Bread of Life, JIL

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

Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. Our Lord God in heaven is very plain that we will have trials, temptations, sorrows and struggles along our journey on this earth. The more trust and faith we put in him the harder our struggles will become. The devil will fight to the bitter end to end our relationship with our Jesus. You and I are involved in a spiritual war between good and evil. We must make a choice as to what side we are on. When we choose the Lord then the evil one strengthens his army against us and will do anything he can to weaken our faith and stop us. It is in these times where we must stay completely focused on Jesus. We cannot allow ourselves to waver or become down. Jesus has promised us victory. There is power in the name of Jesus. We should continue to pray to our God in heaven through the name of his son Jesus Christ. We should use the name of Jesus to fight off the enemy. When we are being tormented by the bad thoughts of the devil, all we have to do in start saying the name of Jesus. The devil and all of his evil demons will scatter. Why? Because there is power in the blood of Jesus. He died for us and has overcome this world. We have chosen the right army to join! We must, however, stay plugged into Jesus at all times. Stay focused and never give up! We have the greatest protector of all time, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!! CONTINUE TO PRAISE THE LORD JESUS IN ALL THINGS!

“WAIT PATIENTLY FOR THE LORD. BE BRAVE AND COURAGEOUS. YES, WAIT PATIENTLY FOR THE LORD.” PSALM 27:14

Each step we take in our life is meaningful to our Lord. Each step we take allows us to confront obstacles and troubles that help us to grow stronger in the Lord. We sometimes need to slow down in our lives and enjoy each step that we take. Something that I have learned over the years, and I continue to be reminded of today, is that the Lord is always on time. He is always on schedule. Our Lord is never late in meeting our needs or answering our prayers. He answers and meets our needs right at the exact time they need to be met. My problem has always been looking at my schedule and timeframe and not listening to the Lord. My timetable and God’s timetable are completely different. I don’t know his schedule, but I do know that he asks me to wait patiently for him. I do know that he asks me to be brave and courageous during this waiting period. I do know that I must believe I will receive from him because he promises that I will. I know that my faith in him and my trust in him must become unwavering. I have learned, the hard way I might add, that we must walk the walk and talk the talk. The words that we speak come from the heart. If we are speaking doubt, worry and fear, then that is what we are harboring deep down in our heart. We must change our thinking and overcome the bad thoughts with the good and honorable promises of our Lord. We should learn his promises and confess them in our lives whether we see them come to fruition when we think they should or not. Our Lord is working in our lives, but he is working on his schedule. Remember, he is never late but always on time. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“THOSE WHO WALK IN THE DARKNESS CANNOT SEE WHERE THEY ARE GOING. PUT YOUR TRUST IN THE LIGHT WHILE THERE IS STILL TIME; THEN YOU WILL BECOME CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT.” JOHN 12: 35-36

Have you ever wondered how this world has turned in a direction that is unrecognizable? Just why do people do things that are so blatantly wrong? Every decision they make is seems so apparently wrong, but they continue to do these things over and over again and without any hesitation. The answer to that question is found in John 12. There are many people of the world today who are living in the darkness. They cannot see what they are doing or where they are going. They are completely blinded by the darkness. They are denying the existence of our Lord Jesus and following the ways of this world. We are told to put our trust in the light while there is still time. God’s time of grace will be over soon and then he will unleash his anger against this world and all of those who have denied him. We are to continue to do his work for as long as he allows us. We are to spread the gospel of Jesus by talking about him and living a life that is representative of him. With that, others may have an opened door to acknowledge and accept him. Our Lord is returning soon. The time is getting closer and closer. We as his children will rejoice, but others will look on with fear and continued denial. More than ever before we should be working hard to talk about Jesus and how he is our one and only Savior. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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

We all have troubles. We face sickness, disease, financial problems, persecutions, embarrassment and many other scary situations. Our Lord has prepared us for each of these things in our lives. He has given us his promise that we he will never leave us. Our faith and belief in his promises help us to develop a strong trust in him. It is very easy to allow doubt to enter into our thought process. When it does, we become fearful of what might happen. We become fearful of things that may never happen. But, with a solid trust in our Lord, and his many promises for our lives, we can move forward and defeat any evil put in our way. We must train ourselves up to be strong in our times of weakness. We must believe in the things unseen and not the things seen. We must not think of ourselves as weak but strong. We must begin to believe in ourselves because our Lord is working within us. He has provided the Holy Spirit to live in us, and because of this, he is right at our fingertips. We are strong because he is strong. We are not weak! Weakness is what the devil wants us to feel like. Weakness is what the devil wants us to act like. We, however, are not of this world. We are not of the devil and his dirty schemes. We are children of our God in heaven. We are strong, we are healthy, and we are all children of our loving, caring and strong God in heaven! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“GOD’S WAY IS PERFECT. ALL OF THE LORD’S PROMISES PROVE TRUE.” PSALM 18:36

