Michael J Burchett Ministries

” THE LORD DIRECTS THE STEPS OF THE GODLY. HE DELIGHTS IN EVERY DETAIL OF THEIR LIVES. THOUGH THEY STUMBLE, THEY WILL NEVER FALL, FOR THE LORD HOLDS THEM BY THE HAND.” PSALM 37: 23-24

Our Lord God in heaven watches over each and every one of us. He knows our thoughts, desires, needs and intentions. Psalm 37 says that he delights in every detail of our lives. He is with us when we celebrate and when we are in our deepest depression. We may stumble along the way because of all of the obstacles set before us, but he is right there beside us. His mighty presence keeps us safe, strong and without fear. We are never alone as long as we choose to have him with us. He is there for every question and every situation. He never fails us. We, however, must decide to include our Lord in our lives. We must accept the Holy Spirit to live within us and give us daily guidance and strength. We must strengthen our faith and believe, without doubt, that he never leaves or abandons us. If we choose to go it alone then our Lord will not be by our side. Our troubles will be ours to fight, and we will depend on the resources around us. These resources will eventually end, and our hope will be gone. We will be overcome and in desperate need of something else and many, because of their stubbornness, will give up. It is at these times that many others come to Christ. It doesn’t’ matter when or how we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior but what matters is that we do it! With our acceptance we receive all of the benefits that he so graciously provides to us through his promises. He is with us always! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” ASK USING MY NAME, AND YOU WILL RECEIVE, AND YOU WILL HAVE ABUNDANT JOY.” JOHN 16:24

” FAITH IS THE ASSURANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR, THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN.” HEBREWS 11:1

Our Lord has given us ample opportunities to live our lives here on earth with joy in our hearts and with peace of mind. He does not allow anyone of us to struggle on our own unless we so choose. He has provided us with promises throughout the bible and he is forever faithful with each promise. He has given us the keys to be able to access these promises. We may read and know every promise in the bible but unless we are able to accept them and act upon them, they are of no use to us. We must have faith. We must believe that when our Lord speaks, we will receive. We have mentioned many times that without faith we are left unguarded and at the will of the evil around us. There is no light at the end of the tunnel and no way out. But with faith, we have our Lord Jesus. There is great power in his name. When the devil and his demons hear that name, they flee. There is no way they can overcome the strength and power of the name of Jesus. There are many who say they trust in God. But what God? There are many different Gods. However, when you say the name of Jesus it rouses the ears of those around us. They either become upset and criticize us or they take a strong interest and want to hear more. It is with great faith and the Name of Jesus that our God hears us. Without faith in Jesus our God in heaven doesn’t know us. Jesus is our mediator, our protector and our Savior. It is with faith that we receive Him. It is by faith that we act upon His word. It is by faith that we trust in what he tells us. It is by faith that we listen to the Holy Spirit and follow His lead. We have the keys. Now we must use them. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” WHEN THEY CALL ON ME I WILL ANSWER; I WILL BE WITH THEM IN TROUBLE. I RESCUE AND HONOR THEM. I WILL REWARD THEM WITH A LONG LIFE AND GIVE THEM MY SALVATION.” PSALM 91:15

Every issue we have or problem we must overcome is important to our God in heaven. He is always by our side walking with us. It is not his desire for us to suffer through our troubles, but he does use those troubles for his glory. He will never allow us to go through more than we can handle, and our Lord knows our tolerance. However, if we believe and trust in him, he will bring us forward through each and every issue we have and allow us to stand strong before others with a testimony that will honor and praise his strength, wisdom, love, peace of mind and joy. Unfortunately, the more pain and suffering we go through the more the world sees and reacts to. It takes great faith and a constant belief that God in heaven is with us. The Holy Spirit lives in us and we need to tap his resources to help us as we move forward. The more patience, the more strength, and the more joy we show through our struggles, the more the world will ask questions. The Lord will use our sorrows, our sicknesses and our struggles to show others his great strength. We must stand up in the face of these struggles and continue to confess his great healing power. There is no doubt with him and there should be no doubt in us. He loves us and needs us to witness on his behalf. But, if we don’t, he will find those who will. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” O LORD, YOU ARE A GREAT AND AWSOME GOD! YOU ALWAYS FULFILL YOUR COVENANT AND KEEP YOUR PROMISES OF UNFAILING LOVE TO THOSE WHO LOVE YOU AND OBEY YOUR COMMANDS.” DANIEL 9:4

