Bread of Life, JIL

” LOVE IS PATIENT AND KIND. LOVE IS NOT JEALOUS OR BOASTFUL OR PROUD OR RUDE. IT DOES NOT DEMAND ITS OWN WAY. IT IS NOT IRRITABLE, AND IT KEEPS NO RECORD OF BEING WRONGED. IT DOES NOT REJOICE ABOUT INJUSTICE BUT REJOICES WHENEVER THE TRUTH WINS OUT. LOVE NEVER GIVES UP, NEVER LOSES FAITH, IS ALWAYS HOPEFUL, AND ENDURES THROUGH EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE.” 1 CORINTHIANS 13: 4-7

” THREE THINGS WILL LAST FOREVER- FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE- THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE.” 1 CORINTHIANS 13: 13

Our God in heaven makes it very clear the importance of love. God’s love is unconditional. (1 John 4:8). There is not a moment that goes by that our God does not love. Everything he does is done out of love. Even when God becomes angry with us his actions are an expression of his love. God’s love is always faithful to those who love him and obey his commands. Deuteronomy 7:9 tell us that he lavishes his love on those who love and obey him. When you and I become filled with God’s love we can do and see and understand things that we could not otherwise do, see or understand. When we become filled with his love we can endure pain, scatter fear, forgive others, avoid arguments, renew our strength, and bless and help others in ways that become even amazing to us. As he tells us in 1 John 4:18, there is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear. True love is powerful and never ending. He loves us with everything he is, and we should walk through each day displaying his love through our love for him and for those around us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” BUT OUR BODIES HAVE MANY PARTS AND GOD HAS PUT EACH PART JUST WHERE HE WANTS IT.” 1 CORINTHIANS 12:18

” ALL OF YOU TOGETHER ARE CHRIST’S BODY, AND EACH OF YOU IS A PART OF IT.” 1 CORINTHIANS 12:27

I have often thought about how the human body was put together and how it works. Our God in heaven created each of us in an amazingly intricate way. Each part of our body is placed in exactly the right place and does exactly what needs to be done to keep us alive. We are each a part of the body of Jesus. Each one of us has been placed in the exact places he wants us, at exactly the right time and we are to do exactly what he wants us to do. Everything we do as individuals in Jesus comes together as one in Christ. We are all, as born-again believers, a part of the body and we all work together in the plan our God has for this world. Each and every one of us are extremely important to the body of Christ. Just as the human parts of our bodies are all important to keep us alive so are we, as parts of the body of Christ, extremely important. We must work together and not work against each other. When we do our lives become so much easier. We must remember that we are representing our God in heaven in every step that we take. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“JESUS REPLIED, ‘ I HAVE ALREADY TOLD YOU AND YOU DON’T BELIEVE ME. THE PROOF IS IN THE WORK I DO IN MY FATHER’S NAME.'” JOHN 10:25

Even Jesus had to prove to those around him that he was the Son of God in heaven. He lived his life as he was instructed by God. He came to this world for a purpose and that purpose had to be fulfilled and completed. But even then, there were those who didn’t believe. Our lives are molded the same as the life of Jesus. God has a plan and we each have a role to play. As followers we are to live our lives in submission to our God. We are to know what his ways are and what he wants us to do. We must train ourselves up in his word and live our lives for him without fear of what others may think of us. It is vitally important that we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. However, our work as his children does not stop there. We are to represent him and live lives that represent him. Our lives should testify to others his great message of salvation. While we are living in this world we are to work hard and become the best messengers we can become. We must stay strong with strong faith and a trust that is never wavering. Our Lord is depending upon us to fulfill our mission. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” I HAVE PLACED MY RAINBOW IN THE CLOUDS. IT IS A COVENANT WITH YOU AND ALL OF THE EARTH. ” GENESIS 9:13

” WHEN I SEE THE RAINBOW IN THE CLOUDS, I WILL REMEMBER THE ETERNAL COVENANT BETWEEN GOD AND EVERY LIVING CREATURE ON EARTH. THEN GOD SAID TO NOAH, ‘ YES THIS RAINBOW IS THE SIGN OF THE COVENANT I AM CONFIRMING WITH ALL THE CREATURES ON EARTH.’ ”