God’s ways are perfect! There are no ifs, ands, or buts. When the Lord speaks, he speaks the truth. He wants us to believe everything he tells us. We must, however, know what he is speaking and understand. If we are not reading and meditating on his word each day, then we are leaving the door wide open for the world to get in. If we don’t know what his promises are, then there is no way to claim them and live in them. If we are not asking him for direction in our lives or for wisdom to help us stay on his path, then we are leaving ourselves open to following the ways of the world. It is very important to surround ourselves with the truths of our God in heaven. It is important to stay in communication with him. It is important that we listen to the Holy Spirit and follow his direction. Jesus should be the center of our world. He should be our focus. He is not a parttime Lord. He came to this earth in a human form and died for each of us. He took our burdens upon himself and took them to the cross with him. Our sins and our burdens were crucified on that cross with our Lord. He promises us strength, wisdom, direction, love, peace and understanding. All of this and more is ours for our belief in him. Our belief should turn into a way of life that represents him well to others. We are in his family. We should be living a life that shows we are living in his family. There should be no doubt who we are or for whom we live. Jesus in our Lord and he never fails on his promises! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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

It is so easy to become discouraged in this world. It is also very easy to become afraid. There is a lot of evil going on in the world today. We are living in a world that we as Americans have never experienced. We are seeing firsthand a way of governing that is no longer a free democracy. We are seeing leadership use fear tactics and threats to get their ways. We are living in the midst of a fight between good and evil. We are living in a world where believing in Christ is no longer looked upon as a good thing, but instead, as a threat to those who do not believe. Our Lord is very clear in his message to us. He tells us that we are not to be afraid or discouraged. He tells us that he is with us no matter where we are. You and I must have a faith so strong that we are able to stand up to all of the persecution and fear mongering coming against us. We must keep our eyes on our strength, Jesus Christ, and not allow ourselves to take our eyes off of him. We are in the midst of a great spiritual war. We have been given the weapons we need to win our battles, but we must keep our faith strong and stay focused on our Lord Jesus Christ! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“WITH THEIR WORDS, THE GODLESS DESTROY THEIR FRIENDS, BUT KNOWLEDGE WILL RESCUE THE RIGHTEOUS.” PROVERBS 11:9

The tongue is a very powerful tool. The words that we speak can be used for the good of others or for destroying others. As followers of Jesus our intent is not to hurt others but instead to help others, to build others up and to encourage. Our intent, however, is sometimes beaten down with impatience. We sometimes speak without thinking. We say things with great intent, but without understanding the message we are relaying to others. We sometimes beat others down without meaning to. We need to be conscience of the words we speak. We must have understanding of how we form the words we speak. We must be careful of our tone of voice when we speak. It is important that we surround ourselves with the Word of God and pray every day. The Holy Spirit will lead us to speak words of encouragement and to speak them with compassion and love in our hearts. The Lord tells us that if we ask, we will receive. We should pray and ask for understanding and knowledge. We should live our lives surrounded by the ways of our Lord Jesus. With him we can do all things. With patience and understanding we can rest assured that we will speak with the loving and caring words of the Lord. Our purpose is to build others up and not tear them down. Even in times of discipline we are to be loving and caring. As we stand before the Lord, we need to be patient. He will help us to say and do the things in his way. Remember, “knowledge will rescue the righteous.” PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“BUT IN MY DISTRESS I CRIED OUT TO THE LORD; YES, I PRAYED TO MY GOD FOR HELP. HE HEARD ME FROM HIS SANCTUARY; MY CRY TO HIM REACHED HIS EARS. PSALM 18:6

