Michael J Burchett Ministries

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“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!