Bread of Life, JIL

” IF YOU SEARCH FOR GOOD, YOU WILL FIND FAVOR; BUT IF YOU SEARCH FOR EVIL, IT WILL FIND YOU.” PROVERBS 11:27

It is quite important that we seek favor with our God in heaven. If we live our lives with joy, peace and forgiveness we will find favor with our Lord. We will be blessed in ways that we can’t even imagine. However, if we go about seeking the evil ways of life, we will receive the evil we are looking for. Evil lurks around every corner just ready to pounce and destroy our faith in Jesus. Seek the favor of the Lord and not the evil of the world. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

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

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

I read Psalms 91 every day. It is full of the promises of God, and it seems as though I need constant reminders of his promises for my life. As I walk through my daily routines my spiritual needs become more apparent. I become surrounded by the troubles of this life. It is very easy to become entangled in those problems and I begin to prepare my own plans of escape. When that happens, I find myself becoming frustrated and angry with the world. The Holy Spirit reminds me that He is with me always. I am reined back in and reminded of God’s promises for my life. I remember that His promises are my armor and protection. I need to act upon his faithfulness and believe He is true and always faithful. My Lord promises that He will protect me if I just believe Him and trust His word. I must put on my armor each and every day. I must not leave my house without the proper preparation for my body, mind, and soul. As I prepare myself physically each day for my daily life, I must also prepare my spiritual self. I have found that without proper preparation in God’s Word each day that my daily walk is much harder and sometimes disastrous. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“THE LORD SAYS, ‘I WILL RESCUE THOSE WHO LOVE ME. I WILL PROTECT THOSE WHO TRUST IN MY NAME.’ ”

I talk a lot about faith building and becoming stronger in your trust in the Lord. In order to build your faith and make it stronger it is important to obtain a strong relationship with Jesus. Knowing Jesus is one thing but having a relationship with him is another. As we pray to him each day, we become more comfortable with his understanding and love for us. As we read and meditate upon his Word, we become more familiar with his ways, his promises and his strength. The main ingredient in building up our faith is having a strong relationship with Him. We must keep ourselves surrounded by his Word and take small steps of faith by putting his Word into action in our lives. As the old saying goes, “Rome was not built in a day.” As we are faithful in our prayers and faithful in meditating in his Word our small steps of faith will grow and become larger steps of faith. If we cannot believe in the little things, how are we to believe in the larger things? Every day is to be another step in our faithful relationship with Jesus. We begin to believe and trust Him for His promises, and He becomes our refuge and safety net in life. A strong relationship with Christ takes our focus off of the world and puts it on Him! Strong faith building is strong relationship building in Jesus! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” AND HE BECAME THE SOURCE OF ETERNAL SALVATION FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO OBEY HIM.” HEBREWS 5:9

Each and every one of us is plugged into a source. Which source are you plugged into? We see many who are plugged into the world and all that it offers. They go along with the flow and never question those around them. Hebrews 5:9 tells us that Jesus is the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. We all may recognize that Jesus is the source of salvation but are we obeying him? Do our lives reflect our belief in Jesus? Do we follow his ways or are we just spouting words and then living our life in this world? It takes true and faithful action on our part to show our belief and our trust in Jesus. We must be able to take steps of faith and truly believe that our Lord is beside us in all we do. Jesus loves us very much and is our way to our eternal home in heaven. He gives us all we need to follow him, but it is up to you and me to act upon his direction and plan for our lives. We must stay in his Word and meditate upon it. We must continue to pray continually and to praise him for all of his love and protection in our lives. We must recognize, love and obey the Holy Spirit. Our Lord is coming back very soon. We must not become complacent but stay alert and ready. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“ IF YOU HAVE FAITH AND DON’T DOUBT YOU CAN DO THINGS LIKE THIS AND MUCH MORE. YOU CAN EVEN SAY TO THIS MOUNTAIN, ‘ MAY YOU BE LIFTED UP AND THROWN INTO THE SEA’, AND IT WILL HAPPEN. YOU CAN PRAY FOR ANYTHING, AND IF YOU HAVE FAITH, YOU WILL RECEIVE IT.” MATTHEW 21: 21-22

