Bread of Life, JIL

” NO ONE CAN RECEIVE ANYTHING UNLESS GOD GIVES IT FROM HEAVEN.” JOHN 3:27

Our God has given us many gifts from heaven, but some do not receive his gifts. He has given them to us, but we must be able to believe and receive them. If we doubt in our thoughts or our actions, we cannot receive from God. He wants us to be healed, prosperous, protected, strengthened and forgiven. And he has offered us all of these things and more. But you and I must receive them. We must live them. They must become a part of our lives. We cannot doubt what our God can and will do for us. The devil works 24/7 and throws doubts, worries and fears our way constantly. We must shoot down what he throws our way. We must confess we are healed whether we feel it or not. We must confess our forgiveness and our strength from God. We become what we are in our hearts. We speak what we believe from our hearts. Let us stay grounded in his holy word and his mighty promises for each of us! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” NONE OF THEIR ENEMIES COULD STAND AGAINST THEM, FOR THE LORD HELPED THEM CONQUER ALL THEIR ENEMIES.” JOSHUA 21:44

With faith in our Lord, you and I can withstand anything and everything we go through. All of our enemies will be defeated. With faith in our Lord, all of our enemies will turn and run away because of the presence of Jesus Christ in our life. The only way we can be defeated is by allowing doubt to enter into our thoughts. With doubt, we are defeated, but with faith in Jesus we are victorious! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“AND SHE WILL HAVE A SON, AND YOU ARE TO CALL HIM JESUS, FOR HE WILL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS.” MATTHEW 1:21

” LOOK! THE VIRGIN WILL CONCEIVE A CHILD! SHE WILL GIVE BIRTH TO A SON, AND SHE WILL CALL HIM IMMANUAL, WHICH MEANS GOD IS WITH US.” MATTHEW 1:23

Because our God loves us so much, he sent his one and only son, Jesus Christ, to be born into this world so that he could be sacrificed for you and me. This is a special day to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

” I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, YOU WILL ALL SEE HEAVEN OPEN AND THE ANGELS OF GOD GOING UP AND DOWN ON THE SON OF MAN, THE ONE WHO IS THE STAIRWAY BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH.” JOHN 1:51

Jesus Christ is our connection between our God in heaven and you and me. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, he becomes our hot line to God in heaven. He is our communicator. Jesus died for us when he was nailed to that cross and he continues to go to bat for us today. We pray to God through Jesus. If we know Jesus, then we know God. We must believe in our Lord and Savior and in all that he does on our behalf. He loves us, he cares for us, and he answers our prayers. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“THOUGH I WALK IN THE MIDST OF TROUBLE, YOU PRESERVE MY LIFE; YOU STRETCH OUT YOUR HAND AGAINST THE ANGER OF MY FOES, WITH YOUR RIGHT HAND YOU SAVE ME. THE LORD WILL FULFILL HIS PURPOSE FOR ME.” PSALM 138: 7&8

Our Lord is always with us. Scripture tells us that he goes before us. Our God has given us Jesus who died for our sins, and he has now given us his mighty Holy Spirit who helps us by giving us direction, wisdom and understanding. Our Lord is with us through good times and bad times. There will be those who persecute us for our beliefs and those who want to harm us. However, our Lord will save us against all of the evil that stands against us. Our God did not put us upon this earth to wildly run around and do things without a purpose. Everyone has a purpose. Everyone has a God given purpose, but not everyone seeks God’s purpose for their life. Some allow others to influence their life and then live by the world’s standards. However, we are to seek God. We are to pray to him constantly. We should ask our Lord to reveal his purpose for our life. When we ask, we will receive. We must live by his word and have faith in his word. We must trust him to lead us and not forsake us. We must believe in what he tells us by listening to his Holy Spirit. He wants nothing more than for us to fulfill the purpose for which he put us upon this earth. Pray and listen! Act upon his promises for your life. He is faithful and will not fail! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” GENTLE WORDS ARE A TREE OF LIFE; A DECEITFUL TONGUE CRUSHES THE SPIRIT.” PROVERBS 15:4

