Bread of Life, JIL

“HE WILL RESCUE YOU FROM EVERY TRAP AND PROTECT YOU FROM DEADLY DISEASE.” PSALM 91:3

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

God’s promises are exclaimed throughout the bible. They are not just idol words on a piece of paper for us to read as we do a library book. God’s Holy Word is the truthful and active word of our Heavenly Father. These words consist, not only of his promises, but also of his directions and his plans for our lives. Psalm 91 is full of his promises. It is important that as we read his Word, we are able to recognize his promises and then act upon them. He tells us that he must be our refuge and our safety net. We must be able to trust in his holy name. We must go to him in all situations. Our faith must be so strong and our trust so great that he is the one we go to, for not only answers to prayer, but also to be safe from all of the attacks we encounter every day. We must continue to build upon our faith. A part of that building process is stepping out in our Lord’s promises and believing we receive. Pray and speak his promises. Let them soak in everyday. Keep your focus on the end result and not the things happening around you. Our God loves us. He has given us his promises, of which he never fails, to help us live a joyful and fruitful life here on earth. We must, however, believe and act upon each one. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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

When we have problems with our car, we want to have the best mechanic we can find, one with the most experience and success. When we become sick, we want the best doctors that we can find. We want those that have the most experience and success rate. When we need a new roof for our house, we seek out the best person for the job. We seek out someone with experience and a good reputation for doing good work. When we have any needs where we need outside help, we always want the best and not someone who is just OK. We should apply the same principals when we are going through testing or trials and temptations. We should be seeking out the best. Jesus has gone through it all. He has walked in our shoes and gone through any test or any problem or any persecution you and I might encounter. He has been there and done that. He has vast experience and a huge success rate. He gets 5 stars out of a 5-star rating system. When we have problems why do we by-pass the best? Why do we first try to do things ourselves? Why not go to Jesus first and let him direct us to where we need to go? Why not believe in his success and past history? Our Lord has provided us with a direct line of communication with him. We should train ourselves up to listen and be aware of his responses. When we communicate with him, we seem to want to lay our problems at his feet and then pick them back up and walk away with them. Our Lord has more than a 5-star rating. He is the total and the end answer. Without him our problems become larger and more complex. But with him we can allow him to take control and have comfort that he has the answers. We should believe that we receive because our God in heaven is our source!! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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

Our God in heaven has given each of us armor and protection from all of the attacks we go through each day. It doesn’t make any difference whether our troubles are small or large we have the same protection to help us move forward. Our Lord has provided many promises to us throughout the bible. He tells us that he never has and never will fail on a promise he has made. You and I need to be able to recognize each of these promises. We need to be able to confess them and stand strong believing in each of them. We need to act upon the promises that he has so graciously given. Jesus has not left us helpless and forgotten in this world. He has provided everything we need in order to succeed and move forward. We will have problems but with our faith in our Lord and his great and mighty promises we are overcomers through our Lord Jesus. Be strong! Learn his promises and stand upon them. Without believing and receiving we will not succeed. But with a strong faith we will be forever overcomers! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” SO PETER WENT OVER THE SIDE OF THE BOAT AND WALKED ON THE WATER TOWARD JESUS. BUT WHEN HE SAW THE STRONG WIND AND THE WAVES, HE WAS TERRIFIED AND BEGAN TO SINK. ‘SAVE ME, LORD!‘ HE SHOUTED. JESUS IMMEDIATELY REACHED OUT AND GRABBED HIM. ‘YOU OF LITTLE FAITH’ , JESUS SAID, ‘ WHY DID YOU DOUBT ME? ‘ MATTHEW 14: 29-31

How many times have you and I trusted Jesus in a situation and then after a while we begin to look at the situation around us and our faith begins to fade. This is not a bad thing because, as Peter found out in Matthew 29, our Lord is always there to catch us from our fall. All we have to do is ask. However, look at the faith that Peter had. He was trusting Jesus to walk out onto the water to reach him. This was a faith that was so strong that it actually allowed him to walk onto the water. But, as soon as he took his eyes off of Jesus and began to see the strong wind and waves around him, he began to sink. We also begin to sink. We may not literally be walking on the water, but we are walking in faith with our Lord. We are believing in things that we cannot see, feel or touch in the present. It is when we take our eyes and thoughts off of Jesus that we begin to sink back in the thoughts and beliefs of the world. Jesus asks us the same question as he asked Peter, ” Oh you of little faith, why did you doubt me?” We must continue to train ourselves up in Jesus. He must become our refuge and our safety net. In every situation we must be able to reach out our hand to him in faith and walk out onto sea in the midst of the strong winds and high waves. He will never fail us. He is stronger than anything you and I may be facing. We must, however, trust him to be there when we need him and to pick us up when we fall. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“BUT-WHEN GOD OUR SAVIOR REVEALED HIS KINDNESS AND LOVE, HE SAVED US, NOT BECAUSE OF THE RIGHTEOUS THINGS WE HAD DONE, BUT BECAUSE OF HIS MERCY.” TITUS 3:4-5