Just what is a covenant? It is described in the dictionary as a contract or a treaty. Our God in heaven is very plain when he describes the meaning of the rainbow. All things are created by God. The rainbow was created as a sign of the covenant that God had made with all of the earth. This covenant was made with Noah and all the creatures of the earth and for all generations to come. That would be us. Our God confirmed that never again would flood waters kill all living creatures and destroy the earth. When God sends clouds into the sky the rainbow will appear and be a reminder to him of the covenant he has made. In today’s world the rainbow is being used for other representations. Its meaning is being turned upside down and used to represent something that our God does not approve of. The devil is doing everything he can to represent the opposite of what our loving and trusting God stands for. It is important that we as followers of Christ become aware of the meaning of the rainbow and what it represents. A contract has been made between God and his earth and everything in the earth. The contract has not been broken and will not be broken. The devil is doing his best to avert our thoughts and definition of the rainbow to something it is not. We must surround ourselves with the presence of our Lord and focus on the truth and not the lies of the evil one. We must understand that the rainbow is important to our God because of the covenant (contract) he has made with us. The devil also thinks it is important as he also is trying to use it for his purposes of evil. Let us all fight to bring the meaning of the rainbow back to where it belongs, a sign of the promise our God has made to us and will not break! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“SING TO THE LORD, ALL YOU GODLY ONES! PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME. FOR HIS ANGER LASTS ONLY A MOMENT, BUT HIS FAVOR LASTS A LIFETIME! WEEPING MAY LAST THROUGH THE NIGHT BUT JOY COMES WITH THE MORNING.” PSALM 30:4 AND 5

It is so important to worship and praise our Lord even in the darkest of times. As human beings living upon this earth our Lord knows quite well that we make mistakes in life. When we do things that we know we shouldn’t do our God is not pleased with us. However, scriptures show us that his anger is only temporary and lasts only for a short moment. But if we continue to go to him in praise and worship, and not run away from him, he will forgive us. He loves us through it all. Even though you and I have a hard time forgiving and forgetting, our God in heaven does not. We must keep him close to us throughout each day. Even when we are totally involved in our daily plans, we need to include the Lord. We should think of him and talk to him. He is always close to us and lives inside of us through his precious Holy Spirit. He will give us directions and help us to seek out and stay on the path he has prepared for us. It is when we don’t include him in our lives that we stray into trouble. Stay close and never forget his presence! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“WHY WAS THIS MAN BORN BLIND? WAS IT BECAUSE OF HIS OWN SINS OR HIS PARENTS SINS? ‘IT WAS NOT BECAUSE OF HIS SINS OR HIS PARENTS SINS’, JESUS ANSWERED. ‘ THIS HAPPENED SO THE POWER OF GOD COULD BE SEEN IN HIM. WE MUST QUICKLY CARRY OUT THE TASKS ASSIGNED TO US BY THE ONE WHO SENT US.’ ” JOHN 9:2-4

We all have a role to play in God’s plan. He has chosen us to live in this world, at this time and with an assigned duty. No matter our assignment we are to perform with strength and with trust in our living God. Some of us go through things that others do not. We may ask, WHY ME LORD? The Lord has given us an assignment that we can fulfill. He gives us the tools to work with, the faith to believe, and the trust to conquer, by belief in, and use of his mighty word. I know of a young lady who has ALS and in her fifth year of living this horrendous experience. I have followed her experience through this disease from her very first announcement of her condition. Her attitude has been one of nothing but faith and joy from the very beginning. Even though she is in a wheelchair and can move no part of her body, except her eyes, she lives her life with success and strength. She focuses on the good in her life and has outlived her diagnosis for leaving this world. She has a purpose and is going to fulfill her purpose. If she would have resisted, I am sure the Lord would have found someone else to fulfill her assignment. We should all set back and take a hard look at our experiences in life. There is always someone going through greater hardships than we are. No matter our situation we should continue to praise God for every breath he gives us and live our lives as a testimony to him! Only our God knows what tomorrow will bring! PRAISE THE LORD IN EVERY SITUATION!

“BE STILL IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD AND WAIT FOR HIM TO ACT.” PSALM 37:7

Patience is not something that comes easy to me. When I am doing something, I want the results to be completed as soon as possible. I want to see the end result quickly and not have to wait for it. Since I have become a Born-Again Christian, the Lord has had to teach me about patience. It has been a learning experience that seems to never end. I have found that the Lord works on his own time schedule and not mine. He answers my prayers, but I may not see the results immediately. The answers to my prayers may take a day, weeks, months or even years, but he keeps telling me to believe that I receive. He keeps telling me that the answers are coming but that I have to be patient. Oh, what a painful word. It took time for me to start to become obedient to his word. It took time for my faith to begin to become stronger. It took his patience on my behalf to allow my dedication to him to begin to take shape. It is an on-going process that continues still today and will continue until his return. Yes, I falter at times. I become anxious. I become angry and upset, but he is always there to remind me that the answers to my prayers are on the way. The answers will be manifest in the proper time and no sooner. If your prayers have not manifested, then the time is not right. It doesn’t’ mean that he hasn’t answered your prayer but that it is just not the right time. He has a plan for our lives and for the lives of those around us. We must trust in his plan and his timing. He loves us and he will never fail us. We must continue to build our faith and trust in him. When we do, we will begin to live in joy and with peace in our lives. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. IF YOU FOLLOW ME, YOU WON’T HAVE TO WALK IN DARKNESS, BECAUSE YOU WILL HAVE THE LIGHT THAT LEADS TO LIFE.” JOHN 8:12

