Bread of Life, JIL

” FOR YOU ARE A SLAVE TO WHATEVER CONTROLS YOU.” 2 PETER 2:19

Just who or what is in control or our life? What do we do when we run into problems? Who do we go to when we are having struggles? It is wise that each of us take time to step back each day and analyze just where we are in our lives. Are we praying to our Lord each day? Are we giving him praise and glory for all of the good and great things in our lives? Is He the first person we think of when we are going through struggles? Are we familiar with and living His promises? Are we living our beliefs in Christ Jesus to those around us? Or are we trying to take our problems into our own hands. Are we trying to navigate through our struggles on our own? Do we live our lives in a negative way, always down in our spirit and not positive. Do we communicate with the Lord only when we get so far down that He is our last resort? Who is in control of our lives? We must continue to build our faith and keep it strong. The ways of this world are always tugging at us and luring us from the ways we should be following in Jesus’s footsteps. We must keep our focus on the end result and not what is happening around us. We must stay in his word every day and communicate with Him often. He should always be at the forefront of our fight with our problems. He loves us and promises that he will deliver us if we just believe we receive and live our lives with that belief! It may not seem real, but our faith will take us to his reality in our life. This is not easy. It takes strong faith and a daily effort and focus to succeed. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS AND IN EVERY SITUATION!

” AND BE SURE OF THIS, ‘ I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, EVEN TO THE END OF THE AGE.’ ” MATTHEW 28:20

Our Lord never has failed us. He never will fail us. He is not a failing God but a God of victory, peace, love, confidence, understanding, wisdom and strength. We must remember Phil. 4:13 which tells us that “we can do all things through Him who gives us strength.” Matthew 28:20 tell us that our Lord is with us always, even to the end of the age. If we can do all things through Christ and he is with us always, then why do we struggle? We struggle because we do not always remember these scriptures. We do not focus on the Lord as we should, and we allow the devil an opening so that he can work in our lives and not our God in heaven. When Jesus went to set at the right hand of God our Lord sent us his Holy Spirit to live in us. The Holy Spirit gives each of us the power necessary for victory over the evil of this world. He is always with us. If he is always with us, and we can do all things through him then we must stay focused and believe. We must keep our faith strong and move forward each day with our Lord beside us and with the confidence that we will be victorious in our lives. Our Lord has a mission for each of us. Everyone is made differently, and he uses each of us differently. We cannot be used by our God if we are not confident in him and the word he gives us. Stay focused! Stay in His Word continually! With him we are overcomers! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” BUT KNOW THIS FIRST OF ALL, THAT NO PROPHECY OF SCRIPTURE IS A MATTER OF ONES OWN INTERPRETATION, FOR NO PROPHECY WAS EVER MADE BY AN ACT OF HUMAN WILL, BUT MEN MOVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT SPOKE FROM GOD.” 2 PETER 1: 20-21

At Peter’s first glance he thought that Christ’s purpose was to free Israel from the grasp of the Romans. However, Jesus’s purpose was much greater than that. He came to free all mankind from sin and death. Our Lord’s prophecies and his will has never and will never come from the mind of man. You and I cannot and will never be able to outthink our Lord God in heaven. As we walk through our daily lives our minds have a tendency to wander to thoughts of what he is doing in our lives. Or maybe we begin to try to figure our own way of escape from our trials and tribulations. Our Lord has a purpose for each of us. He is prepared and has a plan for every situation we go through. We must be a good listener and patient in the Lord. We must walk through our day one step at a time and totally put our trust in him. Our relationship with the Lord hinges totally on faith. Our faith must become strong by walking in his presence every day. As we do, he teaches us his truths and we are better prepared to trust him in every situation. We must Believe that we Receive because God is our Power Source! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” AND DO NOT BE CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD, BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, SO THAT YOU MAY PROVE WHAT THE WILL OF GOD IS, THAT WHICH IS GOOD AND ACCEPTABLE AND PERFECT.” ROMANS 12:2