I know for a fact that too often I live in the past and the future. I get overly concerned about the things that have already happened and I cannot change, and I get overly concerned about the future where things have not yet happened, and I seem to conjure up thoughts and ideas of how things will happen and begin to believe in the untruths of the future. As I look back, I can see that I spend way too much time in those two areas. Our Lord tells us we are to live one day at a time. When we do, we are able to go to him with the facts and sincerely lay them at his feet. He has promised to honor our contract with him and keep all of his promises. Our Lord is a great and awesome God. It is important to stay in the moment and deal with the issues at hand. We should not spend time thinking of what has already happened or what we think is going to happen. Those are things for our Lord to deal with and not you and me. He has a plan, and he will not change it. Each day has enough trouble of its own to deal with without us adding on yesterday and tomorrow. Remember, yesterday is over, tomorrow has not yet happened, but today is where we are living! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” BECAUSE WE HAVE THESE PROMISES, DEAR FRIENDS, LET US CLEANSE OURSELVES FROM ANYTHING THAT CAN DEFILE OUR BODY OR SPIRIT. AND LET US WORK TOWARD COMPLETE HOLINESS BECAUSE WE FEAR GOD. 2 CORINTHIANS 7:1

Our God has given us promises throughout the bible. You and I must continue to become familiar with each of them, believe in them, accept them and manifest them in our lives. We are to purify ourselves from anything that contaminates our body and spirit. We are surrounded with evil on every side. We must strengthen our faith and know that our God will deliver us no matter the situation. We must stay focused on Jesus and never look back. Just as in Sodom and Gomorrah, our Lord will lead us from the tragedy about to happen. However, we must not look back and have second thoughts as Lot’s wife did. We must give ourselves completely to the Lord. We must trust in him and have a faith that never waivers. He loves us and we are to love him. It matters not what things look like around us. Our faith and trust in our Lord will carry us through each burning fire and out of each valley. Trust Him, have faith in Him and manifest his promises in your Life! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” I AM NOT ASKING YOU TO TAKE THEM OUT OF THE WORLD, BUT TO KEEP THEM SAFE FROM THE EVIL ONE. THEY DO NOT BELONG TO THIS WORLD ANYMORE THAN I DO.” JOHN 17:15-16

” I AM PRAYING NOT ONLY FOR THESE DISCIPLES BUT ALSO FOR ALL WHO WILL EVER BELIEVE IN ME THROUGH THEIR MESSAGE.” JOHN 17:20

We are in this world, but we are not of this world. The Lord Jesus made this very clear in his prayer to God just before his arrest. He did not pray that God take each of us out of this world in order to save us. He prayed that God would keep us safe from the evil one. As believers of the truth, we are to continue with his word and tell it to others. We are always going to be met with resistance just as Jesus was. However, we are to continue to move forward with his message, with the understanding, that God has promised us he will never give us more than we can handle. If we confront a problem in life, then we can be assured that our Lord has given us the resources to meet it head on. We are not to run away and hide. We are instead to look it squarely in the eye and move forward with the confidence and assurances of our God in heaven. We are members of the army of God. We have duties to fulfill in this war against evil. We must continue to stay strong and reinforce our faith on a daily basis. We should feed our spirits each day with the true word of God. We should never forget his mighty promises in our lives. We should never waiver in our belief and trust. He has given us all of the tools necessary to succeed and not fail! Believe, trust and do! We are to be doers of the word and not hearers only. We are in the world but not of the world. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” HERE ON EARTH YOU WILL HAVE MANY TRIALS AND SORROWS. BUT TAKE HEART, BECAUSE I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD.” JOHN 16:33

