Michael J Burchett Ministries

” IF ANY OF YOU WANTS TO BE MY FOLLOWERS, YOU MUST TURN FROM YOUR SELFISH WAYS, TAKE UP YOUR CROSS DAILY, AND FOLLOW ME.” LUKE 9:23

Each and everyone of us has a cross to bear. We all have situations in our lives where we are under stress or where we are being persecuted for our faith and the way we live our lives. The Lord tells us that we must push down our selfish ways and follow him. We must stop feeling sorry for ourselves and worship him. We should move forward in our lives with love in our hearts, peace of mind, and complete trust in our Lord God in heaven. We should live a life that is going to help others and not tear them down. We must live our lives for Christ Jesus everyday. We should continue to build up our faith so that we are strong in all of his ways. We must pray to him and meditate upon his word daily. He is our Lord and Savior. He is the way! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” IT IS THROUGH FAITH THAT A RIGHTEOUS PERSON HAS LIFE.” ROMANS 1:17

It is our faith that enables us to be in right standing with our Lord. We must believe that our Jesus actually died upon the cross. We must believe that he died for our sins, our salvation and our healings. We must believe that his death is still for us today. We must believe that his holy Word is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. We must have the faith to step out and believe that he will catch us if we fall. We must be able to shut out the rest of the world and continue to trust him to take care of us in whatever situation we find ourselves. We must have the faith to live our lives wrapped in the loving arms of Jesus! When we do our lives will become so much easier and our walk with him will be so much stronger. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” WHEN JESUS WOKE UP HE REBUKED THE WIND AND THE RAGING WAVES. SUDDENLY THE STORM STOPPED AND ALL WAS CALM. THEN HE ASKED THEM, ‘WHERE IS YOUR FAITH? ‘ PSALM 8:24-25

Jesus had been traveling with his disciples for a while and they had seen him do miracles. However, they still had troubles believing he could save them in their time of need. This is a good example of how important it is for us to read his word daily, meditate upon it and pray. Jesus must become the major part of our lives. Our faith must become larger than life. If it isn’t, then the devil will try to slip and steal what faith we have away. Building upon our faith is a daily struggle. It is a constant fight with doubt, fear and worry. We can, however, overcome, because we are a member of the army of our God in heaven. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” THE LORD IS FOR ME, SO I WILL HAVE NO FEAR. WHAT CAN MERE PEOPLE DO TO ME? ” PSALM 188:6

As we continue to build upon our faith any fear that we have begins to run away. Wherever there is faith there is no fear. Faith and fear cannot live together. They are complete opposites. If our Lord is by our side and walks before us each day, then we should have no fear of this world and what it stands for. There is nothing in this world that can hurt us. Our Lord has promised us his protection, his wisdom, his understanding and his strength. What we have to do is believe and receive. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” IT IS BETTER TO TAKE REFUGE IN THE LORD THAN TO TRUST IN PEOPLE.” PSALM 118:8

WE ALL HAVE CLOSE FRIENDS WHO WE GO TO FOR ADVICE OR COMFORT IN TROUBLED TIMES. BUT THE LORD TELLS US THAT WE SHOULD TAKE REFUGE IN HIM IN TIMES OF TROUBLE, AND NOT PEOPLE. I DON’T BELIEVE THAT MEANS TO ABANDON OUR FRIENDS BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT IT MEANS WE SHOULD GO TO HIM FIRST. HE SHOULD BE OUR GO TO FRIEND. JESUS NEEDS TO BE OUR FRIEND, OUR SAVIOR, OUR HEALER AND OUR FORGIVER. WE NEED TO TRUST HIM AS A FRIEND. WE NEED TO TALK WITH HIM AS THOUGH HE IS A FRIEND. WE NEED EVERYDAY CONVERSATION WITH HIM. YES, WE CAN GO TO OUR EARTHLY FRIENDS FOR ADVICE BUT WE SHOULD REMEMBER WHO REALLY CAN HELP UP. JESUS! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” I WILL NOT FAIL YOU OR ABANDON YOU.” JOSHUA 1:5