I have had to learn, and I am continuing to learn how to approach all with a gentle spirit. I have now been retired for four years and I am still trying to shed the bad habits I obtained from my many years of working in the world. I must admit that a stand-offish attitude and an intimidating personality were a couple of those traits. There were many times in my profession when I felt I had to be intimidating in order to get what I needed from others. This trait also followed me home and I am sure made it very uneasy on my family. I was vastly wrong in how I was conducting myself! If I had been listening to the Lord, I would have known that instead of being threatening to others I should have been more sociable and using kinder words. However, I became entangled in the world and did things the world’s way instead of the way the Lord wanted me to. Thank God for his kindness, forgiveness and grace. We all learn from experience. I continue to pray to the Lord and ask the Holy Spirit for his help and for better or worse I am still a work in progress. However, the Lord has made it very clear that he will help me to be truthful and yet kind at the same time. It is not easy, but nothing is. We must be careful as Christians. When I was working in the world, I wasn’t always representing Christ in the way I should have been. If you are still working in today’s world, I ask that you take a step back and analyze how you are representing the Lord in your job and at home. Take the time to talk with him and ask that he help guide you through each day. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” HOLD FIRMLY TO HIM AND SERVE HIM WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART AND ALL YOUR SOUL.” JOSHUA 22:5

We should serve our Lord with a dedication that is built upon a sturdy foundation. It must be a foundation that is not able to crumble or be washed away by our fears, doubts or worries. Where there is true faith there will be no worry, doubt or fear for they cannot exist in the same place at the same time. A strong faith in our Lord Jesus is the foundation that we need. We should be able to fight against the evil coming against us by knowing God’s promises and being able to quote his scriptures. When we come across troubles of any kind we should go to our Lord God in heaven, in the name of Jesus, and pray. And when we pray, we should believe that we receive. For there is no doubt in faith and there is no faith in doubt. Let our faith be strong in every moment of our lives. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” SO WHETHER YOU EAT OR DRINK, OR WHATEVER YOU DO, DO IT ALL FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.” 1 CORINTHIANS 10:31

EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IN OUR LIVES SHOULD BE DONE FOR THE GLORY OF OUR GOD IN HEAVEN. AS FOLLOWERS OF JESUS, HE SHOULD BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF OUR THOUGHTS AND OUR ACTIONS. AS CHRISTIANS WE ARE TO LIVE OUR LIVES AS A TESTIMONY TO HIM! WE MUST SURROUND OUSELVES WITH HIS WORD. WE MUST PRAY AND GIVE HIM PRAISE EVERYDAY. WE ARE TO BE SERVANTS JUST A JESUS WAS A SERVANT. WE SHOULD SERVE OTHERS AS WE SERVE OUR LORD. WE SHOULD HAVE COMPASSION FOR OTHERS JUST AS OUR LORD HAD WHILE WALKING THIS EARTH. WHILE SPEAKING HIS WORD TO OTHERS IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE, LIVING OUR LIVES IN ACCORDANCE WITH HIS WORD IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT. OTHERS ARE WATCHING US. WE ARE THE BIBLE TO THEM. HOW WE LIVE AND HOW WE DEAL WITH THE FRUSTRATIONS OF LIFE GOES A LONG WAY TO WINNING OTHERS TO CHRIST! WHATEVER WE DO SHOULD BE DONE FOR THE GLORY OF OUR GOD IN HEAVEN! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” THE TEMPTATIONS IN YOUR LIFE ARE NO DIFFERENT FROM WHAT OTHERS EXPERIENCE. AND GOD IS FAITHFUL. HE WILL NOT ALLOW THE TEMPTATION TO BE MORE THAN YOU CAN STAND. WHEN YOU ARE TEMPTED, HE WILL SHOW YOU A WAY OUT SO YOU CAN ENDURE.” 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13

