are instead, to be strong in our faith and push forward with confidence and the power our God has given us. Why me Lord? It is because God has a plan and you and I are a part of that plan. We must be willing to be used in any way our Lord needs us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
You’re writing your autobiography. What’s your opening sentence?
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HE CARRIES THE WEIGHT OF THIS WORLD!

“Cast all of your care upon Jesus as he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

Our God in heaven created this world into its total existence. He created the trees, flowers, and the animals that crawl, fly and run. He created the oceans and the mountains, and He created you and me. He created all power that was to be, is to be and that will be. Everything that is going on, everything that has gone on and everything that will go on in this world is on the shoulders of our God. Our God is in total control. There is not a problem that you and I have that He doesn’t know about. There isn’t anything we do that he doesn’t know about. He sees and hears all things that we say and do. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He is all seeing and all powerful. He is the one, and only one, who can guide us and help us through each and every day. If He carries the weight of this world and all of its problems, then why are we so afraid to ask him to help us? He is omnipresent, meaning that he capable of being everywhere at the same time. I don’t know about you but this hard for my little brain to comprehend. We look at things from a human and not a spiritual standpoint. That is why it is necessary, and so important, that we build our faith in Him daily. We must pray and meditate in his word. His love, knowledge, wisdom and understanding will come raining down upon us, allowing us to soak in all that He has to give us. If He is carrying the weight of this world, then he will surely carry us and guide us in the direction we are to go. We are to cast our problems onto Jesus as he loves and cares for us. We are to be doers of his word and not hearers only. We are to put his promises into action and believe that we receive. We are to allow him to do our worrying and fighting for us, for He is the only answer! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What are three objects you couldn’t live without?
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THE HEAVELNLY TREASURE HUNT!

“I do nothing on my own but say only what the Father taught me. And the one who sent me is with me- he has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases him.” John 8:28 & 29

We are all on a treasure hunt. Some of us have already found our treasure and others are still looking. There are people in this world that are hunting for their treasures in this life. Money is the most sought-after treasure in the world. The world believes that with money all of our problems will be solved. With enough money we can have anything that we want. We can have cars, jewelry, friends and anything else that will make life easy. What a mistake this is. What the world is missing is the fact that with money we also purchase true loneliness. Even though we may be surrounded by many people they are usually those who are seeking money for themselves. They may even be seeking our worldly treasures. Their friendship is hollow and most generally cannot be trusted. They will say what we want to hear and do what we want to do because we are allowing our money to direct our worldly path. What is missed in the worldly view is that the true treasure we should be seeking is the treasure that our God has sent from heaven in the person of Jesus Christ! The only treasure that lasts is our relationship with God. As Jesus told those around him in John 8, God never leaves nor does he ever desert us, just as he never deserted Jesus in his journey on this earth. His love never wanes, and he gives us true peace. We can do all things and have all that we need with a true and solid relationship with Jesus. And when the end of our journey on this earth has been completed, we will receive the greatest treasure of all, eternal life with our God in heaven! Heaven’s greatest treasure is God’s only begotten Son. Our Lord God loves each of us do much that He surrendered his prize treasure, his Son, Jesus Christ, to this world to be sacrificed for you and for me. If Jesus is the greatest treasure in heaven, then why wouldn’t we want to seek that treasure as well. As a treasure hunter let us be focused on the greatest treasure ever, Jesus Christ. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS AND AT ALL TIMES!

Daily writing prompt
What experiences in life helped you grow the most?
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CHOOSING YOUR CUP!

“You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons too.” 1 Corinthians 10:21

” So when you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

Unfortunately, the best place to observe those who try to drink from the cup of the Lord and then drink from the cup of demons too, is in our churches. It is very easy to find those who go to church on Sunday and act so religious but leave the church and go by the way of the world for the rest of the week. They seem to forget everything that is heard in the sermon on Sunday and focus all of their attention to what is meaningful to them throughout the week. They forget about what God wants them to do. They forget that they are to glorify him with their way of life. They forget that they are to give God credit and honor for His presence in their lives. They lose their focus on the Lord and begin to focus on themselves. They become concerned about only the things that will benefit them.

We are to let our actions reflect Jesus, His character and His nature. None of us are perfect so we will slip and fall. We will occasionally slide from God’s path, but with our focus on Him he will gently guide us back onto the right course. If we are drinking from the cup of the Lord, then He will constantly be our focus. We will continue to live our daily lives with Him on our minds. We will praise him during the day, we will pray in the name of Jesus during the week, we will read and obey His word and we will think of others and not just ourselves. We will live our lives in the Jesus way. We will love others and have a joy in our step. We will be constant in our thoughts, our words, and our actions by being wrapped in the arms of our Lord at all times. The lives we live should always reflect the glory of our God in heaven! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS AND AT ALL TIMES!