” BE STRONG AND VERY COURAGEOUS.” JOSHUA 1:7

The Lord has a promise for us in Joshua 1:5. He tells us that he will NOT fail us or abandon us. It doesn’t matter what the situation is or how bleak it looks, our Lord is always with us. He has a plan that is in place and already working. It is important that we trust him and believe in him. Our faith must be immovable. It must be strong! Our responsibility is to continue to be strong in our faith and to continue with the courage that strong faith in Jesus gives us. We must believe we receive because our God in heaven is our power source! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

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

IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT SINCE OUR LORD HAS GIVEN US THE COMMAND TO SPREAD HIS WORD THAT WE TAKE IT SERIOUSLY AND TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO SPREAD THE SALVATION MESSAGE TO OTHERS. IF WE HAVE ACCEPTED JESUS AS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR THEN OUR LORD GOD IN HEAVEN HAS GIVEN US THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF HIS FAMILY. HE WILL USE US IN SPREADING HIS WORD TO HELP OTHERS, WHILE WE CONTINUE ON THIS EARTH. LET’S NOT MISS THE CHANCE TO WORK ON HIS BEHALF. HE HAS GIVEN US THE TOOLS AND WILL OPEN THE DOORS. WE SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID TO WALK THROUGH THOSE OPEN DOORS AND SPREAD HIS MESSAGE. HE WILL GIVE US THE WISDOM WE NEED, THE UNDERSTANDING WE NEED AND THE STRENGTH AND FAITH TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” PRAISE THE LORD ALL YOU NATIONS. PRAISE HIM, ALL YOU PEOPLE OF THE EARTH. FOR HE LOVES US WITH UNFAILING LOVE; THE LORD’S FAITHFULNESS ENDURES FOREVER.” PSALM 117: 1-2

THE GREATEST NATION IN THIS WORLD IS BEING ATTACKED WITH EVERYTHING EVIL CAN BRING. THE PAST TWO YEARS HAS BEEN NOTHING SHORT OF COMPLETE CHAOS IN OUR NATION. EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN AMERICA AFFECTS THE REST OF THE WORLD. ALL EYES HAVE BEEN ON WHAT IS GOING IN THE UNITED STATES. OUR GREAT COUNTRY, ONCE BUILT UPON THE FOUNDATION OF OUR GOD IN HEAVEN HAS ALLOWED OPENINGS FOR MAJOR SPIRITUAL ATTACKS OF THE DEVIL AND HIS ARMY. WE ARE SEEING THINGS HAPPENING TODAY THAT WE CANNOT EXPLAIN. WE ARE SEEING MEN DRESS UP AS WOMEN. WE ARE SEEING WOMEN DRESS UP AS MEN. WE ARE SEEING HOMOSEXUALITY THRIVE IN OUR SOCIETY. WE ARE SEEING CRIME IN OUR CITIES, TOWNS AND COUNTYSIDES TAKING PLACE AT UNPRECEDENTED RATES. WE ARE SEEING OUR CONSTITUTION BEING DESTROYED BEFORE OUR VERY EYES. THERE ARE NO BORDERS FOR OUR COUNTRY OR FOR THE EVIL THAT IS HAPPENING. WE ARE IN A GREAT SPIRITUAL WAR BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL. OUR GOD IS STRONGER THAT THE EVIL FORCES WHO ARE PRESENTING THEMSELVES IN OUR LIVES TODAY. THERE IS HOPE BUT WE MUST BELIEVE IN OUR LORD AND ALL THAT HE CAN DO FOR US. WE MUST BE DOERS OF HIS WORD AND NOT HEARERS ONLY. WE MUST TAKE A STAND IN THE NAME OF JESUS! WE MUST LISTEN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT AND FOLLOW HIS LEAD. OUR GOD IS GREAT AND POWERFUL! HE IS MORE POWERFUL THAN ANYTHING WE WILL ENDURE. WE MUST CONTINUE TO PRAY CONSISTANTLY AND MEDITATE UPON HIS WORD. OUR GOD IS GREAT AND HE WILL WIN THIS WAR. WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION IN OUR OWN PERSONAL LIVES AS TO WHAT ARMY WE BELONG TO AND SUPPORT. WE CANNOT COMPROMISE. I KNOW THAT JESUS IS MY LORD AND I BELIEVE I WILL RECEIVE! I WANT TO BE ON THE WINNING SIDE. JESUS IS MY LORD AND SAVIOR AND I AM PROTECTED IN AND THROUGH ALL SITUATIONS! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” THE LORD PROTECTS THOSE WITH CHILDLIKE FAITH.” PSALM 116:6