The Lord our God is always near us. His precious Holy Spirit lives within us. He is always with us to help us in our times of trouble. It doesn’t matter where we are or what we are doing, our Lord is with us to help us. We must, however, reach out to him. We must acknowledge him and trust him. Our cries for his help always reach him. He never fails us. He always answers our prayers and fulfills our needs. His timing may be different than ours, but our faith allows us to trust him and to wait patiently for him. It isn’t wise to get anxious about anything. Being anxious can only lead us away from God’s truth. It will many times lead us to try to take over and begin trusting ourselves to do things that will only lead us down the wrong path. Our trust in God must be unwavering and strong. We must continue to feed our faith and starve our fear and doubt. We must cry out to our God in his sanctuary with confidence and trust in his actions. We cannot begin to feel sorry for ourselves but instead we must be strong in our faith. He loves each one of us and will never fail us! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“ THIS MEANS THAT ANYONE WHO BELONGS TO CHRIST HAS BECOME A NEW PERSON. THE OLD LIFE IS GONE; A NEW LIFE HAS BEGUN.” 2 COR. 5:17

When we ask the Lord Jesus to reside in our life our attitudes and our way of thinking eventually changes. As we continue to grow in our new life, we begin to allow our Lord to work in us and to help us in all of situations. From my own experience I can testify to you that this is a lifelong journey. It is not a magical turn-around. It is a lifelong battle that that continues throughout our life here on this earth. The Lord has a plan for each of us. This plan rises to the top of the devil’s list of things to destroy. He will fight hard to be sure we do not continue in Christ. As a newborn Christian it is important to have a great support system. We need to be surrounded by other followers of Christ who continue to support us and teach us how to pray, praise and learn about our Lord God in heaven. We need to begin to grow as babies and listen to the support of other followers of Christ. As we grow our faith grows. There will be doubts, worries, fears, health issues and so many other negative things that the devil will throw in our pathways. We must begin to build the foundation early on in life so that we will be able overcome all of the evils of this world. Our new life in Christ is an ongoing process. It is a way of life that needs to be supported by those around us. It matters not whether we have been a follower of Christ for one day or for 40 years we all need help. Through a strong focus on Jesus and a consistent prayer life our Lord will provide who we need and what we need to be successful. We must never take our eyes off of Jesus. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” I KNOW THE LORD IS ALWAYS WITH ME. I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN, FOR HE IS RIGHT BESIDE ME.” PSALM 16:8

As followers of our Lord Jesus there is no larger promise than the promise of our Lord’s presence in our lives. Knowing that he is right beside us we are able to walk with confidence and strength. We are able to cast down any evil attack that comes our way. Our faith and our trust in God will allow us to be unshaken in all that we do. It doesn’t matter what the circumstances are or what our future may look like. It doesn’t matter if we are being persecuted or made fun of by others. With complete faith in our Lord, we know that his presence and his promises loom much larger than any evil thing we may confront. Through the power he gives us we must be able to cast out all doubt, fear and worry. With Jesus on our side, and the Holy Spirit living in us, our confidence is mighty, and our strength is even mightier. Let us all stand tall in his presence and be confident of his strength, guidance and promises. Let us all make him our life. He must be at the center of our every decision, every word and every action. With Jesus we cannot fall but instead always stand tall in victory! JESUS IS LORD! PRAISE THE LORD IN AND THROUGH ALL THINGS!

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

“SO THAT WE WHO ARE BELIEVERS MIGHT RECEIVE THE PROMISED HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH FAITH.” GALATIANS 3:14

“FOR YOU ARE CHILDREN OF GOD THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS.” GALATIANS 3:26

Faith, faith and more faith. Everything we do, everything we believe and everything we think as a believer in Jesus is by faith. We must have the faith to believe in the unseen. We must have the faith to believe in the promises of our Lord. Our faith is tested daily and will continue to be tested everyday. Some of us may be tested to a point of life and death. Our faith may be tested by persecution. There will be those who like to intimidate and humiliate. Our faith must be strong. We must continue to build upon our faith each day. We must become more dependent upon the Lord and less dependent on the ways of the world. We must believe that everything we have in this world has been and will continue to be provided by our Lord God in heaven. He is our provider, our security and our salvation. He is our healer and our protector. All that we have to do is believe. It sounds very simple. However, with the pressures of living in this world it is anything but simple. We must pray and praise Jesus daily. We must believe that we receive when we ask. We must remember that he is our total answer. He is our Lord and our Savior! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” AND MY GOD WILL MEET ALL YOUR NEEDS ACCORDING TO HIS GLORIOUS RICHES IN CHRIST JESUS.” PHIL. 4:19