The grace, mercy and love our God in heaven bestows upon us is incomprehensible. It is easy for us to slip into the thought that “the more good things we do the better chance we have of getting to heaven.” Nothing could be more untrue. Heaven (our salvation) is not the result of our good deeds, but our good deeds are the result of us going to heaven (our salvation). Scripture tells us that God, our Savior, revealed his kindness and love, and because of his mercy, he saved us. We cannot save ourselves. We cannot out do our God. But, because our Lord loves us so much, he gave Jesus, his one and only son, to die for each of us. Because of what Jesus did on that cross we have access not only to eternal life with our God, but also healing and forgiveness. Our Lord asks for us to do only one thing and that one thing is to be completely faithful. We must have strong faith and belief in our Lord Jesus. We must believe in his promises and live our lives, not believing what the world teaches, but instead what our Lord has given us. To stay faithful, we must stay close to our Lord. We must read and meditate upon his word. We must pray to him and converse with him every day and in all situations. Our God wants to be included in our lives but will not force himself upon us. We must always remember his mercy and that he loves us beyond our comprehension. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“ENDURE SUFFERING ALONG WITH ME, AS A GOOD SOLDIER OF CHRIST JESUS.” 2 TIMOTHY 2:3

Each new day we are stepping out into this world, a world of many fires. Sometimes it may feel as though we are putting out fires everywhere we go. Our Lord is very clear in telling us that there will be sufferings as we walk in this world. There will be attacks from others, persecutions, sicknesses, diseases and hardships. Sometimes it feels like these things will never end. It sometimes seems as if we step from one fire to another. The Lord our God in heaven will never allow us to go through more than we can handle. He does help us to endure through these fires and, as we do, we learn. We grow our faith by going through each situation. We don’t always know what God’s plan is for our life. We don’t know what the final outcome will be. What may seem like a lost effort on our part may be something that God is preparing us for down the road. Each time we overcome we become a stronger soldier in Christ’s army. It is so important that we trust in our Lord when we go through trials and temptations. We must always remember that he is there to help us through. We must not focus on the problems at hand but on the end result, which is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When we do, we are surviving the fires and growing in Christ Jesus! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“SO I SAY, LET THE HOLY SPIRIT GUIDE YOUR LIVES. THEN YOU WON’T BE DOING WHAT YOUR SINFUL NATURE CRAVES.” GALATIANS 5:16

If you have ever walked into deep darkness without a light, you know the feeling of helplessness. You can see nothing. You feel your way forward, with hope that you run into nothing along the way. That is the way life in this world can sometimes feel. We feel our way along doing things that we are not sure of being correct or incorrect. We do things with much indecision because we just aren’t sure what is ahead of us. If we could just see what was ahead of us, we could plan and stay out of its reach. When we follow our Lord, we do have a light to see ahead of us. He has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit who is our guiding light and who leads us along the path of God’s righteousness. The Holy Spirit lives in each of us as Christians. He is always with us and is always guiding us. Our problem is that we don’t always listen and do as he instructs us to do. We don’t listen to his small still voice leading us away from the trouble we confront. When we are not sure, and we feel a hesitation in our inner being we should listen and take a step back. We should pray and allow the Lord to work in our life. We should pay close attention to what the Holy Spirit is telling us. When we do, we can be assured that our Lord is protecting us. He is preparing us for what is ahead. The Holy Spirit is our guiding light. He loves us as we should love him. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“YOU FAITHFULLY ANSWER OUR PRAYERS WITH AWESOME DEEDS, O GOD OUR SAVIOR.“ PSALM 65:5