OUR FAITH MUST BE STRONG! IT MUST BE SO STRONG THAT EVERYTHING ELSE IN OUR LIVES BECOMES SECOND PLACE TO OUR FAITH. WE MUST TRUST OUR LORD AS WE TRUSTED OUR MOMS AND DADS WHEN WE WERE CHILDREN. WE MAY NOT ALWAYS AGREE WITH WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS TELLING US OR AGREE WITH WHAT DIRECTION HE IS GUIDING US BUT WE MUST TRUST HIM WITHOUT DOUBT OR FEAR. THERE IS A TIME COMING SOON WHEN OUR FAITH WILL BE TESTED BEYOND WHERE IT HAS EVER BEEN TESTED BEFORE. OUR FAITH MUST BE SO STRONG THAT IT ONCE AGAIN BECOMES CHILDLIKE. WE MUST BELIEVE THAT WE RECEIVE BECAUSE OUR GOD IN HEAVEN IS OUR SOURCE. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS, GOOD OR BAD.

“IF YOU FAIL UNDER PRESSURE, YOUR STRENGTH IS TOO SMALL.” PROVERBS 24:10

WHEN WE COME UPON ADVERSITY OUR FAITH MUST BE STRONG ENOUGH TO GIVE US THE STRENGTH IN OUR LORD TO OVERCOME. OUR FAITH IS TO STAY STRONG AND NEVER BECOME WEAK. WE MUST PRAY, READ AND MEDITATE UPON GOD’S WORD AS OFTEN AS WE CAN. HE MUST BE FIRST IN OUR LIVES. WHEN HE IS WE WILL GO TO HIM IN ADVERSITY AND WE WILL OVERCOME! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” NOT TO US, O ‘ LORD, BUT TO YOUR NAME GOES ALL THE GLORY FOR YOUR UNFAILING LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS.” PSALM 115:1

” SEEING THEIR FAITH, JESUS SAID TO THE MAN, ‘ YOUNG MAN, YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN.” LUKE 5:20

” THEN JESUS TURNED TO THE PARALYZED MAN AND SAID, ‘ Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home.‘” LUKE 5:24

We should always remember to praise our God in heaven in all situations. We should continue to build our faith each day by praying and meditating in his Holy Word and putting God’s words and promises into action in our lives. We must have the trust in him to step out and exercise our faith. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” HE SHOWS MERCY FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION TO ALL WHO HEAR HIM.” LUKE 1:50

OUR LORD DIED ON THE CROSS FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE AND RECIEVE THAT HE IS THEIR LORD AND SAVIOR. HE SHOWS HIS MERCY TO ALL WHO TRUST HIM AND BELIEVE THAT HIS ACTIONS ARE TRUE AND FAITHFUL. I HAVE ALWAYS HESITATED TO CALL THE BIBLE A BOOK. I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT THE BIBLE IS THE LIVING, BREATHING WORD OF GOD. OUR GOD BREATHED LIFE INTO HIS WORD SO THAT YOU AND I COULD HEAR HIM AND LIVE A LIFE SURROUNDED BY HIS LOVE. HIS MERCY, HIS LOVE, HIS STRENGTH, HIS PEACE, HIS PROMISES ARE ALL GOOD FOR US TODAY. HIS WORD IS NOT FULL OF FAIRY TALES. HIS WORD IS NOT JUST FOR THOSE FROM THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO. HIS WORD HAS NEVR CHANGED AND WILL NEVER CHANGE. HE HAS PASSED IT DOWN FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION. HIS GRACE AND HIS MERCY IS FOR US. WE MUST HEAR HIM AND UNDERSTAND HIM. WE MUST BELIEVE HIM AND NEVER DOUBT WHAT HIS HOLY WORD SAYS. LET US CONTINUE TO BUILD OUR FAITH AND RECEIVE THE MERCY OF OUR GOD ON HIGH. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE FOUNDATION OF TRUE WISDOM. ALL WHO OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS WILL GROW IN WISDOM. PRAISE THE LORD FOREVER! PSALM 111:10

