Michael J Burchett Ministries

“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!

“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!