Bread of Life, JIL

“NO, THE LORD’S DELIGHT IS IN THOSE WHO FEAR HIM, THOSE WHO PUT THEIR HOPE IN HIS UNFAILING LOVE.” PSALM 147:11

We are to keep our eyes and our thoughts focused on the path that our Lord God in heaven has set us upon. We must stay surrounded with the Lord’s words and his promises. He has proven over and over again that he loves us. He performs miracles everyday and provides us hope even in the darkest of times. We must love him to the fullest. We must put his words into action in our own lives each day. If we do, he will help us to understand and give us confidence in his love for us. His love for us is unfailing! He is with us in all things and walks before for us in our struggles and battles. But as we take each day one day at a time and follow him, he is faithful and gives us the hope we need to survive. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“PROVE BY THE WAY YOU LIVE THAT YOU HAVE REPENTED OF YOUR SINS AND TURNED TO GOD.” LUKE 3:8

John the Baptist was very clear to the people of Israel that they not only had to confess that they had repented of their sins, but they also had to live a life representative of that repentance. How life is lived is proof to our God in heaven of how true our heart is. We can stand before him all day long and ask for his forgiveness and say that we will repent, but unless we live our lives in such a way that displays our repentance, we are only fooling ourselves and not being truthful to the one who saves us. Staying close to our Lord is not only wise but necessary. Going to church once a week to get filled with God’s Word is not enough. We need daily conversation with him. We need to be filled with his Word and his promises each day. Our focus must put him first and our needs second. With putting him first in our lives everything else will fall into place. Our walk with him will be closer, straighter and more real. He loves us but he wants us to love him and obey him in return. That should be our daily goal. We should make it a habit to love our God in heaven with all of our heart, mind and soul. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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

Listening is a completely different thing than is hearing. We can all hear things but still not be listening. To listen is to hear and to comprehend. We are to understand what others are saying and willingly take it in. Jesus wants us to listen. He wants us to comprehend what he is saying to us and then put his words in action in our lives. He tells us plainly that he renews our strength. Just as a phone needs recharging, we also need recharging. In order to recharge properly we must plug in the proper source. That source is the Holy Spirit of our God in heaven. We must allow the Lord to recharge and reset us. We must surround ourselves with his Word and much prayer. As we live our lives, we can sometimes wander off the path God and set before us. We may become sad, depressed, worried, doubtful and angry. It is at these times that we know it is time to recharge and again become joyful in the Lord. We must allow ourselves to consciencely keep our focus on the path before us and never stray. When we allow the Holy Spirit to direct and lead us, he keeps us focused on what is ahead. Our lives become stronger, and we bring honor to his glorious name. He loves us and we should love him. We must love him, not with mere words, but with action and complete faith and trust. He is our source, our strength and our destiny. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” YES, JOYFUL ARE THOSE WHO LIVE LIKE THIS. JOYFUL INDEED ARE THOSE WHOSE GOD IS THE LORD! ” PSALM 144:15

When I concentrate on Jesus and what he does for me, my life seems to flow so much better. When I stay focused on every miracle and gift that he has provided to me, no matter the size, my life is much more meaningful to me. I have found that I sometimes I wander from the path the Lord has set me on and begin to look upon my problems instead of looking to the Lord. When I do this, I leave myself open for depression, doubt, worry and fear. We all go through struggles, but we don’t all go through them the same way. Our Lord gives us the opportunity to focus on our real life and stay concentrated on him and his plan for us. As we travel through our life here on earth, we may not know the end result, but we can rest assured that if we are living our lives within the guidelines the Lord has given us, we will have a much easier time. If we focus on ourselves, our problems and those around us, we probably struggle and lead a life that will be filled with sadness, worry and live in a world of “WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?” Our lives are much more than that. We are only temporary residents of this world. We are spiritual beings by nature and our future is eternity with our Lord Jesus. Let us all take time to stay focused on the things that make us great and not on the things of the world that make us feel sorry for ourselves. Let us all be a strong and become a loving testimony to others and not someone who constantly looks to this world for our answers. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” KIND WORDS ARE LIKE HONEY- SWEET TO THE SOUL AND HEALTHY TO THE BODY.” PROVERBS 16:24