Jesus leads us to eternal life. There are millions of people in the world looking for the love and peace that our Lord brings. Some worship Buddha, some worship drugs, others try to gain satisfaction by eliminating the idea that there is a god. Some try to be God. Still others continue to walk in darkness, stumbling around and bumping into other worldly ideas of salvation. There is only one answer, and that answer is Jesus Christ. There is only one way to reach him and that is to develop a personal relationship with him. Accept him as your Lord and Savior, confess your belief and walk in his ways. Jesus is the way, the light and the Savior. He loves us, he died for us and fights for us. He is our light, our only light and the only way to eternal life! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“DON’T YOU REALIZE THAT YOUR BODIES ARE ACTUALLY PARTS OF CHRIST?” 1 CORINTHIANS 6:15

“DON’T YOU REALIZE THAT YOUR BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHO LIVES IN YOU AND WAS GIVEN TO YOU BY GOD? 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

For all of us who have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior we have been gifted, by our God, the Holy Spirit. Scripture tells us that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Our Lord God loves our bodies so much that He made the ultimate sacrifice so that we could live. When we became believers, we began to clean house. We began to sweep the old ways out and replace them with the things of God. We replaced our old ways of living with the new and clean ways. We belong to our God in heaven and not to ourselves. He calls the shots in our lives and not us. It is his plan that is being fulfilled and not our own. It is vitally important that we honor our God in heaven each day with our bodies. We should keep them clean and not allow any dirt to exist. We must make sure that we honor what our God has given us, our bodies, as much as he honored the gift, he gave us. When we accepted Christ into our lives, we died to ourselves and became alive in Jesus. We committed totally to him and must continually keep focused on his ways and not ours. The precious Holy Spirit lives in us and we must listen and learn. We must become obedient and stay obedient to his instructions. We must remember that we are not the owners of our bodies, but God is! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE. WHOEVER COMES TO ME WILL NEVER BE HUNGRY AGAIN. WHOEVER BELIEVES IN ME WILL NEVER THIRST.” JOHN 6:35

” YES, I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE!” JOHN 6:48

” ANYONE WHO EATS THE BREAD FROM HEAVEN, HOWEVER, WILL NEVER DIE.” JOHN 6:50

Jesus makes it very clear to those around him that he is the Bread of Life. It is He who they need to believe in and not the world around them. I am sure this was not easy for those around him. Just as you and I live our lives every day, they too were living their lives in the world. They were surrounded each day with the evil that was saturating the world. But the more they were around Jesus the more they believed. It is the same with us. The more we are around Jesus and his word, the more we believe. It is like a tug of war. We must be strong and act upon God’s word with faith. We must be able to take steps of faith within our own lives no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in. By doing so, we allow Jesus to work in our lives. Make Jesus your focal point! Consider him your one and only resource that is available 24/7. Make a habit of going to him in prayer and praise and then claim and put into action his promises. He is the Bread of Life. With him we will never go hungry and never thirst. Living our lives in Christ is a full-time experience and not a parttime experience. He wants all of us and not just part. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” THE SPIRIT ALONE GIVES ETERNAL LIFE. HUMAN EFFORT ACCOMPLISHES NOTHING. AND THE VERY WORDS I HAVE SPOKEN TO YOU ARE SPIRIT AND LIFE.” JOHN 6:63

” FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NOT JUST A LOT OF TALK; IT IS BY LIVING BY GOD’S POWER.” 1 CORINTHIANS 4:20

The gift of life is a gift that comes by the grace of our God in heaven. We cannot receive eternal life by works. We cannot receive the grace of our God by serving meals at the shelter every day or by any other acts kindness. Eternal life is by believing, with faith, the salvation message. It is by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. It is a free gift given to those who want it and receive it. We are to spread his word, not just by telling others about Jesus, but also by living a life that proves our faith in Him. It is by accepting Jesus into our lives and then living our lives by the power of God that produces good works. It is then that we have a desire to love and serve others. It is then that we believe that his power is real. It is by a strong faith that we not only accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior but that we also live by his mighty power. We should not only believe but we must also receive. When we receive, we must put his promises and words into action in our lives so that others may see his power in real time and then desire his grace of salvation in their lives. We must continue to surround ourselves with the Word of God and his mighty promises. We must stay focused on the things of our God and not on the evil that surrounds us each day. We must let the Holy Spirit lead us in the daily decisions we make. We must arrange our priorities in life that makes Jesus number one! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“FOR THE WISDOM OF THIS WORLD IS FOOLISHNESS TO GOD.” 1 CORINTHIANS 3:19