Just how do we grow in the grace of our God? How do we grow in his Spirit and become stronger in his ways? Below are three steps that we can take to help us grow in the Spirit:

1. We are responsible for renewing our minds: Though God saves us and gives a new spirit, it is our duty to control our thoughts and focus our minds on what honors him, so that our minds can be transformed. So, we must meditate on his Word, understanding what it means and applying the truth tour lives. That is how the Holy Spirit changes us and we obtain “the mind of Christ.” (1 Cor. 2:16)
2. We must be ready to admit our failures and assume responsibility for them: When we deny our sins, we delay our spiritual growth. However, if we confess our sins the opposite happens. John tells us in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
3. After confession comes repentance: Repentance means that we make a commitment to making an about face and heading in the opposite direction from our sins. This is not easy and takes a total commitment on our part. We must focus and allow the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control to rule in our lives instead of the things of the world.

God’s ultimate goal is for all believers to become more Christ-like. That happens only when, through faith, we obey His commands and implement His principles in our lives. When we do, our relationship with Him will begin to deepen in ways that we never thought possible. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” AFTER YOU HAVE SUFFERED FOR A LITTLE WHILE, THE GOD OF ALL GRACE, WHO CALLED YOU TO HIS ETERNAL GLORY IN CHRIST, WILL HIMSELF PERFECT, CONFIRM, STREGTHEN AND ESTABLISH YOU.” 1 PETER 5:10

Even as we go through sufferings of many kinds, when we realize that God has a purpose for it; perfecting, confirming, strengthening and establishing us, we are more likely to acknowledge his ways and begin to embrace them. We must be proactive in our faith when it comes to seeking him and obeying his will. He will then give us hope and mold us to his image. We all have dark moments in our lives. They only last as long as necessary for our Lord to accomplish his purpose in and through us. He loves us and is using us. We must pray and understand his will for our lives. We must then be able to submit and trust him in all things! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” THOSE WHO SUFFER ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD SHALL ENTRUST THEIR SOULS TO A FAITHFUL CREATOR IN DOING WHAT IS RIGHT.” 1 PETER 4:19

The lord may call you to do and say things that are difficult and unpopular. This was true of the early believers. When they confessed their belief in Jesus as their Savior, they were often persecuted for their testimony. Yet it was worth it to them because they were laying hold of the eternal life Jesus provided for them. (1 Tim. 6: 12-19). Likewise, we must obey God even when it is difficult, and leave all the consequences to Him. Because he will certainly reward our faithfulness in doing what is right. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” DWELL IN THE LAND AND CULTIVATE FAITHFULNESS.” PSALM 37:3

I live in the country and all around me I see crops of corn and soybeans that have been cultivated and prepared for harvest. When we live in Jesus our crop is faithfulness. Our complete attention should be applied to our crop. With our faith in God, we are enabled to trust him and allow him to work in our lives. With our faith we are able to concentrate on his faithfulness in our lives with the understanding that he will not allow us to fail. We are his children. By living in Jesus, we are able to overcome the hardships and temptations of this world. We are able to see through the devil and his evil plans. The devil cannot make us do anything. However, he is extremely good at tricking us. If we fall into his traps and forget our Lord, then we are in great danger. If we continue to live in Jesus we are supplied with strength, guidance, understanding and wisdom. We have the power to see through this world and to defeat the evil it supplies. We must concentrate and keep our focus on our faith in Jesus. We must water our faith each day and nourish it with prayer and meditation in God’s word. We must keep all of the evil weeds out as they try to choke our faithfulness in God. We must know the promises of God and be able to not only pray those promises but also put them into action. Our Lord is with us in all situations. We must cultivate our faith and keep it strong and healthy. If we do, we will be victorious! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” IF YOU MAKE THE LORD YOUR REFUGE, IF YOU MAKE THE MOST HIGH YOUR SHELTER, NO EVIL WILL CONQUER YOU; NO PLAGUE WILL COME NEAR YOUR HOME.” PSALM 91:9-10

