Bread of Life, JIL

“WITHOUT WEAKENING IN HIS FAITH, HE FACED THE FACTS THAT HIS BODY WAS AS GOOD AS DEAD-SINCE HE WAS ABOUT ONE-HUNDRED YEARS OLD-AND THAT SARAH’S WOMB WAS ALSO DEAD. YET HE DID NOT WAVER THROUGH UNBELIEF REGARDING THE PROMISE OF GOD BUT WAS STRENGTHENED IN HIS FAITH AND GAVE GLORY TO GOD.” ROMANS 4:19-20

Abraham is one of the greatest examples of faith. God had promised him that he would become the father of many nations. As Abraham stared at all of the facts set before him, he never wavered in his faith. Instead, he strengthened his faith and believed that God never fails on a promise. Because of his great faith Sarah had a son and Abraham did become the father of many nations. You and I should do the same. We face the hard facts of life every day. We can either succumb to those facts and give up or we can have faith in God’s Word and know that he is in control of our lives and not the facts set before us. Just as Abraham did, we should also strengthen our faith. Faith in God and his many promises are our tools for righteousness in him. With faith we can overcome the facts. With faith we can live a life of strength, love and joy in spite of the facts before us. With faith in God’s word, we know that we can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us. With faith we can rest assured that no matter the outcome of our situations our God in heaven is in charge and that everything will turn out for his good. We must remember that he loves us and will never fail us. We must, however, have a strong faith and believe in his judgement and plan for us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” TO THE FAITHFUL YOU SHOW YOURSELF FAITHFUL.” PSALM 18:25

Our God in heaven is forever faithful to those who are faithful to Him. For us to continue to be faithful to our God we must continue to build and become strong in him. We must trust him, we must believe him, and we must act upon his holy word. We must live a life of belief in a world of unbelief. We must stand out in the crowd and be willing to be persecuted and mocked. We must never look back and never let our guard down. The forces coming against those who follow Jesus are so strong that only trust and faith in our God in heaven can save us. We live in an upside-down world. We are living in the end days. We are living in a world that has been changed and it will never be seen as it once was ever again. However, our God has promise us a new world, one of love, peace, and joy. A world where there is no fear, sadness, doubts or worries. He has promised us a world where we will live with him, in his mighty presence. It will be a world full of compassion for others as he first intended it to be. Our God in heaven is faithful and continues to be faithful to all who show themselves faithful to him. It is time to keep our eyes open and to watch closely. We do not know the time nor the day, but we do know the season for his return. The season is now! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” IF YOU MAKE THE MOST HIGH YOUR DWELLING- EVEN THE LORD, WHO IS MY REFUGE- THEN NO HARM WILL BEFALL YOU, NO DISASTER WILL COME NEAR YOUR TENT.” PSALM 91:9-10

” I TELL YOU MY FRIENDS, DO NOT BE AFRAID OF THOSE WHO KILL THE BODY AND AFTER THAT CAN DO NO MORE.” LUKE 12:4

You and I are living in unprecedented times. There are things happening all over the world that cannot be explained. There is lying and cheating running rampant. There is death at every corner. We live in a time when we don’t feel safe walking our streets in the daytime or the nighttime. Living lives on this earth with the common sense that our God has given us no longer exists. There is talk of UFOs. These were once talked about as comic book subjects. The world has turned completely upside down. What was once good is now considered bad. What was once considered bad is now good. Behind what is happening in this world today is a great spiritual warfare between good and evil. There is a war going on between heaven and hell. Our God in heaven will only take so much of this and then his return is eminent. You and I as followers of Christ are being openly attacked for our beliefs and lifestyles. Our God in heaven has given us many tools and promises that we can use to withstand what is happening in today’s world. He gave us his son Jesus Christ to die for us and has sent us his Holy Spirit to provide us with guidance and direction. He has given each of us a measure of faith that we must build upon every day. We must be able to live and breathe our faith in Jesus. He tells us that we are not to be afraid of death but instead to stand steadfast and look evil in the eye. We are to pray earnestly and believe without doubting. We are to quote scripture and stand by our beliefs in Christ Jesus! Our God has our backs! What we must do is believe, receive and act! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“THE RIGHTEOUS WILL LIVE BY FAITH”. ROMANS 1:17