The words that we use every day are very powerful. They can be used to hurt others and tear them down or they can be used to build others up. We must be very careful in what words we use and just how we use them. As born-again Christians we are to build each other up and not say things that are going to hurt others. Proverbs 16:24 is very clear that kind words are healthy for the body and the soul. They make others feel good and gives them confidence and the desire to be better. Kind words help us to spread the word of God and win others to Christ Jesus. Kind words give others the ability to become strong emotionally and spiritually. Being surrounded by words of faith and trust in our Lord is the best medicine we can receive. In this day and age, we need more loving and caring and words of encouragement in order to battle the destruction, the threats and the negative that the devil is spewing from his mouth. Let us take charge and spread good and not evil! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” THERE IS AN APPOINTED TIME FOR EVERYTHING AND A TIME FOR EVERY AFFAIR UNDER THE HEAVENS.” ECCLESIASTES 3:1

There are no coincidences in life. There is a time and a place for everything to happen. Our God in heaven has a plan and we each have a part to play. We do have a choice as to whether we want to be a part of his plan and if we should decide not to, then he will find someone else to replace us. However, as born-again Christians we have made our choice and are each an important part of his plan. He has a time set aside for each event and a purpose for everything we do and speak. It is important that we stay focused on our Jesus and stay close to him in prayer. We are to be led by him and shown the direction we are to take in our lives. As we walk through each day, we are to be ready to be a testimony in any situation we find ourselves in. We are to stay strong, peaceful and with joy. We are to have a faith that is immovable and a trust in him that is unwavering. We must surround ourselves with his holy word each day and keep within us the knowledge that he is always with us and going before us in any and all situations. He loves us more than we can imagine, and we are to love him and trust him. If we do, we can rest assured that he will always be with us and never leave us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“YOU ARE BLESSED BECAUSE YOU BELIEVED THAT THE LORD WOULD DO WHAT HE SAID.” LUKE 1:45

To be able to live in peace and to be blessed in this life all we have to do is to believe in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All throughout the bible our great God in heaven has given us promises for our lives. We are told many times that our Lord never goes back on a promise. He always is true and faithful. All we have to do is to believe. When we believe it is important that we act upon that belief no matter what things are looking like or seem to be playing out in our lives. Our daily focus and our way of life should be centered upon Jesus. We must trust in his plan and not our own desires. He loves us and always has us in his sights for receiving his promises. We must always remember that he loves us and always has his plan for our lives in mind. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” THE LORD LIFTS THOSE UP WHO ARE WEIGHED DOWN. THE LORD LOVES THE GODLY. PSALM 146:8

The Lord lifts me up when I am down!

The Lord lifts me up when I am angry!

The Lord lifts me up and over mountains of fear!

The Lord lifts me up when I am sick!

The Lord Lifts me up out of valleys of depression!

The Lord lifts me up in times of sadness!

The Lord lifts me up when I am worried!

The Lord lifts me up whenever I am in need! He continues to love me and take care of me throughout the day and the night. He lifts me up when I don’t even know that I need it. The Lord is faithful, trusting, caring and loving. He never wavers and is always steadfast in my life. He lifts me up when I am undeserving. He is my Lord and my only source of strength. There is no other.

PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS AND HE WILL LIFT YOU UP!

“HE MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH, THE SEA, AND EVERYTHING IN THEM. HE KEEPS EVERY PROMISE FOREVER. HE GIVES JUSTICE TO THE OPPRESSED AND FOOD TO THE HUNGRY.” PSALM 146:6-7

Dear Lord,

I come unto you this morning with much praise and thanksgiving. I thank you for being my Lord and Savior. I thank you for coming to this world to go through the persecution and the horrible death you endured so that I could be healed, saved and forgiven. Lord you are everything to me. You are my sunshine in the morning, my warmth in the afternoon and my safety net at night. You have given me your mighty promises that I am able to source every day. I cannot seem to grasp the level of love you have for me, but I know through your Holy Spirit that you are with me through good and bad times. There are times Lord that I think my pain is this world is endless, but I look to you and remember your sacrifice for me. I remember your promises and that they are honored always. Lord, without you I am nothing. Without you I have no future. Without you I will never succeed in anything I do. However, with you I have already attained my eternal life. No matter what I am going through, I know that you have a plan for me and that I must trust it. I know that your plan is great and without fault. I may falter at times and doubt when I should believe, but I pray that you always draw me back with the faith and trust I must have, to live a life worthy of your name. Forgive me Father as I am not always faithful, but I know you are. I love you Lord Jesus and I know that it doesn’t matter my struggles because you are in control. I love you; I praise you and I give you glory.