We are unable to understand or even imagine the vastness of God’s riches in Christ Jesus. But what we can understand is that our Lord God in heaven loves us so much that he is willing and able to provide for our needs here on this earth without wavering. Everything we do, concerning the Lord, involves faith and trust in the unseen. We must believe with all of our heart that he is our God and loves us so much that he gave us the gift of Jesus. Faith is not something that just happens magically. It is a work in progress. We must completely surround ourselves in his holy word and in the promises he provides. Doubt will continue to attack us each day. It will be relentless in its actions and will never give up. The only way we fight doubt is with persistence in the written word of God, constant communication with our God in heaven and our continuous praise to him for answered prayer, seen and unseen. Our faith in Jesus must become a part of our life. It must become such a part that it rules our thinking and our actions. Faith in God and doubt cannot reside together. We are either living in faith or we are allowing doubts, worries and fears to rule our lives. I choose faith! For the blessings of our Lord are being measured against God’s glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Those riches are unending! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“TO THOSE WHO KNOW YOUR NAME TRUST IN YOU, FOR YOU O LORD DO NOT ABANDON THOSE WHO SEARCH FOR YOU.” PSALM 9:10

Everyone is searching for something in life. Most all people are searching for ways to make their lives easier and better. Some seek out the riches of this world. Others seek out the wisdom of this world. However, there is one gold nugget in all of the world that is most sought after and that is an all-powerful God. As followers of Jesus, we have the living, breathing God already at our fingertips. We have the God of heaven who has given us his Holy Word which is filled with his many promises. To those who have accepted him as their Lord and Savior he is our bodyguard and our protector in all situations. We trust him in the most stressful situations. To those who are still seeking him he makes it very clear that it is not too late. He will never abandon those who are searching for him. He will always welcome those who choose to accept him and trust in his name. As long as we are waiting on his return, he will never turn anyone away. However, the time is getting short. His return is eminent, and he will be coming for his children soon. We must continue to spread his word and provide our lives as living examples of Christ’s ways. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“COMMIT EVERYTHING YOU DO TO THE LORD. TRUST HIM, AND HE WILL HELP YOU. HE WILL MAKE YOUR INNOCENCE RADIATE LIKE THE DAWN, AND THE JUSTICE OF YOUR CAUSE WILL SHINE LIKE THE NOONDAY SUN.” PSALM 37:5-6

The day and age we live in is confusing at the very least. Things are happening around us that we do not understand. We live in a time where it is of greater importance than ever before to keep our focus on the end result. Our Lord has provided that end result so that we can stay on the path to righteousness. Each day as we pray to the Lord, we should remember that his presence in our lives is a presence of power and strength. It is a presence that cannot be seen by others, other than through the way we live our lives. It is a necessity that we commit our thoughts and actions to our Lord God in heaven each day. We must then trust him to work in our lives and to guide us through the confusion that so boldly displays itself each day. Psalm 37:5-6 tell us that he will “make our innocence radiate like the dawn and that the justice of our cause will shine like the noonday sun”. Our Lord will make others to take notice. We will stand out as others watch how we live our lives and how we stand with confidence in the presence of our Lord. Without him you and I just blend in with the rest of the world. But with him we are special. We are his children, and we need to stay focused on his plan. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“FOR WISDOM IS FAR MORE VALUABLE THAN RUBIES. NOTHING YOU DESIRE CAN COMPARE WITH IT. ” PROVERBS 7:11

” FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE FOUNDTION OF WISDOM. KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY ONE RESULTS IN GOOD JUDGEMENT. ” PROVERBS 9:10

Sometimes we overlook the value of wisdom. With the wisdom of our God in heaven we can live a life that is valuable to both the Lord and to us. Wisdom helps us to make wise decisions whether they are for our work life or our family life. With the wisdom we receive from our God we will reach the heights he wants us to reach in our faith to him. As we listen to the Holy Spirit, he will guide us with the thoughts and actions that are led by the wisdom of God. It is when we walk outside of God’s plan that we begin to fall into the temptations of this world. Without the wisdom that God provides, our steps can easily lead us down the wrong paths and result in heartbreak, confusion and dismay. If we just take the time each day to pray to our Lord for his wisdom and understanding, we will begin to see the results. Our history shows that people love to dig or pan for gold, thinking that the riches of the world is the answer. We, however, have the riches of God’s wisdom right at our fingertips. All we have to do is ask and believe we receive. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THNGS!

