Michael J Burchett Ministries

“ ABOVE ALL YOU MUST LIVE AS CITIZENS OF HEAVEN, CONDUCTING YOURSELVES IN A MANNER WORTHY OF THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT CHRIST.” PHILIPPIANS 1:27

As followers of Christ, we should live our lives in such a manner that represents him well. As we read his mighty Word, we learn how he wants us to conduct ourselves. We should stand out in this world by living in joy, love, peace, honesty and in understanding and holy strength. Our Faith must continue to get stronger each day. Living as Christians in a world of confusion, hate and lies is a tall task. Our faith allows us to believe in the ways of Jesus without any doubts. Our faith stands in the face of fear and allows us to represent Jesus and the salvation message with strength and sincerity. It is our responsibility to stay strong in the Lord Jesus and spread his message of salvation. No matter our situation we are to be strong in faith, believe in the message of Jesus and think of the Lord first in our lives. When we do, we will make a difference in this world. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” THE RIGHTEOUS PERSON FACES MANY TROUBLES, BUT THE LORD COMES TO THE RESCUE EACH TIME.” PSALM 34:19

Without our Lord and Savior our lives would be complete confusion in this day and age in which we live. There are things happening that most cannot explain. However, with our Lord by our side we are rescued from all of the lies, cheating and confusion being thrown around. Psalm 34:19 tells us that those who are in right standing with God are rescued from the many troubles they are facing. Our Lord has sent the precious Holy Spirit to guide us through the weeds of life. No matter the situation we find ourselves in, He is there to rescue us. He is there with pure Godly guidance. We must, however, be quiet in the Spirit and listen carefully. If we allow the things going on around us to become loud and a priority in our lives, then we are in putting ourselves in jeopardy. We must take time each day to set down with our Lord God in Heaven and talk with Him. We must also take the time to be quiet and listen. Communication is a two-way street. It is the same with our Lord. He listens to us and provides for us. But if we are not listening and watching we will miss the many miracles and gifts he gives us. So, take the time each day to listen to Him. He does come to our rescue! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

AS WE READ THROUGH THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE IT IS NECESSARY THAT WE TRY TO APPLY THE MESSAGES AND THE PRINCIPLES HE GIVES US TO THE WAY WE LIVE AND HANDLE OUR LIVES. BELOW ARE THREE PRINCIPLES FOR MATTHEW.

PRINCIPLE #1: Our God accepts full responsibility for our needs when we obey Him. Verse 7:24 in Matthew says: ” Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on a solid rock.” We should build our life on the solid rock of Jesus Christ. When we do, we have the assurance of him meeting our needs. He already knows our thoughts and our needs as told to us in verse 6:32 in Matthew: ” These things dominate the thoughts of the unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all of your needs.”

PRINCIPLE #2: God blesses us so that we can bless others. Our God is a giving God. He is able to bless us beyond what we think he can. When he does bless us, he expects us to be a blessing to others. He wants to use us to help others. He wants us to do so freely and not grudgingly. What he has given us he can quickly take away. Matthew 10:8 says: “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received.”

PRINCIPLE #3: The eager anticipation of our Lord’s return keeps us living productive lives. Our Lord is returning soon. We don’t know the day or the time. Most people live lives that they feel are presentable to Jesus when they meet Him. Just like the ten bridesmaids we have to be prepared. Matthew 25:13 says: ” So you too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or the hour of my return.” How do you want to meet your Lord? Are you saved? Are you living a life that allows the Lord to work in your Life? Are you praying and praising Him faithfully? If not, the time is getting short but not too late! Find good teaching and develop good relationships with fellow believers. Find a church that teaches the true word of God and his Salvation message. Our Lord is returning soon!

PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” FOR I AM CONFIDENT OF THIS VERY THING, THAT HE WHO BEGAN A GOOD WORK IN YOU WILL PERFECT IT UNTIL THE DAY OF CHRIST JESUS. ” PHILIPPIANS 1:6

Even as followers of Jesus, you and I have never and will never be perfect while living in this world. We are all a work in progress. Sometimes our Lord allows us to go through trials and tribulations for our own sake. As troubles come our way, we are able to cultivate our faith and become even stronger in our Lord and Savior. Our faith in Jesus and his promises become more real to us because it is He who helps us through the fire. It is He who takes our hand and gives us hope as we go through our tribulations. The stronger our faith becomes the more we can handle. We are able to walk into situations and through situations knowing that our Lord is in control of our life. Without allowing us to go through troubles in our lives we will never grow our faith. This is all a process in God’s plan for us. We must endure through our faith in the Lord. If we do not, then the evil around us will overwhelm us and take control of our lives. We must keep our spiritual being in shape just as we must take care of our physical bodies. The Lord our God loves us. He wants us to become close to him. We live in his family, and he will continue to protect us and surround us with is love and strength if we just allow him to. PRAISE THE LORD THROUGH ALL SITUATIONS!

AS WE READ THROUGH GOD’S WORD, WE SHOULD BE LEARNING HOW OUR LORD WANTS US TO LIVE OUR LIVES. IN EPHESIANS THERE ARE 5 MAJOR TAKE AWAYS AS TO HOW TO LIVE YOUR LIFE FOR THE LORD.

1. “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10 (TO LIVE A CHRISTIAN LIFE IS TO ALLOW JESUS TO LIVE HIS LIFE IN AND THROUGH US.)
2. ” Pray in the Spirit on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” Ephesians 6:18 (NO CHRISTIAN HAS EVER BEEN CALLED TO GO IT ALONE IN HIS OR HER WALK OF FAITH.)
3. “ If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.” Ephesians 4:28 (GOD BLESS US SO THAT WE MIGHT BLESS OTHERS.)
4. ” Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18 ( TO WALK IN THE SPIRIT IS TO OBEY THE INITIAL PROMPTING OF THE SPIRIT)
5. ” A final word: be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” EPHESIANS 6:10 (ADVERSITY IS A BRIDGE TO A DEEPER RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.)

“BUT THAT YOU ALSO MAY KNOW ABOUT MY CIRCUMSTANCES, HOW I AM DOING, TYCHICUS, THE BELOVED BROTHER AND FAITHFUL MINISTER IN THE LORD, WILL MAKE EVERYTHING KNOWN TO YOU.” EPHESIANS 6:21

Each time Tychicus is mentioned in scripture he is running errands for the apostle Paul. (Acts 20:4; Ephesians 6:21; Timothy 4:12; Titus 3:12). Some might be so bold as to call him Paul’s “messenger boy”. We might feel tempted to consider Tychicus’s ministry as minor, especially in comparison to Paul’s. However, as we take a deeper look, we see that Tychicus delivered messages to several churches and played a huge role in distributing the Word of God! Would we consider that to be unimportant? Of course not! Tychicus had a crucial ministry and he worked hard to fulfill it. Have you identified your ministry? Are you fulfilling the ministry God has given you? The Lord has a special work for each of us. Sometimes it is easy to say, “I don’t have a calling, I’m not a minister.” How wrong can we be? The Lord has a work for each of us. Ask God what it is. He will identify it for you. Remember, it doesn’t matter what the world thinks. It is all about fulfilling our work for the Lord. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

AS WE READ THROUGH THE BOOK OF DANIEL THERE ARE LIFE PRINCIPLES THROUGHOUT THAT PLAY ROLES IS OUR LIVES:

1- Trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what God sees. When Daniel went to the King to interpret his dream, he did not use his own understand as the astrologers did. Instead, he asked for time to pray to God to see what his thoughts were. We should do the same. Read Daniel 2:16.