IN ORDER TO HAVE TRUE SPIRITUAL WISDOM IT IS NECESSARY THAT WE HAVE A SOLID FOUNDATION BUILT UPON OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. OUR LOVE FOR JESUS MUST BE STRONG AND NOT MOVABLE. WHEN WE ACCEPT HIM AS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, WE ACCEPT ALL OF HIS GOODNES INTO OUR LIVES. WE ACCEPT HIS STRENGTHS, HIS DESIRES FOR OUR LIVES, HIS SALVATION FOR OUR LIVES, HIS HEALING POWER IN OUR LIVES, AND HIS FORGIVENESS OF OUR MANY SINS. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE TIMES OF TROUBLE AND INDECISIONS BUT WE MUST ALWAYS TURN TO OUR LORD FOR HIS HELP. WE MUST CONTINUE TO BUILD OUR FAITH AND OBEY ALL OF HIS COMMANDS FOR OUR LIVES. WE MUST READ AND MEDITATE ON HIS WORD. WE MUST COMMUNICATE WITH HIM IN ALL SITUATIONS. HE SHOULD ALWAYS BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF OUR DAILY LIFE. IF WE CONTINUE TO BE TRUE TO HIM, HE WILL BE TRUE TO US AND PROVIDE US WITH TRUE WISDOM. HE NEVER FAILS IF WE JUST TRUST HIM! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“WHILE THERE, HE ENCOURAGED OTHER BELIEVERS IN ALL THE TOWNS HE PASSED THROUGH.” ACTS 20:2

THE WORLD WE LIVE IN TODAY IS VERY HARSH, DEMANDING AND UNFORGIVING. WE AS BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST HAVE THE POWER, THE JOY AND THE DIRECTION FROM OUR LORD GOD IN HEAVEN TO BE ENCOURAGED AND TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER. WE ARE TO BE POSITVE IN CHRIST. WE ARE TO BELIEVE WE RECEIVE WITHOUT DOUBT, WORRY OR FEAR. WE ARE TO SPREAD OUR FAITH IN CHRIST TO OTHERS BY WAY OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND LIFESTYLE. WE ARE NOT TO PLANT SEEDS OF DOUBT BUT TO PLANT SEEDS OF FAITH. WE ARE TO LIVE OUR LIVES IN FAITH AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS, NOT ONLY BY WORDS BUT BY THE WAY WE LIVE. THIS WORLD TODAY REQUIRES OUR FAITH TO BE STRONG AND WITHOUT ANY WEAKNESES. THERE ARE THINGS HAPPENING IN THIS WORLD THAT WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER. WE DO, HOWEVER, HAVE CONTROL OVER HOW WE RESPOND TO ALL SITUATIONS. OUR GOD HAS PROMISED US THAT HE WILL BE WITH US IN ALL THINGS AND WILL NEVER FAIL US. HE HAS A PLAN AND WE ARE ALL A PART OF IT. LET US ALL CONTINUE IN PRAYER, PRAISE AND FAITH AND CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN OUR LORD JESUS! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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

“ALWAYS CONTINUE TO FEAR THE LORD. YOU WILL BE REWARDED FOR THIS; YOUR HOPE WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” PROVERBS 23:17-18

We should always love our Lord! There is never a time where we should try to do things on our own. We should become very familiar with his Holy Word and know it inside out. He should always be at the forefront of our day. He should be in our every thought and should be represented well in our every action. If he is not, then he should, become our life. He is the reason we exist. There is a reason for every obstacle in our days. He has promised that his faithful promises are our armor and protection. We should get up in the morning looking forward to what is ahead. With the Word of God there is nothing that we cannot overcome. We are strong, we are wise, and we have the Holy Spirit living within us. He never disappoints us. We must continue to be faithful and love him. We are overcomers with the Lord our God in charge of our lives. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“YOU ARE BLESSED BECAUSE YOU BELIEVED THAT THE LORD WOULD DO WHAT HE SAID.” LUKE 1:45