There is no other way to believe in and receive from our Lord God rather than living by faith. It is by faith that each of us has received Jesus as our Lord and Savior. It is by faith that we believe and receive his healing power. It is by faith that we are blessed with forgiveness of our sins. It is by faith that we receive his grace and mercy in our lives. It is by faith that we walk through the valley of the shadow of death and fear no evil. It is by faith that we have the wisdom to know right from wrong. It is by faith that we are able to confront evil face to face, knowing full well that our Lord is with us. It is by faith that we listen to the Holy Spirit to guide us through the trials and temptations in our daily lives. We could go on and on, but it is plain to understand that to live a life with Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior we must live a life of faith. We must build daily our faith in all areas of our lives. We must never let down and always be prepared for the unknown. With a strong and healthy faith, we are overcomers in Jesus but without faith we are lost and wandering souls. Let us never let our faith become common place but always be of special significance to our way of life. To live in Jesus is to be faithful in the things unseen. To live in Jesus is to always be aware of his mighty presence and to thank him and praise him every day. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

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

” COMMIT EVERYTHING YOU DO TO THE LORD.” PSALM 37:5

As we take this day to celebrate our earthly fathers, we should also take this time to honor our Father in heaven. Without him and without his great plan for our futures none of us would be here today. Without his plan of creation none of us would have been created. Without his sacrifice of his only Son, Jesus Christ, none of us would be worthy to come before him and be saved, be healed or be forgiven of our many sins. Our Father in heaven is gracious, merciful, loving, patient and forgiving. He loves us so much that he has sent his Holy Spirit to live within us as our strength and daily guide. He has prepared us, and he has given us all a measure of faith to build upon. He loves us and never leaves us. He is the never-failing God our Father! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” BUT I TRUST IN YOUR UNFAILING LOVE; MY HEART REJOICES IN YOUR SALVATION. I WILL SING TO THE LORD, FOR HE HAS BEEN GOOD TO ME.” PSALM 13:5&6

If our focus is on the right things, then our life will be joyful. If we are plugged into the correct source, then we will be filled with the wonderful gifts of Jesus. If our thoughts, words and actions are a result of the blessings of our Lord, then we have everything to be thankful for. We should relish in and rejoice in our gift of salvation. If we trust in Jesus, then we will be able to sing with joy and praise him with our voices. When Jesus died upon that cross, he gave us everything we need to survive this world and be assured of our everlasting home in heaven. However, if we take our eyes off of Jesus then we open the door for the devil to walk in and takeover. Our faith in the unseen must be stronger than our belief in what we have seen. We must surround ourselves with the words, the thoughts, the promises and the actions of God in heaven. Our first thoughts in the times of problems should be of our Lord! Our first steps in our times of trouble should be to go to God in prayer. With a strong and unwavering faith in Him we should believe we receive! The love our Lord Jesus has for each of us is unfailing. He never fails us and is always there beside us. We have the strength of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, and we have the ability to unleash his power with our faith and trust in Jesus, as our strength, refuge and safety net. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD AND HE WILL GIVE YOU THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART.” PSALM 37:4

Just what does it mean to delight yourself in what you are doing? It means to get great pleasure from your actions and the things around you. We are to delight ourselves in our Lord. We are to receive and enjoy great pleasure in his presence. Just how do we delight ourselves in our Lord? We need to spend time with him. We should pray prayers, have in-depth bible study, memorize scriptures, and worship him in all situations at all times. We should fellowship with those around us who know God well. We should take a look at all of the God’s handiwork that surrounds us and appreciate everything he has done. Delighting ourselves in the Lord is savoring all of the excellent things of God’s great creation. As we begin to take delight in what our Lord has done for us, and we begin to live our lives with a new attitude of praise and thanksgiving, our faith grows and our trust in God becomes a mainstay in our lives. When we live in him and we allow him to live in us we begin to appreciate the truths he provides to us, and we begin to receive from him. The desires of our heart begin to change, and he fulfills those needs. Our attitudes, needs, and our life as a whole, changes and we live for him instead of living for ourselves. Let us all take delight in Jesus and begin a new adventure in our lives in this world. Others are watching and the changes they see in us will open doors of discussion and opportunities for testimony. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” AND THE WORDS OF THE LORD ARE FLAWLESS, LIKE SILVER REFINED IN A FURNACE OF CLAY, PURIFIED SEVEN TIMES.” PSALM 12:6