Our Lord never ever fails us. He has all things under control. He never promised that we would go through this life unscathed from trials or temptations. As a matter of fact, as we follow Jesus our trials may become increasingly more difficult, because the devil tries to discourage us. However, our God has promised that he will never allow us to go through trials and temptations that we can’t handle. He will always show us ways that we can endure. He loves us and never wants us to be hurt, discouraged or beaten down. We are his children. As he endures, we will endure. Our Lord God in heaven never fails and we will never fail either! We must focus on Him and not our trials and temptations. When we do he will lead us through and into victory! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, ANYONE WHO DOESN’T RECEIVE THE KINGDOM OF GOD LIKE A CHILD WILL NEVER ENTER IT. ” LUKE 18:17

We sometimes make decisions in our lives very difficult. We over think situations and make them into barriers that we can never get over. Most children listen to their parents and believe them for safety and for survival in life. There is no difference in our relationship with our mom and dad here on earth and our father in heaven. As we trust in our mother and father here on earth, we must trust in our Lord God in heaven to help us. We must be simple in the Lord. We must believe in him and trust in him. We must believe and confess for our salvation, and we must believe and trust him for his help in our daily lives here on this earth. Don’t over think it. Keep it simple and trust him! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“ YOUR NAME O LORD, ENDURES FOREVER; YOUR FAME, O LORD, IS KNOWN TO EVERY GENERATION. FOR THE LORD WILL GIVE JUSTICE TO HIS PEOPLE AND HAVE COMPASSION ON HIS SERVANTS.” PSALM 135: 13 & 14

The name of our Lord has endured for generation after generation. There have been idols created by people for thousands of years, but their fame died away. There are idols today that have been created by man that will die away. However, our God’s name has lasted over thousands of years and lasts still today. He is the creator of all things so his name cannot and will not go away. He is to be glorified and praised. He is to be thanked and served. As we continue to believe him and serve him, he will love us and have compassion on us. He will be with us in good times and times of trouble. He will provide us justice in our lives. We cannot sit on the couch and be observers. We must be active doers of his word. We must step out in our faith and let him work in our lives. When we do, we will be blessed beyond comprehension. We must remember that he loves us beyond our comprehension. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“AND NO ONE CAN KNOW GOD’S THOUGHTS EXCEPT GOD’S OWN SPIRIT. AND WE HAVE RECEIVED GOD’S SPIRIT (NOT THE WORLD’S SPIRIT). SO, WE CAN KNOW THE WONDERFUL THINGS GOD HAS FREELY GIVEN US.” 1 CORINTHIANS 2: 11 & 12

Our God in heaven has given the Holy Spirit as a free gift to live within us and guide us in our daily lives. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we can then understand and know the wonderful things our Lord has freely given us. Why? Because the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of our God, and only God’s own Spirit can know his thoughts. That same spirit now lives inside us. His Spirit has been described a “small still voice.” To hear his voice, we must be quiet and listen closely. If we are totally involved in our daily lives and never take the time to be quiet, then we will never be able hear his voice. When Jesus was taken up to heaven to sit at the right hand of God, Our God then sent his third person, manifested in the presence of the Holy Spirt, to help us and to guide us. When we are going through tough times it is wise to sit back, be quiet and listen to that small still voice. It will help us and guide us. His thoughts and directions for our lives will match perfectly to what he says in his Holy Word. Don’t try to go through this world alone, but instead, use the free gift our God has given us, his precious Holy Spirit! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

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

” I WANT YOU TO BE FREE FROM THE CONCERNS OF THIS LIFE.” 1 CORINTHIANS 7:32

Our Lord has given us promises throughout his Holy Word. These promises continue to be promises for us today just as they were for those thousands of years ago. We are destined to go through the troubles, trials and temptations of life. However, our Lord God does not want us to be frightened or worried about these worldly things. He does not want us to be harmed in any way. He wants us to not be concerned with these obstacles of life but instead be concerned with him. We need to be fully aware of his promises for our lives and then we need to confess them each day until they become complete beliefs in our lives. Our faith will wipe out the doubts and we will be able to live freely in the Lord our God in heaven. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

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

Love him!