In the name of my precious Jesus, I pray AMEN!

“HOW GREAT IS OUR LORD! HIS POWER IS ABSOLUTE! HIS UNDERSTANDING IS BEYOND COMPREHENSION! PSALM 147:5

Jesus is the only way and the only truth! There is no other route to eternal life. We all will stand before our Lord one day as those who have rejected Jesus will be judged and those who have received Christ as their Lord and Savior will be rewarded. We will be receiving our crown of life and rewarded for the things we did in our service to him here on this earth. Which line is your preference? If you have not had a one to one with Jesus and have not accepted Him as your Lord and Savior, time is running out. I urge you to get down on your knees and seek him. It is as simple as saying from your heart the following few words: I BELIEVE LORD JESUS THAT YOU DIED ON THAT CROSS FOR ME. I BELIEVE THAT YOU SHED YOUR BLOOD ON THE CROSS FOR MY LIFE. I ACCEPT YOU INTO MY HEART AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SACRIFICE. I plead with you today to bow down before him and say these simple words. He loves us! There is no other way to eternal life than through our Lord Jesus! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” FOR YOUR KINGDOM IS AN EVERLASTING KINGDOM. YOU RULE THROUGHOUT ALL GENERATIONS.” PSALM 145:13

” BUT JOYFUL ARE THOSE WHO HAVE THE GOD OF ISRAEL AS THEIR HELPER, WHOSE HOPE IS IN THE LORD THEIR GOD.” PSALM 146:5

As we continue to live in an upside-down world of confusion, anger, rage, and death, you and I have only one resource that we can truly depend upon. We have the only resource at our fingertips that has proven throughout the ages to be true and faithful. It is very difficult to live in a world like we do with a peace of mind. It is hard to have joy and live with a sense of calming in our lives. But we can and should. Our faith in Jesus should give us strength and understanding. It should help us to believe in our Lord and his promises through anything we go through. Our God in heaven created the earth and everything in it. There is no doubt. He has ruled throughout all generations and continues to rule today if we just allow him to. Jesus has already won the war. If we acknowledge that and believe without doubt that he is helping us every step of the way, then we have nothing to fear. Our faith must be strong and strengthened everyday. Our prayers must be faithful and to the point. We must dive into his word and be consumed by his knowledge and love for each of us. When we do this then we can live a life in the up side down world with a confidence that our God is in control and not the world. PRAISE THE LORD IN SITUATIONS!

“‘ABBA FATHER’, HE CRIED OUT, ‘EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE FOR YOU. PLEASE TAKE THIS CUP OF SUFFERING AWAY FROM ME. YET I WANT YOUR WILL TO BE DONE AND NOT MINE.'” MARK 14:36

Just before the end was to begin Jesus went to the garden to pray. He prayed in earnest to God and wanted God to take what was about to take place, away from him. He knew the plan. He knew the pain, suffering and anguish that was set before him. As a human he wanted nothing to do with it. He called out to God asking that this suffering could be taken away. However, Jesus knew the will of our God in heaven. In order to save the world, he had to die this horrible death. Jesus knew the will of God and wanted God’s will done and not his own. He knew the plan beforehand. He knew what suffering was about to take place. Yet he succumbed to God’s will. He loved each of us so much that he went through that sacrifice for you and me, so that we would have a choice. Because of his obedience to God, you and I have the opportunity to be saved. We have the opportunity to be witnesses for what Jesus did. We have the opportunity to live our lives with faith, trust and obedience. However, we must also overcome our will for our lives and see God’s plan. We must trust in his plan and act upon what he wants us to do. It is important that we stay earnestly in Gods holy word, meditate on his word, and continue to pray and believe him for his answers. He loves us very much and we must love him. We should be a doer of his word and not a hearer only. We all go through our own problems. We go through sadness, anguish, fear, doubt and worry. But we have Jesus who has already been through those things and defeated each one. We must continue to Have faith! Build upon your faith! Exercise your faith! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” WE CAN MAKE OUR OWN PLANS, BUT THE LORD GIVES THE RIGHT ANSWER.” PROVERBS 16:1