Our Lord God in heaven loves us unconditionally. He loves us so much that he was willing to give up his life and die a terrible death so that we can live. Our Lord never told us that we would live a life without troubles. The fact is, if we follow Jesus, our troubles may increase. The devil wants nothing more than to destroy the ways of Jesus and to destroy those who sincerely follow him. Our God in heaven has given each of the tools we need to overcome sorrow, sadness, sickness, worry, doubts and fears. He has provided the Holy Spirit to give us direction, strength and courage in our times of need. The precious Holy Spirit gives us the power over all evil and the power to defeat all that comes against us. Our Lord truly is our refuge in times of need. He is our shelter when the storms of life come roaring through. We must continue to pray and believe that we receive. He is our power source. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” DEAR FRIENDS, I WARN YOU AS “TEMPORARY RESIDENTS AND FOREIGNERS” OF THIS WORLD TO KEEP AWAY FROM THE WORLDLY DESIRES THAT WAGE WAR AGAINST YOUR VERY SOULS.” 1 PETER 2:11

You and I, as believers in Christ Jesus, are only temporary residents of this world. We are foreigners and are not to live our lives here on this earth as the worldly do. The residents of this world try to convince us to live our lives as they do. We are to stand out. We are to live our lives as Jesus lived his. He was different. He stood out. He lived a life of compassion for others, love for others and a deep desire to heal others, physically, mentally and spiritually. We are to live our lives as a testimony for him. This world lives in a world of fear, doubt and worry. This world creates anger, rage and unforgiveness. We are to recognize those things and sweep from our lives. We are to live a life of trust in our Lord. We must remember that our Lord is with us in and through all situations no matter how big or small. Our faith must continue to be strong. In just a little while our Lord will return, and we will go with him to our permanent home. It is important that we are patient and faithful to the end. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“A TROUBLEMAKER PLANTS SEEDS OF STRIFE; GOSSIP SEPARATES THE BEST OF FRIENDS.” PROVERBS 16:28

” FOR THE LORD GOD IS OUR SUN AND OUR SHIELD. HE GIVES US GRACE AND GLORY.” PSALM 84:11

I believe that most people in our great land of the United States of America would agree that our country is in great trouble. Over the past number of years, we have allowed the evil of the world to creep into our society and replace the things of our God in heaven who helped establish this great nation. We have taken God out of our schools, out of our businesses and, in some cases, out of our churches. We no longer live in a society that supports of the joy of freedom, but instead it supports the evil lies of the devil. We have replaced God with the things of man. We have replaced our God with the beliefs and the desires of this world and not of our God in heaven. We have allowed the unfaithful to become the rulers of our country by the lies they support and spread. This is not the time for us to back away from what we believe. This is the time to dig in and strengthen our faith. The battle has just begun. Our country as we once knew it is about to crumble into non-existence. Without God our country will fail. We must fight with all we have to get our Lord back into our schools, businesses and churches. We must continue to fight. Our beliefs are on the line. We must be able to withstand the persecutions being thrown at us. We must be able to stand strong in the face of the evil of this world. Without God our country will fall. However, with our God by our side our country can survive and become strong again. No matter the outcome we must stay strong in our faith in Jesus. He never fails us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALLL THINGS!

” SO BE TRULY GLAD. THERE IS WONDERFUL JOY AHEAD, EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE TO ENDURE MANY TRIALS FOR A LITTLE WHILE.” 1 PETER 1:6

” THE REWARD FOR TRUSTING HIM WILL BE THE SALVATION OF YOUR SOULS.” 1 PETER 1:9

Trusting in things that we have never seen is a really hard thing to do. Living a life in this physical world by totally trusting our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ requires a totally concentrated trust in his spiritual presence within a physical world. Most of us were not brought up to live a spiritual life. We were brought up to believe in what we can see. However, when we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we turned our lives over to him. We became a babe in Christ. We began to grow spiritually and to be trained in the ways of our Jesus. We are told in 1 Peter 1:6 that we are to be joyful even though there will trials ahead of us. These trials and temptations will be used to test our faith in the Lord. They will be used to make our faith stronger each time we go through a trial. We must keep our focus on the end result. We must keep our eyes on Jesus! We must trust the Holy Spirit to direct us and use his power to gain victory over the evil that confronts us. When we do, we will gain the ultimate reward, the salvation of our souls. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” THE EARNEST PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS PERSON HAS GREAT POWER AND PRODUCES WONDERFUL RESULTS.” JAMES 5:16