We must continue to have faith, faith and more faith. We must continually work on building a faith that is strong and reliable. Our God in heaven does not and cannot lie. He tells us plainly that we can stand up with our faith in him and tell our mountains of problems to leave us and they will! We can stand up in the face of danger and with faith and the name of Jesus we can tell danger to leave, and it will! We must live our lives driven by our faith in Jesus. He is our way to salvation and to victory over all of the mountains of danger put before us by the devil himself. Our Lord is returning soon. We are living in a day and age that reflects his return. We have seen prophesies that have been fulfilled that have paved the way for his return. Until we meet him in the sky, we must take refuge in him and believe so that we can overcome all mountains and valleys that stand in our way. We must live lives that reflect Jesus. We must believe that we receive because God is our source of strength! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” EVEN THOUGH JESUS WAS GOD’S SON, HE LEARNED OBEDIENCE FROM THE THINGS HE SUFFERED.” HEBREWS 5:8

Have you ever wondered why we go through or suffer through struggles? Some of us come down with diseases, other go through financial losses and still others through horrific losses of family and friends. We may wonder why God does not heal us immediately or take away the hurt “right now.” Through all of our struggles there is a purpose. God has a plan. We may not understand his plan but who are we to question what he is doing? We must continue to pray and ask our God for his healing in our life. We should also ask him to give us the strength we need to live through our pain and suffering. We don’t always see the whole picture but sometimes we need to grow stronger in our faith. There is no doubt that struggles will either make us or break us. If we love our Lord, we will continue to move forward in Him. We will never forget who is leading our life. Even Jesus learned obedience from the things he suffered. He didn’t have to die on that cross for us. All he had to do was signal his unwillingness and God would have sent a host of angels to save him from such torture. But because of his obedience you and I are saved through Him! We have been given a second chance. Jesus loves us so much that he obeyed God’s plan and willingly became the sacrifice needed for us to live. Let’s not question why we go through struggles but instead praise God and give him the glory for our ability to live through them. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” FOR THE WORD OF GOD IS ALIVE AND POWERFUL”. HEBREWS 4:12

When I pick up my bible each day it is important that I recognize what tool I have in my hands. It is not a book! I understand that it is a living and powerful tool that is used to help me in every way possible. It exposes my most inner thoughts and desires. I use it in prayer. I use it in reminding my God in heaven of his mighty promises for my life. I use it as a guide to walk a path of righteousness and to lead a life that is representative of Jesus. It is the first thing I pick up when I have a problem. It is the first thing I go to when I have done something wrong. Jesus no longer physically walks this earth but his Holy Word does. My God in heaven has left for me his words of truth that lead me along a path that helps me in my daily life. His Holy Word has an answer and a solution to every problem that I go through, for every bad thought that I may have. It is a heavenly tool that can be used anywhere and everywhere that I go. It keeps me safe; it keeps me protected and it keeps me strong. It knows me better than I know myself. I recognize that Jesus did not go away and leave me hanging to defend for myself. He left his Holy Word and sent the Holy Spirit to guide and protect us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” SINCE HE HIMSELF HAS GONE THROUGH SUFFERING AND TESTING HE IS ABLE TO HELP US WHEN WE ARE BEING TESTED.” HEBREWS 2:18

We are all aware that when Jesus was walking this earth he walked in our footsteps. He went through struggles just as you and me. He was persecuted, threatened by death, and physically abused. He died the most horrible death possible and went to hell and back, just so you and I wouldn’t have to. It easy for us to become impatient when we are going through struggles. We want the Lord to act in our lives quickly and not allow us to suffer anything. As a believer our faith and trust in him must stay strong. We know that he loves us, and we know that he died for us. But we cannot see the whole picture. We do not know how our struggles might affect those around us. When we are sick our Lord will get us through it, but he may use the sickness to heal someone else on the way to our healing. When we are struggling with our finances our Lord will be by our side and will deliver us out of our difficulty, but he may be using our struggle to help others along the way. We must be patient. Jesus has walked in our footsteps, but he may be and probably is using us as examples for others to see how our trust and faith in him can save us and get us through. Be focused, be faithful and never doubt! Our Lord God in heaven is forever faithful! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” SIN HAS DRAINED MY STRENGTH.” PSALM 31:10