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

Our God in heaven is a faithful God. He never fails on a promise, he is never late in anything he does, and he performs awesome deeds around us and for us every day. Sometimes we either take these deeds for granted or we miss them all together by not focusing on the right things. If we are not plugged into our Lord each day, then we will have a hard time focusing on the right things in life. We will have a tendency to focus on the things around us forgetting what our Lord is doing. If we are plugged into God’s Holy Word and we read, study and meditate on it every day, then we are better prepared to stay focused on Jesus and not the world. We must recognize and believe that our God in heaven is faithful, he does heal us, and he does get us through troubled times. We have to remember that he will give us our heart’s desires if we just stay in constant communication with him and delight in him. However, it is when our focus changes to the things around us that we begin to allow doubt, worry and fear in. Doubt, worry, fear, confusion and all other evils of the devil cannot co-exist with our strong faith in Jesus. It is important to not only think our belief in the Lord but to also say your beliefs out loud. We should say them, believe them and act upon them. When we do then our lives become so much easier and our faith continues to grow! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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

Our God in heaven is a good God. He has a plan in place for us that includes all good and great things. 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us plainly that he gives us the spirit of power, love and self-discipline. With the good gifts of the Lord, we are able to overcome. We are able to overpower the forces that come against us. With self-discipline we are able to discern right from wrong and throw out the temptations of the world. Our Lord is powerful and loving. With him we can do everything. Without him we are subject to fear, doubt and worry. We are subject to all the temptations this world has to offer. It is our responsibility to accept Jesus and his power and love. He will not force us. He wants us in his family only if we choose to be there. If we choose the ways of this world then our future holds hatred, confusion, worry, doubt, fear and an end result that leads us to the powers of hell. But if we choose the Lord our savior, healer and forgiver then our life becomes one of compassion for others, loving, joyful, powerful and peaceful with an end result of everlasting life with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.” 1 Timothy 6:11

We are to walk the walk and not just talk the talk. When we are struggling in life, we are to live a life that represents our faith in our Lord. He loves us and wants us to live a life of comfort and joy. Our faith is such an important piece in how we trust in Jesus and how we live our lives. When we confront problems, we are to persevere. We are to live our life with a gentleness and a love the reflects our Lord Jesus. We will have problems and we will struggle in life. However, our struggles are more tolerable when we have Christ by our side. Others will watch and see how we are reacting. Are we looking to our Lord for his strength or are we struggling mightily trying to solve our own problems? How we persevere in life is important. It is a vital piece in how we witness to others. Our Lord loves us and cares for us. We can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“I WAIT QUIETLY BEFORE GOD, FOR MY VICTORY COMES FROM HIM. “ PSALM 62:1

It is quite important that when we are in communication with our Lord that we be a good listener. He has answers but we must be willing to listen to his directions so that we can better understand just what he is saying and doing in our lives. We all want victory in our lives. We all want to have joy and peace but if we don’t take the time to just be quiet and listen how are we going to know what we are to do to get that joy and peace. He may direct us to a scripture, he may lead us to a certain individual, or he may just place a calming peace over us, just letting us know that everything is alright. Communication is a two-way street. There is talking and listening. We must be able to do both. We must be plugged in the Lord. As we read the bible it is important that we take the time to meditate on his words and scriptures. We should ask him to give us better understanding and knowledge of his word. He loves us and wants us to live victorious lives. But you and I must help by being able to meditate, listen and then do. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“SO BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS, ALL YOU WHO PUT YOUR HOPE IN THE LORD!” PSALM 32:24

Where does your hope lie? Just who and what are you trusting each day? Are you putting your trust in your job for your income? Are you putting your trust in your vehicle so that it will start each time you need to get somewhere? Are you putting your trust in those around you to help you out in your time of need? Each and everyone of us needs to step back and take a hard look at where are hope and trust truly lie. If we are trusting in the things around us, then we are destined to fail. We are destined to be disappointed. Psalm 32:24 tells us to be strong and courageous. Our hope is not to be dependent upon the people and the things of this world. It is to be in our Lord! There is no doubt that if we involve the Lord in every decision we make, we can and will live a blessed life. Our Lord never fails. He is never late in anything he does. We can trust him to be right on time in all that he does for us. It is when we stray from the path our Lord sets for us that we begin to fail, we begin to worry, we begin to doubt. These are not things of our God in heaven. They are actually sins. We all are human and we all falter. When we do, we should go directly to our God in the name of Jesus and ask for his forgiveness. He loves us and he want us to be joyful and successful, but we must put our hope and trust in him first. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“SEEK THE KINGDOM OF GOD ABOVE ALL ELSE, AND LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY, AND HE WILL GIVE YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED.” MATTHEW 6:33