The words of our Lord are flawless. There are no mistakes in what he says or what he tells us to do. The bible is the true and cleansing word of God. It is our guide for our steps we take in this world and our refuge for our times of trouble. Our God’s words are always faithful. He puts forth his promises that he never back tracks on. Every word and every action he puts forth is for our safety and our salvation. He sent Jesus to die for us. He sent his Holy Spirit to comfort us. He performs miracles to heal us. He is gracious and shows great mercy when we falter or trip in this life. The words of our Lord are flawless. They have been purified with fire and put to the test by the devil. You and I must believe in his word and follow the guidelines he sets forth. Without faith we are unable to complete our portion of the agreement. We must live his words in this world and believe that he is with us no matter what we go through in life. We must literally live a life of testimony on behalf of the Lord. We cannot believe when it is easy to believe and then doubt when it is hard to believe. We must trust him and receive from him. We must put his words into action. When we do we become strong. Remember, we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” FROM ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN GIVEN MUCH, MUCH WILL BE DEMANDED; AND FROM THE ONE WHO HAS BEEN ENTRUSTED WITH MUCH, MUCH MORE WILL BE DEMANDED. ” LUKE 12:28

As we continue to serve our Lord here on earth, he continues to gain his trust in us. Our Lord has a plan, and we are a part of that plan. When he gives us instructions we are to listen and be doers of his word. We are to be in tune with him and trust in what he is saying to us. As we continue to surround ourselves with the things of our God in heaven, we continue to build up our faith and trust in him. We get to know him on a deeper level and begin to do the work he has set aside for us. The more we receive from our Lord the more he will demand of us. The more responsibilities we receive the more he will give us. The more we do for him the larger our rewards in heaven. We are not driven by works in order to get us to heaven, but we are driven by our Lord to perform good works once we are saved. If we separate ourselves from the Lord, even for just a minute, the world will creep in and begin to throw doubts our way. As we grow deeper in our relationship with Jesus our wants and needs will begin to form into the wants and needs of our Lord, making us good stewards of what responsibilities he has given us. We must remember that if we don’t listen and do as we are asked, he will find someone who is ready and willing. Let us all stay strong in our Lord with prayer, meditation in his word and working hard to fulfill his plan for our lives. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“IN THE SAME WAY, ANY OF YOU WHO DOES NOT GIVE UP EVERYTHING HE HAS CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE.” LUKE 14:23

“SALT IS GOOD, BUT IF IT LOSES ITS SALTINESS, HOW CAN IT BE MADE SALTY AGAIN? ” LUKE 14:34

In today’s world we see many who profess as to being Christians, but the fruits of their labor do not display their confession. They may be very faithful in going to church on Sunday but on Monday through Saturday they live by the world’s standards. Some live in anger, some in cheating, others in fear, doubt and worry. Our Lord tells us plainly that we must give up everything or we cannot be his disciples. We must live our live as testimonies to him, not just on Sunday but also the other six days of the week. We must understand his ways and we must let them manifest themselves in the way we live our lives. We must always put him first in our thoughts, our words and our actions. We must never lose our saltiness as a Christian. We must sell out to Jesus! We must stay on fire for our Lord Jesus and never let down. Our love for him must be allowed to grow each day and that growth comes from living our lives in him, putting him at the forefront of all of our situations and allowing our faith and trust in him to grow constantly. We must never allow ourselves to stumble over the things put in our path. By selling out to Jesus we throw all of our worldly ways out the window and concentrate on the graciousness and merciful personality of our Lord. He sold out for us, and we are to sell out to him. Stay salty! Never get stale in your beliefs! Always stay active and faithful! Our Lord never fails us but is always faithful! PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

“THEY OVERCAME HIM BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB AND BY THE WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY; THEY DID NOT LOVE THEIR LIVES SO MUCH AS TO SHRINK FROM DEATH.” REVELATION 12:11

Sometimes I believe that we dwell too much upon death as something it is not. We think of death as the end and not what it really is, the beginning. Death is merely the transfer from this life to the next. The devil is very good at throwing fear and sadness our way. However, our Lord Jesus has presented us with a way to overcome the devil and his evil ways. He died a terrible death upon that cross for you and me. He put himself through persecution and agony so that you and I will have a way out. Yes, we all go through the transfer of death, but we can do so by being overcomers through the blood of Jesus. We may be sad for a short time, over those who make the trip before we do, but our sadness should quickly turn to joy, knowing that we shall see them again in celebration at the wedding feast in heaven. The more we surround ourselves and our families with Jesus and listen to the small still voice of the Holy Spirit, the more our faith begins to rise up and be heard. Our testimony about our Lord and his story will begin to magnify itself within our own lives and our focus on death as the beginning and not the end will manifest itself in our lives. We will begin to look forward to seeing Jesus’ face to face and seeing all of those who have gone before us. As born-again believers’ death is a new beginning where there is no sickness, disease, sadness or any of the evil we experience here on earth. There will be great reunions accompanied with love, joy and peace. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“I KNOW THE LORD IS ALWAYS WITH ME. I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN, FOR HE IS RIGHT BESIDE ME.” PSALM 16:8