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

Our God in heaven loves us unconditionally. He loves us when things are going good in our lives, and he loves us in our times of trouble. With the faith that we continue to build in our Lord, we see his strength and power in our lives working the best when things are not going so well. It is during these times that we seem to take notice of his love and gracious attitude. It is in these desperate times that we go to God for help. We earnestly pray for his forgiveness and his miracles to take place in our lives. In order for us to even pray and ask our Lord God in heaven for his help, we must have a measure of faith. As we build upon that measure of faith we begin to believe with greater intensity in our Lord and what he does for us. We begin to believe in his promises and his word. It sometimes takes the dark and troubled times to shake us up and help us to realize that without our God there is no real hope. However, with him there is more than just hope but there are answers. So, when we are going through times of trouble and persecution, we should remember that the Lord’s power works best in these times of weakness. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” I DO NOTHING ON MY OWN BUT SAY ONLY WHAT MY FATHER TAUGHT ME. AND THE ONE WHO SENT ME IS WITH ME—- HE HAS NOT DESERTED ME. FOR I ALWAYS DO WHAT PLEASES HIM.” JOHN 8: 28-29

Even Jesus, when he walked this earth did nothing on his own. He was always talking to his father in heaven. He was always being reminded of the things he had been taught by his father. Even though there were times where it appeared that he had been abandoned, he had not. His father in heaven was always there to remind him of his mission, his love and his strength. You and I are in much the same situation. We confront things all of the time that seem too difficult to overcome. We face anger, sadness, persecution and much more. These are all things that we cannot conquer on our own. We need our father to guide us and give us the strength we need. We need to believe, just as Jesus did, that our father is with us in all things. We must continue to move forward doing what pleases him. We must continue to pray and stay in constant contact with him. He is our father and he loves us more than we can comprehend. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“LET EVERY CREATED THING GIVE PRAISE TO THE LORD, FOR HE ISSUED HIS COMMAND, AND THEY CAME INTO BEING.” PSALM 148:5

Praise to our God in heaven is one of the most important things we can do. He loves our praises. Without his command for our existence, we would not be here. Without his command for the creation of the trees, birds, green grass, blue sky, the stars and the moon they would not be here. Our Lord God is responsible for all things created. You and I can never run out of things to praise our God for. We should begin our days with praise and end our days with praise. He is our strength, understanding, our peace of mind, and of course our Savior, Healer and Forgiver. Without him we are nothing. But with him we are everything he wants us to be. Always remember to Praise the Lord in all things!

“THE LORD ALWAYS KEEPS HIS PROMISES; HE IS GRACIOUS IN ALL HE DOES. THE LORD HELPS THE FALLEN AND LIFTS THOSE BENT BENEATH THEIR LOADS.” PSALM 145: 13-14

“THE LORD IS CLOSE TO ALL WHO CALL ON HIM, YES TO ALL WHO CALL ON HIM IN TRUTH.” PSALM 145: 18

Our gracious Lord has provided promises throughout the bible. He has never and will never fail on any of his promises. In Psalm 145: 13-14 he has promised to help all who are bent beneath their loads. Have you or do you feel this way? Do you feel that your life is full of troubles and circumstances that just seem too heavy for you to overcome? If you feel this way you can be assured that our God in heaven is close to those who call on him. He is close to those who call on him in truth, to those who call on him with faith and trust. If we sincerely believe that he will help us, then we must leave our prayer requests with him and not pick them back up after praying. He cannot fulfill his promises in our lives if we don’t allow him to. Once we have committed our problems to him, we must allow him to take them and keep them. We should continue to thank him for his answers and for solving our problems. It is so important that we remember that no matter whether we see the results immediately or a year down the road we must continue to praise him for the answer. We must trust that he is working in our lives and is fulfilling his promises in our lives. This trust is a part of building our faith in his word. We must pray, praise him and have a confident hope in his answers. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“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