We were not put upon this earth to be terrorized with fear, disease, sickness, worry or doubt. We are the blessed children of God. We were put here to be blessed by our Lord God in Heaven. He is not a God who kills and destroys. He is not a God that we are to fear. He is our God who is full of love and grace. He wants us to be rich in how we live. He saves, heals and forgives. The devil is the one who tries to trick us into feeling ashamed to go before our God in heaven. It is the devil who is here to kill us and make us fearful of all things around us. The devil knows how this is all going to play out. He knows that he is defeated. However, he will continue to try to destroy us. He will continue to try to get us to follow him with his tools of terror. We must stand up in the face of our problems and seek our God in heaven. We must know what God wants for our lives. We must live in right standing with the Lord. When we do, he assures us that he will give us everything we need to live lives of power, strength, love and joy. He will give us peace of mind and the ability to stand up and shout his name to the world. We must continue to praise him in all situations, read and meditate upon his word and pray to him continuously. We must listen very carefully to the Holy Spirit and do as he directs us to do. We are healed, saved and forgiven by the wonderful grace of our Lord. Our faith in him must continue to grow. We must stay focused on our Lord and not the problems around us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“BECAUSE OF YOUR FAITH IT WILL HAPPEN.” MATTHEW 9:29

“AND HE HEALED EVERY KIND OF DISEASE AND ILLNESS.” MATTHEW 9:35

Every one of our problems whether they be sickness, disease, financial, mental or physical in nature were nailed to that cross with Jesus. When Jesus went to that cross to die for us, he had already walked in our footsteps. He had already gone through persecution, torment, doubts, worries and fears. And, because he had gone through all of our anxieties and fears, hurts, sadness and disappointments he took those with him to the cross. He died a humiliating death for us. He died for our salvation, healings and our forgiveness. All of our problems were nailed to that cross with him. If we have faith in Jesus, he will give us the strength, wisdom, and the understanding to take each step we need to take. If we ask and believe that we receive he will help us through any situation we are going through. We must stay focused on him and not the problem. He is our source of strength and power. We must believe with all faith that he is our source for all things. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“NOW MAY THE LORD OF PEACE HIMSELF GIVE YOU HIS PEACE AT ALL TIMES IN EVERY SITUATION.” 2 THESSALONIANS 3:16

Confusion, doubt, worry, intimidation, jealousy, fear, sickness, disease and all other things that cause you and me agony and anxiety in our lives is just the opposite of what our Lord wants for us. The Lord himself is the Lord of peace. We are to pattern our lives to be testimonies for Jesus. We are to strive to be like him to the best of our abilities. He wants you and me to live on this earth in comfort, peace, joy, understanding and with the wisdom he gives us. We cannot accomplish this goal unless we are concentrating on him. We must be focused on him and not the problems around us. The devil wants nothing more than to cut us down and destroy every thought that we have that helps us in following Jesus. He stands in our way at every turn by throwing boulders of doubt, rocks of worry and objects of fear in our way. To be an overcomer we must stay focused on Jesus and stand in the face of fear, doubt and worry and claim our victory in Jesus. Our faith must stay strong in the face of danger. Doubt, worry and fear cannot exist in the same place as faith in our Lord. With faith in Jesus, we can do all things. We can crush the boulders of doubt, kick the rocks of worry out of our way and completely destroy all objects of fear put in our path. Listen to the Holy Spirit. Follow the ways of Jesus. Continue read and meditate upon his word, know and pray his promises. Focus on our Lord and not the world around us. 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

” FOR THE WORD OF THE LORD HOLDS TRUE AND WE CAN TRUST EVERYTHING HE DOES.” PSALM 33:4

The Lord has a rescue plan that includes each and every one of us. To be included we must love him with all of our heart, and we must trust him. We must trust in all that he says and does. Some might ask, how do we know what he says and does? The answer, of course, is by reading and meditating upon his word. He tells us exactly what he will do for each of us, and he gives us exact instructions as to how we can be a part of his plan. We must have a personal relationship with him. This relationship is much more than just going to church each Sunday and setting in a pew to listen about Jesus. He must become a part of our life. He must become our life. He must become our refuge in times of distress and the one we think of when things are going well. Our relationship with him is just that, a personal relationship. He must become our best friend, our counselor, our Father, our Lord and Savior. Without accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior it is impossible to understand his plan. It is impossible to know how he truly loves each and every one of us. Without that relationship we are on the outside looking in. He has the answers to all of our problems. We must, however, trust him and understand that everything he tells us is true. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” GO BACK HOME. BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE, IT HAS HAPPENED.” MATTHEW 8:13