Live a life worthy of him!

Obey him!

Serve him!

These are all actions that you and I should be taking each day. They are not just words, but they are actions that show our love and desire to follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If we are doing anything other than what these actions call for then we need to take a step back and take a hard look at our relationship with Jesus. He loves us and he wants us to love him. It takes great faith and trust in order to be able to perform these simple actions for Christ. We must continue to surround ourselves with word. We must pray everyday and we must continue to give him praise and glory. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” COMMIT EVERTHING YOU DO TO THE LORD. TRUST HIM, AND HE WILL HELP YOU.” PSALM 37:5

We begin each day with breakfast that gives us nourishment for our bodies. Our breakfast is a fuel that keeps us going and keeps us alert. We should also begin our day with a spiritual breakfast. We should pray to God, read his word and give him praise and thanksgiving. We should commit each day to him and trust him to give us the strength and understanding to live our daily lives with love, joy and with encouragement for others. We must put our faith in him to help us make wise decisions each day. We must trust him and believe that he is working in our lives. We must keep him at the forefront of our every thought. As we continue to put our faith and trust in him, our lives will become more joyous, and we will be able to live our lives and demonstrate to others that joy and peace of mind that our Lord gives us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“CAST ALL YOUR CARES UPON JESUS AS HE CARES FOR YOU!” 1 PETER 5:7

Sometimes we get so involved in life that when troubles surround us, we forget who our source is. We try to solve our problems on our own. By doing this we are using the Lord as a secondary source. We are making our lives so much more complicated. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us that we should cast our problems upon Jesus. It is important to remember that Jesus went to the cross to die for our sins. He died so that you and I could live. When we take our troubles to Him, we must be able to leave them with Him. I know that there have been many times I have taken a situation to the Lord in prayer and then turned right around and picked that problem back up and carried it with me. How can the Lord work in our lives if we won’t allow him to? He cares for us. He loves us. He proved that by going to the cross for our sins. Let us all remember that he is our source for all things in our lives. We should give him praise for all of the good and great things and thank him for dealing with all of our troubled times. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” DON’T YOU REALIZE THAT ALL OF YOU TOGETHER ARE THE TEMPLE OF GOD AND THAT THE SPIRIT LIVES IN YOU? ” 1 CORINTHIANS 3:16

” FOR GOD’S TEMPLE IS HOLY, AND YOU ARE THAT TEMPLE.” 1 CORINTHIANS 3:17

” FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NOT JUST A LOT OF TALK; IT IS LIVING BY GOD’S POWER.” 1 CORINTHIANS 4:20

You and I are the temple of God. The Lord sent his Holy Spirit to live in each of us. As his residence we should do our best to keep our bodies clean. We should keep them organized to the best of our abilities. Our God loves us so much that he manifests himself in us in the person of the Holy Spirit and takes up residence in each of us. He guides us and helps us in everything we do. All we have to do is believe, listen and act upon what he tells us. The Kingdom of God is much more that you and I just telling others about him. It is us actually living by and in his power. It is us acting upon his word and doing so without fear, doubt or worry. It is doing so in complete faith and trust in him. It is not his will that our lives are filled with worry or sadness. It is his will that we live a rich life here on earth. We can set back and rest in his loving arms knowing that our God is in control. Let us confess and be doers of his word. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” FOR NO ONE CAN LAY ANY FOUNDATION OTHER THAN THE ONE WE ALREADY HAVE- JESUS CHRIST.” 1 CORINTHIANS 3:11