“COMMIT EVERYTHING YOU DO TO THE LORD. TRUST HIM, AND HE WILL HELP YOU.” PSALM 37:5

It appears that our lives in this world can sometimes become very complicated. We are constantly struggling to overcome our disasters, our worries, and our doubts. As we struggle through life, we try to come up with our own plans to overcome our deficiencies and make our lives worry free. When we do this, we always create other problems. It is impossible for us to be like God. It seems impossible for some of us to even believe in what our God has created for us. The Lord makes it very clear in Psalm 37:5 that we are to commit everything we do to him. Once we take our troubles to the Lord, we must learn to leave them with the Lord and trust him to take care of them. Instead, we many times will pick them right up again and begin to worry and struggle over these same issues. It is not an easy process to be able to trust God with our problems. Our faith must be at a level that allows us to not doubt our Lord. As we read his Word and meditate upon every word our faith becomes stronger and stronger. It is important that we stay focused on the simple things in life. Worry takes the simplicity out of our way of living. Our interference hinders our Lord from helping us. If we do not stay completely focused on Jesus every day, then the way we live will be interrupted by the evils of this world. Keep the Word of God with you all day, every day. Never allow your focus to slip to what surrounds you physically but feed your spirit daily and stay focused on Jesus! When you do, our Lord Jesus promises to help you! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“DON’T YOU REALIZE THAT ALL OF YOU TOGETHER ARE THE TEMPLE OF GOD AND THAT THE SPIRIT OF GOD LIVES IN YOU? GOD WILL DESTROY ANYONE WHO DESTROYS THIS TEMPLE. FOR GOD’S TEMPLE IS HOLY, AND YOU ARE THAT TEMPLE.” 1 CORINTHIANS 3:16-17

We are the temple of God. We have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior and have accepted the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit provides us with protection, wisdom, understanding and guidance in our daily lives. We are able to worship our God everyday no matter where we are. We are able to praise him and trust his ways in whatever we are doing and wherever we are. We don’t have to wait until Sunday to do these things, but we should worship him every day. We should build ourselves up each day and become stronger in our faith so that when we get to church on Sunday and come together with those who worship as we do, we are not down in the spirit but instead strong in the spirit. We should not use are churches as gas stations where we go to fill up for the next week, but instead use that time to truly worship in truth and in Spirit. We should stay strong all week and be ready to go to God on Sunday in unison as one voice in worship and prayer. Each of us are the temple of God. We should live our lives as such. We are important to our God in heaven, and he wants us to be close to him at all times. Because we are his temple we are protected and full of wisdom and praise. We should live our lives each day as though we are in church. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“NO EYE HAS SEEN, NO EAR HAS HEARD, AND NO MIND HAS IMAGINED WHAT GOD HAS PREPARD FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.” 1 CORINTHIANS 2:9

“BUT, IT WAS TO US THAT GOD REVEALED THESE THINGS BY HIS SPIRIT. FOR HIS SPIRIT SEARCHES OUT EVERYTHING AND SHOWS US GOD’S DEEP SECRETS.” 1 CORINTHIANS 2:10

“FOR ONLY THOSE WHO ARE SPIRITUAL CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT THE SPIRIT MEANS.” 1 CORINTHIANS 2:14

When Jesus was lifted to heaven to set at God’s right hand, God sent to us the third person in the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is described as the Dove, the Comforter, the Intercessor, the Presence of God, the Spirit and the Spirit of God. He is our helper, our guide and our healer in our times of need. However, unless we allow him to work in our lives he will not and cannot do what he was sent to do. But it the Spirit who reveals all things to us. It is the Holy Spirit who searches out all things and shows us God’s deepest secrets. It is by listening and hearing him that we become Spiritual. To become Spiritual is to understand his thoughts and his ways. Without the Holy Spirit working in our lives then our lives become so much more difficult. Take time, listen, understand and let Him do the work for which He was sent to do. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“NOW YOU HAVE EVERY SPIRITUAL GIFT YOU NEED AS YOU EAGERLY WAIT FOR THE RETURN OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.” 1 CORINTHIANS 1:7

We have the best seat in the house. Our God has prepared us for his coming by giving us all of the spiritual gifts we need while we wait for the return of Jesus. Our Lord has made it very clear that we, as his children are to live our lives in the spiritual realm and not in the worldly surroundings, we find ourselves in. The world itself has become so corrupt that there is no possible return for any glory. It is destined for more corruption and a total collapse within this generation. We are to live in this world but not become a part of it. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit our God in heaven has given us the ability to think spiritually and to live our lives spiritually. He has given us all a measure of faith and with that measure we are to build castles of faith. We are to become so strong in our faith and his promises, that doubt, worry, and fear will disappear. Our faith must not only become strong, but it must also become disciplined. Our focus must not wander. When we confront troubles our first thoughts and actions should be to go to our Lord for help. As we pray to God, in the name of Jesus, the Holy Spirit will give us directions and thoughts that fall in line with God’s Word. As we pray and meditate the Holy Spirit will provide insight and understanding about situations that we never thought possible. We must, however, be diligent in our focus and listen to his small still voice from within. He has prepared us. We are ready. Now we must believe and not fail. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“HUMANS CAN REPRODUCE HUMAN LIFE, BUT THE HOLY SPIRIT GIVES BIRTH TO SPIRITUAL LIFE.” JOHN 3:6