I found out at an early age that when I make my own decisions times become rougher than if I truly pray to God and then wait upon him to answer. I had gone to college to become a school teach and had taught school for nearly 6 years. I loved teaching. I loved the kids, and I loved watching them light up when they finally had a breakthrough on an answer. I enjoyed teaching so much that I went back to school to get a Master’s degree in Education. Then one evening I received a phone call from our local bank President asking if I would be interested in joining the bank team. I had no past experience in banking and quite honestly, I hated math and numbers. I prayed and prayed to the Lord that he would give me the answer so that I would know just what to do. I finally decided that if I didn’t try it, I would never know. So, I went to work in the bank in 1979. My first 5 years were horrible. I wanted out. I tried everything to get out. I applied for other teaching jobs but with no success. Finally, I began to search healing scriptures and scriptures that led to direction and strength through Jesus. Things began to settle, and I lasted in the banking business for nearly 40 years. I have great memories of many great clients and banking experiences. I met a lot of good friends that I would never have met without making the change. The point is that things changed drastically when I truly turned things over to my Lord Jesus. My first 5 years were terrible for not only me but also for my family and those around me. But the Lord took control and began to help me, and my banking career began to take off. He gave me the ability to enjoy and excel in all that I did. We must trust in him and listen to him in all situations. If we do, he will answer. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” KEEP WATCH AND PRAY, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT GIVE IN TO TEMPTATION. FOR THE SPIRIT IS WILLING BUT THE BODY IS WEAK.” MARK 14:38

There were many years during the time I was in the service and years afterwards that began and continued to smoke. I remember my son begging me and telling me how bad it was for my health and that I should quit. I tried. I prayed and asked the Lord to deliver me from this terrible habit, but it didn’t work. I would quit for a short time and then start in again. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to quit because I did. It wasn’t because God didn’t answer my prayer and give me strength, because he did. My spirit was willing, and I tried very hard, but I struggled every day. I craved the cigarettes and, even though my spirit was willing to quit, I soon found out that my body was not. I continued to be persistent in my prayers, begging the Lord to help me and deliver me from this terrible habit. Then one day as I was reading my bible, I ran across the scripture that said that our bodies are the temple of God. I suddenly realized that I needed to take better care of my body and dedicate it to the Lord. So, I did. Shortly thereafter, I was able to take a newly purchased pack of cigarettes and throw them in the trash and not look back. The Lord had a plan. He used my family and his scriptures to get to me. My spirit always wanted to quit but my body was always rebellious, and I would always give into temptation as I was always surround by the world and others who smoked as much or more than I did. It doesn’t matter the troubles we are going through we must stay persistent in our prayer life. We must stay in communication with our Lord and never leave the door open for the devil to get in. We must continue to watch and pray and stay filled with the word of our God in heaven. PRASIE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” AND YOU MUST LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART, ALL YOUR SOUL, ALL YOUR MIND, AND ALL YOUR STRENGTH. MARK 12:30

I must be able to give who I am, what I do, the way I think, the way I perceive others, and everything else that I think that I am, to my Lord Jesus. When I am able to do this, I find that my life becomes one of love, peace, caring, understanding and compassion for others. When I am unable to do this, I find myself overwhelmed with fear, doubt, worry, anxiety, selfishness and all else that separation from my Lord brings. When I look back at my life and re-visit the mistakes that I have made I often wonder to myself, ‘ was it all worth it?’ All that I have put myself through has been a learning experience through Jesus. He forgave of those sins, He understood what I was going through, and he had passion and a love for me that I never thought anyone could have. Through those experiences my faith grew stronger and my trust in God’s Word grew stronger. I recognized that his promises for my life were true and not fiction. I realized that Jesus had already walked in my footsteps and knew my feelings, my hurts and my bumps and bruises. We must remember that Jesus gave his ALL for you and me and that we must give our ALL back to Him. PRAISE THE lORD IN ALL THINGS!