Keeping our focus on Jesus is important for not only leading a strong Christian life but also for our own health. Sin of any kind will drain us like the cold weather will drain a battery. If we allow all of strength to be used on worry, doubt and fear then we will have less strength to provide for living the fulfilled life given to us by God. With our Lord God in heaven as our strengthening force we can lead a life filled with joy, peace, understanding, wisdom and a sound mind. When we keep our eyes on Jesus, we will be able to keep the strength needed to follow him and to fulfill our destiny in Him. When we are living in Jesus there can be no sin. It is when we live our lives outside of his mercy that we begin to be drained by the complications of the world around us. When we focus and live our lives within the boundaries provided by our Lord, we are kept strong and safe by his Holy Word. We must stay faithful and pray everyday. We must give him praise for all the good and great things he does for us each day. We must read and meditate upon His Holy Word as often as we can. Our Lord loves us and wants to keep us within his love. But we must stay focused and not allow sin to enter. In only drains our strength and does not allow us the ability to live healthy lives in Christ Jesus! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” TAKE DELIGHT IN THE LORD AND HE WILL GIVE YOU YOUR HEART’S DESIRES.” PSALM 37:4

Our God in heaven is a loving God. He has every desire for us to obey his every word and do the things that will take us down the right path. There are, however, many obstacles thrown in our way. We have mountains to climb over, jungles to navigate through and valleys to climb out of. None of these obstacles are fun or easy. But with the Lord by our side, we can get through it all. We are to be joyful in our Lord and thankful for all that does for us and gives to us. We must allow him to live in our daily lives. He should always be at the forefront of our actions. He should always be at the forefront of our thoughts. Our faith in Him must be so strong that we lean upon Him for everything we do. If we believe and take delight in Him our lives will be so much better, and we will be able to walk through and defeat each and every struggle we confront. With the Lord living in our lives everyday he will give us the desires of our hearts. Our desires will reflect his will for our lives, and we will become stronger each day. Let us all develop a relationship with Jesus that reflects a delightful attitude. Make him the center of your life and live with Him in control. We can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS AND BELIEVE YOU RECEIVE!

” WAIT PATIENTLY FOR THE LORD. BE BRAVE AND COURAGEOUS. YES, WAIT PATIENTLY FOR THE LORD.” PSALM 27:14

We live in a world of fast cars, fast food, fast technology and just a life that is running fast at all times. The world around us just seems too never slow down. While living in this world we seem to take that fast lifestyle and use it when we are worshipping our Lord God. We expect our prayers to be answered immediately or consider them to be unanswered. Many times, our lives are moving so fast that we only have time each day for a short prayer and a very quick reading of a short bible verse. It is very important that we take a step back and begin to analyze our priorities in life. What is the most important part of our daily life? Is it our sleep and rest? Is it our job, our family or our TV time? All of these are important, however, who has provided us with these opportunities? Who has given us our great families? Who has allowed us to be born in one of the greatest countries in the world? As followers of Jesus, we all know the answers to these questions. Our Lord God in heaven has provided these things to us. How much time do we give him each day? Where do we have him on our priority list? We must slow down and take time to give thanks to where thanks are due. We must give praise where praise is due. If we put Jesus first in our lives and all else will fall into place. It is so easy to get wrapped up in this world but if we slow down and listen, pray, believe, receive and meditate in his Holy Word our lives will be so much better for both us and those around us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” PURSUE RIGHTEOUSNESS AND A GODLY LIFE, ALONG WITH FAITH, LOVE, PERSEVERANCE, AND GENTLENESS.” 1 TIMOTHY 6:11

” AVOID GODLESS, FOOLISH DISCUSSIONS WITH THOSE WHO OPPOSE YOU WITH THEIR SO-CALLED KNOWLEDGE.” 1 TIMOTHY 6:20

Pursuing happiness through our loving God in heaven and then living it here on this earth is sometimes a challenging experience. We must stay focused and believe in our faith. We must know what God’s word says and we must put his words and promises into action in our lives. Because we live in the world, we are surrounded with those who may think our ways of following God are foolish and filled with nonsense. As we walk in our valleys and up our mountains, we must stay the course. We should not take seriously the thoughts and words of those whose ideas are not in line with the Word of God. If we do, our life will become harder and harder each day. We must surround ourselves with those in this life who support us and our faith walk in Jesus. We cannot allow doubt, worry or fear to creep in and steal away the strength and joy that comes from following Jesus. Our lives and the struggles we go through are to be a testimony to others as to what a life in Jesus is all about. Our faith must be strong even when others are in doubt. We are overcomers in this life of all our struggles because our Lord and Savior in Jesus is our way of life. We are to stay the course no matter the persecutions or struggles put into our paths! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” THESE PEOPLE HONOR ME WITH THEIR LIPS BUT THEIR HEARTS ARE FAR FROM ME.” MATTHEW 15:8