“NO WONDER MY HEART IS GLAD, AND I REJOICE. MY BODY RESTS IN SAFETY.” PSALM 16:9

As I walk my pathway each day, I always feel a sense of comfort and peacefulness. It doesn’t matter whether I am going through trying times or whether I am having a wonderful day. I am slowly learning how to trust and depend upon my Lord God in heaven for continued comfort and peace in my life. There are always times when I stray off the path and begin to focus on the confusing and unstable things happening around me. When I do, I find out quickly that I can be overcome by fear and depression. I see no light at the end of the tunnel. However, the Lord always seems to nudge me back on the correct path and I once again begin to focus on Him and the end result of his plan. You see, the Lord is always beside me. I may leave him, but he never leaves me. If I keep him in my focus, trust him and continue to build my faith daily, I cannot be shaken. He is my support system, my refuge and my strength in all situations. I find that my heart becomes glad and that I do rejoice always. My lord is always with me and my body rests in safety. His presence in my life gives me the understanding and focus I need to allow me to strong and never shaken. I love my Jesus as he loves me. I understand that I must surround myself with his loving word and promises each and every day. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” MANY ARE THE PLANS IN A MAN’S HEART, BUT IT IS THE LORD’S PURPOSE THAT PRVAILS.” PROVERBS 19:21

“ SEEK YE FIRST HIS KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND THEN THESE THINGS WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU AS WELL. THEREFORE, DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW FOR TOMORROW WILL WORRY ABOUT ITSELF, FOR EACH DAY HAS ENOUGH TROUBLES OF ITS OWN.” MATTHEW 6:33 -35

We all have plans for our days, months, years and in most cases our total lives. Our plans, however, will not prevail unless they are in God’s plan. The Lord’s purpose for our lives will always prevail. It is important for us to remember that we do have a free will and that when our plans are outside the will of God, and we refuse to recognize God’s will for our lives, our Lord will find someone else to fulfill his plan. We are to first seek his Kingdom and Righteousness and then he will give us the desires of our hearts. If we are in tune with our Lord, then our wants and needs will be within his grace and mercy. We are also told that we are not to worry about tomorrow because tomorrow will worry about itself. We are to live one day at a time and in each day we should be living within the Lord’s purpose. It is necessary for us to seek out his word, seek out his promises, and to manifest his word and promises in our lives. Always stay plugged into the source, our Lord Jesus. He loves us and never fails us! PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

“HE WILL MAKE YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS SHINE LIKE THE DAWN, THE JUSTICE OF YOUR CAUSE LIKE THE NOONDAY SUN.” PSALM 37:6

The bible is the living and true word of our lifegiving God in heaven. He has provided us the bible as a guide for righteous living, and within his word, he has provided promise after promise. When we first accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we stand out. We shine like a diamond in the sun. We want to tell everyone we see about Jesus and his salvation message. As we become more mature in Christ the wars of the world begin to weigh upon us and we sometimes forget how joyous it is to be a member of God’s family. Many times, we put Jesus on the back burner of our lives and just allow him to simmer, while we go out and try to take on the world by ourselves. We forget his promises, we forget that he is our salvation, strength, understanding, shield, refuge and safety net. However, the Lord never fails us. He is always with us. All we have to do is ask and we will receive. As we become righteous in the eyes of God, he makes us shine like the morning dawn and he stands beside us in our faithfulness to him because he is faithful to us. We should always keep him on the front burner of our lives and not the back. He should be our first resource for living our lives and not the last. He loves more than we will ever understand. We should always return the favor and love him as he loves us. PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