Our Lord God in heaven never fails on a promise nor does he fail on any word he says. We are so blessed when we truly believe in what God tells us through his holy word. We are so blessed when we do what he asks us to do. We, however, must have faith strong enough to put God’s promises to work in our lives. Sometimes we must step out in faith before our Lord will perform in our lives. We must have enough faith to speak his promises before we see them fulfilled. We must continue to confess his healings, his protections, his words of wisdom and his strength in our lives even if we don’t see them physically happening. We believe we receive because our God in heaven is our source and not the world around us. Our God has created all things. He created this world with all of its wonderful and amazing beauty. He created the heavens, the stars, the moon and the sun. He created those who dwell in medicine and the sciences. We must remember that it is not man but our Lord who is responsible for the wonderful things around us. He is our Lord, our Savior and our Healer! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” YOUR UNFAILING LOVE, O LORD, IS AS VAST AS THE HEAVENS; YOUR FAITHFULNESS REACHES BEYOND THE CLOUDS.” PSALM 36:5

God’s faithfulness to each of us is way beyond our comprehension. There are so many times in life where we do things that make us feel so undeserving of God’s blessings and love. As a matter of fact, we are undeserving. However, our God has such a love for us that he sacrificed his son, Jesus Christ, so that our sins are forgiven, and we can accept his faithful actions, blessings and miracles in our lives. Because of our human nature it is difficult to re-train ourselves to be deserving. But re-train our thoughts and actions in life is exactly what we have to do. We have to surround ourselves with the ideas, thoughts, and the holy word of our Lord God. We must learn the ways of the Lord. We must be doers of the ways of the Lord. We must become good listeners and we must continue to build our faith. Our trust in him must become second to nothing. Strengthening our faith and trust in the Lord is hard work. It is not easy. The devil is at every turn. Many times, we get in our own way and cause our own problems. The work we must put in for Jesus is worth everything in our lives. It is nothing in comparison to what Jesus did for us. Our Lord must be first in our lives. His faithfulness to us reaches beyond the clouds. It is everlasting. Believe, receive and live your life in Him. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

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

” BE STILL IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD AND WAIT PATIENTLY FOR HIM TO ACT.” PSALM 37:7

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we are not promised or guaranteed that our lives will be trouble free. Actually, the opposite will happen if we are truly following our Lord Jesus. The enemy will fight us to the bitter end when we are living a life in Christ. The devil hates our Lord and everything he stands for. However, when troubles do come, we have a rescuer. We have a Savior. Our Lord promises us that he will be with us and go before us. He will get us through any and every situation we confront. We must, however, do our part. We must believe that we receive from him, trust his promises and wait patiently for him to act. Too many times we get impatient and try to do things on our own. Through personal experience I have found that when I try to supersede my God in heaven that I create even more problems that need to be fixed. Jesus loves us more than we will ever understand while we are on this earth. Our faith must stay strong. We must continue to keep it strong by meditation in his word and praying every chance we get. We must always remember that Jesus is our Lord and Savior! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“LOOKING STRAIGHT AT HIM, PAUL REALIZED HE HAD THE FAITH TO BE HEALED.” ACTS 14:9

Our faith is the foundation of believing and receiving from our Lord Jesus Christ. Without a strong faith it is impossible to receive from our God. Without faith we leave ourselves open to the attacks from the devil and the world around us. We begin to live our lives believing that we can do all things and that we are the ones who are in charge of our lives. We begin to look to ourselves and to others for the answers to our problems. Without a strong faith in God, we see no light at the end of the tunnel when things begin to go wrong, and we have no answers. However, with a strong faith in the Lord we have all of the answers we need. We have the ability to go to him with confidence and leave our problems at his feet. We have the confidence that he will strengthen us with his wisdom and understanding. We will have the confidence that we can get through all struggles because our Lord has promised us that he is with us always. He has given us the Holy Spirit to live in us. We can live with joy and peace of mind because we know through faith that we can do all things through Christ who gives us the strength. We should continue to build our faith each moment of each day. We should never let down but always pray to him, praise him and believe that we receive from him! Jesus is Lord! He is our Savior! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” GO INTO ALL OF THE WORLD AND PREACH THE GOOD NEWS TO EVERYONE.” MARK 16:15