I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH HIM BUT WHAT CAN HE DO THROUGH ME?

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

I have read, memorized and quoted Philippians 4: 13 on many occasions. However, I have never asked the question as to “what do I allow him to do through me? ” Our God uses his children in the world to help people get through all kinds of problems and anxieties. He uses you and me in all kinds of situations to help others. He will even put us into situations that will help us directly. He will put us in places that allow us to be used, but the question is, “do we allow him to use us?” You might say, “why wouldn’t I allow my Lord and Savior to use me?” The answer is quite simple. Fear, doubt, worry, embarrassment, our focus is on the wrong things, or we are just too busy to hear him. It should be our goal to be used by the Lord. Our mission should be the mission of our God in heaven. Our desires should consist of things that will help others in life and help those who need Christ to be brought closer to him. That was a mission that Jesus had when he walked this earth. He healed, he forgave, and he saved. As his children we are to help heal and help the process of salvation in any way the Lord dictates to us. Are we staying focused on our Lord? Are we listening to him? Is he first in our lives? If we are too busy and not responsive to Him then He will find others to do his work. He always succeeds and never fails, unfortunately as humans, we do fail. I don’t know about you, but I know that I don’t want to miss one thing that God can use me for. Stay focused and close to God in prayer! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

Daily writing prompt
Do you enjoy your job?
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THE FAITH FORT

” Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives my sins and heals my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagles!” Psalm 103:2-5

“The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.” Psalm 103: 8

By definition a fort is a strong or fortified place surrounded by defensive works that protect it from attacks. Our Lord God is loving and caring. In order for us to be able to receive the many blessings he provides to us; we must have faith that does not waiver. Our faith must be fortified and be able to turn evil away. Our faith in the Lord must be much like that of a fort. It should surround us and keep us safe from the evil things of the world. Our Lord is full of good things, and he reaches out to us each day to give us opportunity to receive these good things. Psalm 103 tells us that he redeems us from death. We are saved and delivered from our sins. We are to be crowned with his love and tender mercies. Our Lord is described as compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. Our Lord never fails! However, we do. We often allow evil to get in our way and succumb to it because our fort of faith is not fortified. We must be surrounded by God’s word. We must be surrounded by prayer and praise. We must be surrounded by his many promises. We must be surrounded by the Lord himself. If we don’t put these pieces in place, then our fort of faith is susceptible to be overrun by the world. Building our faith never ends while we exist in this world. Our faith must be fortified and grow stronger each day. It is not the faith of others that will save us, but it our faith and our faith alone that God looks to. So, build your fort of faith and stand strong! Remember, if our fort is made of God’s pieces then who can stand against us? PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
Describe a phase in life that was difficult to say goodbye to.
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MY GO TO GOD!

” This I declare about the Lord; He is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God and I trust Him.” Psalm 91:2

Trust is everything in our relationship with the Lord. When we put our trust in things, we are never challenged to tell others of our beliefs. If we trust in Jesus, then we should be telling others about his great love and support in our lives. We should be telling others about the joys of Jesus and living our lives showing how Jesus wants us to represent him. We should declare our love for him and our faith in his promises by how we live and talk. As we continue to build our faith and trust in him, we must begin to put him first in our lives. We must put him at the forefront and follow his lead as he directs us through the wisdom of the precious Holy Spirit. When times are going great, we should go to him with praise. When times get tough, we should go to him for help. He is our refuge. He is the only refuge that we can trust to protect us and keep us safe. We can rest assured that he will pick us up when we fall. He will put us back on our feet and allow us to continue on with the assurance that he is right beside us and that things will be ok. He is our Go To God. He is the only God, and we should recognize Him as our only refuge and safety net. Without Him we are nothing! However, with him as our refuge, we are his and we are of his Kingdom! We then, cannot and will not fail! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be, and why?
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THE SHADOW THAT PROTECTS US!

” Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1

Living on this earth gives us opportunity to pick and choose where we live. These choices are many times determined by money or where we were born. We often choose places that are known to be clean and safe. It is the same in our spiritual lives. We want to feel safe and be safe. With our faith in Jesus, we become better acquainted with God’s word and his many promises, by study and prayer. As spiritual beings we have the opportunity to live our lives with peace of mind and within a shelter that is invincible. Our Lord offers us a shelter that allows us to rest and grow within Him. When storms come, we feel secure and are able to overcome by being wrapped in his loving arms. This shelter is protected by God himself. His shadow falls upon those who believe and trust in him. He is always with us and never leaves us. It is by solid faith that he protects and saves us! We must believe that we receive and plug into the right source, Jesus Christ! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
Describe the most ambitious DIY project you’ve ever taken on.
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IT IS BY YOUR FAITH!

“Because of your faith it will happen.” Matthew 9:29

When we live our lives with the Lord our God in heaven, we always run across questions that we cannot answer. We know down deep within us that what has happened, whether good or bad, has happened for a reason. We know that our God is in control and that all things work for the good of our Lord. However, these types of questions seem to linger and always seem to allow doubts to creep in. My wife and I lost our son to brain cancer this past September. We knew of this disease for 27 months and during this time we stood and prayed God’s promises and believed with faith that he would be healed. The result was not what we were believing for. Why didn’t he recover by a miracle of God? Why didn’t God keep his promise of protection over our son so that he could be alive today. I have asked God on many occasions to answer this question for me and this morning he did just that. God showed me that He has not changed. He is the same and has never changed and never will change. If you notice in Matthew 9:29 I have under scored the word YOUR. In this scripture Jesus was talking to the blind man and told him that “it is because of your faith that you have been healed.” It was not because of the faith of those around him or the faith of his parents, but his faith. You and I can never achieve enough faith to have faith on behalf of someone else. Our son had been brought up in Jesus. He studied the word and prayed faithfully. His faith, in our eyes was very strong. It was so strong that he lasted 27 months fighting the disease he was struggling with. Until someone goes through fighting a disease, or any struggle for that matter, we don’t not know the loss of strength and the anxiety that wears on a person. It is hard to get someone who is sick to stay strong in faith. When someone dies, those who have prayed faithfully for them have not failed. The person who goes to be with Jesus has not failed and God has not failed. We will see our loved one again in heaven. Faith is up to each and everyone of us. We cannot have faith for others, but we can lead them to the cross of Jesus where they can begin to build their faith. Our God is always faithful. I am sure that each of us will know when our faith on earth runs out and it is time to go home with Jesus. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
If you could permanently ban a word from general usage, which one would it be? Why?
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LIVE IN PEACE!

” For God has called you to live in peace.” 1 Corinthians 7:15

” God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world.” 1 Corinthians 7:23

Each of us as followers of Jesus have been called by the Lord. He has called our name to help bring others to Him. Because of our calling we can confirm that he has called us to live in peace. Our lives are to reflect a calmness with the assurance that our Lord will help us through anything we confront. Our attitudes and our temperament are to be calming and not irrational. In times when this world is in disarray, we are to stand tall with the faith that our Lord knows the answers to the problems, and that he is in total control. Our response to our calling should be one of strong and healthy reliance upon Him. We are not to think as the world does but instead to think as the Holy Spirit directs. Our relationship to our Lord is a oneness in thought, word and deed. We should think like the Lord, speak like the Lord, and live like the Lord. God has paid a high price for us, and we are not to allow ourselves to become enslaved by what goes on by the actions of the world around us. We are to stand tall and separate ourselves from those actions. We are to be different because we are different. We belong to Jesus and not the world! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What is the biggest challenge you will face in the next six months?
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FOR THE TIME IS NOW!

“For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.” 1 Corinthians 4:20

Time is running out. Trying to convince the world that we are Christians is so much more than talk alone. It is hard work. It takes time to retrain ourselves to believe the things that are unseen and not the things that are seen. In order to increase our message is to live a life representative of Jesus and reap the benefits thereof. Our God is a loving, compassionate and gracious God. He wants nothing less than for each of us to have long and prosperous life. He wants to bless us with all of his power. He gave Jesus to die for us. He sent the Holy Spirit to reside within us. All we have to do is have the faith to believe. We must continue to read and study his Holy Word. We must pray for knowledge and wisdom to help us to better understand his ways. God has a plan. He has had the same plan from the beginning and that plan will and is being fulfilled. We all have a part to play, but if we don’t understand how our God works and understand how much he loves us, we will never understand our place in his plan. We must stay focused on the right things and not the wrong things. God will not and cannot reveal but a portion of how he works for us. Our minds could never handle that much knowledge. So, we will not understand everything and we will always have questions. However, we can rest assured that he is fighting on our behalf 24/7. The time is running out. Our time is now! There will be those left behind in the rapture because they have never heard God’s word. That should give each of us the motivation to go out, with the time we have left, and spread his word. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What advice would you give to your teenage self?
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WE ARE OF GREAT VALUE!

“Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ?” 1 Corinthians 6:15

“You do not belong to yourself for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

It is hard to break old habits. I know that as I was raised up, I was led to believe that I was first in my life and should always consider what was good for me first. When I accepted Christ, I soon learned that the way I thought and acted couldn’t be farther from the truth. My whole train of thought eventually changed because I was being trained up by my Lord and Savior instead of the world around me. The Lord showed me that all of his children are a part of him. We all are important and have a place in his kingdom. He helped me to realize that he loved me so much because I had been bought by him and at a very high price. He sent his one and only son into the world to die on the cross. He was sacrificed for me. WOW! God loves me that much! I realized at that point that I didn’t belong to myself, but I belonged to God. He became my joy, my patience, my protector, my voice, my safety net in troubled times and my true and everlasting Father in heaven. I soon realized that I had an important position with my God in heaven. I was special in his eyes and that I needed to up my game. I needed to act like my father and live my life as he directed and not as though I was the only one on this earth that I should be concerned about. As I read his Holy Word, I saw a picture of him and learned his nature. I tried to be like him, but I failed. I soon understood that I was not perfect and not expected to be, and that he only wanted my best intentions and effort. He wanted me to listen and to follow his ways to the best of my abilities. When I fell, he was always there to pick me up and put me back on track. I was to stay focused on him and live with his attitude and nature in me. We are to honor our God with our bodies. We are not to use them for things that tear them down. We are his and his alone. We are to respect our bodies as they are gifts from God. His Holy Spirit lives in us and has become a part of us. We must live, believe, receive and never doubt our importance to our Lord. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What bores you?
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GODLINESS MAKES A GREAT NATION!

“Godliness makes a great nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” Proverbs 14:34

Just what is “godliness”? According to the definition given on Dictionary.com, the term godliness used in biblical terms is “the quality or practice of conforming to the laws and wishes of God; devoutness and moral uprightness.” It comes down to simply reflecting the nature of the kingdom of our God in heaven in the course of our everyday life. As humans we are born with a sinful nature but when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we are born again (this time spiritually, through the Holy Spirit of God). However, we live in a time where there are those who are attempting to put together a one world government. As each day passes, we get closer and closer to this becoming a reality. Every nation on this planet is becoming or already has become intertwined with one another. Our world has turned upside down. What once was, is no longer. It seems that right is no longer right and wrong is no longer wrong. We suddenly have men wanting to be women and women wanting to be men. We have our law enforcement becoming the bad guy and the lawlessness becoming the norm. We see lying and cheating becoming everyday occurrences and normal to our young people. We see things happen every day that are not able to be explained. What we are seeing in today’s world is that our governments, in our great countries, are not representing the godliness of our God in heaven. We are far from conforming to his laws and his wishes. Our governments are failing and falling to the evil around them. They also must be reborn. They too, must be reformed and begin to follow the laws and wishes of our God. Jesus is returning soon, but until he does, we must continue to fight and never give up. We must continue to pray and seek God’s help. We must build our faith to be strong and non-wavering. We can do all things through Christ Jesus who gives us strength! (Philippians 4:13) PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
What is your favorite drink?
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BORN AGAIN!

” I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth the Spiritual life.” John 3: 5&6

In the above scripture, Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus that in order to be able to enter the Kingdom of God we must be born again. The term “born again” often turns people off, as most don’t understand the meaning. Being born again literally means being born from above. Just as you were brought into this world by a physical birth, you must also be born spiritually. The Holy Spirit gives us that rebirth. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior a change occurs from within us that begins to affect how we live and talk. We become a totally new person. We begin to think differently, focus differently and pay close attention to the Word of God. Our priorities begin to change and instead of living for ourselves we begin to live for our God in heaven. John 3:3 is very explicit in telling us that we must be born again in order to reach the Kingdom of God. Jesus says in John 3:3: “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” Being born again is a spiritual birth that is required by our Lord God in order to reach his heavenly kingdom. We must accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. The moment we turn from our sins and trust Jesus to forgive our sins we are saved. We have passed from spiritual death to spiritual life, and we have been declared not guilty in God’s court of law. (Romans 3:21-26). Pray to him, praise him and trust him! Remember, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. (Phil. 4:13) PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Daily writing prompt
Who are your favorite people to be around?
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