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

Miracles happen. Miracles happen every day and all around us. For the most part these miracles of God our dismissed as a coincidence or a “wow” moment in our lives. Not very often do we recognize these incidents for what they really are, miracles of God. There are a lot of reasons for this, but probably the biggest is that those around us may look at us with eyes of doubt, scorn or even laugh at us for believing in true miracles. Sometimes we are just not paying attention. This is not something new. When Jesus walked this earth and was performing miracles, there were doubters. There were those who made believers feel foolish. They persecuted those who believed in Jesus and what he could do. The same goes on today. We must be overcomers as true believers in Jesus. We must believe in his promises. We must believe that Jesus is truly working in our lives. We must continue to believe that miracles not only exist but are happening all of the time. Some are large and some are small, but they all happen because of God’s purpose in our lives. If we don’t recognize what is happening, or we decide that the persecution from the world is too much to handle, then we are missing out, not only in God’s miracles, but also his purpose for our circumstances in our life. We are all human and we all go through persecutions, sicknesses, diseases, anxieties, worries and many other things that the devil tries to put on us. But we should have the faith to believe in our God in heaven. He will use these things to bring glory for his works. He loves us. He performs miracles in our lives! We must, however, believe. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” ALWAYS BE JOYFUL. NEVER STOP PRAYING. BE THANKFUL IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES, FOR THIS IS GOD’S WILL FOR YOU WHO BELONG TO CHRIST JESUS.” 1 THESSALONIANS 5: 16-18

When we have become a member of the family of our God in heaven, we are to be joyful. We are to be happy in Jesus. We should always have our focus on our Lord. We cannot be in his presence and be unhappy. Whenever we are overcome with sadness, fear, confusion, doubt, worry or fear all we have to do is to begin praising our Lord God for all of the good and great things he has given us. We should always be prepared to pray. We don’t always need to be in our church or in a secluded place to pray to our God. We are able to visit with him anywhere and anytime. We should always be in prayer mode. It doesn’t matter what the circumstances are in our lives, whether good or bad, we should be giving thanks to our Lord for the great gifts he has given us. We should be thanking him for our salvation, healings, forgiveness of sins, and for those around us. Our faith and our trust in him will propel us past what is happening to us in this world. Our focus will change from the troubles of this world to the end result, which is Jesus. He is true and faithful in all things. He has never and will never fail us. He is right on schedule. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“KEEP ON ASKING, AND YOU WILL RECEIVE WHAT YOU ASK FOR. KEEP ON SEEKING, AND YOU WILL FIND. KEEP ON KNOCKING, AND THE DOOR WILL BE OPENED TO YOU.” MATTHEW 7:7

As we continue to walk in our Lord each day and we continue our daily communication with him we are to be persistent in our prayers. We should never give up believing in the strength and wisdom of our God in heaven. Jesus is our Great Healer. It makes no difference whether we are having problems in our finances, marriage, family relationships or sickness or disease. Our Lord Jesus tells us that he is with us always. He tells us to continue and be persistent in our requests. We should continue to believe that we receive and thank him for all of the gifts he provides each day. We should not accept anything that comes from the attack of the devil. We should do away with those thoughts of doubt, worry or fear. We should receive and accept only the good and gracious gifts of our Lord. The Lord promises that if we need financial help we should pray, and he will help us. If we are sick, we should pray, and he will heal us. If we are sad, he will give us joy. He is our shelter when the winds and rain of the world attack us. He is our comforter in our times of need. The faith that we continue to build needs to be tended to daily. We need to pull all of the weeds around it and clear our path for our faith to grow stronger and stronger in the promises of our Lord Jesus. We should always remember that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” THE EYES OF THE LORD WATCH OVER THOSE WHO DO RIGHT; HIS EARS ARE OPEN TO THEIR CRIES FOR HELP.” PSALM 34:15