2- Obey God and leave all of the consequences to him. Daniel knew that he was to worship God in heaven and none other. He put his total trust in what his God commanded instead of what the King was demanding. Even though what we see in the material world as difficult or even life threatening, we should trust our God in heaven. He has it all under control. Read Daniel 3:15

3- We stand tallest and are at our strongest when we are on our knees praying. Daniel prayed 3 times a day praising God even when the King defied prayer to Daniels God and demanded prayer to himself only. Read Daniel 6:10,11

4- Listening to God is essential when walking with God. It is very important that our communication with our God in heaven is a two-way street. We must pray and praise him, but we must also listen. How is it possible for us to receive from him if we are never listening for his answer? Read Daniel 9:3

5- Our intimacy with our God, His highest priority for our lives, determines the impact of our lives. We must know our God. We must understand what he is all about. We must read and meditate on his word daily and ask for his help. We must be intimate with him so that we can fully depend upon him in times of trouble. Read Daniel 11:32

PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

The Bread of Life Ministries, JIL has a new dedicated e-mail for prayer requests. Please feel free to forward your request, with as much detail as you can to: jilinmylife@gmail.com.

” FOR YOU, O LORD, HAVE NOT FORSAKEN THOSE WHO SEEK YOU.” PSALM 9:10

” THE LORD’S PROMISES ARE PURE, LIKE SILVER REFINED IN THE FURNACE, PURIFIED SEVEN TIMES OVER.” PSALM 12:6

My life upon this earth can be so much more than I allow it to be. I hinder myself from the free gifts given to me by my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I allow myself to get busy with my earthly concerns. I set out each day on my own and when I confront troubles, I try to solve them on my own. When I run into sorrows, I try to overcome them on my own. I have a God in heaven who is gracious and not forceful. He wants me to come to Him because I need Him. He wants me to depend upon Him because I truly believe in Him. Because my Lord desires my love, I have a job to do. I must trust Him and believe in Him. I must concern myself with Jesus first in my life. I must learn to listen to Him and not be afraid of what he tells me to do. I must recognize his voice and commands for my life. I must take the time to learn his promises for my life. When I confront troubles, no matter how large or small, I must go to him for the answers. When I run into sorrows, I must allow Him to handle them. You see, with Jesus leading my life I cannot go wrong. He will take on all of my struggles and put them on his back and relieve me of the stress. He will take my sorrows and turn them into joys. We must, however, know his word well and put complete trust in his promises. My time upon this earth can be so much more when I allow Jesus to take control. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” UNLESS I SEE IN HIS HANDS THE IMPRINT OF THE NAILS, AND I PUT MY FINGER INTO THE PLACE OF THE NAILS, AND PUT MY HAND INTO HIS SIDE, I WILL NOT BELIEVE.” JOHN 20:25

” JESUS SAID TO HIM, ‘ BECAUSE YOU HAVE SEEN ME, HAVE YOU BELIEVED? BLESSED ARE THEY WHO DID NOT SEE, AND YET BELIEVED. ‘ ” JOHN 20:29

It is very important in today’s world that you and I have a great faith in Jesus. We are unable, like Thomas, to put our fingers into the nail prints of Jesus’s hands or put our hands into his side. Thomas had a hard time with faith. His mind was from the school of “seeing is believing.” Jesus told Thomas, and the others, that all of those who haven’t had the opportunity to see will be blessed. That includes you and me. We live in a society of “seeing is believing.” We have to overcome that in order to believe in Jesus and all that he has done and will do for us. Without faith we cannot believe. We cannot accept Him without faith. Our faith must be strong enough to believe that our Lord is still doing miracles. We cannot receive them if we have any doubts or fears. Even through hard times we must confess our faith in Jesus. We must remind our God of his mighty promises. He has never and will never go back on any of his them. If you don’t know his promises, then look them up. They were good for thousands of years ago and they are still good today. Remember, don’t be a doubting Thomas but instead, believe you receive because God in your source! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“BUT HE WHO LISTENS TO ME SHALL LIVE SECURELY AND WILL BE AT EASE FROM THE DREAD OF EVIL.” PROVERBS 1:33