It is so important that as followers of Jesus we stay on the right track. It is easy for us to get off the path we are on and begin to follow the things of this world. Because we are surrounded by worldly ways, we sometimes begin to listen more to those who lead this world than we do to the one who created and sustains this world. Everything we decide to do should be compared to God’s holy word. What does our Lord say about what we are doing? What does the Lord say about the way we are thinking? What does the Lord say about the things we are listening to and hearing? As we step back and look at what we are doing with our lives are we seeing ourselves stepping out in faith or are we stepping out into the world? As Christians we have laid a foundation built on Christ. What are we building upon that foundation? Are we building faith, love, joy, peace of mind, strength of understanding and wisdom? Or are we building worldly ideas that help to create fear, doubt, worry and dishonor to our God in heaven? We are only human. We make mistakes. Our Lord is there to pick us up and put us back on the right path. However, we must recognize our mistakes and be able to go to him for his help. It is my hope that we all scrutinize our lives everyday, that we compare our actions to what our Lord tell us to do. We have built a foundation on Jesus. We must be sure that what we are building upon that foundation is holy and desirable to God in heaven. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” ANYONE WHO TRUSTS IN HIM WILL NEVER BE DISGRACED.” ROMANS 10:11

” FOR EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED. ROMANS 10:13

We sometimes make it hard work to enjoy the grace of our God in heaven. As followers of Jesus, we should have a trust in our Lord that reaches far and wide. We should be able to set back with the ability to always recognize that he is for us and not against us. When he is for us, there is nothing that is against us that can prevail. However, it is our doubt and fear that gets in our way of happiness, joy and the ability to revel in his mighty grace for our lives. He has given us strength, understanding, wisdom and our guardian angels to be with us through and in all situations. All of these things are for the taking. All we have to do is believe. I know that isn’t the easiest thing to do when we live in a world of fear and doubt. And I also know that we do have to work hard at building faith and trust in our Lord. We need to continually confess his promises for our lives. His Word must become a part of our lives. When it does, we are rewarded beyond comprehension. He is our only answer. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” FOR EVERYTHING COMES FROM HIM AND EXISTS BY HIS POWER AND IS INTENDED FOR HIS GLORY. ALL GLORY TO HIM FOREVER! AMEN.” ROMANS 11:36

In the beginning our Lord God created the earth and all of the heavens. He created all of the creatures and all things. Sometimes it is easy to forget what God’s life is about. You and I were created by him for a purpose. Man in the beginning was also created for a purpose. Adam and Eve were not put upon this earth to be sinful. That was their choice. And, because of their choice, we all were born into sin. However, our God had a backup plan, his son Jesus Christ. With Jesus we have an opportunity to exchange our life of sin for the righteousness of God, just by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Everything he has created will eventually bow down before him and give glory to him. Everyone he has created will give an accounting to him for the life they chose to live. We must remember that we were put upon this earth for his glory and not to dismember his name. Always give glory to our God in heaven! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” ‘ LORD’ HE SAID, ‘ I WANT TO SEE!’ AND JESUS SAID, ‘ ALL RIGHT RECEIVE YOUR SIGHT! YOUR FAITH HAS HEALED YOU.’ ” LUKE 18:42