Respecting, loving and honoring our God in heaven is much more than just going to church on Sunday morning. The messages from God and the fellowship we receive with other Christians during our Sunday church services are a vital part of our relationship with God. However, going to church on Sunday morning and Sunday night does not give us a license to go out during the week and live a life that represents this world. We are to take our messages and the fellowship we receive on Sundays and make them a part of our daily lives. Some treat our Sunday services as they do a gas station for their car. They go there and fill up for the week, thinking that they are good until next Sunday. Truly honoring our God in heaven is not only going to church but it is living the life. His word and his promises are to penetrate our very souls and become a part of who we are. We are to love others, be joyful, be giving, and act upon his promises and live lives of strength and not weakness. If we are to fulfill the plan that God has for us, we must be willing to involve him in every decision and every problem we run up against. We need to pray and talk with him everyday. We must listen to him and do as he instructs us to do. He should be our focus during the week, not the world. After all, he created this world, and he knows of every problem and every solution to every problem, before we even confront them. We must trust him and honor him in everything we do. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” WE SHOULD LIVE IN THIS EVIL WORLD WITH WISDOM, RIGHTEOUNESS, AND DEVOTION TO GOD, WHILE WE LOOK FORWARD WITH HOPE, TO THAT WONDERFUL DAY WHEN THE GLORY OF OUR GREAT GOD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST WILL BE REVEALED.” TITUS 2:12 & 13

Only when we live in the world through the eyes of the world do we become saddened, frustrated and with little to no hope in our future. How terrible is it to live a life where there is no hope for a future, where there is no reality to life after death. When things go wrong our lives turn into disasters because all we see is the reality around us. However, when we surround ourselves with the loving arms of our God in heaven, our worries fade away. The life in the evil world that we live in today becomes only a temporary thing. We look forward to the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As our faith becomes stronger day in and day out, we begin to live our lives in his righteousness, his wisdom and his understanding. Our focus changes to our eternal life with Him in heaven. As we read his holy word it becomes truth to us, and we begin to live as we are intended to live. Our struggles in this life become secondary to the life we look forward to. He loves us without conditions. He is our Savior, Forgiver and Healer. Through Him we can do all things because He gives us the strength we need in order to get through our walk in this world. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” SO PETER WENT OVER THE SIDE OF THE BOAT AND WALKED ON THE WATER TOWARD JESUS. BUT WHEN HE SAW THE STRONG WIND AND WAVES, HE WAS TERRIFIED AND BEGAN TO SINK.” MATTHEW 14: 29-30

How many times have you and I been walking on the water of faith and then suddenly we take our focus from Jesus and place it on the terrible things happening around us. We then begin to sink in our troubles and the struggles and problems around us begin to overcome us. Peter was walking on the water because he was trusting in Jesus. His actions were showing that with complete trust in the Lord we can do anything within his will. However, the moment Peter’s focus changed he began to sink. Each day we face worldly struggles of our own. It is important that our faith stay strong and that we trust our Lord to take care of us. If we stay focused on our Lord, our struggles will be as nothing. But if we continually focus on the things around us, we will only be throwing fuel on the fire and the flames of our problems will only become larger and larger. We must train ourselves to trust Jesus in our lives. It doesn’t matter how large or small our problems look to us if we keep our eyes on Jesus and trust in his ways, we will be overcomers. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” YES, AND THE LORD WILL DELIVER ME FROM EVERY EVIL ATTACK AND BRING ME SAFELY INTO HIS HEAVENLY KINGDOM.” 2 TIMOTHY 4:18