With such busy lives it is very hard to take time and meditate on each and every word of God. It seems that time does not allow us to sit down and pray earnestly, meditate and listen. I have learned over the years that it not only takes time, but it also takes faith. We must believe what we are reading in the Word of God. We must be able to understand how to listen to our God and we must believe that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. We must believe God’s word is not a history lesson but is a way of life. How do get to this stage in our relationship with our Lord? We must pray and ask him for his help. Ask him for wisdom, understanding and strength in your life. Go through the bible and learn his promises and memorize them. Be willing to profess his promises out loud in your times of need and worry. This will do nothing less than help you to build up your faith in the Lord and his mighty word. This will help you not to dread evil but to live secure lives. There will be two judgements at the end. One for the unbelievers and one for the believers. The unbelievers will be judged for their sins, but the believers will be rewarded for the works they have done for the Lord. You see, we don’t use works to get into heaven, but we do use works to bring others to heaven with us. As a believer we must stay alert to the voice of the Lord and what his plan is for our lives. We must listen and be workers for Christ Jesus! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” THE LORD BY WISDOM FOUNDED THE EARTH. BY UNDERSTANDING HE ESTABLISHED THE HEAVENS. BY HIS KNOWLEDGE THE DEEPS WERE BROKEN UP AND THE SKIES DRIP WITH DEW.” PROVERBS 3:19 & 20

Just how important is wisdom, understanding and knowledge? Our Lord puts great emphasis on all three. They were how he founded the earth and established the heavens. Our Lord is gracious in everything he does. He will provide us with his wisdom if we just be sincere and ask. He will provide us with understanding if we just ask. He will give us knowledge if we ask. However, for us to truly receive them we must believe that we will receive. Wisdom, understanding and knowledge is given to us to help us in our Christian lives. They are to help us in times of trouble and in spreading God’s Holy Word to others. We are to set our course in the direction God wants us to go. We must listen and be doers of his word. We must ask and we will receive! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” SO I SAY LET THE HOLY SPIRIT GUIDE YOUR LIVES.” GALATIANS 5:16

” AND THE SPIRIT GIVES US DESIRES THAT ARE THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT A SINFUL NATURE DESIRES.” GALATIANS 5:17

” LET US FOLLOW THE SPIRIT’S LEADING IN EVERY PART OF OUR LIVES.” GALATIANS 5:25

When Jesus was taken from this earth God sent us the Comforter (the Holy Spirit of God; the third person of God.) As we are leading our lives, we are to depend heavily on the Holy Spirit to guide us and help us to stay on the right path. The Holy Spirit gives us desires that are strictly in line with what Jesus was teaching when he walked this earth. The Holy Spirit guides us down the correct path with wisdom, understanding, and yes, trust. We must trust what he says and take steps of faith in our journey. We must understand that we cannot follow the wisdom of the Holy Spirit without knowing what the Word of God says. We must know his promises, we must have enough faith to step out and trust in those promises. We must speak with authority in the name of Jesus. We must believe and then believe some more. Our God is with us all of the time. He is not a God that is there only when we are having troubles. He is with us always. We should talk to him every day and as often in the day as we think of him. He is our best friend, our Comforter, our Savior and our Creator. Who better than our Lord to lead our lives and for us to trust? Jesus is Lord and is our Lord all of the time! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND DO NOT LEAN TO YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING. IN ALL OF YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM, AND HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATHS STRAIGHT.” PROVERBS 3: 5-6

When God invited Solomon to ask for whatever he wanted, the king requested wisdom. The wisdom given to Solomon taught him that only a fool tries to solve life’s problems without God’s help. In this life, tests come in all shapes and sizes. Some we anticipate; others blindside us. Some tests require us to endure; others involve us making the right decision immediately. No matter the difficulty, God instructs us to come to Him for the wisdom we so desperately need.

The apostle Paul faced discouragement and many intense trials, but he believed that God was in control. Therefore, he placed his trust in Jesus Christ. Paul wrote, ” WE ARE AFFLICTED IN EVERY WAY, BUT NOT CRUSHED; PERPLEXED, BUT NOT DESPAIRING; PERSECUTED, BUT NOT FORSAKEN; STRUCK DOWN, BUT NOT DESTROYED; ALWAYS CARRYING ABOUT IN THE BODY THE DYING OF JESUS, SO THAT THE LIFE OF JESUS ALSO MAY BE MANEFESTED IN OUR BODY.” Paul believed that the trials of this life came with a purpose. He considered them tools in the hand of God, who reshaped, refined, and refocused his life so that it could better reflect the life of Christ, full of purpose and blessing. No matter what we are going through our God is in control. He is using us for a purpose in his plan. Don’t feel sorry for yourself but put Jesus first and all things will work out for his purpose. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