How many of us today truly believe in the miracles of our Lord Jesus Christ? Some believe that the miracles of our Lord were only for those who walked this earth when Jesus did. They believe that there are no miracles performed in today’s world. Others believe that the miracles of God are only for special people and not for them. Throughout the Word of our God, he tells us that our faith determines our answered prayers. It is so clear that if we don’t have a solid foundation of faith then we will not be able to receive what God has for us in this life. We must have faith and we must have the courage to act upon that faith. We must have faith to believe that Jesus died on that cross for us. That confession of faith gets us to heaven. However, our Lord has so much more for us. He doesn’t want us living lives where we are constantly sad or in fear of the outcomes in our lives. He doesn’t want us to be poor and needy, living our life with nothing to show for it. How can we serve him in those instances? He wants us to be happy and live with joy. He wants us to be able to give to others both financially and spiritually. Jesus did not walk around telling people to be sad and to believe that someday they would have riches in heaven. Yes, we will have the riches of heaven someday. But he walked around healing those who believed in him. He wanted them to live a life that helped them to win others to Christ. Our Lord has not changed. The times have changed. However, the Lord’s goals are the same. Our faith must be strong. We must surround ourselves with other believers and be encouraged as we encourage others. In Christ Jesus we can do all things. However, we must do our part! We must plug into our Lord daily, build our faith, believe we receive and act upon that belief! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” WHAT IF THE LORD HAD NOT BEEN ON OUR SIDE WHEN PEOPLE ATTACKED US? THEY WOULD HAVE SWALLOWED US ALIVE IN THEIR BURNING ANGER. THE WATERS WOULD HAVE ENGULFED US; A TORRENT WOULD HAVE OVERWHELMED US.” PSALMS 124: 2-4

Have you ever given thought to how your life would be without the Lord by your side? What would sickness look like? What would persecution look like? When someone attacked you physically or mentally what would the outcome be? Where would you put your trust? Would you then trust in your wealth? Would you trust in your firearms? Would you put your faith and trust in those around you? Without faith and trust in our God in heaven our lives would be living chaos. There is no one in this world we could trust who would not eventually fail us. There is no object or religion in this world that we could trust that would not fail. It is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that we are allowed the many gifts that our Lord provides to us. He provides us with the Holy Spirit to help us overcome sickness, disease and all other evil. He provides many promises in his Holy Word to allow us to live our lives with confidence and trust in him. He gives us strength, understanding, wisdom, love for others, and a peace of mind that we are not alone in this world. He gives us a future, an eternal future with him in heaven. What would my life be like without my God in heaven by my side? I am not sure. But I am sure that it would be nothing in comparison to what it is with him. He is my Lord and Savior. I love him and trust him with all of my being! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” I PRAY THAT GOD, THE SOURCE OF HOPE, WILL FILL YOU COMPLETELY WITH JOY AND PEACE BECAUSE YOU TRUST IN HIM. THEN YOU WILL OVERFLOW WITH CONFIDENT HOPE THROUGH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.” ROMANS 15:13

When Jesus was taken up to heaven our God sent us the Comforter otherwise known as the Holy Spirit. Our God is manifested in three forms, God the Father, Jesus the Son and The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us the power necessary to defeat sickness, disease and all evil. If we believe in him and allow him to work in our lives, he will give us great comfort. We will have great joy and peace in our lives, and we will have a confident hope in our Lord that is never ending. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” REJOICE IN OUR CONFIDENT HOPE. BE PATIENT IN TROUBLE AND KEEP ON PRAYING.” ROMANS 12:12

It is sometimes very easy to become anxious when we are confronting problems in our lives. As humans we want things that are troubling us to be gone instantly. However, our God in heaven is on his time system and not ours. When we understand this concept in our lives it becomes more real to us that we must be patient with our Lord and continue to pray in our situation. He has answered our prayer, but it will be manifested to us on his time schedule. Remember, his time is the right time. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” IF YOU ARE FAITHFUL IN THE LITTLE THINGS, YOU WILL BE FAITHFUL IN THE LARGE ONES. BUT IF YOU ARE DISHONEST IN THE LITTLE THINGS, YOU WON’T BE HONEST WITH GREATER RESPONSIBILITIES.” LUKE 16:10