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

I would venture to guess that if everyone of us today sat down and started writing all of the blessings we have, and are receiving from our God in heaven, we would quickly find that our blessings far outnumber our troubles in life. If this is the case, why then do we take so much of our energy and precious time on this earth to concentrate on and worry about the problems? For a successful and happy life in Jesus we should shift our focus from our list of troubles to our list of blessings. Let’s focus our time on Jesus and his mighty promises for our lives! We will quickly learn that we will begin to live more productive and peaceful lives through all of the list of problems we may have. Remember, we are all overcomers through Christ Jesus! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” AS A RESULT, YOU CAN SHOW OTHERS THE GOODNESS OF GOD, FOR HE CALLED YOU OUT OF DARKNESS INTO HIS WONDERFUL LIGHT.” 1 PETER 34:19

Am I living in darkness or am I living in the wonderful light of my Lord Jesus Christ? When I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, he exposed me to light and not darkness. He opened up my mind, heart and my soul to the wonderful ways that I should live my life upon this earth. He has given me the ability to recognize my faith and to build upon it each day. He has given me the ability to trust him in all situations. With my focus on him he shed his light on his many truths and wonders that take place in my life everyday. He gives me peace, understanding, strength, joy, laughter, success and patience. His light shines down on me each day but it is my decision to follow him or not to. It is my decision to do the things and live in the ways he has provided or to live my own life in my own way. I have found that when I trust totally in Jesus my life turns out successful every time. It is not easy sometimes when the world is tugging at you heels. However, my Lord became my life when I accepted him. He is everything I am and everything I do. I must keep my focus and never stray because the evil one is ready and waiting to steal my victories and my joys in Jesus. It only takes a little crack in the door for him to enter and cause me disruption. Keep the trust! Keep the faith! I must keep my focus on Jesus! He loves me and never fails me! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” A CHEERFUL LOOK BRINGS JOY TO THE HEART; GOOD NEWS MAKES FOR GOOD HEALTH” PROVERBS 15:30

Keep a smile on your face and joy in your heart. This is the best medicine for all those around you. We are not to drag others down but instead lift them up. It does not matter what we may be going through, if we have the peace of God in our hearts then we are able to live with the joy he brings to us every day. We are able to see the future and the gold streets of heaven. If we stay focused on what is to come and not on what has happened or is happening around us, then we will be forever be joyful and an uplifting force to others. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“WE KNOW THAT WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD AND THAT THE WORLD AROUND US IS UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE EVIL ONE.” 1 JOHN 5:19

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

You and I are living in the end of days. We are living in the world and watching it change right before our eyes. We have seen prophesies become fulfilled and events happening that are clearly described in the bible as things that happen before our Lord Jesus returns. This world is going crazy right before our eyes. We are seeing with our own eyes’ events happening that the world cannot explain. However, as children of the everlasting God in heaven we know that the world is being driven by the devil but that our Lord is in total control. Our Lord is using every last moment of his wonderful time of grace to save as many children as he can. That time is about to come to an end. You and I are told to wait patiently for Him to act. We are to continue to pray and listen to his instructions. We are to keep our focus on Jesus at all times and never look back. As we do, our faith will continue to grow, and the Lord will do great things through each of us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“DEAR FRIENDS, IF WE DON’T FEEL GUILTY, WE CAN COME BEFORE GOD WITH BOLD CONFIDENCE. AND WE WILL RECEIVE FROM HIM WHATEVER WE ASK BECAUSE WE OBEY HIM AND DO THE THINGS THAT PLEASE HIM.” 1 JOHN 3:21-22

As we become stronger and stronger in the Lord our God, we become more confident in his mercy and grace. We are able to become more confident in his promises for our lives. As we become stronger in Jesus, he begins to reveal to us just who we are. If we live in the world and perform worldly ways, we will define our own lives and become what we want to become and many times our choices are not in sync with God’s plan. I heard a lot of ” you can do anything you set your mind to”, when I was growing up. The problem with that is that our Lord has a plan, and we are a part of that plan. When we begin to obey our Lord, he begins to define us and lead us to where wants us in our lives. We begin to fulfill his objectives for our lives, and we become one with him in thought, word and deeds. He loves us! We must obey him and be a doer of his word. Let Him define our lives and they will become so much stronger in Jesus! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

For those of us who have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, there is nothing better. Our Lord who lives in us is greater than anything or anyone. There is NOTHING that can stand against us because of our faith and the trust in the Holy One who stands beside us. His loving arms wrap us tightly in his loving protection. Accept him. Glorify him. He is ours through his sacrifice upon the cross. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUNATIONS!