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

Our Lord is not only with us, at all times, but he is constantly working for us. He protects us, gives us strength, wisdom, understanding, insight, love, peace of mind and all other good and great things. He is our life, our light in the dark, our Savior, our redeemer, and our heavenly spark. Through the Holy Spirit he provides all of the spiritual tools needed for his holy protection to be with us all day and all night, when we are awake and when we are sleeping. All we have to do is to ask, receive and believe. Our Lord is not pushy and will not force his protection upon us. We must be willing to accept it. For his protection to work we must believe. We must be able to believe even when it feels and looks like everything is hopeless. Our faith in Jesus and his holy promises must be strong. He must be our refuge and our safety net. As we go to him, he promises to answer. Thank you, Jesus! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“THERE IS FORGIVENESS OF SINS FOR ALL WHO REPENT.” LUKE 24:47

The forgiveness of sins is a gift from God that just keeps on giving. Jesus died once and for all on the cross for our salvation, healings and the forgiveness of sins. Sometimes it is very easy to take for granted what Jesus did for us over 2000 years ago. Each and every one of us sin in our lives. The Lord forgives each of those sins as we take them to him. We must be sincere in our asking for his forgiveness. Scriptures tell us that he then wipes the sin away as though it never occurred. He doesn’t remember them. We shouldn’t remember them either. We should never beat ourselves up over a sin that has been forgiven. Dwelling on them can be of great harm when it comes to witnessing to others. We may begin to think of ourselves as something other than a forgiven Christian. We must stay confident in the Lord and believe that he has answered our prayers. This includes the forgiveness of our sins. We must move on in Christ. As Christians we know when we sin. It is at that moment that we should lay the sin at his feet for forgiveness. The devil likes nothing more than to torment us with our past. We must be able to overcome and move on. Jesus gives us that opportunity. Love him, believe him and act upon your belief. As followers of Jesus our desire is not to sin, and the Holy Spirit convicts us when we do. It is that conviction that sets us apart as a Christian. When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior we changed. Our attitudes changed and, in some cases, our whole lifestyle changed. Our desire is to follow the path our Lord and Savior has set for us. It is when we are able to discard the obstacles, set before us in our journey, that we are successful in Christ! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“BUT AS A RESULT, WE STOPPED RELYING ON OURSELVES, AND LEARNED TO RELY ON GOD, WHO RAISES THE DEAD.” 1 COR. 1:9

To have success in this world depends upon how we perform in life. It depends on how we stack up to others in this world. The problem is that we often times fall short of success. We don’t perform like we should. Or, in many circumstances, we just don’t have the abilities to perform as others do. Our Lord God in heaven has given us all of the answers to success. We must have a faith that is strong enough to believe totally in him. He is our road to success, whether it be healing in our bodies or physical or mental abilities in our lives. If we are depending on what we can accomplish in life, then we are destined for failure. We are destined to be inferior on the human level. However, we have a God in heaven who can help us to do anything. We must trust him to lead us down the right paths. The Lord has created each one of us for a purpose. We must continue to search for the understanding of that purpose. We need to ask him and listen. The Lord is our performance tool. He is the one we should try to please. This is not easy. It is a process. Sometimes this process takes a lot of time and dedication on our part. We must always stay focused and never give up on the Lord. He never, ever fails us. Pray to him, praise him, meditate upon his holy word and never give up on him! He is our success! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” TO YOU NIGHT SHINES AS BRIGHT AS THE DAY. DARKNESS AND LIGHT ARE THE SAME TO YOU.” PSALM 139:12

You and I are always in God’s spotlight. There is no darkness with our God. He sees everything we do very clearly. There is no hiding from him. He knows our every thought before we think it. He knows our every word before we say it. He knows our every action before we do it. He knows everything we do, think and speak. He also is standing by us willing and ready to help us, forgive us, heal us and save us. He is our only source, healer, and provider. We are never out of his view. His mighty presence is never away from us but always with us. There is no darkness in our Lord but only light. You and I are living in the light and not the darkness. Our Lord will help us to shine brightly in the presence of others. With God we are able to do all things. He is our source for all things. We should begin our day with him, include him in our daily activities and end our day with him. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THNGS!