When we go to our Lord God in prayer, we should believe without a doubt that he will answer us. Where there is faith then doubt, worry and fear cannot live. When we pray, we must have a faith that believes in the promises of our God in heaven. We must believe that God has never and will never fail on a promise. We must stay focused on our Lord and his promises and believe that no matter what things look or feel like in our situation, there is nothing bigger than our Lord God in heaven. There is no problem or situation that Jesus has not already conquered. When we keep our eyes on Jesus our faith will grow because we will begin to see that when he died, he died for each of us. He died for our sicknesses, diseases, forgiveness of our sins and for our salvation. All we have to do is keep our focus on him and not the world. We must pray earnestly and with total faith that our prayers are answered. When we do our prayers will produce wonderful results. Remember, our Lord God is never late, he is always right on schedule! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” COME CLOSE TO GOD AND HE WILL COME CLOSE TO YOU.” JAMES 4:8

” COMMIT EVERYTHING YOU DO TO THE LORD.” PSALM 37:5

Each new day is another breath we take for our God in heaven. We should wake each day with praises to our Lord for another opportunity to testify on his behalf. We should commit every action we take, every word we speak and every thought we think to him. We need to continue to praise him for his goodness in our lives and not dwell upon the evil around us. It is important that we wait patiently on the Lord our God as he is never late in anything he does. He is always right on schedule. We should believe in every promise and in every word of our Lord. We must realize and continue to confess that we believe in our hearts that we receive from God because he is our power source. If we stay plugged into him and continue to believe in his promises, then our lives will be made whole in Christ, and we will be great witnesses for Jesus. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“IF YOU WANT TO BE A FRIEND OF THE WORLD, YOU MAKE YOURSELF AN ENEMY OF GOD.” JAMES 4:4

It is one thing to live in this world, but it is another thing to become a part of this world. We live in very difficult times. We have become witnesses to increased lying, cheating, disrespect for human life, and a world that has accepted ways of life that are regarded as completely disrespectful, distasteful, repulsive and opposite of the way our God in heaven wants us to live. We are living in the last days. Jesus is right at the doors edge just waiting for God to tell him to return for his family. We don’t know for sure what that day and time will be, but we do know the signs that point to his return. It is important that we know what the word of God says. We must not only know what it says we must believe and receive what it says. It may take great sacrifice on our part to live a life of goodness in a world ruled by evil but that is a decision we must make. We must stand up in the face of danger and be strong in Christ Jesus! We must believe in his promises and stand upon them. We must put them into practice within our own life. When we do, our Lord will take us by the hand and stand with us. It is decision time. Are we going to live within this world and become a part of it or are we going to live within the world defending our God in Heaven? Jesus is returning soon! Are you ready? PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” KEEP WATCH AND PRAY SO THAT YOU WILL NOT GIVE INTO TEMPTATION. FOR THE SPIRIT IS WILLING BUT THE BODY IS WEAK.” MATTHEW 26:41

It is important to be alert and aware of what our Lord God is asking of us. We should be aware of how he wants us to live our lives. Our God has blessed us with the Holy Spirit who gives us the power necessary for victory over sickness, disease, doubts, worries and fears. We need to stay in prayer with our Lord. We need to listen carefully to the Holy Spirit as he gives us direction, hope and strength. We must learn and never forget the promises of God. We must put those promises into action in our lives. Our faith must stay strong. We must remember that the devil and his army is trying very hard to take us down. His time is very short, and he knows it. He will do anything to make us be evil, do evil, speak evil. He will do anything to make us weak, scared, worried, sick and submissive to this world. Jesus is our Lord, savior, healer, and forgiver. We must keep him first in our thoughts, words and deeds. We can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. As Matthew 26:41 says, ” for the Spirit is willing but the body is weak.” We cannot depend upon ourselves to survive this world. We must depend upon and live in the Holy Spirit. We must stay in prayer, build up our faith daily, and trust in our God in heaven! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” SO YOU SEE, FAITH BY ITSELF ISN’T ENOUGH. UNLESS IT PRODUCES GOOD DEEDS, IT IS DEAD AND USELESS.” JAMES 2:17