Evil attacks come our way day after day. We go through sorrows, through sickness and disease, and through worldly concerns and anxieties. However, we have heavenly protection through each of these attacks. Our Lord is by our side. He goes before us to deliver us from harm. We must have strong faith in our Lord and his promises. It is more than just spouting words from our mouth saying that we believe. We must act upon our belief and not fear because we trust and know His truths. Our Lord is not a forceful God and will not act unless we ask him to. He will be unable to help us if we do not believe. He has sent his precious Holy Spirit to live within us and guide us through all situations good or bad. It takes faith to become a true believer and it takes faith to act upon the promises of our Lord. We should love him, believe him and act upon his word. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” BUT YOU SHOULD KEEP A CLEAR MIND IN EVERY SITUATION. DON’T BE AFRAID OF SUFFERING FOR THE LORD. WORK AT TELLING OTHERS THE GOOD NEWS, AND FULLY CARRY OUT THE MINISTRY GOD HAS GIVEN YOU.” 2 TIMOTHY 4:5

Each and every one of us has a purpose and a ministry that God has given us. It is important that we stay in close communication with our Lord God on a daily basis. The time is short, and the workers are few. We all have a job to do. God doesn’t want anyone going to hell. But as scriptures tell us, the road to heaven is narrow. Right now, it is easy to get there. All we have to do is to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. However, after the Lord returns and the time of grace is over, the time of tribulation will be upon us. At that time, it will not be impossible to get to heaven, but it will become much harder to get to heaven. During that time, you will have a choice of either taking the mark of the beast and denying Christ or to stand up in the face of death and accept Christ and be beheaded. Which would you have your friends, neighbors and family be a part of? Our ministry today and until the Lord returns is to spread his good news and get as many people saved as possible. The time is very short. We are to carry out the ministry our God has given us! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” COME TO ME, ALL OF YOU WHO ARE WEARY AND CARRY HEAVY BURDENS, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST.” MATTHEW 11:28

Our Lord invites us to come to him each day with our burdens. We all carry heavy baggage with us and sometimes our baggage gets too heavy for us to carry alone. We need help. Our Lord will give us that help. We must, however, believe in him and all of his promises for our lives. We have to believe that when we go to him with our burdens, he will willingly take them from us and carry them for us. Our faith must be strong enough to leave our problems at his feet and turn and walk away without the heaviness we left with him. When we do, we are trusting him to help us. The burdens are lifted, and we can walk away in freedom, peace of mind and the strength our Lord wants us to have. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” FOR GOD HAS NOT GIVEN US A SPIRIT OF FEAR AND TIMIDITY BUT OF POWER, LOVE AND SELF-DISCIPLINE. 2 TIMOTHY 1:7

My human nature is not one of self-courage. I am usually the person in the back of the room trying to stay out of sight. I was never one who would raise their hand willingly in class, even if I knew the answer to a question. I am not and never have been one to step out and start a conversation with someone I don’t know. I was recently reminded of my human nature and began to think of how my Lord wants me to act in society. Being fearful of standing out in a crowd or speaking up among others is not something our Lord God has given us. If we are operating in fear, we can be assured that we are not working in the Lord. Fear, doubt and worry are NOT the adjectives that describe our Lord. He operates in love, peace, understanding, with power and confidence. You and I are to operate our lives through Christ Jesus. We have the Holy Spirit of God who lives within us who gives us what we need to operate in power, love and self-discipline. My problem is that I allow fear to overcome my actions and my words. This is something that I have had to overcome my whole life. However, there is a purpose for the way God has created each of us. I was a school teacher turned banker and now retired. For many years I have had the desire to spread God’s holy Word to others. Since retirement the Lord has called me to do just that. I have to remind myself each day of the fact that through Christ I am an overcomer. He is my Lord and Savior and my Redeemer. So, the next time you feel fear welling up inside you just remember you are a child of God and not of the devil. Stand up with confidence in the Lord and have faith in the plan he has for your life. Without him I am nothing and because of the hindrance of fear I can do little. But with the power of the Holy Spirit, I am strong, and I can do ALL things because he gives me strength. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” BE AN EXAMPLE TO ALL BELIEVERS IN WHAT YOU SAY, IN THE WAY YOU LIVE, IN YOUR LOVE, YOUR FAITH, AND YOUR PURITY.” 1 TIMOTHY 4:12