“WE SERVE GOD WHETHER PEOPLE HONOR US OR DESPISE US, WHETHER THEY SLANDER US OR PRAISE US.” 2 CORINTHIANS 6:8

How many people do you know who claim to follow the Lord but when the going gets tough they fall back into the crowd and begin living their lives as the worldly do? I would guess that each of us have a rather long list of names. Of course, we are not to judge but to pray for each and every one of these names. However, Our Lord wants us to be strong enough to follow him in everything we do and say. We cannot be fearful in confessing Jesus as Lord. We cannot be fearful to confessing our way of life as a Christian just because of what others might think of us. Fear, doubt and worry cannot exist with faith and trust in Jesus. We have to make a choice as to who we follow and how we will live our lives. By committing our ways to the Lord our lives will sometimes become hectic, crowded with ridicule and mocking. It will sometimes be filled with slander and with others throwing doubt in our path. However, if we continue to build upon our faith and trust in our Lord to guide us through these times of uneasiness, our lives will be filled with satisfaction and the joy of the Lord. We must continue to do what the Lord tells us to do and stay on the path of righteousness. Our Lord is a loving and caring God. He wants only the best for us. When we begin to believe this without doubt our lives are filled with understanding, wisdom and strength and with the power to stand up to the unrighteous of the world. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“LORD MY HEART IS NOT PROUD; MY EYES ARE NOT HAUGHTY. I DON’T CONCERN MYSELF WITH MATTERS TOO GREAT OR TOO AWSOME FOR ME TO GRASP.” PSALM 131:1

It is important that we do not allow ourselves to become confident in ourselves. I know I have experienced times in my life where things are rolling along smoothly. Things are going well on the job and at home. Others are patting me on the back telling me how great a job I have been doing. My confidence begins to grow, and I begin to move forward not remembering who helped me to such a good place in life. I begin to make decisions without consulting the Lord. I begin to think that I am really smart and invincible in what I do. I begin to step out in areas that are way above the abilities I have been given. It is in these times that our lives are floating in deep waters with reality lurking just around the corner. It is in these times that I have experienced some of the greatest failures of my life. It is through these failures that I am reminded who is actually in control of my life. It is of great importance that we never drift away from our life in Jesus. We must always remember who is in control. We must listen to the Holy Spirit. We must give credit where credit is due. When we begin to look at ourselves as the only way to success then we are in great danger of failure. Our Lord loves us and is by our side to help us through our lives and to make our lives easier. But if we are persistent in taking things into our own hands then we will eventually fail. We should continue to focus on the Lord each day. We cannot allow the things of this world to trick us into thinking we are better than God. We can do all things, but it is through the Lord that we are successful. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“SO, WE DON’T LOOK AT THE TROUBLES WE CAN SEE NOW; WE FIX OUR GAZE ON THINGS THAT CANNOT BE SEEN. FOR THE THINGS WE SEE NOW WILL SOON BE GONE, BUT THE THINGS WE CANNOT SEE WILL LAST FOREVER.” 2 COR. 4:18

Keeping our focus on the correct things is vastly important in determining how we live our lives in this world. All we have to do is watch the news to see where the people of this world have focused their time and thoughts. The news will do nothing more than cause worry, concern and untimely ulcers. The focus of this world is on inflation, gas prices, immigration, war and all else that troubles our existing society. These are all very concerning and they all affect each and every one of us who live in the world today. We are watching our country spiral downward at a very fast pace. However, as followers of Jesus, we should be focused on other things. We should be focused on the unseen things of the world to come. We should stay engrained in God’s Word and his mighty promises for our lives. We should stay in prayer to our Lord God and always stay in his presence. We must not stray from our focus. Our Lord is in complete control. He has a plan that he has instituted and put into action. We must keep our thoughts and eyes on him and what he is doing. If we stay in his word and in prayer, he will give us the strength and courage we need to move forward in this world. It is when we take our eyes off of Jesus and put our focus on the world that we begin to worry and doubt. Keep the spiritual focus. Stay in communication with the Lord. We can do all things through Christ who gives us strength! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“FOR THE MORE WE SUFFER FOR CHRIST, THE MORE GOD WILL SHOWER US WITH COMFORT THROUGH CHRIST.” 2 COR. 1:5