” FOR WE LIVE BY BELIEVING AND NOT SEEING.” 2 CORINTHIANS 5:7

Everybody has trials and tribulations. Everyone must live their life in such a way as to deal with those trials and tribulations. As followers of Christ, we have a light at the end of the tunnel. We have the promise that our Lord has overcome the world. He has saved us from everlasting sorrow and problems. He gives us the hope that we need to live a life that helps us to endure. As we stay focused on Him, we can walk through the fires of evil and the sorrows that are standing before us. We know that Jesus came to this world and overcame the evil it presents. He walked in our shoes. He endured and was victorious. Because he was victorious, we are victorious. We live our lives by believing and not by seeing. We are not to question him but to believe in him. It is vital that our faith stays strong. Our faith is built upon hearing his word and hearing his word comes from the word of God. We must dedicate our time to him. We must meditate and study his word. We must pray and talk with him everyday. We must involve him in our lives and be sure that we trust him to control the outcomes. He loves us and will never fail us! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” AND ABRAM BELIEVED THE LORD, AND THE LORD COUNTED HIM RIGHTEOUS BECAUSE OF HIS FAITH.” GENESIS 15:6

“TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD. OH, THE JOYS OF THOSE WHO TAKE REFUGE IN HIM!” PSALM 34:8

” LET YOUR UNFAILING LOVE SURROUND US, LORD, FOR OUR HOPE IS IN YOU ALONE.” PSALM 33:32

“SO BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS, ALL YOU WHO PUT YOUR HOPE IN THE LORD! PSALM 31:24

I talk about faith a lot. It is because without a strong faith we would have nothing. It takes faith to even believe in Jesus. Our Lord God honors our faith. He does things that the world declares as impossible. We don’t always see them manifested as miracles, but they are things in everyday life, that if we look back, we can see our Lord has had a hand in every situation we allow him to. I don’t know that we can ever reach the end of how strong our faith can be in our Lord. He is never ending and everlasting. It appears that building our faith is never ending and everlasting as well. With faith in what he tells us he can and will do for us, we can live our lives with more joy and freedom. We are free of the chains that bind us in this world. We are allowed to believe in the most impossible things according to this world. With strong faith, we get out of our Lord’s way and let him work miracles and work in all situations in our lives. We look to him even in the smallest of matters. We think of him in every situation and take action by allowing him to move in our lives. He loves us and wants to help us. Why do we continue to hinder him? Why do we allow ourselves to let the world influence the way we believe? We are overcomers in Christ. Let’s live our lives as such and always believe that we receive! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“FOR THE MORE WE SUFFER FOR CHRIST, THE MORE GOD WILL SHOWER US WITH HIS COMFORT THROUGH CHRIST. ” 2 CORINTHIANS 1:5

” I WILL PROTECT THOSE WHO TRUST IN MY NAME.” PSALM 91:14

” THE LORD IS CLOSE TO THE BROKENHEARTED; HE RESCUES THOSE WHOSE SPIRITS ARE CRUSHED.” PSALM 34:18

Sometimes it is necessary that we reach rock bottom in our lives in order for our witness for Christ to shine. Some appear to suffer more than others, but we must remember we all have a cross to carry. There are times in our lives, when even as we continue to be dedicated to our Lord Jesus, our situations not only do not improve but they seem to get worse. Does that mean that the Lord has forsaken us? Does that mean that there is no God who cares? Of course not! These are times where our faith and trust in him must be at its strongest. We must dig deeper into his word, pray his promise for our lives and believe without wavering that he has answered our prayers. We must be patient and know that in his timing the answers to our prayers will be manifested. When we are at our worst is when our Lord is at this best. He has a plan, and we must continue to believe! Our Lord has promised us that if we pray within his will and believe, he will answer our prayers. We must climb out of the hole that contains self-pity and a sorrowful attitude. We must begin to look at things from God’s point of view and not that of the world. We must keep in mind that what looks to be doomed in this world is a bright spot with our God in heaven. We must begin to trust God no matter his answers. His plan is perfect and ours is tremendously flawed. If we keep him as our source and go to him with ALL THINGS, then he will give us the patience we need and the peace of mind that he so graciously promises us. Build your faith, exercise your faith, trust and receive from him! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” IN MY DESPERATION I PRAYED, AND THE LORD LISTENED; HE SAVED ME FROM ALL OF MY TROUBLES.” PSALM 34:6