I truly believe that our God has a reason and purpose for everything. You and I have been created for this moment in time for a reason. He tells us to go into all of the world and preach the Good News of Jesus Christ. We live in an age where the devil’s time is running short. He is pulling out all of the stops. Lying, cheating and all evil seems to be on the increase. You and I are a member of our God’s army, and we are in a battle everyday. We have to be ready for each battle and never back down. We must stay strong in the Word of God. He promises that he will be with us and never leave us. If we know his promises, stand upon his promises, and then put his promises into action, we will not and cannot fail. Our God in heaven has chosen to work through each of us. We must be ready and willing. We must be open to the direction he sends us and the message he wants us to spread. We must keep our eyes on him and not what is happening around us. We are safe and know the outcome. However, there are those in this world who do not know our Lord and are not safe. We must work hard each day to get his message out to all, hopefully reaching those who have not yet humbled themselves before God. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” THE LORD SAYS, ‘ I WILL RESCUE THOSE WHO LOVE ME. I WILL PROTECT THOSE WHO TRUST IN MY NAME. WHEN THEY CALL ON ME, I WILL ANSWER. I WILL BE WITH THEM IN TROUBLE. I WILL RESCUE AND HONOR THEM WITH LONG LIFE AND GIVE THEM MY SALVATION.’ ” PSALM 91: 14-16

Psalm 91 is full of God’s promises. When we read Pslam 91: 14-16 we can see some of those very important promises. He will rescue us, protect us, answer us, honor us with long life and salvation. These are all promises that we should be striving to obtain from our Lord. However, there are some things we must do in order to receive the results of these promises. We must LOVE Him, TRUST Him, CALL on Him. We must be doers of his word and not hearers only. We must include him in our lives to a point that he becomes our life. In order to love him, trust him and call on him, we must have great faith. We must meditate upon his word daily, pray and praise him daily and involve him in every decision we make. He is our Father! He is our Savior! He is our healer! He is our forgiver! He should be our whole life. He should be the beginning of our day and the end of our day and everything in between. Let us all build upon our faith and go before him with confidence and assurance of his everlasting love and strength. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” REMEMBER THE LORD YOUR GOD. HE IS THE ONE WHO GIVES YOU POWER TO BE SUCCESSFUL.” DEUTERONOMY 8:18

As I take time to reflect back upon my life, I can see that my God in heaven has been involved in the things I have done since I was a kid. He provided me and surrounded me with a great family while growing up. He was with me through all of the experiences I endured, even before I accepted him as my Lord and Savior. How did I ever get through some of them? The only answer is my God in heaven. He has gifted me a great family with a wife of 55+ years, 4 great kids and 13 grandchildren. He has led me from a teaching career to a banking career of over 38 years. Even after I accepted Christ many years ago, he had to take me by the hand, and sometimes the scuff of the neck, to lead me and make me listen. I have been a slow learner throughout the years but with Jesus in my life I have been able to get through things that I would never have survived without him. I am still learning from him today and will until I meet him face to face in heaven. I think that we all can relate our experiences throughout the years with God looking over us. Sometimes we just need to take a step back and reflect upon what we have done and what we are doing in our lives. We must remember who is in charge of our lives. We have to remember who gives us the power to be who we are and to accomplish the successes in our lives. We must remember who gives us the power to get out of our trials and tribulations and overcome our fears, doubts and worries. It is our Lord God in heaven! He loves each of us so much that he sent his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for us. He died for our sins, our salvation and our healings. He sent his Holy Spirit to live within each of us to guide us and help us. He is with us in everything and through everything and has promised to never leave us. We should praise our Lord God in heaven everyday with thanksgiving. We should remember him in all situations. Let us all take time from our busy schedules to reflect upon our lives and for all of the good and great gifts he provides to us each day! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL OF HEART AND LEAN NOT TO YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING, BUT IN ALL OF YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AND HE SHALL DIRECT YOUR PATHS.”