” ANYONE WHO DRINKS THIS WATER WILL SOON BECOME THIRSTY AGAIN. BUT THOSE WHO DRINK THE WATER I GIVE THEM WILL NEVER BE THIRSTY AGAIN. IT BECOMES A FRESH BUBBLING SPRING WITHIN THEM, GIVING THEM ETERNAL LIFE.” JOHN 4:13-14

We live in this world. We breathe the air of this world. We are surrounded by the ways of this world in every place we go and in everything we do. We hear the constant groanings of this world as Jesus is preparing to return. We are currently living in his time of grace. All it takes for salvation is for us to come to the realization that our Lord is the way and the only way to eternal life. If we confess with our mouth and believe with our heart, we will be saved. The door on the time of grace is quickly being closed. Jesus is standing at the threshold ready to return for his children. Are you ready? Is your family ready? Have we allowed ourselves to be shaped and molded by the ways of the world or have we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior and living a life he had planned for us? What are our priorities? Are we concerned about all of the confusing things going on today? Are we fearful of all of the crime in our cities and communities? Are we concerned about the things we cannot understand? These are all very concerning items, and we should be concerned, but our top priority should be bringing as many to Christ as possible. Our goal is to win souls for Jesus. Our eyes and our goals should be focused upon the end result, Jesus Christ. When we have Jesus then our worries and concerns of this world are laid upon him and our trust in him allows us to be freed up to do our part in this battle between evil and good. Our concerns should be totally focused upon the souls of others and not the ways of this world. Our Lord God in heaven has it all under control. Trust him! He is coming soon!!! PRAISE THE LORD IN EVERYTHING!

“FOR GOD IS A SPIRIT, SO THOSE WHO WORSHIP HIM MUST WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH.” JOHN 4:24

Worship for our God must originate from within, from the heart; it must be sincere, motivated by our love for him and gratitude for all he and has done for us. We cannot just go through the motions. As Born-Again Christians we have developed a personal relationship with Jesus. When we worship, we should do it with the passion that was created in us when we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior. We must recognize and be thankful for all that our Lord does for us each day. We must praise him and give him all of the glory he so richly deserves. The highest form of worship is not prayer or singing, but rather the study of his word. When we study and meditate, we learn to hear from God when he speaks to us. His word provides his instructions, promises and examples of the ways he wants us to live. As we study his word, we learn his scriptures and are directed to answers to many of our prayers. Yes, our God can and does perform miracles. However, most of our prayers are answered in his scriptures. If we know his word and live his word, then we are worshiping him and glorifying him to the fullest. He loves us and because he loves us, he never fails us. The truth is the Word of God. What he says is true. We must worship both in Spirit and in Truth! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“I PRAY THAT GOD, THE SOURCE OF HOPE WILL FILL YOU COMPLETELY WITH LOVE AND PEACE BECAUSE YOU TRUST IN HIM. THEN YOU WILL OVERFLOW WITH CONFIDENT HOPE THROUGH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.” ROMANS 15:13

Having a strong faith and trusting in our God in heaven is a requirement and not a suggestion. There is no way we can believe in him without faith. You and I have never seen our Lord but with strong faith and complete trust in him we receive from him. The more we meditate in his word the more we believe. The more we converse with him, the stronger our belief comes. The more we depend upon him, for even the smallest things in our lives, the more we believe and receive. As followers of Jesus, we are to believe and work within the Spirit of our living God. He has sent us his Holy Spirit who provides us with wise guidance, wisdom for understanding the spirit world and strength when we need it. The Holy Spirit provides us the wisdom we need to be able to better understand the Lord and his ways. Everything that happens in the world today is dictated by what is happening in the spirit realm. We must believe that we receive, and when we do, we will overflow with confident hope. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” IF GOD IS FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US? ” ROMANS 8:31

“FEAR OF THE LORD LEADS TO LIFE, BRINGING SECURITY AND PROTECTION FROM HARM! ” PROVERBS 19:23

Fear of the Lord may refer to fear itself, but more often it refers to a sense of awe, and submission to our God in heaven. To fear our Lord, we must be in continual submission to him in humility and in faith. When we are in submission to our God, we have distain for evil and we have a strong desire to flee from it. Proverbs 19:23 is very clear that when we have a fear for him (love and submission to Him) he brings us into his realm of security and protects from any harm. When we love and submit to him, we are to strengthen our faith and trust his decisions for our lives. We are trusting him to guide our lives with everlasting knowledge, that no matter the outcomes, he is for us and not against us. We remember that all things turn out for the good of those who love him. Romans 8:28 tells us, “ AND WE KNOW THAT GOD CAUSES EVERTHING TO WORK TOGETHER FOR THE GOOD OF THOSE WHO LOVE GOD AND ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE FOR THEM.” If our God is working for us, then fear flees from us. There is nothing to be fearful of. Our trust will overcome the fear and doubt that tries to imprison us. So then, if fear flees then what is there to be scared of? Nothing! However, we must continue to build our faith. We must stay strengthened by his promises in his Holy Word. He loves us and we are to love and live in submission to him! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“HE RENEWS MY STRENGTH. HE GUIDES ME ALONG RIGHT PATHS, BRINGING HONOR TO HIS NAME.” PSALM 23:3