” HE RENEWS OUR STRENGTH.” PSALM 23:3

There are those in this world who pray only in their times of desperation. They reach the end of the line, and they finally figure out that there is none other than the Lord God in heaven who can help them. I think we have all reached this point at one time or another in our lives. Even those of us who trust in our God and his loving ways, sometime need to reach the end of the rope to realize that we can’t solve our own problems. We don’t have the ability overcome the world or resist its temptations. We don’t have the strength to climb over huge mountains of problems. It is at these times he renews our strength. He comes to our rescue. He needs our attention and sometimes it takes great failures in life for us to be humbled enough to bow down before him and confess and repent. He loves us and will never leave us. He will never fail us. He will, however, save us! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” GOD IS OUR MERCIFUL FATHER AND SOURCE OF ALL COMFORT. HE COMFORTS US IN ALL OUR TROUBLES SO THAT WE CAN COMFORT OTHERS.” 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-4

Our God in heaven is undeniably the source of all our comfort. There is no other. His comfort lasts forever. It is with us at every turn and with every problem we face. He is never unfaithful to those who believe. We are to live with love in our hearts. We are to live our lives in such a way that we are able to comfort others in their times of need. We can only be a comforter to others if we truly believe that our God is in total control. It doesn’t matter whether we are going through terrible times or good times, our God is in control. Our problem is that we sometimes try our best to be God. We try to do things on our own without thinking of God. We leave him out of our troubles and try to figure them out ourselves. When we are living through great experiences and times of blessings, we often forget to praise God and give him the credit he deserves. We should be living each day with the Lord in control. We should be appreciative of all things whether we are going through good or bad times. If he is our refuge and our safety net, then his promises become our armor and success stories. Our faith must continue to become stronger and stronger each day. Our problems and troubles do not wait upon our faith to grow. They are always standing in our way. Our success depends upon how we trust in our God and act upon his ways. He comforts us so that we can comfort others. Meditation in his word and prayers and requests are needed all day long. Our daily focus should be on him and nothing else. When it is everything else falls into place. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“BE ON GUARD. STAND FIRM IN THE FAITH. BE COURAGEOUS. BE STRONG. AND DO EVERYTHING WITH LOVE.” 1 CORINTHIANS 16:13-14

Committing our ways and following the way of Jesus is a constant struggle. No one told us that after we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior that our world would instantly become an easy place to live. It is not easy to live a righteous life. We have constant attacks from the devil and his ruthless demons. We find ourselves in the deepest of valleys and climbing over the highest of mountains. There are roadblocks constantly put in our way as we travel through each day. The ways of this world bombard us with doubt, worry, fear, jealousy, unforgiveness, pride, anger, bitterness, rage, slander, lust, lying and cheating, among many other evil ways. However, there is hope. Our Lord God has offered himself as our safety net, and our refuge. He will protect us, give us courage, strength and wisdom. We must be watchful. We must never waiver in our faith in his truth. We must stay strong and believe we receive because he is our source and not the world. The end of this world as we currently know it is upon us. Our Lord Jesus stands on the threshold of the door in heaven waiting for God’ instructions. We do not know exactly when this day and time will come but we are not to be caught unaware. We are to stay focused with constant praise and prayer to our Lord God in heaven. He sent the Holy Spirit to be with us and to guide us. We must believe and take our Lord God seriously. We must live our lives with love, peace and joy in our hearts and always be on guard! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” FOR THE WORD OF THE LORD HOLDS TRUE, AND WE CAN TRUST EVERYTHING HE DOES.” PSALM 33:4

” SO, MY DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS BE STRONG AND IMMOVABLE. ALWAYS WORK ENTHUSIASTICALLY FOR THE LORD, FOR YOU KNOW THAT NOTHING YOU DO FOR THE LORD IS EVER USELESS.” 1 CORINTHIANS 15:58