As we build upon our faith it allows us to ask Jesus to become a part of our daily lives. When this happens, we can feel secure that he is with us and will help us in everything we encounter each day. It doesn’t matter how large or small the problem, he will help us through. He will help us to be successful and not fail. He will help us to be strong and not weak. He will give us wisdom and understanding whether we are climbing a mountain or flying high over our successes. It is important that we always remember to trust the Lord with all of our heart. Our first thought in every trial or temptation should gravitate to our Lord. We should converse with him in prayer and praise him with every ounce of energy we have. Our faith in him must be strong enough for us to acknowledge him in every situation. If we do, he assures us that he will direct our ways and that we will be successful. We must not look to our own worldly understanding but only to Him. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“KEEP WATCH AND PRAY, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT GIVE IN TO TEMPTATION. FOR THE SPIRIT IS WILLING BUT THE BODY IS WEAK.” MARK 14:38

The devil works 24/7. He and his fallen angels never sleep. They are looking for any and every opportunity to slip into any situation where weakness is shown. They will cause fear, doubt, worry, confusion, anger and any other evil they can muster up. Mark 14:38 tells us that we must keep alert. We must pray consistently and stay strong in God’s mighty word. The Holy Spirit who lives in us is very willing to resist temptations, but the bodies are weak and are not so willing. There are times where we know exactly what we should do but we just cannot get up the energy to do it. We know right from wrong, but we may lay back and say, “well maybe just this one time.” Our bodies and minds are constantly being attacked. We sometimes focus on the things going on around us and forget to focus on the end result, Jesus. We must stay on our toes, make ourselves aware of the things going on around us, pray at all times and listen very carefully to what the Lord is telling us. If there is anything we are about to do that is not in line with what God’s word says, then we should back away from it. We should go to the bible and see what it says to do. Our Lord loves us so much that he has given us warnings about how to handle temptation. LET US GIVE PRAISE AND THANKGIVING TO OUR LORD GOD IN HEAVEN IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” SO FEAR THE LORD AND SERVE HIM WHOEHEARTEDLY.” JOSHUA 24:14

The term “wholeheartedly” means to do something with complete sincerity and commitment. Joshua 24:14 tells us that we are to fear the lord and to serve him with complete sincerity and commitment. Every once in a while, it is wise that we each slowdown in our lives and take a step back so that we can re-assess where we are in our life. Just how are we living our life? Have we sold out to the Lord, or do we have one foot in the world and one with our Lord? We cannot split our time. It is necessary that we completely sell out to Jesus. We need to be totally committed to his ways and when we are then we will live in his ways. In a world of confusion and evil it is necessary to stay focused on the end result. It is important to never allow an opening for the devil to step in. We should always believe that we receive and never doubt. Our Lord wants us to trust totally in him. In order for us to do this we must have strong faith. We need to stay in his word daily, confess his word in our life, and put his word into action! We are to be his servant and to do as he asks. We are not to serve the world in any capacity. PRAISE THE LORD INALL SITUATIONS!

” TRUE HUMILITY AND FEAR OF THE LORD LEAD TO RICHES, HONOR, AND LONG LIFE.” PROVERBS 22:4

As we go before our God each day is it important that we truly humble ourselves before his mighty presence in our lives. We should go to him, not only in prayer, but also with praise and thanksgiving. We should let him know each day that we love him, that we are grateful to him, and that we appreciate his mighty presence in our lives. We should remember to thank him for all the good and great things he has done in our lives. Without him we are nothing. Without him, getting up in the morning is worthless. But with him we have great strength, understanding and wisdom. All we have to do is ask. He is our Lord God. He wants to be involved in our lives everyday. We, however, must remember to humble ourselves before him and ask for his involvement. When we do then our lives become easier to live. He takes on our problems. We should leave them at his feet and never pick them up again. Leaving our life’s problems with the Lord will allow more time for joy and happiness and the ability to live our lives for Him. Thankyou Jesus! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” YOUR UNFAILING LOVE WILL LAST FOREVER. YOUR FAITHFULNESS IS AS ENDURING AS THE HEAVENS.” PSALM 89:2