” REFRAIN FROM ANGER AND TURN FROM WRATH; DO NOT FRET-IT ONLY LEADS TO EVIL.” PSALM 37:8

It seems so easy to become angry in the face of what is happening within our world today. We become angry at our government, at those who blatantly lie and seek to hurt us. We become angry at other family members and friends over things that we do not understand. We become angry at those who have different opinions than we do and those who rule our lives with evil thoughts and ways. We, however, are to refrain from anger and turn away from it. Anger is not of God. Our God is love. He loves us and forgives us of all the foolish thoughts and deeds we perform. When life hits us head on and keeps taunting and throwing evil our way it is easy to let rage run free in our lives. But Psalm 37:8 tells us that anger and wrath leads to evil. We instead, are to turn our backs on these bad things and live with love and compassion for those who do evil. This is very difficult to do. We must be living a life that the Lord has planned for us. We must know his word and not hesitate to put it into action within our life. This becomes very hard when we are hit with sickness, disease, financial problems, persecution, doubt, worry and fear. But if we know the word of God and are living God’s word then our lives will represent him to others. We will want to live in love and not anger. We are to wait upon the Lord, and he shall renew our strength. (IS.40:31). Be patient before the Lord and he will give us the knowledge and understanding we need to live within his plan. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“SO, I SAY TO YOU: ASK AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU; SEEK AND YOU WILL FIND; KNOCK AND THE DOOR WILL BE OPENED TO YOU.” LUKE 11:9

We must ask, we must seek, and we must knock. We must be continuous in our prayer life. We must never give up. If we stay persistent, then our Lord will answer. He never fails us. He never sleeps so we are never disturbing him. He is always alert to our needs and wants us to come to him with our problems and the needs of others. The devil wants nothing more than for us to be inconsistent. When we are, then that leaves an opening for him to enter and begin to influence us with his rhetoric. He begins his lies and his deceptions. In order for us to overcome the ways of this world we must live in Jesus. We must never waver in our faith, our trust or our prayer life. We must live our lives in such a way that Jesus is first in our thoughts and our actions. We must never forget that our Lord died for us so that we could live. So that we could live in him. So that we could be testimonies on his behalf and influence others in his holy word. He loves us and never fails us! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“ MARTHA, MARTHA, the Lord answered, YOU ARE WORRIED AND UPSET ABOUT MANY THINGS, BUT ONLY ONE THING IS NEEDED. MARY HAS CHOSEN WHAT IS BETTER, AND IT WILL NOT BE TAKEN FROM HER.” LUKE 10:41

Martha was busy preparing the meal upon Jesus’s visit and Mary had set herself down at Jesus’s feet to listen to him. Martha became upset that Mary was not helping her with all of her work. Jesus made it very clear that the worries and concerns of this world should not overcome the thing that is needed the most. The important thing in our lives, as it was in the lives of Martha and Mary, is to put Jesus first in our thoughts, words, and actions. We cannot allow the busy times we live in to overtake the most important thing in our lives, Jesus Christ. With our Lord as our source and our refuge there is nothing else we need. If we have Jesus in our lives and keep him first, then all else will fall into place. We must trust him and believe. We cannot allow doubt or fear to overcome us. We must stay plugged into our source and always put him first. He must be first in our good times and first in our struggles and problems. He loves us and will not fail us. We must, however, trust him and never doubt. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” FOR HE WILL ORDER HIS ANGELS TO PROTECT YOU WHEREVER YOU GO.” PSALM 91:11

Our God in heaven loves each of us so much that he promises to protect us wherever we go with his holy angels. As we read through the bible, we can see that there are many promises our Lord God has given to us to claim and to put into action in our lives. We must put our faith into action. We must trust our God at every turn. We must trust him in every situation we find ourselves in. If our faith is strong and our trust in him is continuous then we know that he is with us in all situations. We are living within his plan and under his protection. Because we are within his plan, we know that every outcome is in his hands. His angels surround us and protect us. His plan may not line up with our plan but if we trust him and have faith then we are protected and have absolutely nothing to worry about. Our Lord is our holy protection, the world around us is not. We must believe and receive! We must act upon his promises and live our lives within his promises. Our Lord loves us and protects us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“FOR OUT OF THE OVERFLOW OF HIS HEART HIS MOUTH SPEAKS.” LUKE 6:45