If we know and understand that the word of God is true, then we should know that all that he does is true. This should excite each and every one of us. We should work on behalf of the Lord with an intense and eager enjoyment. We should be so strong in our belief in his word, that we become immovable and never waiver. We should become joyful and know without doubt that his promise for our life is unwavering. We should eagerly spread his word to others by living our life in such a way that displays his love and his trustworthy promises. It is one thing to tell others about Christ, but it is completely different when we live what we believe. We are to many unbelievers, the only bible they have read. We become living examples of the truth of our God. The Lord honors everything we do on his behalf. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” YOU CANNOT DRINK FROM THE CUP OF THE LORD AND FROM THE CUP OF DEMONS, TOO! 1 CORINTHIANS 10:21

“SO, WHETHER YOU EAT OF DRINK, OR WHATEVER YOU DO, DO IT ALL FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.” 1CORINTHIANS 10:31

Our God in heaven wants all of us and not part. As a matter of fact, we cannot live both for the world and for the Glory of God. We have to make a decision. In everything we do we are to do it for God’s glory. We must have him at the forefront of our thoughts and make sure that the things we do and say are glorifying him. If they are not, then we are not living our lives with him in mind. We are living our lives in the world and probably with thoughts of what will glorify us, or what will satisfy the world around us. We cannot have one foot in the world and the other foot in the glory of God. It is impossible! As 1 Corinthians 10:21 puts it, “YOU CANNOT DRINK FROM THE CUP OF THE LORD AND FROM THE CUP OF DEMONS, TOO. ” We are to plug into the Lord each day. We are to listen and learn from the Holy Spirit. Whether we are eating, drinking, going to work, taking a walk or making conversation, we are to do it for the Glory of God! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” THE LORD SAYS, ‘ I WILL GUIDE YOU ALONG THE BEST PATHWAY FOR YOUR LIFE. I WILL ADVISE AND WATCH OVER YOU. DO NOT BE LIKE A SENSELESS HORSE OR MULE THAT NEEDS A BIT AND BRIDLE TO KEEP IT UNDER CONTROL.’ ” PSALM 32:8-9

” HIS FAITHFUL PROMISES ARE YOUR ARMOR AND PROTECTION.” PSALM 91:4

Sometimes our behavior can be like that of a stubborn mule. We refuse to listen, and our desire is to do things our way. Afterall, we are our own person, right? WRONG! When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we surrender unto him. We give everything to him and trust him in and for every situation. However, as human beings we continue to make mistakes. We sometimes fall short of our goals or take the wrong path for our lives. It is in those times that we must recognize our mistakes and return to our God in prayer for his forgiveness. We must understand that he knows what is best for us. He is willing and ready to guide us through all jungles we come across or help us climb over mountains we must climb. He promises that he will watch over us and give us good advice. All that we must do is listen to him, do what he tells us to do, and trust him to the fullest. Psalm 32:8-9 is a promise for our lives. But we must be willing to listen and be obedient to his promises. We must continually remember that he never has, nor will he ever, fail on a promise. Psalm 91:4 reminds us that his faithful promises are our armor and our protection. We must, however, be willing to follow him and live our lives that are in obedience to his word. We must continue to build ourselves up in the Lord and never allow worldly ways to dictate how we live. He is our guide and our advisor! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” AND GOD IS FAITHFUL. HE WILL NOT ALLOW THE TEMPTATION TO BE MORE THAN YOU CAN STAND.” 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13

Living in this world brings with it the evils of the devil and his demons. They have turned this world upside down and made it confusing to live in. However, our Lord God in heaven has prepared us. He has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us and lead us through these temptations and trials. He tells us that he is faithful and will never allow temptation to be more than we can handle. Jesus is returning soon. For those who are prepared he will take with him to the marriage feast he has prepared. For those who are not prepared, they will be left to deal with an even more confusing world than before. The bible tells us that even the elect will be deceived in the end days. This is not a time for us to be unfaithful. It is not a time for our faith to become weak. We must stay focused and never let down. The devil knows exactly what is happening. He knows that his time is short, but he is doing everything possible to deceive the children of God and keep them from the rapture. We must stay strong and continue to pray on a minute-to-minute basis. We must stay focused on our Lord and always involve him in our lives. Remember, he loves us and will never leave us! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” 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!