It makes no difference the type of persecution or troubles we go through in life we must endure them with patience and keep our faith strong. There are no “if’s”, “and’s”, or “but’s” about it, we do have and will continue to have problems right up until the end. However, if we keep our faith strong in Jesus, then we will be able to endure because we know the end of the story. We know of the everlasting life awaiting us. We know who wins this great war. Our Lord and our Savior, Jesus Christ! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Our God in heaven has had a plan for the salvation of his children since the time of Adam and Eve. When Jesus came to this world, walked this earth and eventually died on the Cross, he did for you and me. We are all in his plan. Jesus has been given ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND ON THE EARTH. Through our Savior we should be overcomers. By believing in him, strengthening our faith, and trusting in his many promises we will be overcomers of this evil world. We can and will live a life of peace and joy through the toughest of times. It all depends upon the measure of faith you have. Sometimes we go backwards and begin to focus on the problems and not the savior. At that point our problems become and have the ability to overcome us. But with Jesus beside us we are the winners and the overcomers. Believe, Receive and Declare his promises to others. Work hard at spreading the message of the Salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

We must never forget that our Lord God in heaven is with us at every breath. Though it is sometimes easy to forget, we must always remember his strength and promise for our lives. Though we travel through roads of ruts and dips we always seem to find the good times by hitting the smooth surfaces of the freeway to success and happiness. Though we are persecuted and sometimes thrown down we are always graced with his presence. We must never forget that he should be put first in our lives! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

Our prayer life is very important as to how we live our lives on this earth. Our God in heaven has made it very clear that he hears and answers our prayers. We must, however, continue to pray with perseverance and pray as if the Lord our God has already answered our prayers. If we are praying in the will of God, our prayers are answered. We should thank him continuously for his answers and his saving grace in our lives and for all of our loved ones around us. It doesn’t matter our circumstances; we should be living our daily lives with the peace and understanding our Lord has given us. Our faith must remain strong and our trust in him even stronger. Or lives will be for the better if we continue to pray, believe, receive and thank Him for it all. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” YOU ARE SEEING THINGS FROM A HUMAN POINT OF VIEW, AND NOT FROM GOD’S.” MARK 8:33

“ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IF A PERSON BELIEVES.” MARK 9:23