” ONLY BY YOUR POWER CAN WE PUSH BACK OUR ENEMIES; ONLY IN YOUR NAME CAN WE TRAMPLE OUR FOES.” PSALM 44:5

The Lord our God in heaven tells us that he is the power by which we live our lives with success. He is the power by which we put down the evil that attacks us each day. He tells us that he is watching over us and that his ears are open to our cries for help. Our Lord God must become completely real to us. He cannot be someone that we worship from a distance. He is not someone that is light years away from us. He tells us that he is with us at all times. He is beside us, in us and in front of us. Our faith must allow us to totally depend upon him in every circumstance we encounter. There is no one struggle that is greater than another. Some may seem larger to us but to God they are all the same. He is the power to overcome any problem or struggle we have. It doesn’t matter how large or small it may be in our minds our Lord Jesus died on that cross for you and me. Our sins, our troubles, and our sicknesses were all nailed to that cross with him. Because of his sacrifice we can live. Our spirits will live forever. We are all overcomers in this life with the power God supplies to us. He must become real to us. He must become our first source of strength and not our backup plan. He should be our first thought in troubled time. He hears our prayers and answers every one of them. He never ever fails us. He is always right on schedule. We, however, must trust his timing. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“AND WHATEVER THEIR SICKNESS OR DISEASE OR IF THEY WERE DEMON POSSESSED OR EPILEPTIC OR PARALYZED, HE HEALED THEM ALL.” MATTHEW 4:24

“AND HE HEALED EVERY KIND OF DISEASE AND ILLNESS.” MATTHEW 4:23

Jesus has never changed. While walking this earth he never denied anyone of healing. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. He hasn’t changed. He is not going to deny our healing if we ask and believe. He has not put sickness or disease upon us. He will, however, use the situation for his good. There are miracles happening around us each and every day. We become so involved and focused on the things going on around us that we miss many of these miracles. It seems that we only pay attention to miracles when they directly involve us in our times of struggles. No matter our need, whether it be financial, physical, emotional, mental or spiritual, our Lord is with us and is there to support us. Things happen every day that remain unexplained. Our Lord is active and working in our lives. He will not and does not abandon us. Everything that happens is for a purpose. Even though we may have to struggle through we can rest assured that our Lord is right there with us. He will turn bad into good. It doesn’t matter what we are going through we must stay positive in our Lord. We must stay courageous. We must continue to build upon our faith and strengthen our trust in him and no other. He is our Lord and not this world. I BELIEVE I RECEIVE BECAUSE MY GOD IN HEAVEN IS MY POWER SOURCE! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“HIS PEACE WILL GUARD YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS AS YOU LIVE IN CHRIST JESUS.” PHIL. 4:7

“THE LORD IS OUR GOD, THE LORD ALONE. AND YOU MUST LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART, ALL OF YOUR SOUL, AND ALL YOUR STRENGTH.” DEUTERONOMY 6:4-5

“DO NOT BE AFRAID OR DISCOURAGED. FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD IS WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO.” JOSHUA 1:9

“FOR YOU ARE GOD, MY ONLY SAFE HAVEN.” PSALM 43:2

We have such a great and remarkable God. He is with us at all times. He gives us peace of mind in our times of struggles and guards our hearts and minds as we live in him. There is no other God in which we can trust and believe. He provides us with promises that seem too good to be true. However, this is our God, and his mighty promises never, ever, fail. They always hold true. We are to stand up to fear, doubt, worry and discouragement. We are to love him and believe him with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength. We must be all in with Jesus. We must realize and then never forget that he is all in for us. He is with us and never leaves us. He is our only safe haven. There is no other. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“DON’T BE INTIMIDATED IN ANY WAY BY YOUR ENEMIES.” PHILIPPIANS 1:28

” DON’T WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING; INSTEAD PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING.” PHILIPPIANS 4:6

” TELL GOD WHAT YOU NEED AND THEN THANK HIM FOR ALL HE HAS DONE.” PHILIPPIANS 4:6

Our faith in our God in heaven is the only answer to a long, successful and peaceful life. The world around us may be able to give us short term solutions to our problems and make us feel good for the short term but, if we truly are seeking long term peace, we must have a faith in our Lord that is unwavering. We must focus on the end result and not the problem at hand. If we continue to focus on our problems then we are susceptible to intimidation, fear, worry, doubt and anything else the world can throw at us. However, the end result includes our Lord Jesus. It includes the Holy Spirit who helps and guides us each day. I have found that as soon as I have a bad thought or a worry that jumps into my mind, I go directly to prayer. I have found that it is never good to entertain the bad thought, even for an instant. We are usually attacked at times when we are busy and don’t think of going to God in prayer. We should train ourselves to think of the Lord first in all situations, good or bad. We don’t have to be in a church to pray, or get on our knees, we just need to talk to him right then and there. We need to praise him and thank him for all he has done for us. When we do this, we will find that the worry, doubt and fear will quickly go away. If we allow the problem to remain it will linger with us and continue to grow and cause us more and more problems. Jesus loves us. He is with us to help us. We have to trust him to help and go to him and ask for the help. When we do our lives become so much more pleasant and joyful. We are overcomers is Christ! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN RAISED TO NEW LIFE WITH CHRIST, SET YOUR SIGHTS ON THE REALITIES OF HEAVEN, WHERE CHRIST SITS IN THE PLACE OF HONOR AT GOD’S RIGHT HAND. THINK ABOUT THE THINGS OF HEAVEN, NOT THE THINGS OF THIS EARTH.” COLOSSIANS 3:1-2