“ SO YOU SEE, WE ARE SHOWN TO BE RIGHT WITH GOD BY WHAT WE DO, NOT BY FAITH ALONE.” JAMES 2:24

It is very important that you and I live in our faith. The Lord has given each of us a measure of faith and as we live our lives, we are expected to be able to become stronger and build upon it. However, unless we live a faith life are we really trusting God? Are we really in right standing with our Lord? Or are we just saying we have faith and then living a life of fear, doubt and worry? He has given us tools to live a life of confidence, strength, trust, peace and joy. We can say that we trust in our Lord all that we want to but unless were leading a life that reflects a strong faith then we are not really trusting our Lord. It takes faith and then putting our faith into action in order to produce a life that reflects our true trust in our Lord Jesus. We must take steps of faith in the way we live. Sometimes these steps will be hard because we are going against the world with our thoughts, words and deeds. We must trust in all of the promises provided to us in his Holy Word. Our lives will become so much richer and will provide us with a peace and joy that overcomes all doubt, worry and fear. Strengthen your faith and live a life that reflects your Lord God in heaven! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” STUDY THIS BOOK OF INSTRUCTION CONTINUALLY. MEDITATE UPON IT DAY AND NIGHT SO YOU WILL BE SURE TO OBEY EVERYTHING WRITTEN IN IT.” JOSHUA 1:8

” 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

There is more evil going on in this world today than many can ever remember. We see lawlessness taking place in our neighborhoods and city streets that would never have been able to happen ten years ago. We are unable to walk the streets, jog, play in the parks, drive down the streets, go grocery shopping or many other things in today’s world without the fear of shootings, bombings or just plain reckless and angry people. We don’t know who to trust or who not to trust. I cannot imagine walking through this world today without Jesus in my life. I cannot imagine the helplessness those people feel who do not have him in their lives. With the Lord we have security, fearlessness and the confidence, that we are told in his word, that he is our shelter and our safety net. Even though there may be those who hate us or show disdain for what we stand for, they cannot touch us. Our Lord God promises that he is with us wherever we go. We are to stay strong and courageous. We are not to live our lives in fear or become discouraged. Instead, we are to stay strong in him by meditating in his word day and night. We are to obey his commands for our lives and follow his path of righteousness. The devil wants nothing more than to stop us. BUT, he cannot if we make Jesus our life. If we confide in him, make him our safety net and live upon his mighty and unfailing promises we will be overcomers! Jesus is our life and our strength! HE IS COMING SOON!! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“WHEN TROUBLE COMES YOUR WAY, CONSIDER IT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GREAT JOY. FOR KNOW THAT WHEN YOUR FAITH IS TESTED, YOUR ENDURANCE HAS A CHANCE TO GROW.” JAMES 1:2-3

” GOD BLESSES THOSE WHO PATIENTLY ENDURE TESTING AND TEMPTATION.” JAMES 1:12

Trials and temptations stand in front of us everyday. How do we react to these struggles? Are we weak and give into them? Or are we strong and continue to praise our God in heaven for giving us the strength, understanding and wisdom to get through each? Are we capable of enduring through whatever sickness, disease, doubt, worry and fear is put before us? Without our faith in Jesus, we cannot endure. We must be able to understand that he has given us the abilities we need to be overcomers in life. With him we can do all things but without him we will fail. With him comes confidence that everything will turn out for his good. With that confidence comes joy and peace and a way of life that allows us to live without fear of evil. We must be patient in our endurance as our Lord will use these circumstances to teach us and help us to grow in our faith. Jesus will not fail us! He has already been through the trials and temptations we face. He has already defeated each and every one of them. We must continue to have faith and not doubt as our Lord continues to work in our lives. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“YOU ALSO MUST BE READY ALL OF THE TIME, FOR THE SON OF MAN WILL COME WHEN LEAST EXPECTED.” MATTHEW 24:44