We speak what we believe. What we have surrounded ourselves with and who we listen to begins to build within us. It begins to build up within our hearts and that becomes our belief system. We talk the way we believe. There may be those who try to follow the ways of Christ Jesus but are overcome by what surrounds them. Fear, doubt, sickness, anger, rage, jealousy, and many other worldly ways will overcome them, and they will partake in the ways of the world. It is important as children of God in heaven that we surround ourselves with the things of the Lord. Surround ourselves with friends who believe like we do, who talk the way you do and who also surround themselves with the Holy Word and live in the Spirit. We must take the time to read the word of God as much as we can. We must build ourselves up in the Lord. We must pray always and praise the Lord with all of the energy we have. If we don’t do this, then we are leaving ourselves open to the ways of the world and our hearts will be filled with hate, anger, doubt, fear and worry. We will live a negative life and not one of strength and faith in Jesus. Instead, our lives must reflect the ways of our Lord. We must live a godly life, we must live in the Spirit, loving others and truly speaking positive and loving words from our hearts. It is not easy following and living the life we are to live in the Lord, especially in this day and age. But believe and receive. Always remember the promises of our God. He never fails! Through Him we can do all things! PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

“IF ANYONE WOULD COME AFTER ME, HE MUST DENY HIMSELF AND TAKE UP HIS CROSS DAILY AND FOLLOW ME.” LUKE 9:23

These words that Jesus was telling his disciples were not hard to understand but were hard to put in practice. We run into the same problems today. I have read Luke 9:23 hundreds of times in my lifetime and know the struggle it becomes to deny myself. It is difficult when you live in the world, and you must go out daily and make a living. The rules of the world sometimes deny the existence of the actions of our Lord Jesus. Sometimes they even deny his very existence. Jesus knew this. Jesus knew that living the life we must live for him was going to be one of persecution and sometimes denial. However, they are words that we must follow. We must not only be overcomers of our own thoughts and desires but also of the actions and the persecution of others. The word of God is literally THE WORD OF GOD! It is not a guidebook on how to get to heaven, but it is the actual word, and we must take it as such. We must put it into practice and live it. To do this we must have a strong faith in the Lord and trust him. Yes, we are only human, and we do make mistakes. We do things that we shouldn’t and think and say things that are ungodly. But God has given us an out. He forgives us if we ask and brings us right back into the fold. We are not perfect, but we are children of God, and we are to obey. We are to deny ourselves, our worldly thoughts and desires and pick up our own cross and carry it daily. We are to focus and follow Jesus! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” THE LORD IS A REFUGE FOR THE OPPRESSED, A STRONGHOLD IN TIMES OF TROUBLE. THOSE WHO KNOW YOUR NAME WILL TRUST IN YOU, FOR YOU LORD, HAVE NEVER FORSAKEN THOSE WHO SEEK YOU.” PSALM 9:9-10

Scripture tells us that for those who know the name of the Lord, will trust in him, and that the Lord will never forsake them who seek him. The meaning of the word KNOW is to have developed a relationship with someone through meeting and spending time with them; be familiar or friendly with. To know Jesus is much more than just being aware of him. It is much more than just knowing him as an acquaintance. It is knowing him intimately, it is spending time with him, and it is developing a sound and trusting relationship with him. When we do, we begin to realize his presence and his loving actions taking place in our lives. We will begin to depend upon him and lean on him in our times of trouble. He becomes our refuge and our safety net. Our Lord has made it very clear that he loves of unconditionally and will never fail us. If we truly believe, then our lives will be so much better, and we will become living testimonies to those around us. PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

“BE IMITATORS OF GOD, THEREFORE AS DEARLY LOVED CHILDREN, AND LIVE A LIFE OF LOVE, JUST AS CHRIST LOVED US AND GAVE HIMSELF UP FOR US AS A FRAGRANT OFFERING AND SACRIFICE TO GOD.” EPHESIANS 5:1-2

“MY MOTHER AND MY BROTHERS ARE THOSE WHO HEAR GOD’S WORD AND PUTS IT INTO PRACTICE.” LUKE 8:28

When we become born again, we become members of a strong and holy family. As a great family we should represent our Jesus and his words in honorable ways. When becoming a member of God’s family, we should live our lives as our God in heaven wants us to. Yes, we all have different duties that God is preparing us for, but we all have a common element and that is to live our lives as imitators of God and live with love in our hearts. We are to put our Lord’s promises and his words into practice. We should always be excited in being a member of such a great family. We should remember that Jesus loves us so much that he gave his life so that we could live. We may all look different, but we should all look alike by the way we live our lives and how we speak. The world should be able to recognize us by the way we present ourselves and love others. As we stay focused on Jesus each day and live our lives in love, he will continue to fill us with joy, strength, confidence, and peace of mind. PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!!