” AND LET THE PEACE THAT COMES FROM CHRIST RULE IN YOUR HEARTS.” COLOSSIANS 3:15

This is not the easiest thing to do. However, with Christ as our Lord and Savior we are to pay closer attention to him than to this world and the visible things around us. We are to focus on the realities of heaven. It does not say to concentrate on the fictional heaven but the REALITIES of heaven. Heaven is real! It is not just some fictional place that was thought up in someone’s mind. Jesus is there sitting at the right hand of our God. When we do this then the peace of Christ is able to rule our hearts. Reality becomes heaven and not this world. We begin to live in the peace of Christ because that is our focus, that becomes our life. We must BELIEVE WE RECEIVE BECAUSE OUR GOD IN HEAVEN IS OUR SOURCE! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“THE LORD GIVES HIS PEOPLE STRENGTH. THE LORD BLESSES THEM WITH PEACE.” PSALM 29:11

” MAY WE EXPERIENCE THE LOVE OF CHRIST, THOUGH IT IS TOO GREAT TO UNDERSTAND FULLY.” EPHESIANS 3:19

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ came to this earth in human form, lived a life just as you and me, traveled through the same struggles that we go through in our lifetime and conquered each. Jesus knows what it is to suffer anxiety, pain, sadness, joy, loneliness, persecution and all of the other feelings we experience each day. He knows what it is to struggle in this life and to get to a point of dependence upon his father in heaven. When we visit with Jesus, we are not visiting with someone who has no experience as a human but with someone who has all of the experience necessary to advise and comfort us. He then went to the cross and shed his own blood so that you and I would not have to suffer for all of the sins we have committed in our lives. Our Lord comes with a vast amount of experience of worldly living. He conquered it for us. All we have to do is believe in what he has done and what he can do for us. Jesus, when he was on this earth had his focus only on the end result. He didn’t ponder the things going on around him. He knew the final outcome and that is what he strived for. You and I are the same. We have the same struggles he did, and we must also focus on the end result and not the things happening around us. If we do, our faith will become stronger and our trust in him will grow mightier each day. This is not easy. We must try hard to keep our eyes on Jesus and what he has done for us. We must believe in the unseen nature of the spiritual world. Our God is working 24/7. He has a plan for each of us. We must continue to pray and ask for wisdom and understanding. Even though it is hard to do, we must unplug from the realities of this world and plug into our power source, Jesus Christ. Will we understand all things? Of course, we won’t. However, we know the promises our Lord has given, and we need to focus and believe in every one of them. Our Lord is faithful and loves each of us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“THE LORD DIRECTS THE STEPS OF THE GODLY. HE DELIGHTS IN EVERY DETAIL OF THEIR LIVES. THOUGH THEY STUMBLE THEY WILL NEVER FALL, FOR THE LORD HOLDS THEM BY THE HAND. ” PSALM 37: 23-24

You and I are not designed to go about this world on our own. We do not have the capacity of strength, knowledge or wisdom to overcome the things of the spiritual world. Our Lord is described as very detailed. He knows every aspect of our lives. He knows how we think, what we do, what we say, how we say it, he knows our thoughts and our intentions. There is no hiding from our Lord. He created us and he delights in every detail of our life. He also understands that we need help in order to stand upright in our journey on earth. He understands that we cannot go it alone. If we go to the Lord and ask, we will receive. He will not allow us to fall. We may stumble but he is always there to catch us and put us upright again. If we are willing then he is willing to direct our every step, thought and word. He will take us by the hand and lead us in the right direction. Our faith in him must be strong. We must ask and then believe that we receive. We must remember that if we doubt, then we are not allowing our faith to work. Faith and doubt, worry and fear cannot coexist. Our Lord God in heaven is our crutch. He holds us up in times of weakness. He helps us to walk on a straight path without wavering. He keeps us pointed in the right direction without becoming confused. It is our trust and our faith that allow our Lord to do his work in our life. We must continue to build our faith and trust in him in all situations. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“LET US PURIFY OURSELVES OF ALL THINGS THAT CONTAMINATE OUR BODY OR SPIRIT. AND LET IS WORK TOWARD COMPLETE HOLINESS BECAUSE WE FEAR GOD.” 2 CORINTHIANS 7:1