I am sure that we are all very familiar with the scripture from Matthew 24:44. The scripture does not say that you must be ready for Christ’s return just on Sunday nor does it specify any other day of the week. It is clear when the scripture tells us that we should be ready all of the time. Our lives should be full of faith, full of God’s mighty strength, full of his joy and full of our trust in our Lord. We should be living each day in Christ and not in the world that surrounds us. We should pay close attention to the Holy Spirit who resides within us. We should pray everyday and include our Lord in every decision we face. Our Lord Jesus is standing at the door. He is ready to come. Are we ready to receive him? PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” LET US STRIP OFF EVERY WEIGHT THAT SLOWS US DOWN, ESPECIALLY SIN THAT SO EASILY TRIPS US UP. AND LET US RUN WITH ENDURANCE THE RACE GOD HAS SET BEFORE US. WE DO THIS BY KEEPING OUR EYES ON JESUS, THE CHAMPION WHO INITIATES AND PERFECTS OUR FAITH.” HEBREWS 12:1-2

For those of us who have ever entered a race we do so with certain preparation. We prepare our bodies and wear the right kind of clothing and shoes in order to run as fast and as comfortable as possible. Our goal is to be the fastest and to reach the finish line first. However, we want to make sure that we have enough endurance in order to make the finish line, period! Our main goal should be to finish the race. When we run the race that our Lord has set before us many of the same principles apply. We must prepare our bodies and minds for the endurance of the race. We must be prepared to strip off any weight that is going to slow us down. Sin is singled out. Sin will not only slow us down, but it has the potential to keep us from finishing the race at all. We must keep our focus on the end result. We must keep our eyes and thoughts on Jesus. He is our source of strength. He is the power source that keeps us going through hard times. All we have to do is look at his time on this earth and look at the race he ran. We will see the persecutions, beatings and name calling he endured. He endured to the end by keeping his focus on the end result. Jesus is our champion. He is the one who initiated our faith and the one who perfects our faith. We must, however, keep our focus on him, our savior, our forgiver and our healer! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“OUTWARDLY YOU LOOK LIKE RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE, BUT INWARDLY YOUR HEARTS ARE FILLED WITH HYPOCRISY AND LAWLESSNESS.” MATTHEW 23:28

This scripture in Matthew quotes Jesus as he is talking to the Pharisees. The Pharisees would walk around with their heads held high, looking as pompous as they could. They made sure that others noticed them. Afterall, they were important and should be treated as such, or so they thought. Do you know any Pharisees today? Do you know anyone who walks around claiming they know Jesus and talking as though they are perfect in his word? Just how do we discern who actually is a Christian from those who say they are? It is important that you and I, as followers of Jesus, live our lives the way Jesus would have us live them. We stray away from the evil around us and do the things within God’s Word. We love others, we are patient with others, we do things for others, we are humble and not self-promoting. We don’t blow our own horns and brag about who we are or what we can or cannot do. We just live and strive for a life that is as pure in Jesus as possible. We should watch others closely. If they are professing to be a Christian but their lives are demonstrating the ways of the world, then there is probably some concern. We need to be careful. There are people in this world who are false in who they say they are and what they say they can do. Are they living a life of godliness or are they living a life that demonstrates the ways of the world. Are they saying one thing and doing another? How we live our lives come from our hearts. It is how we believe. Words are just words. But actions speak from the heart. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE HIM, FOR HE WHO COMES TO GOD MUST BELIEVE THAT HE IS AND THAT HE IS A REWARDER OF THOSE WHO SEEK HIM.” HEBREWS 11:6