The Lord has been very clear in His message to us. We are to live a life that represents him in the best of ways. We are to be strong, loving, pure and faithful. Our faith is to be so strong that it helps us to walk through the fires of this world. It allows us not to waver in our struggles but to stand tall and show the strength of Jesus. We are to be examples to other believers in the way we talk and live our lives. We are to believe that we receive because our God in heaven is our source, our strength and our way of life! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

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

Because of our faith, trust and complete love for our God in heaven we work hard each day to stay the course. We are to move toward holiness out of reverence for our God. He has surrounded us with his holy word and all of his mighty promises. We know how he wants us to live. We are human and are not perfect, but our Lord expects us to know him and all of his ways. He expects us to love him with all of our heart. In doing so we are to respect him with honor and a life worth his praise. We are to stay away from anything that can lead us down the wrong road, lead us to bad language or that allows us to forget the ways of our Lord. We are to stay focused daily on his thoughts and words and always stay reminded of his love for each of us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” KEEP A CLOSE WATCH ON HOW YOU LIVE AND ON YOUR TEACHING.” 1 TIMOTHY 4:16

In these last days many will be led astray. There are many teachings that take God’s Word and begin to put a twist on it. The devil is working overtime and will go to great lengths to deceive even the wisest of Christians. Do not support and teach to others things that are not of the word of God. Test everything you hear by comparing it to God’s Word. How we live our lives should be based on God’s Word. We must stay in his Word and learn it well. We must keep ourselves surrounded by his promises and live accordingly. In keeping that personal relationship with Jesus fresh, we cannot be deceived because we know his thoughts and promises are true and never failing! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” THOSE WHO LIVE IN THE SHELTER OF THE MOST HIGH WILL FIND REST IN THE SHADOW OF THE ALMIGHTY.” PSALM 91:1

The word LIVE is considered an action word. It is something you do. It is an action you take or a lifestyle you live. For the first few years of our lives most of us had the opportunity to live under the direction of our loving parents. They showed us right from wrong and corrected us when we needed correcting. They protected us from harm and was always there when we needed them. Our Lord God is no different. He tells us that if we live under his roof, he will protect us. If we live under his conditions, we will have nothing to fear. He gives us a guide to live by (His Holy Scriptures) and has sent His Holy Spirit to live in us. If we are living in him then we are assured of peace, joy and safety. We will continue to have struggles here on this earth but with our life in Jesus we are guaranteed a life eternal! All we have to do is turn our burdens over to Him and let Him carry them! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“IN HIM LIE HIDDEN ALL THE TREASURES OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE.” COLOSSIANS 2:3

Treasure hunters in this world hunt treasures of jewels, gold, and silver. Some go to great lengths and through great dangers in order to find their treasures. We as Christians are treasurer hunters as well. However, the treasures that we look for are far different than those of the world. We are seeking the things of our God in heaven. We are looking for the wisdom, knowledge and the understanding that our God has promised us. The promises of the Lord our God in heaven are worth much more than mere jewels of this world. His promises help us to fulfill our lives in Christ Jesus. They help us to live lives that will be inherently invaluable to those around us. Our true treasures lie in the vaults of heaven. Our work on this earth is to win others to Christ. With the wisdom and knowledge we have in Christ, our missions become so much easier. Let us continue to seek and find these heavenly treasures. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

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

” THE LORD SAYS, I WILL RESCUE THOSE WHO LOVE ME. I WILL PROTECT THOSE WHO TRUST IN MY NAME.” PSALM 91:14

” BUT THE LORD IS FAITHFUL; HE WILL STRENGTHEN YOU AND GUARD YOU FROM THE EVIL ONE.” 2 THESSALONIANS 3:3

As true followers of Jesus Christ we have the greatest insurance policy of all time. Our coverage includes God’s angels for our protection, God’s faithfulness and his strength. It includes his wisdom, understanding, the use of the name of Jesus and his precious Holy Spirit for guidance. There is nothing upon this earth or in this earth that we are not protected from. The premium for this coverage is for us to believe and receive. Our faith must be strong at all times, and we must be willing to trust and believe in this coverage (his promises). As residents upon this earth, we can go out and buy house insurance, car insurance, medical insurance and life insurance. But without faith in Jesus, we are unable to participate in our Lord’s insurance coverage. His coverage is available to use 24/7. Our faith must stay strong. We cannot afford to forget that we have his coverage. He wants us to use it so that we will be safe and able to live with peace of mind and a secure heart. If you do not have this coverage, apply today! Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, learn his promises and build upon your faith. Remember, we are covered 24/7!!! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“HE TOOK OUR SICKNESS AND REMOVED OUR DISEASES.” MATTHEW 8:17