FATHER GOD, I COME TO YOU TONIGHT TO GIVE YOU PRAISE AND GLORY FOR ALL OF THE GOOD AND GREAT THINGS YOU DO FOR ME EACH DAY. I THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR MIGHTY PROMISES. I THANK YOU FOR ALL OF MY FAMILY AND FOR HELPING THEM TO BETTER UNDERSTAND YOUR PLAN FOR THEIR LIVES. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR HEALING AND HEALING POWER, AND FOR THE BLOOD OF JESUS SHED UPON THAT CROSS FOR OUR SALVATION, HEALING AND FORGIVENESS. I LOVE YOU LORD. YOU ARE MY STRENGTH WHEN I NEED STRENGTH. YOU ARE MY SAFE PLACE WHEN THINGS LOOK REALLY BAD. YOU ARE MY LIFE AND I LIVE FOR NOBODY ELSE BUT YOU. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.

“I PRAY THE EYES OF YOUR HEART MAY BE ENLIGHTEND, SO THAT YOU WILL KNOW WHAT IS THE HOPE OF HIS CALLING, WHAT ARE THE RICHES OF THE GLORY OF HIS INHERITANCE IN THE SAINTS, AND WHAT IS THE SURPASSING GREATNESS OF HIS POWER TOWARD US WHO BELIEVE.” EPHESIANS 1: 18-19

There is a big difference between having the blessings of God and enjoying the blessings. We experience the Lord’s grace by learning what blessings he has provided for us and then claiming his blessings for our life by stepping out in faith. To truly enjoy his blessings for our lives we must take a step of faith and enter into them.

The disciples marveled at the miracles that Jesus performed while he walked this earth. However, the Lord’s greatest power was displayed at his resurrection when he was triumphant over death and sin. Do you need the Lord’s resurrection power in your life today? It is available by faith. Therefore, trust him to help you with all that bothers you. He is our Lord and our Savior. He has never and will never fail on any of his mighty promises! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” MANY WILL SAY TO ME ON THAT DAY, LORD, LORD, DID WE NOT PROPHESY IN YOUR NAME, AND IN YOUR NAME CAST OUT DEMONS, AND IN YOUR NAME PERFORM MIRACLES? AND THEN I WILL DECLARE TO THEM, I NEVER KNEW YOU; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.” MATTHEW 7: 23 & 24

Judas Iscariot powerfully reminds us of the horrific possibilities within every human heart. While he called Jesus’ “Rabbi”, there is no record that he used the term “Lord”. Sadly, he shows us that we can claim allegiance to Christ without ever truly believing in Him as our Lord and Savior. We see these people everyday who profess to know Jesus but do so only for their own gain. We know those who profess to know Jesus on Sunday but then go out and live a life quite contrary to what they say they believe. How many of us attend church regularly and give Jesus intellectual praise but we don’t give him our hearts? How many calls him King, only as a way to achieve their own thrones? Judas gave Jesus an evil kiss before they took him aways. What kind of a kiss are we giving him? PRASIE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, YOU WILL ASK THE FATHER DIRECTLY AND HE WILL GRANT YOUR REQUESTS BECAUSE YOU USE MY NAME.” JOHN 16:23

