Michael J Burchett Ministries

” 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!

“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!