Why is it necessary for us to have faith in order to please out God in heaven? Because we cannot serve him unless we are convinced that he not only exists, but also that his plans for us are ‘ good and acceptable and perfect.’ (Romans 12:2) We must trust the Lord enough to be able to walk in the center of his will, even if his commands seem unreasonable, impossible, or don’t make any sense to us. Like all of the biblical heroes of old, we should bring even the smallest of problems to him, knowing he will lead us in the best way. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” DO NOT THROW AWAY YOUR CONFIDENCE, WHICH HAS A GREAT REWARD. FOR YOU HAVE NEED OF ENDURANCE, SO THAT WHEN YOU HAVE DONE THE WILL OF GOD, YOU MAY RECEIVE WHAT WAS PROMISED.” HEBREWS 10:35-36

In order to throw you off of the path, Satan wants you to doubt your eternal security in Jesus and his faithfulness to fulfill all of his promises. The devil could not stop you from being saved so he will do everything he can do to stop you from doing God’s will and receiving your reward. Stay focused and aware of what he trying to do. Don’t allow an opening for him to succeed. Continue to be faithful to the Lord because obedience to him always brings blessings into your life. Stay focused on the Lord and not the problems around you. Continue to build your faith and stay in a healthy prayer life with the Lord God in heaven. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” JESUS ENTERED THE TEMPLE AND DROVE OUT ALL OF THOSE WHO WERE BUYING AND SELLING IN THE TEMPLE AND OVERTURNED THE TABLES OF THE MONEY CHANGERS.” MATTHEW 21:12

” CHRIST ALSO, HAVING BEEN OFFERED ONCE TO BEAR THE SINS OF MANY.” HEBREWS 9:28

When Jesus walked this earth, he valued the temple as a place of worship and not a place of business. The temple was considered a holy place where all would come to worship our living and breathing God. He showed his passion of the temple by going into the temple and driving out all of those who were there to make money and not to worship. Our bodies are considered to be the temple of God. When Jesus left this earth, he sent his Holy Spirit to live in us. The greatest burden that you and I have in keeping our temple clean and pure is sin. Sin keeps us in bondage, keeps us discouraged and keeps us from becoming everything God created us to be. Our sin, no matter what it is, enslaves us and separates us from our Lord because He is holy and despises unholiness. However, Christ is our great sin -bearer, because through Him we have forgiveness and freedom from our sin. All we have to do is clean out our sins and trust in our God. We are to listen to the Holy Spirit and do as he instructs us to do. Our sins are forgiven! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” ANXIETY IN A MAN’S HEART WEIGHS IT DOWN, BUT A GOOD WORD MAKES IT GLAD.” PROVERBS 12:25

We should become experts in giving encouragement. The world has enough naysayers, critics, scoffers, ridiculers, and detractors. A “good word” is hard to find. When we stay positive and continue to give good comments to others it builds them up and helps them to feel good about themselves. We should be prepared to quote scripture that supports strength in Jesus and not the “down in the mouth” comments that sometimes flow so easily from the mouth. We should stay strong in the ways of our Lord. We should have unwavering faith in his promises and, with our belief, be able to spread his good word to others. Stay positive! Stay in God’s word! Spread his word to others! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” AND LOOKING AT THEM JESUS SAID TO THEM, ‘ WITH PEOPLE THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE, BUT WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.'” MATTHEW 19:26

There are many people with many talents in the world. These talents have been given to them by the grace of our God in heaven. However, even though we have people with many kinds of talents to help us with our many needs, there is a point where those talents run their course. They come to a point where they can help no more. It doesn’t matter if it a medical problem, financial problem, or a spiritual problem, the time comes when we have to totally rely on our Lord God in heaven. Scripture tells us that with God all things are possible. There is nothing that our Lord cannot do if we just believe. He is all powerful! He has no limitations! You and I must believe. We must have a faith that is immovable. We must focus on the end result and not the issues that surround us. When we do, then things always fall into God’s plan and turn out well for us. It may not always look that way in our eyes but our belief, our trust and our faith in Jesus will bind us together with his results and our life will always be better for it. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“I HEARD AN UNKNOWN VOICE SAY, ‘ NOW I WILL TAKE THE LOAD FROM YOUR SHOULDERS; I WILL FREE YOUR HANDS FROM THEIR HEAVY TASKS.’ ” PSALM 81: 5-6