Our Lord God is very clear and leaves nothing to be questioned in Matthew 8:17. When Jesus was nailed to the cross, he took every sickness and disease to the cross with him. They died with him on that cross. They have no more control over us if we just believe and receive his promise of healing. Our Lord uses many different methods to heal us from our sicknesses, but we must have the faith to trust him. Whether the situation looks dim or bright we must continue to thank Him and believe that He is at work in our lives, every moment of every day. We all go through good and bad times. When we are struggling, just remember that God has a plan. We must trust him with his plan and never doubt him. He is always faithful and never failing! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD, WALK IN HIS WAYS, OBEY HIS COMMANDS, HOLD FIRMLY TO HIM, AND SERVE HIM WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART AND YOUR SOUL.” JOSHUA 22:5

Scripture tells us that we are to hold firmly to our Lord. If we were falling from a cliff and we had a grasp of the hand of a friend, we would not want to let go. We would press harder and harder to never let go of the hand. Our friend’s reaching hand is our survival tool. If we were to let go, we would fall to our death below. Many of us are on the edge of that cliff. Jesus is standing with his outreached hand to save us. We need to listen to his voice and do as he tells us. We need to live our lives with strong faith and a great trust in him. If we don’t, then we will never reach his hand. We will not be able to hold firmly because we don’t believe. His hand is always reaching out. We also need to reach out and take a firm grip of his hand. We must hold to it and not let go. He is our Lord, Savior, Healer and Forgiver! With Jesus in our presence, we will be able to climb up that cliff to the safe arms of the Lord. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” NO, THE MESSAGE IS VERY CLOSE AT HAND; IT IS ON YOUR LIPS AND, IN YOUR HEART, SO THAT YOU CAN OBEY IT.” DEUTERONOMY 30:14

Sometimes when I pray to my God in heaven it feels like He is a million miles away. He is way up in heaven and I am way down here on earth. Scriptures tell us that nothing could be farther from the truth. Our Lord is with us at all times. He has given us the Holy Spirit to live in us and guide us. He has given us his Holy Word (The Bible) as a guide for our earthly life. God’s Holy Word is just that. It is not just a book with an author giving advice. It is the true and honorable living word of God. He has given us a road map to use, and it is important that we read it and meditate upon it. We must pray to God and ask for his guidance in understanding his thoughts and direction for our lives. We are not alone in this world. Our Lord lives in us in the presence of the Holy Spirit. His Holy Bible is a roadmap to help us through life, and to help us to build and live our faith. We should live in his Word everyday! We should never go a day without praying and meditating on the Word of God! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” THEN THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS WILL BE HONORED BECAUSE OF THE WAY YOU LIVE, AND YOU WILL BE HONORED ALONG WITH HIM.” 2 THESSALONIANS 1:12

The way we live our lives is a reflection of how we believe. If we live in fear, doubt and worry then we are reflecting a way of life that is representative of the complete opposite of how our Lord wants us to live. Jesus is powerful, joyous, understanding, loving, and forgiving. As we surround ourselves with the things of our Lord, we will begin to strengthen our faith and live lives that are joyful and strong. In everyday life we are constantly being bombarded with the things of this world. If we don’t fight off the evil that surrounds us, then we will become a part of the ruthlessness of this world. That is not the plan our God in heaven has for us. Jesus is to be glorified in our lives. It doesn’t matter our situation, good or bad, we are to fight through with the faith and trust in our Lord. We should know and understand His promises for our earthly lives. Remember, we are not saved by works, but we are crowned with rewards in heaven for the work we do on behalf of Jesus on this earth. Let us continue to build our faith and trust, always remembering that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” THEREFORE, AS YOU HAVE RECEIVED CHRIST JESUS THE LORD, SO WALK IN HIM.” COLOSSIANS 2:6

It is very important for us to realize that if we are to accomplish all that God has planned for us, we must develop a deep relationship with him and become who we were created to be. To do so we must willingly surrender ourselves to his promptings and trust him, no matter what He commands us to do. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!