“COMMIT EVERYTHING YOU DO TO THE LORD. TRUST HIM AND HE WILL HELP YOU.” PSALM 37:5

As we continue to build our faith our trust in our God continues to get stronger and stronger. Our faith allows us to trust him to guide us in our lives. We live lives that reflect the glory of our God. He is in control, and we are in obedience. In everything we do each day, each decision we make, no matter the size, we trust him to help and guide us. When we completely surrender to him our lives become so much more joyful. Any fear or worries that were once troubling us have fled. We trust his ways even though they may not seem logical to us. When we allow our faith in Jesus to rule over us then we fear no evil. Jesus came to this earth to serve both the living and the dead. So, if we live, he serves us and if we die, he serves us. He is our strength, wisdom, understanding and comforter in all situations! PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

” AND SO, DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, I PLEAD WITH YOU TO GIVE YOUR BODIES TO GOD BECAUSE OF ALL HE HAS DONE FOR YOU. LET THEM BE A LIVING AND HOLY SACRIFICE- THE KIND HE WILL FIND ACCEPTABLE.” ROMANS 12:1

” REJOICE IN OUR CONFIDENT HOPE. BE PATIENT IN TROUBLE AND KEEP ON PRAYING.” ROMANS 12:12

Sacrificing to our God continues to be an important item in our relationship with him. If we just take the time to set back and concentrate on what he has sacrificed for us, we will see the importance of sacrificing. He gave us his only son to die for our sins. He walked in the same troubles and anxieties that you and I walk in today. He was persecuted to the fullest extent for you and for me. Yet he continued to the end where he was nailed to the cross and died. He then went to hell and back for us and is now sitting at the right hand of our God in heaven and cheering us on. As we live our lives on this earth, we should reflect upon what we have sacrificed for Him. Do we believe his holy word enough to stand up in the face of persecution and death? Have we strengthened our faith and trust in Him to the point that we totally depend upon his word for our direction in life? We are to be a living and holy sacrifice that is acceptable to him. Our lives should be lived in such a way that when people see us, they see Jesus. We should be living with love and not hate in our lives. We should be living a life of joy and peace, no matter what situation we find ourselves in. We are to rejoice and be happy in our future. We should be patient and not anxious in our trials, knowing that our God has the answers for us, and is always there to help us through. We should always be in prayer and in meditation of God’s word. You and I are children of the living God. This should always be remembered and never forgotten. He loves us and is patient with us just as we should love him and be patient in his decisions. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“OH, HOW GREAT ARE GOD’S RICHES AND WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE! HOW IMPOSSIBLE IT IS FOR US TO UNDERSTAND HIS DESCISIONS AND HIS WAYS.” ROMANS 11:33

“FOR EVERYTHING COMES FROM HIM AND EXISTS BY HIS POWER AND IS INTENDED FOR HIS GLORY. ALL GLORY TO HIM FOREVER! AMEN.” ROMANS 11:36

Sometimes we forget the purpose for which man was put upon this earth. Man and woman were created in the image of God, to go forth and to populate the earth and live life in comfort, just as God intended. We forget that all things come from God and that all things are intended for his glory. But evil also entered the world, the devil himself. He came with lies and temptations that Adam and Eve both succumbed to. God had created Adam and Eve with their own free will and they had the ability to choose right from wrong. They made a decision that would affect humanity forever. Why? Romans tell us that it is impossible for us to understand the decisions our God makes. But we do know that all things were created for the glory of God in heaven. We exist by his power, and we are intended to live lives that glorify and honor him. We are given that opportunity, by the sacrifice God made, in sending his only son to die for us. Without God sending Jesus to this earth to overcome evil, we would all be doomed. God wants all creation to follow him. Just like Adam and Eve we have a choice. We can either follow the evil ways of this world or we can choose life and follow Jesus. What great riches we receive when we make the choice to follow Jesus! It may not be the easiest choice, but it is the wisest. Let us believe we receive and glorify him daily in both word and deed! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“WHAT IF SOME DID NOT HAVE FAITH? WILL THEIR LACK OF FAITH NULLIFY GOD’S FAITHFULNESS? NOT AT ALL!” ROMANS 3:3-4

“THEREFORE, THE PROMISE COMES BY FAITH.” ROMANS 4:16

Our God’s faithfulness never fails. His truths are always with us. Even when we go through times where we find ourselves unfaithful doing or thinking outside of the will of God, his faithfulness never fails. He loves us and wants us to live our lives within his plan. He wants to be able to wrap his arms around each of us and keep us safe from the evils of the world around us. It is because of God’s faithfulness that we can stand tall in the face of any danger and fight the good fight. It is because of his faithfulness that his promises stand tall, and we are able to grasp onto them at any time. It is because of his faithfulness that we are able to walk with confidence in times of stress, depression, anger, sickness and disease which try to overtake us. There is nothing in all of the world that will nullify God’s faithfulness. He faithfulness and is always available. He should be first in our lives and never put on the back burner. Our faith in him must never falter, though if it does, he is always faithful to pick us up and put us back on the right path. As believers in Christ Jesus, we can live our lives with the sureness of his faithfulness and walk each day with strength and courage! Our God in heaven is always faithful! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“FOR EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED. BUT HOW CAN THEY CALL ON HIM TO SAVE THEM UNLESS THEY BELIEVE IN HIM?” ROMANS 10:13&14