Our great and glorious God in heaven has a purpose for everything that happens in our lives. He has a purpose for all of the good and great things that happen and also all of the sufferings we go through. It is very easy to get down and disgruntled when we are sick or when we are going through tough times. It is easy to grumble and become temperamental through these times. As Christians we have to tap into our source even more than normal when we are going through the rumbling waters that seem to want to overtake us. Instead of grumbling we should be praising our God. We should stay focused on his word and all of his promises. We should continue to live our lives through Jesus as others are able to watch and learn. The Lord will and does use our times of trouble to witness to others. As we go through these times, the more we praise the Lord and tap into his resources the more comfort he will give us. The Lord never allows us to go through more than we can endure. When we go through tough times, we can be confident that our Lord has given us the resources to get through. He never leaves us stranded. He is our strength, and we must stay focused on our source and strength. We are all overcomers through Jesus our Lord and Savior. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“YOUR LIVES ARE A LETTER WRITTEN IN OUR HEARTS; EVERYONE CAN READ IT AND RECOGNIZE OUR GOOD WORK AMONG YOU. CLEARLY, YOU ARE A LETTER FROM CHRIST SHOWING THE RESULT OF OUR MINISTRY AMONG YOU. THIS “LETTER” IS WRITTEN NOT WITH PEN AND INK, BUT WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GOD. IT IS CARVED NOT ON TABLETS OF STONE, BUT ON HUMAN HEARTS.” 2 COR. 3: 2-3

Each and every one of us are letters from Christ. Our lives are on display at every corner that we turn and in every situation that we confront. As followers of Jesus, we should know his attitude and his desire for how we should conduct our lives before others. As others watch us, they should see our faith at work. They should see the trust in our Lord fully working in our lives. We should not be confessing our lives in Jesus and then going out and living a life of sin. Yes, we are human, and we make mistakes. We should immediately recognize our sins and take them to the Lord for forgiveness. We should admit our mistakes and move forward. That is all a part of living our lives in Jesus. We should never profess to be perfect but show in the way we live our trust and faith in our God in heaven. We are letters from Jesus. We have been sent so that others can read us. We should already know his attitude and desire for the way we live. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AMONG THE DEAD FOR SOMEONE WHO IS ALIVE? ” LUKE 24:5

When the women went to the tomb to see the body of Jesus, they were looking for the dead. However, Jesus was not among the dead but among the living. Jesus had already died and gone to hell and back. He had risen. He had already risen in his perfect form and was preparing to walk among them before rising to be at God’s right hand. People in the world will many times be looking in the wrong places to find the meaning of life. They look at money, power, and being famous in order to be happy and successful. I haven’t heard a story yet that turns out for the good when people look to these things for happiness. There is only one way to happiness and that is through Jesus Christ. It is through acknowledging that we are sinners and accepting him as our Lord and Savior. We can have all the money in the world, and it will not be enough. We can have all of the fame in the world, and it will become a nuisance. Even as Christians we can sometimes get off the path and begin to look for things that are not beneficial to us. We must live our lives in this world among the living. We must seek out the Lord Jesus and turn our focus squarely upon him. We must live our lives with Jesus first. This is not easy, and it takes time. We are human and make mistakes. But our Lord is with us and will forgive us. We cannot allow the dead things of this world get in our way of worshipping Jesus and living our lives with him in control. There is nothing wrong with money and fame as long as Jesus is involved. He is our source for all things which includes money and fame. If we are led down this road, he will help us. No matter our status we must keep focused on our living, breathing Jesus. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD WHO MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH!” PSALM 121:2

“THE LORD KEEPS YOU FROM ALL HARM AND WATCHES OVER YOUR LIFE. THE LORD KEEPS WATCH OVER YOU AS YOU COME AND GO, BOTH NOW AND FOREVER.” PSALM 121:7-8

As we live upon this earth we are surround by good and bad. We receive both good advice and bad advice from those around us. It is natural that we go to those around us, in whom we trust, to get advice in our times of need. Sometimes we just need to hear a comforting word or a hug and pat on the back. However, we must never forget where our true help lies. Our help comes from the Lord our God in heaven. He is watching our lives every moment of every day. He keeps us safe and out of troubles. It is important that we continue to recognize our source and that we continually stay focused on him. It is when we take our eyes off of Jesus and begin to stray from his strength, protection and wisdom, that we begin to cause ourselves unnecessary grief. Our loved ones around us love us and have our best interest in mind, but they are human and are giving us human advice. With our God he is giving us heavenly advice. He sees all and is in control. He knows what direction we should go. He knows what we should say. He knows what is best for us. But we must stay focused and concentrate on his word and his voice. We must obey what he wants us to do. Everything he suggests for us will line up with his Holy Word. If it doesn’t then it isn’t from God. Stay focused, stay engrained in his Word and continue to meditate upon his Word. He will teach us all things and make our lives in the world much more understandable and enjoyable. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!