Living a life that is one of freedom from all outside influences is impossible. There is evil all throughout this world. Even though we are not of this world we do live in this world. As we continue to follow Jesus as our Lord and Savior there will be attacks not only from those around us but also from the spiritual world around us. There is a fight going on and that fight is taking place in the spiritual realm. It is a war that involves both you and me. Not only do we have to have a faith, so great to believe for the good things of our God in heaven, but we also must be able to realize that there are many unseen things happening that are influencing our lives. As we continue to build our faith, we must work to keep ourselves on the path of righteousness. We must do our best to stay away from the temptations of this world in both thought and deed. 2 Corinthians 7:1 tells us to purify ourselves of all things that contaminate body and spirit. The Lord has given us a free spirit but has also given us knowledge and understanding if we just ask for it. We know right from wrong. We know the way to Christ. But sometimes we become distracted by this world and do things that we shouldn’t. Our Lord is always there to pick us up. But why do we put ourselves through such temptations and struggles when we don’t have to? If we keep our focus on the Lord, our God and trust him in any and all of our situations he will take away our burdens. He has already lived them and died to defeat them. He has already claimed victory for us. All we have to do is believe and receive. We must keep the focus on Jesus and not this world. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“BE STRONG IN THE LORD AND HIS MIGHTY POWER. PUT ON GOD’S ARMOR SO THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO STAND FIRM AGAINST ALL OF THE STRATAGIES OF THE DEVIL.” EPHESIANS 6:10-11

As we rise each morning, we take proper care to clothe ourselves in the proper clothing. Depending on the day, our clothing usually matches our activities. The same is said for our spiritual day. Ephesians 6: 10-11 tells us that we are to be strong in the Lord and his mighty strength. Each day we must be prepared for whatever evil comes our way. The Lord has given us his great armor so that we have not only a chance in our daily battles for victory, but so that we will have victory in our daily battles. We are to put on: (1) the belt of truth: (2) the armor of his righteousness: (3) his peace that comes from the good news: (4) the shield of faith; (5) the helmet of salvation; and (6) the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. With his armor protecting us each day we are thoroughly prepared for what is to come. There is nothing that can come against us with the protection of our Lord God in heaven. With all of the faith we can muster, our lives are protected. With the sword of the spirit, his holy word, we have the understanding and the wisdom we need in order to stand strong in the face of all evil. Our Lord is real. He loves us more than we can understand. As we continue believe in him and trust him in all of his ways, he goes to battle for us. He searches for victory and always finds it. In the name of Jesus, we a can be confident that we will win our battles. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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

It is very clear that those who are in right standing with God will face many troubles and challenges in life. We who follow Jesus will face sickness, disease, ridicule, persecution, sorrows, doubts, worries and fears of this life. We may face exhaustion to a point of desperation. However, we are promised that no matter the situation, no matter the circumstances, if we continue to have faith in the Lord Jesus, he will and he does come to our rescue. He never leaves his children stranded. He provides miracles, comfort, love, peace of mind, understanding and wisdom. Our faith must be exercised on a daily basis. We live in a world that contains evil and confusion. We must remember to go to Jesus with our troubles and not try to solve them by ourselves. Our Lord never fails us. If we go to him for help, he will help. If we go to him in prayer, he will answer. Our Lord has never failed on a promise and never will! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“LET YOUR UNFAILING LOVE SURROUND US LORD, FOR OUR HOPE IS IN YOU ALONE.” PSALM 33:22

We fight individual battles every day. We fight against doubt, worry, fear, sickness and disease. We fight against every evil action that comes against us. We fight our battles with every ounce of energy and every weapon we have. Our Lord God in heaven explains to us, very plainly, that he has every tool we need in order for us to become victorious in our battles. We sometimes become so involved in what we are trying to accomplish that we forget the tools he gives us. We have a tendency to forget his promises. We lay aside his Holy Word and concentrate too much on the battle at hand instead of going directly to the tools that are going to win the battles for us. We must never forget that we cannot win any battle without our Lord Jesus. We do not have the strength or the abilities to do so. However, when we realize that our only hope is in Jesus then we can begin to focus on the end result and not the battle itself. The fight we are in may seem endless and unattainable. But the end result with our Lord in total control is victory. Our only hope is in Jesus. He shed his blood for us, and we are saved and healed by his mighty blood. Let’s focus on him because in him is the victory! PRASIE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!