Michael J Burchett Ministries

“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!

“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!