Jesus is our savior, healer and forgiver. All we have to do is ask and believe that we receive, and he will remove all of the weight of our problems from us. He took all of our problems upon himself when he went to that cross. He died so that you and I could live. He wants us to be able to be successful in this life. We are to live lives that represent his strength and goodness. However, if we continue to be burdened with the troubles and fears of this world our focus will not be on Him. But if we focus on our Lord Jesus and let him handle our problems and temptations, we will then have a testimony that is unmovable in Christ Jesus. He loves us, and through the power given to us through the Holy Spirit, he gives us the strength and the power we need to be overcomers. Stay focused on the end result! Jesus is our Lord! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“THOSE WHO LISTEN TO INSTRUCTION WILL PROSPER; THOSE WHO TRUST IN THE LORD WILL BE JOYFUL.” PROVERBS 16:20

Our Lord God in heaven has sent his precious Holy Spirit to live within us. The Holy Spirit is the strength and power of God. When Jesus went to set at the right hand of God, the Holy Spirit was sent to continue the efforts of our Lord here on earth. With the strength of the Holy Spirit, we are able to follow his ways and do the things that the Lord wants each of us to accomplish. We are here to be strong in the ways of Christ Jesus, to stand strong in the face of tremendous pressures, persecutions, trials, temptations, sicknesses, and disease. We are to be overcomers of the evil set against us and not succumb to the pressures. We must pay attention and listen. We must know God’s word, his promises and his ways. We should be strong in the Holy Spirit and become strong in the face of any evil set before us. We must, however, be focused on the end result and not the problems around us. The Spirit will not lead us down a road of disaster but his leading always stands with the Holy Word of God. We must listen to his instructions and become doers of his word. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“CREATE IN ME A CLEAN HEART, O’ GOD. RENEW A LOYAL SPIRIT WITHIN ME.” PSALM 52:10

We sometimes find ourselves entwined within the worldly system in which we live. It is at these times that we need to slow down and take a step back and push the reset button. We are to live one day at a time. The Lord tells us that each day has enough trouble of its own and we are not to worry about tomorrow. It is important that we take time to ask ourselves if our love and joy for our life in Christ is the same as it was when we first met and accepted him. If not, we need to renew that freshness. We need to ask God to help us to realize what has been diminished and what needs fixing. We should meditate upon every word he provides in his Holy Word. We should focus on him and not the problems around us. We should listen carefully to the Holy Spirit who resides within us. We should be doers of his word and not hearers only. We should look at and analyze our spiritual life each and every day. We should refresh our lives through prayer, praise and thanksgiving. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

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

“SO LET US COME BOLDLY TO THE THRONE OF OUR GRACIOUS GOD. THERE WE WILL RECEIVE HIS MERCY, AND WE WILL FIND GRACE TO HELP US WHEN WE NEED IT MOST.” HEBREWS 4:16

Our God’s holy word is alive and powerful. The word of God is active and is working in our lives each day. Hebrews 4:16 tells us that when we go before the Lord we should go with boldness and not with fear, anger, doubt or worry. We are to approach his throne with a faith that allows him to spread his grace and mercy upon us. Our Lord Jesus came to this world to die on the cross so that we can be saved, forgiven and healed. He does not want his people walking around and talking about how bad things are for them. He wants us to believe and receive what he has prepared for us. Whatever our God has in store for us it is good and great. We should look forward to it without regret or sadness. We should not fear. Our Lord doesn’t throw down evil upon us. He wants us to be saved and to live a joyful and full life. We can do that if we believe in his living word and act upon it with faith. We must always remember that he is always there to meet our needs when we most need him. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!