“MY CUP OVERFLOWS WITH BLESSINGS.” PSALM 23:5

Do you take time each day to discover and count your blessings? There are blessings coming our way all of the time. Some are small and others are very large. If we are so involved in the world around us, we may not take the time to see all of the things our God in heaven is doing for us. We should take time each day, as we pray, to set back and meditate on our many blessings. They are countless, but they are of no benefit to us if we don’t recognize them and thank God for them. We should stop focusing on the bad things that are happening and begin to stay tuned into the good and righteous things of our Lord. When we do, our lives will be that much better, and we will have a positive influence on those around us. We should believe in his blessings, receive his blessings and act upon his blessings! PRAISE THE LORD FOR ALL GOOD AND GREAT THINGS!

“YOUR FAITH HAS SAVED YOU GO IN PEACE.” LUKE 7:50

Without a strong faith we cannot be saved. As we visit the scripture in Luke where the woman went to the house of Simon the Pharisee, where Jesus had gone to eat, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him, she proceeded to wet the feet of Jesus with her tears, dried them with her hair, and then kissed them and poured perfume on them. She did this because she believed what she had heard. She believed in Jesus even before he had been crucified and risen from the dead. His words to her were, ” your faith has saved you, go in peace.” If we were preparing to become a professional athlete, we would work out daily. We would run, lift weights and perform other physical activity to make us as strong as we could be. It is the exact same thing with our faith. The difference is that our faith saves and heals us. If we don’t use it, we could lose it. That is exactly what the devil wants. He does everything he can to take our thoughts and minds away from Jesus. He is totally against us building and exercising our faith in Jesus and his many promises. Our faith is to be used for the little things as well as the big things in our lives. If we can’t believe God in our small problems, then how can we believe him in our larger problems? We must have faith, build our faith and exercise our faith each and every day. Our faith in Jesus must become our way of life. We must use it and keep it active. We are healed and saved by our faith in Jesus! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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

According to the dictionary, assurance is ‘ a positive declaration to give confidence; a promise.’ Faith is our ability to show our confidence is what our Lord has given us. It is our ability to believe, without seeing or touching, the promises of God in heaven. Our whole relationship with Jesus is built upon our foundation of faith.

According to the dictionary, evidence is ‘ the available body of facts or information indicating whether belief or proposition is true or valid.’ According to Hebrews 11:1 faith is the evidence of things not seen. It is by faith that the promises of God are true. Faith becomes the foundation of our existence in Christ Jesus. Without faith we have no confidence and no evidence of our relationship with him. We are spiritual beings and faith is our foundation. Our God’s declaration of promises and truths are our confidence. Faith is what we must have in order to believe in all of the truths that have happened throughout history.

Our God has given us promises throughout the bible. We are told that He never fails on a promise. His holy words are our confidence as they are God’s positive declaration. The promises of our Lord that materialize in our lives each day are our evidence. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” BECAUSE HE LOVES ME, SAYS THE LORD, I WILL RESCUE HIM; I WILL PROTECT HIM, FOR HE ACKNOWLEDGES MY NAME. HE WILL CALL UPON ME, AND I WILL ANSWER HIM; I WILL BE WITH HIM IN TROUBLE. I WILL DELIVER HIM AND HONOR HIM. WITH LONG LIFE WILL I SATISFY HIM AND SHOW HIM MY SALVATION.” PSALM 91:14-16

There are many promises throughout the bible. Our Lord God in heaven has made it very clear that his promises are true, honorable and never failing. It is upon us, as his followers, to believe, accept and act upon his promises. When we do, our lives become so much more alive, worry free and joyful. We become stronger, wiser and with more understanding. We should recognize and meditate upon each of the promises given to us in Psalm 91:14-16: I WILL RESCUE HIM; I WILL ANSWER HIM; I WILL DELIVER HIM AND HONOR HIM; WITH LONG LIFE WILL I SATISFY HIM AND SHOW HIM MY SALVATION. If we believe and live these promises, our lord will be faithful! He does not fail us and is always beside us. He always goes before us in times of trouble. It takes a strong faith to believe and receive his promises. However, as followers of Jesus we have faith and should develop and grow our faith each day. PRAISE THE LORD IN EVERY SITUATIONS!