The name of Jesus is very powerful. It is the name that makes the devil and his demon’s scatter. It is by the name of Jesus that you and I have become saved, forgiven and healed. It is by the name of Jesus that you and I talk with our God in heaven. Jesus is our mediator. He communicates our every word and identifies each of us to our God. Jesus has been given all authority and is our strength, wisdom and understanding. We must involve Jesus in all of our decision making and all of our communication to our God in heaven. Without Jesus we are lost. We are not heard. We won’t, don’t and will be unable to understand. We will not be healed, forgiven or saved. The name of Jesus is all powerful. He should be the center of our focus and the identifier in our lifestyle. When people see us, they should see Jesus. When people see how we live our lives with truth, honesty, trust, love and faith they will be seeing Jesus. Stay close to his word. Stay close to him each day. He should be our life 24/7. When he is, we see results that reflect joy, peace and understanding. We are better able to cope with our lives here on earth because of our trust in him and the hope he brings to each of us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” HERE ON EARTH, YOU WILL HAVE MANY TRIALS AND SORROWS. BUT TAKE HEART, BECAUSE I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD.” JOHN 16:33

When we became saved, our God did not promise us a life without trials and temptations. He did not promise us a life on this earth that would be free of sorrows or sickness. What he did promise us was peace, understanding and wisdom at our request. When Jesus came to this earth, he overcome the world. He defeated death, sickness, disease, temptations and trials of all kinds. All of the attacks of the devil have already been defeated and cannot conquer us, unless we allow them to. If we don’t live our lives in Christ, then we are just inviting these trials and temptations to live in our lives and overcome us. We cannot be overcomers without Jesus. But with him, we can live a life of victory and joy because of what he did for us. Until we transfer to the next life we will continue to be attacked by the devil and his demons. The devil has been defeated and he knows it, however, he wants to take as many with him to hell as he can. He wants to deter us from our Jesus and what our Lord wants for us. Let us not make Christ’s sacrifice for our life useless, but instead let us come to him, pray to him, believe in him and live lives that are powerful because of what he has accomplished for us. He loves us without conditions, and we should love him, believe him and trust him! We are overcomers through Christ who gives us strength! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” THOSE FALSE TEACHERS ARE SO EAGER TO WIN YOUR FAVOR, BUT THEIR INTENTIONS ARE NOT GOOD. THEY ARE TRYING TO SHUT YOU OFF FROM ME SO THAT YOU WILL PAY ATTENTION TO THEM.” GALATIANS 4:17

Just as Paul was concerned that the Galatians were no longer focusing on what the Lord Jesus had done for them, so you and I should also be concerned that there are those in this world who are trying to take our focus from our Lord Jesus and turn it to what this world believes. It is so important that we keep our faith strong in these last days. The world around us is producing great evil and disguising it as truth, making it easy to follow. We should stay close to our Lord in prayer and meditate in his word, in an effort to see what really is going on. We should test everything we hear against the Word of God. If it doesn’t match up, then we should do away with it. Through the Holy Spirit, God has given us the ability to overcome this world. He has given us the tools we need in order to survive. If we just ask and believe we receive then he will give us understanding, wisdom and knowledge. He will give us strength and protection in our earthly journey. The Lord is with us and always goes before us. No matter what we are going through we must understand that we are not alone. The Lord is right there with us! We should take the right road and not the wrong road. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” YES, I AM THE VINE, YOU ARE THE BRANCHES. THOSE WHO REMAIN IN ME, AND I IN THEM WILL PRODUCE MUCH FRUIT. FOR APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING. JOHN 15:5

Jesus is the vine of life. Anything attached to him will live and grow, be happy and be strong. Anything that falls away from the vine of life will die. A branch that falls from the tree is a dead branch. It cannot live because it has become detached from its source of life. It receives no water nor nutrients from the vine. The same with our Lord Jesus. We have been given a choice. We have the choice of life with the Lord or the choice of death with the world. We can stay attached to the vine of life and be a good steward of what he has given us and continue to live our lives in line with his word, or we can fall from the vine and live our lives as the world dictates. Our Lord is very clear in what he tells us. He wants us to be a part of his family. In doing so we will continue to build faith and trust in him. We will depend upon him for how we are to lead and live our lives. We will continue to read and meditate upon his word and learn from him. We will continue to pray to him his promises and believe that we receive them. We will dedicate everything we do to him and when we do, he will bless us, he will bless our businesses, our families and our lives as a whole. He is our source. There is no other. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” IT IS NO LONGER I WHO LIVE, BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME. SO I LIVE IN THE EARTHLY BODY BY TRUSTING IN THE SON OF GOD, WHO LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME. I DO NOT TREAT THE GRACE OF GOD AS MEANINGLESS.” GALATIANS 2:20-21