“SO, FAITH COMES FROM HEARING, THAT IS HEARING THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT CHRIST.” ROMANS 10:17

Do we seek our God out of desperation or out of dependence? At what point do we go to our Lord for help? Do we use him as a last resort, trying everything under the sun to resolve our problems, before succumbing to him? Or do we go to him out of dependence and trust? Do we know him by living a life that depends on him for our survival? Do we trust in every word he speaks, every promise he has promised or do we just us him in emergencies, when things get so bad that nothing else works. Faith comes by hearing and hearing comes from the word of God. It is important that we surround ourselves with his word. We must read it, meditate upon it, pray it and believe it. This should be the first thing we do in the morning and the last thing we do at night. Our faith and belief will become stronger when we hear it consistently and not just some of the time. We are going to live a life with thoughts, ideas and words of the environment we surround ourselves with. If we spend more hours per day living in the world and not thinking about God, then we will live a life representative of the world around us. However, if we keep Jesus at the forefront of our day will live a strong life of faith. His holy word will become a part of us and become the way we live our life. Our God wants us to depend upon him and not use him just in emergencies. Jesus gave himself for our salvation, our healings and our forgiveness of sins. He loves us and we should love and trust him. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” AND WE KNOW THAT IN ALL THINGS GOD WORKS FOR THE GOOD OF THOSE LOVE HIM, WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.” ROMANS 8:28

” YOU CAN MAKE MANY PLANS, BUT THE LORD’S PURPOSE WILL PREVAIL.” PROVERBS 19:21

“In all things our God works for the good of those who love him.” That is quite a statement. It doesn’t matter how difficult life becomes, if we believe and love the Lord our God, we can rest assured that he is working in our lives all of the time. He isn’t just present when things are going well. He is with us in all areas and all situations we confront. He never leaves us. If we are sick, depressed, hurt, fearful, doubting, or anything else we may endure, he is with us. He is working to help us through. He is building our situation to allow us to become living testimonies. It is easy to say we believe in God when things are going well. However, when the rough times hit our faith becomes tested. We must plow through with faith and trust that our Lord Jesus is with us, he is beside us and he is helping us. It may be difficult to believe when we are sitting in a wheelchair, or sick with a disease, or being persecuted for our faith, but those are the times when our faith needs to be the strongest and our trust needs to be solid. We must make him first in our lives at all times, in the good times and bad times. We must always keep ourselves surrounded with his Word and remind ourselves of his mighty promises. When we do, we will be strong, and we will become successful in God’s plan for our lives. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” BUT IF WE HOPE FOR WHAT WE DO NOT YET HAVE, WE WAIT FOR IT PATIENTLY.” ROMANS 8:25

We have a patient God. He has proven time and time again just how patient he is. I know that in my own life the Lord has been and continues to be patient with me. Even though I go to him daily in prayer and include in my thoughts and prayers throughout the day I continue to make unwise decisions, sometimes say words that are not in line with his thoughts, and sometimes listen to the world and get overanxious and worry about the things going on around me. I sometimes find myself doing things that the world requires of me rather than listening to Him and doing things he requires of me. With all of the mishaps I have going on each day I am able to go to him, repent and ask for forgiveness. He picks me up and continues to love and secure me tightly in his presence. He is patient with me and never waivers from his patients. You and I are to be patient as well. As we pray for our families, our friends, our great country and ourselves, we must be patient in the things we hope for. We must put complete trust in the Lord that he will answer us. It may not be as quickly as we may like but we must continue to believe and trust in his ways. He never fails. He has a plan, and we must recognize his patience within his plan. The only way we can do that is by our total commitment and trust in him. It is important that we study his holy word every day and stay connected to him. When we do he is always there for us! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“THE DAY OF THE LORD IN NEAR, THE DAY WHEN DESTRUCTION COMES FROM THE ALMIGHTY. HOW TERRIBLE THAT DAY WILL BE.” JOEL 1:15