Our God’s love for us in never-ending. That is sometimes hard for us to understand. It doesn’t matter what our situation is or how we initially react to a situation, our God is always faithful and true. He does tell us that for those who love him, trust him and who ask for his help, he will answer. Because of the Holy Spirit, he has so graciously given us, he lives in us. He is with us at all times and goes ahead of us into all situations, if we just allow him to. However, we must be willing to continue to build our faith and our trust and be faithful in going to him in prayer and asking. We must have enough faith to act upon what he has promised us and believe that he has answered us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” UNDERSTAND, THEREFORE, THAT THE LORD YOUR GOD IS INDEED GOD. HE IS THE FAITHFUL GOD WHO KEEPS HIS COVENANT FOR A THOUSAND GENERATIONS AND LAVISHES HIS UNFAILING LOVE ON THOSE WHO LOVE HIM AND OBEY HIS COMMAND.” DEUTERONOMY 7:9

Our God in heaven is the only God. There is no other! There is, however, an imitation god out there who is running around trying to imitate our true and living God. Instead of saving souls he is running rampant in trying to destroy souls. He works very hard at tricking all of those who say they know God but really do not. He is good at fooling all of those who are skin deep in their beliefs in Jesus. For us to be overcomers and testimonies for our Lord we must have roots that grow down deep in the soil of our Lord. We must read and meditate upon his word. We must know his scriptures well. I can tell you that the devil knows God’s scriptures and is more than willing to use them against us. He will twist them in ways so suttle, that unless we know God’s word well, his lies are easy to believe and follow. We are to be watchful. We are to be careful. We are to know right from wrong no matter how creative the devil gets. The bible tells us that even the devil’s demons believe in Jesus and bow to his name. So, why then is it so hard for us to stand up and be counted and live our lives truly for Christ. Our God is the true God. Our God is the mighty God. Our God is the loving God. Let us not be fooled but instead let us be strong in his word and mighty in the way we live. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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

” WHENEVER THE UNCLEAN SPIRITS SAW HIM, THEY WOULD FALL DOWN BEFORE HIM AND SHOUT, ‘YOU ARE THE SON OF GOD.’ MARK 3:11

Strong faith, belief and complete trust in our God in heaven is the only answer you and I have as we live in a time when our Lord in about to return. We all will have trials and temptations that need to be overcome. We all will have mountains to climb over and valleys to climb out of. Without complete and unwavering faith our lives in this world today will be hard and unbearable. However, with a strong faith in our God in heaven and a belief in all of his promises we are and will always be overcomers. We have absolutely no reason to fear. We have no reason to worry about anything. Our God tells us that he is with us always. He will always be there to protect us and to rescue us. Even the unclean spirits knew who Jesus was. When they saw him, they bowed down before. Our God is a triune God. He is the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. He is with us by living in us through the Holy Spirit. We should welcome him and listen carefully to him. He is our Lord and our Savior! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” HAVE FAITH IN GOD. I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, YOU CAN SAY TO THIS MOUNTAIN, ‘ MAY YOU BE LIFTED UP AND THROWN INTO THE SEA AND IT WILL HAPPEN.” BUT YOU MUST REALLY BELIEVE IT WILL HAPPEN AND HAVE NO DOUBT IN YOUR HEART.” MARK 11:22-23

Faith and doubt cannot exist together. You either truly believe with your faith or you allow doubt to take over and faith flees from you. What is your mountain today? These words from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ are true. Too many times our faith is by spoken word only and we never really live it. If we are not applying our faith to our lives, then are we really believing God will answer our prayer? The Holy Spirit gives us the boldness we need to stand up and to claim our true faith in Christ along with all of his mighty promises. Our God is the same yesterday, today and will be the same tomorrow. He has never changed, and he will never change. Have you sold out to Christ, or do you still have one foot in the world? We cannot have both. We are either with Jesus or against him. How are you living your life? PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!