We are literally living in Jesus as he lives in us. As we read his word and meditate on it, we begin to live our lives as Christ intended. Our eyes are opened to his conditions and how he lived his life when he was walking this earth. When he left this earth, he sent to us the precious Holy Spirit of God to direct us and to guide us. When Jesus died and went to set at the right hand of God, he did not leave us defenseless. He sent us the advocate to help us and protect us. He gave us the ability to pray to God in heaven through the powerful name of Jesus Christ. He left us with great power to live our lives with great joy and strength. The problem is that many people do not believe. Many read his Holy Word but never put it into practice in their own lives. We must have great faith. We must never doubt His ability to strengthen us and protect us. No matter our circumstances we should continue to believe and confess his promises. When we do, he honors them and is with us always. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” FOR THE SCRIPTURES SAY, IT IS THROUGH FAITH THAT A RIGHTEOUS PERSON HAS LIFE.” GALATIANS 3:11

Our Jesus died upon the cross in order for each of us to have life. He died that our sins would be forgiven. He died that our bodies would be healed. And he died so that we could be saved. However, it is our faith that leads us to our Lord. It is our faith that allows us to accept Jesus and what he did for us. Without faith we will believe nothing Jesus did for us. Without faith we have doubt, worry and fear. Without faith we live a life of distress. Our faith is vital to our lives in Jesus. A strong faith not only allows us our salvation, healings and forgiveness of sins but also allows us to step deeper into his mighty promises for our lives. Our faith allows us the resources and tools he provides us to live lives of joy and not sadness and fear. It allows us to live a life with a bright future including everlasting life with him. Our faith must be strong. We must continue to build upon it. Let us not allow the devil to steal any portion of our faith. Stay strong and believe you receive because our God in heaven is our source. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” WHEN PEOPLE DO NOT ACCEPT DIVINE GUIDANCE, THEY RUN WILD. BUT WHOEVER OBEYS THE LAW IS JOYFUL.” PROVERBS 29:18

I believe we are seeing, in today’s world, just what happens when there is no law and order. We see people running wild with ideas that hurt themselves and others. It is so important that we do not allow this type of living to become our way of life. As Christians we should be joyful and live lives of faith and trust in our God. Our God is a God of order and not disorder. He is not a God of confusion, lying, cheating, deception and fear. Our lives should reflect him in a world of disarray. We are children of the living God in heaven, and we must reflect his standards in our lives. Stay close to him in prayer. Never allow the devil to deceive you. Always be alert in Jesus! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” VICTORY COMES FROM YOU, O’LORD. MAY YOU BLESS YOUR PEOPLE.” PSALM 3:8

Our victory comes from our Lord. We should never run from a fight with the devil. We should always stand tall in the face of the adversary and fight with the tools our Lord God has given us. Our faith must continue to stay strong, and our actions must stay honorable. Our fight has already been won but our actions should confirm our belief that our Lord is the victor. Because of his victory the devil cannot defeat us. Let us celebrate our victory with praise and thanksgiving to our Lord God in heaven. Let us never take our eyes off of the end result. The battle has been won! Thankyou Jesus!!! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS! WE ARE THE VICTOR IN THE NAME OF JESUS!

” THIS IS MY COMMAND- BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS! DO NOT BE AFRAID OR DISCOURAGED. FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD IS WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO.” JOSHUA 1:9

Fear and discouragement will ruin what the Lord your God has for you. If you are fearful to take a step of faith, then you will miss out on great rewards from your Lord. If you become discouraged with your life and are unable to find your way through Jesus, you again will miss out on great rewards from the Lord. As we live in this world the Lord is by our side step for step. The devil knows this and works hard at throwing fear and discouragement our way. It is easier to become entangled in the ways of the world than it is to recognize the attacks of the devil. The devil wants us to be poor and in submission to him. He will never give up. We can never give up either. We must stay close to our Lord with prayer, meditation in his word and putting his promises into action for our lives. Every time we take a step of faith in trusting the Lord, we put another dagger in the heart of the devil. We stop him in his tracks. We cannot allow him to control our lives. He is of this world, but we are just visiting this world. We are not here to be controlled by the devil but instead we are here to control the devil. We cannot do this if we do not surround ourselves with the ways of our God in heaven. Remember, we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