Following the ways of Jesus seems like something that is rather easy to do. However, I know from personal experience that it is not quite that easy. Yes, all we have to do is believe with our heart that Jesus is our Lord and Savior and that he died for our sins. As we acknowledge that before our God and others we are saved. However, as we continue to live in this world it is important that we begin to prove our salvation. We are to live lives that show Jesus and his ways. We are to trust him for all things and believe in his promises. If we do these things, our lives on this earth become so much easier, because we are not depending on ourselves or others for answers but instead depending on our God in heaven only. We are to lay our problems at his feet and then leave them with him. But I know that I am very good at picking them up and taking them with me after I lay them at his feet. I then continue to worry, doubt and fear. We are human and he has given us feelings & emotions. As followers of Christ, we love others and want to help them. However, we need to recognize that our Lord is the answer and not us. Our trust in him must become immovable. We cannot allow the devil to steal away our faith and total trust in our Lord by convincing us with his lies. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. But we must trust him to give us that strength. We must trust him to ease our pain and loneliness. We must trust him for all of our answers because his is our one and only God in heaven! His plan is perfect! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Sometimes it is best to just sit back and look at a scripture, read it over and over again, and then pray to our Lord in heaven to give us the understanding for how his scripture applies to our lives. We each have our own individual problems and persecutions. Our Lord is in tune with each of us. When we pray to him, we sometimes think that he will give us answers to our prayers by sending us a miracle or some kind of sign that everything is going to be alright. Well, he may do just that, but he also may use a scripture to speak to us. His word is holy, truthful, and full of his wisdom. However, if we just read his scriptures and let them pass us by without fully understanding their meaning, then we are going to miss many answers to prayer. In order to fully take advantage of our Lord’s gifts, we must be able to meditate and study the meaning of his scriptures. His word is our road map to life. Every answer to any problem we have can be found in his road map. How often do we take advantage of it and study it. He heals us through it, provides us peace and joy through it, he gives us instruction for holy living through it, and he speaks to us through it. His mighty word is a gift that needs to be appreciated and used. He loves us and we see the extent of his love through his holy word! We should meditate on it so that it is a part of us as we live in this complicated worldly environment. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Our God in heaven has gone through great depths throughout history to show his love for his children. Even our God in heaven, who is the creator of all, has had and continues to have problems with his children. From the very beginning with Adam and Eve to the present day, he has had his share of rebellious children. From the very day that Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, the devil has been running around deceiving and causing grief for all of God’s kids. But our Lord God had a plan. He loves us so much that he took his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, and sacrificed him on the cross for you and for me. You and I have been given one responsibility and that is to truly accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. When we do, there is absolutely nothing in all creation that can separate us from his love. Only when we stray from his presence do we begin to see problems but even then, his love for us is still there. He never takes it away. His love is a constant. It is always there for us. If we just go to him and confess our sins, he forgives us. He has more than proven his love for us. Let us all strive to live our lives reflecting that love he has so graciously given us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” Wherever there is the love of our God in heaven there is no fear. For in the face of our God, fear turns and runs in the opposite direction. Fear and faith cannot live in the same house. We either are fearing the things that are happening around us or we have the faith that our Lord is in total control of our lives. With God’s words and promises we can become not only overcomers in this life but victorious. When our faith becomes so strong that there is nothing that can move it, we win the battles and the war. The devil is in complete control of the world around us. He is doing everything he can to convince us that there is no God in heaven. He sets before us sickness, diseases, accidents, sadness, doubts, worries and fears of all kinds. He is working hard to rob us of our faith in our God in heaven. He may currently control the world, but he does not have the authority to control us. Jesus died for our sins, our salvation and our healings. When we put our trust and beliefs in our Lord God in heaven then we are living our lives through Jesus and evil cannot control us. Our faith will carry us over, under and through all obstacles put before us. With strong faith we look fear, doubt and worry in the face and overcome them every time. There is nothing in this world that can defeat us unless we allow it to. We must stay prayed up! We must meditate daily in God’s holy word! We must be more than familiar with God’s promises for our lives! We must become everyday “doers” of his word. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

ACCEPTING JESUS AS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR CREATES A BURNING DESIRE WITHIN US TO LIVE A LIFE THAT IS WORTHY OF HIS SACRIFICES. SOMETIMES OUR ACTIONS DO SPEAK LOUDER THAN OUR WORDS. WE ARE TO NOT ONLY TELL OTHERS ABOUT CHRIST JESUS BUT WE ARE TO LIVE LIVES THAT SHOW OTHERS ABOUT CHRIST. WE ARE TOO LIVE OUR LIVES WITH THE CONFIDENCE THAT WE KNOW HIS HOLY WORD CREATES IN US. WE ARE TO LOVE OTHERS, DO FOR OTHERS AND CONSIDER OTHERS BETTER THAN OURSELVES. WE ARE TO HAVE A TRUST IN OUR GOD IN HEAVEN THAT IS SO STRONG THAT OUR FAITH DOES NOT WAIVER. THESE CHARACTERISTICS DO NOT JUST MAGICALLY APPEAR IN OUR LIVES. WE MUST BE CONSTANT IN HIS WORD. WE MUST BE IN COMMUNICATION WITH OUR GOD AT ALL TIMES. WE MUST KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THE HOLY PROMISES HE HAS GIVEN US THROUGH HIS WORD. WE MUST CONTINUE TO PRAISE HIM FOR HIS MIRACLES, GIFTS AND THE LOVE HE SO GRACIOULSY GIVES US EACH DAY. HE LOVES US AND WE ARE TO LOVE HIM. OUR LIVES ARE MANY TIMES A MOVIE IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS. THEY SET BACK AND WATCH CLOSELY HOW WE REACT TO SITUATIONS WHETHER GOOD OR BAD. THEY LISTEN TO OUR WORDS AND READ OUR ATTITUDES. ARE WE REPRESENTING CHRIST TO OTHERS IN THE WAY WE LIVE? OUR ACTIONS SHOULD SHOW THAT WE BELONG TO JESUS SO THAT WE WILL BE CONFIDENT WHEN WE STAND BEFORE HIM. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!