We have all been chosen to live in this world at this exact time. We are all within our God’s plan. We live in a time of utter confusion, anger, evil, hate, injustice, and complete denial of our God in heaven. Some may say that it has been this way for centuries and that nothing has changed. That is definitely not the case. Our freedoms that this country was founded upon are threatened by the evil lies of the devil. Satin is on his last leg. He certainly knows the outcome to be. His furry is so strong that even some believers of our God in heaven will be deceived. The world itself has turned upside down. Complete denial of God’s word is in full force. Men want to become women and women want to become men. There are those in the highest positions in the land that cannot define what a man or woman is. Law and order have been robbed from our communities and our streets; lawlessness runs rampant. What once was justice in this world is now injustice. Confusion and fear have been sown and grows at every corner. It is so important that you and I become stronger each day in our faith. Our faith must keep up with the evil that the devil is spreading. We must surround ourselves with the promises of God and focus on the spiritual things and not the physical. There is a great spiritual warfare happening and we are all a part of it. We must trust our Lord and continue to be strong in our faith. Our Lord is not going to allow what is happening in our world today to happen much longer. He is coming soon! Are you ready? PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“IN THE SAME WAY COUNT YOURSELVES DEAD TO SIN BUT ALIVE TO GOD IN CHRIST JESUS. THEREFORE, DO NOT LET SIN REIGN IN YOUR MORTAL BODY SO THAT YOU OBEY IT’S EVIL DESIRES.” ROMANS 6:11-12

“DON’T YOU KNOW THAT WHEN YOU OFFER YOURSELVES TO SOMEONE TO OBEY HIM AS SLAVES, YOU ARE SLAVES TO THE ONE YOU OBEY? ROMANS 6:16

The terms slave and slavery in today’s world will get you nowhere but in trouble with the world. However, the bible uses the terms slave and slavery without hesitation. I am certainly not condoning what happened in this country two hundred years ago as a good thing. It was not. Trying to own someone and trying to dictate their lives is not right. But when it comes to sin it is more than wise to listen carefully to what our God has to say about slavery. If we leave the door open to the evil ways of this world, then we will become slaves to its ways. We will fall in line with its message and believe and do as it tells us. If we focus on this world more than we focus on God’s word, then our lives will represent the ways of evil and the sin we live in. We will be slaves of sin! However, when we offer ourselves to God, through Christ Jesus, we are offering ourselves to righteousness and become righteous in the things we manifest in our lives. We are to listen to him, do as he instructs us to do, and live our lives as slaves to his righteousness. The difference in the slavery of the world and slavery of the bible is that we have a right to choose what we want and what we do. We will either be slaves to sin or slaves to our Lord. We are slaves to the one we obey! Let us focus on God’s Word and his righteousness for our lives. Sin leads to an everlasting life in hell, but Jesus leads us to everlasting life with him in heaven! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” THE LAMP OF THE LORD SEARCHES THE SPIRIT OF A MAN, IT SEARCHES OUT HIS INMOST BEING.” PROVERBS 20:27

Whether they admit or not there are many in this world who try to hide from God. Hiding from our God is impossible. Scripture tells us that he searches the deepest depths of man. He knows our thoughts, what we say and what we do. There is no place in this world that we can go to hide from our God in heaven. There is no mountain we can climb or deep hole that we can dig that will hide us from the eyes of our God. However, our God is a faithful and loving God. He may know what our thoughts and deeds are, but we do have an out. He is gracious and loving. He forgives and forgets. He sent Jesus (his one and only son) to die for us. He died for all of our sins, those we have committed and those we still may commit. He walked the earth for us and put himself through all of the trials and temptations we go through. There is no sin our Lord will not forgive unless our hearts are hardened to the point of resistance of the truth, repentance. All that has to be done is to truly accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Jesus is our mediator between ourselves and God. He is our forgiveness and healer. It is our faith in Jesus that redeems us from our sinful lives. When we sin, he gives us the opportunity to be forgiven by going to him in the Name of Jesus and admitting to our sin, turning from our sin and then asking for forgiveness. He loves us and will never forsake us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” AND WE REJOICE IN THE HOPE OF THE GLORY OF GOD. NOT ONLY SO, BUT WE ALSO REJOICE IN OUR SUFFERINGS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT SUFFERING PRODUCES PERSEVERANCE, PERSEVERANCE, CHARACTER; AND CHARACTER, HOPE.” ROMANS 5:2-4

It is not a simple matter to rejoice in things or situations that make us angry, make us hurt or make us sad. However, if we have faith in the hope of the glory of our God in heaven, it becomes a matter of trust and putting his word into action. He tells us that suffering produces perseverance. As we go through struggles, we must endure the things that are making us struggle. Just as Jesus endured persecution and death on the cross, he had hope and belief that what he was doing was fulfilling his Father’s plan. You and I are doing the same kind of things. Sometimes we must persevere through persecution of our beliefs, sadness in the loss of a loved one or anger towards those who taunt and hurt us. As we put God first in our lives and move forward, we are moving closer and closer to the fulfillment of that hope we have in Jesus. Perseverance does build character and it makes our faith stronger. A strong character does build our confidence in the hope we are seeking in Christ Jesus. Our God has sent to us the Holy Spirit to live within us and to guide us. If we listen to him and do as he instructs, he will lead us through the jungles of life and to the hope in Christ Jesus that we so eagerly seek. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS AND SITUATIONS!