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

Everything we do in life is done for a reason. We do it for ourselves, our colleagues, our boss, our family and many other reasons. Scripture tells us that we should commit everything we do to the Lord. And when we do, we are to trust him to hear us and to help us. We all want to do the right things in life. When our lives are committed to living a life for our Lord then we need to depend upon him for the smallest of things. We should always be thinking of our Lord first. When we think of him first and trust him to help us then things will turn out for good and not bad. We all go through trials of many kinds but with the Lord in control we always get through. Remember, we can do ALL THINGS through Christ who strengthens us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” ANYONE WHO BELIEVES AND IS BAPTIZED WILL BE SAVED. BUT ANYONE WHO REFUSES TO BELIEVE WILL BE CONDEMNED. THESE MIRACULOUS SIGNS WILL ACCOMPANY THOSE WHO BELIEVE. THEY WILL CAST OUT DEMONS IN MY NAME AND WILL SPEAK IN NEW LANGUAGES.” MARK 16: 16 AND 17

Our Lord is coming back soon. Are you ready? Are you living a life that is surrounded by the ways of the Lord or are you leading a life of fear, anger, doubt and worry? Our Lord does not want us to be leading lives on this earth that are going to harm us or those around us. He wants to help us and make our lives better. We can speak the word of praise to our God but are we living a life of honor and truly glorifying him or are we living a life that represents evil? We live what we speak. We need to think positively and live our lives as such. This is not easy. The devil will attack us from every direction with doubt, with fear and with worry. But through all of this WE MUST BELIEVE. We must speak his promises for our lives and live in those promises! If we do this, there is no fear! Speak life and not death! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS- SPEAK LIFE AND NOT DEATH!

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

“MY GRACE IS ALL YOU NEED. MY POWER WORKS BEST IN WEAKNESS.” 2 CORINTHIANS 12:9

When we believe with faith that our God’s power is absolute and that his understanding is way beyond what we can comprehend, then our trust in him will become real and his work will begin. We must yield to him and let him work in our lives. When we doubt, worry or let fear take us over is when the devil begins to win the battle. We must be able to trust God in all situations, but it is when we are weak that we are most vulnerable. When we are weak is when we sometimes feel we must find a way out of our troubles, sicknesses and diseases. That is when we try to find ways and do things on our own. It is when we reach the end of the rope that we better understand that all things are in God’s hands and that he is in total control. It is then that we yield to him and trust him and depend upon his strength, knowledge and wisdom. We must remember that his grace is all we need. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“WE ARE HUMAN, BUT WE DON’T WAGE WAR AS HUMANS DO. WE USE GOD’S MIGHTY WEAPONS, NOT WORLDLY WEAPONS TO KNOCK DOWN THE STRONGHOLDS OF HUMAN REASONING AND TO DESTROY FALSE ARGUMENTS.” 2 CORINTHIANS 10: 3-4

Sometimes as we plug through our daily lives, we feel helpless. We feel like there is no end in sight. The devil just keeps throwing rocks at us and when they hit us, they hurt. There just seems to be no end to our troubles. We get ourselves over one hurdle and another quickly shows up. I have learned throughout the years that if the devil is attacking hard there is always something great at stake. It is difficult as humans to continue to move through difficult times. However, we have an answer. His name is Jesus. He is always with us. He tells us that he goes before us. All we have to do is believe and receive. Sometimes we just need to grasp onto Him and never let go. We can’t get through troubles on our own. We are in a spiritual warfare, and we cannot win with human efforts alone. We need to use God’s mighty weapons to knock down the evil coming against us. We need to be obedient to what the Holy Spirit tells us. We need strong faith and a positive attitude. We can rest assured that our God in heaven never, ever fails us! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!