“ACQUITTING THE GUILTY AND CONDEMNING THE INNOCENT – BOTH ARE DETESTABLE TO THE LORD.” PROVERBS 17:15

We are living in a world that has completely turned upside down. The devil is in charge of a world that is completely the opposite of the way our God in heaven wanted creation to be. In these last days we are seeing things happen that we just don’t understand. We have never seen them happen before. Lying and cheating have openly become a way of life for many. We are seeing open violence is our cities and communities. We are seeing men be with men and women with women and men trying to be women and women trying to be men. We are seeing our children being inundated with this kind of thinking in our schools, on our tv’s, and even when they just walk down the street. We must remember that there is a huge battle going on in the spiritual world. As we try to live our lives as normal as we can our only hope is the culmination of our God’s plan. We must take time every day to pray and pray and then pray some more. There is little we can do here on this earth to change things. We must listen to the Holy Spirit’s guidance and keep our children as protected as we can. We must meditate upon God’s holy word and know it well. We must speak it and not be afraid to live it, even with the resistance of those around us. We must not fear but instead we must believe and receive from our Lord. We must recognize that all of this has been prophesied. There is great tribulation coming upon this world. The Lord is about to show his wrath. We must be ready for the Lord’s return. He is coming soon! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” FAITH IN JESUS’ NAME HAS HEALED HIM BEFORE YOUR VERY EYES.” ACTS 3:16

Our faith in Jesus and all of his promises is vital to our relationship with Him. We must first have faith in order to even believe in Jesus. If we have true faith and believe that we will receive, then we will receive. Our faith in Jesus and our faith in all of his promises allows him to work in our lives. If we don’t truly believe, then he cannot act. Having faith in Jesus is only the beginning. As we build upon our faith, we begin to trust and lean on him to do the things that he has promised. The blind, the crippled and the sick were healed by Jesus because of their strong faith. You and I are no different. If we depend upon our Lord to act in our lives in everything we do, and to help us through all of the struggles we confront, then he will act. He will give us the wisdom and understanding we need to allow his power to work in our lives. However, if we doubt or begin to try to do things as the world does, then he cannot act. We are restricting him. Let us continue to build upon our faith daily. Let us surround ourselves with his holy word everyday. We should begin our day with him, live our day with him and end our day with him. He loves us and with strong faith we can be healed in our sicknesses, become stronger in our struggles and be overcomers in this world of confusion and doubt. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” A CHEERFUL HEART IS GOOD MEDICINE, BUT A BROKEN SPIRIT SAPS A PERSON’S STRENGTH.” PROVERBS 17:22

Just what does it take to overcome a broken spirit? If we are surrounded by those who talk nothing but negative words, fear and sad thoughts, then that is what we will absorb in our spirit. We are like a sponge that absorbs the water around it. It doesn’t matter whether the water is clean or dirty the sponge absorbs it. We sometimes act much like a sponge. We take in and live what we learn from those around us. Some of us have been taught well and reflect the good things of life. Others of us have not been so fortunate and we reflect the ugly things of life. As followers of Christ Jesus, we must stay close to him and absorb his thoughts and promises. When we do, our faith begins to grow, and we begin to live lives that represent cheerfulness and love for others. We don’t sap the strength of others, but we add to their strength with God’s good medicine. Our lives must be surrounded and influenced by the word of God in heaven. We must make him the center of our life so that we can be a positive influence on others around us. We must work at this because the devil is working hard to take opportunities away from us that allows Jesus to influence us. We must pray continuously and meditate upon his word often. When we do, our spirits become one with him and our actions reflect our relationship with Jesus! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” EVEN EVIL SPIRITS OBEY HIM, AND THEY FLEE AT HIS COMMAND.” LUKE 4:36

It should open our eyes when we realize that even the evil spirits of the spiritual world believe and obey Jesus. Why then is it so hard for many of us in this world to believe and obey our Lord? It seems that the world itself wraps its arms around the weak and will not let go. The devil clogs our minds with all of the things in this world that we can see and touch. We have been taught since birth that if you can’t see it with you own eyes or touch it with you own hands then it is not real. Since we are spiritual beings living in a physical world, we must be able to believe without seeing or touching. Our Lord works from the spiritual world, and he expects us to obey him because of our faith and our trust in his promises. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we do so in faith. We are given the opportunity to build our faith each day and to believe what our God says in his holy word. We are then able to put our trust in his promises and continue to build our faith so that it becomes the way we live in this physical world. We succumb to Jesus. Our faith allows us to believe. Just as the evil spirits in the spiritual world obey Jesus, we too obey him through our faith. We cannot allow the evil one to fool us with his foolish schemes. Instead, we must build our faith and be overcomers through the promises of Jesus. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!