No matter what your occupation you first had to start from the ground up. I started out as a school teacher but one day was given the opportunity to be a part of a financial institution. I had no background that would qualify me for the job but that is exactly what they were looking for. They wanted someone they could train up in their ways. I started from ground level and worked my way through the system and lasted nearly 40 years. In the beginning I was give simple responsibilities. I had to prove that I could be trusted with the simple before moving to the greater. I moved through and mastered every area of the bank. Before I was given the job, I was originally hired for, I had to master other areas, smaller and simpler duties. God looks at us in the same way. We must begin from the ground up. We must be responsible in the simpler things of God before we can be handed greater responsibilities. He wants us to be subject to his ways. He wants us to be trained up in his ways. Along the way we must show how responsible we are in the little things of God before we are given greater duties. Our God loves us and does not want us to fail. He wants us to be trained well so that when we are attacked we will not fall! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” SO YOU CAN’T BECOME MY DISCIPLE WITHOUT GIVING UP EVERYTHING YOU OWN.” LUKE 14:33

When we begin to live our lives in Jesus the roads we travel seem to become more difficult. The reason is the devil is trying very hard to make sure we fail. Our Lord is very clear in telling us that to follow him we are to do away with our old ways and begin to follow the new. We are to sell out to Jesus. It is impossible to flip a switch and go from worldly living to living in Jesus. We must commit to one or the other. We must make a choice and making that choice is not easy. The influences of this world are all around us. They are set before us every moment of every day. To fight those influences we must surround ourselves with the ways of the Lord. We must pray and communicate with him always. We must read and meditate upon his word consistently. We must set his word into action in our lives. We have to take steps of faith and trust him to help us. It is easy to say we follow Jesus. However, it is not easy to actually follow him. We must overcome fear, doubt, embarrassment, ridicule and all other tools the devil and this world use to force us to fail. It is not impossible but very possible if we just believe. Our belief and faith will turn into action and help us to grow and to continue to become stronger in our Lord. Continue to pray and meditate in his word. Continue to surround yourselves with the things of the Lord and not the things of this world. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” SO, USE YOUR WHOLE BODY AS AN INSTRUMENT TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR THE GLORY OF GOD. ” ROMANS 6:13

Living our life for God is more than just reading his word each day. To live for our God is to take a step of faith and put his word into action. Reading his word everyday is like planting the seed. But unless we put his holy word into action the seed will not grow. Our faith and our trust in God are so important in our lives. As we continue to step out in faith God’s word becomes a part of our lives. It grows within us and allows us to become stronger in how we live. He loves us and wants us to continue to grow in his word, but we must do our part and trust him. And to trust him we must have a faith that continues to grow and become stronger. Our faith will continue to grow as we step out and allow him to work in our lives. We must trust in the Lord always! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” AS A FACE IS REFLECTED IN WATER, SO THE HEART REFLECTS THE REAL PERSON.” PROVERBS 27:19

There are many people in this world who will tell you what you want to hear but then turn around and do something completely different than what they told you. We see this happening a lot in today’s world. Just look at the world of politics. Very seldom does a politician make a promise that comes true. What they do is a reflection of who they are. As a follower of Jesus, we live by the word of God. As Christians we pray and meditate on his word daily. As a result, we are consumed by his Holy Word and our actions reflect that. We do things that reflect the ways of our Lord God in heaven. We are peace loving, we are true to our word, and we love others. We do unto others as we want them to do unto us. We are testimonies to our living and breathing God in heaven. When we do make mistakes, and we do, we then go to our God and ask for his forgiveness. We must all remember that how we live our lives is how we truly believe. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” IF YOU CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH THAT JESUS IS LORD AND BELIEVE WITH YOUR HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, YOU WILL BE SAVED. FOR IT IS BY BELIEVING IN YOUR HEART THAT YOU ARE MADE RIGHT WITH GOD, AND IT IS BY CONFESSING WITH YOUR MOUTH THAT YOU ARE SAVED.” ROMANS 10:9-10

It is very important that each of us put forth the word of our God in heaven as a testimony to Jesus. We must be able to put his word into action by building our faith to be strong enough to help us to witness to those who haven’t heard his word or who do not believe. This may put us in uncomfortable situations but with much prayer and meditation within his word we will be prepared. We must take that step of faith and trust that our Lord is with us. We must spread his word so that others can believe and confess their faith. For salvation is a near to us as the words we speak. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!