Bread of Life, JIL

” DON’T BE SELFISH; DON’T TRY TO IMPRESS OTHERS. BE HUMBLE, THINKING OF OTHERS BETTER THAN YOURSELF.” PHILIPPEANS 2:3

Just how hard is it to humble yourself before others? There is nothing we do in the name of Jesus that comes easy. We live in a world of self-centeredness. In most cases we are brought up as children to better ourselves in life. Many times, this involves lying, cheating and using others to make ourselves look better. We step on each other in many different ways in order to get to the top. We want others to see us with riches and with power. For us to get to the top we sometimes hurt others. We are taught from a very early age to look out for ourselves because nobody else will. However, that is not what Jesus taught. That is not how Jesus lived. He taught that we should serve others. He displayed that characteristic as he walked this earth. He was always serving others. He was humbled and he died the worst possible death. Why? Why did he put himself through all of this pain and anguish? He did it because of you and me. He loves us so much that he was willing to come to the earth and submit to the worldly ways of those who thought they knew more. He submitted to those who wanted to be at the top, who wanted others to see them as important and knowledgeable. For us to follow Jesus we must be able and willing to submit. We must be able to think of others before ourselves. We must be able to serve others both physically and spiritually. We must be able to throw away our worldly ways and pick of the tools that Jesus has provided. We must throw away anger, envy, jealousy, lying cheating and selfish-ambition and pick up love, compassion for others, serving others and demonstrating the ways of Jesus. We can do this, but it takes a total commitment to our Lord and Savior. It takes a lot of prayer and a lot of patience. It takes a lot of re-training. Let us all take a step back and look at how we lead our lives getting rid of all unfaithfulness and re-tooling with the things of the Lord. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” STOP BEING ANGREY! TURN FROM YOUR RAGE! DO NOT LOSE YOUR TEMPER-IT ONLY LEADS TO HARM.” PSALM 37:8

If we step back and take a look, we can see that we clearly live in a world that is filled with hate, anger and rage. We live in a world where life is being diminished to a point that it seems to mean nothing to take the lives of innocent women, children, brothers and sisters. But is that what God wants us to do? It is very easy to get angry with someone and shout loudly at them. It is easy to spout angry and unjustifiable words to those we get angry with. However, what is the end result of anger and rage? Those actions will usually end with hurt feelings, destroyed relationships, grudges, physical harm and sometimes even death. As followers of Christ, we are not to lose our temper or display ourselves as unruly and harmful. Instead, our Lord wants us to be peaceable, loving, and caring. We are to display our displeasure with others in such a way that is representative of our Lord. Before we spout out words that we will not be able to take back, we should train ourselves to take a step back, go the Lord in prayer and ask for his guidance. Take the time to set patiently before him and wait for him to answer. Anger is not worth losing those around you whom you really love and care about. We should be careful of our words and actions. We should not be burning bridges but building bridges. We shouldn’t be tearing apart relationships but instead be building them up. We should never lose control but always be in control. If we have allowed the Lord to be a consistent part of our lives and we listen carefully to the Holy Spirit, we will stay in control. Always remember that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” DON’T SAY, ” I will get even for this wrong.” WAIT FOR THE LORD TO HANDLE THE MATTER.” PROVERBS 20:22

As we continue our journey in following the Lord, we must be able and willing to follow his lead and to do as he asks us to do. This is not always easy. As we follow the Lord and go through all of the growing pains, one of the hardest characteristics to follow is that of patience. I don’t know about you, but even when I think I am being patient, I am not. We are spirit beings living within a human world. It is so easy to take on human characteristics as we live in the world. After all, we are surrounded with the world and all its ways. What we are instructed to do is to focus on the Lord and not be deterred from his path. We are not to change our course because of what we see going on around us. Instead, we are to keep our eyes on Jesus and follow his ways. In many cases we are asked to be patient before him and wait upon him. It is not easy to set back and watch all of the evil going on. It makes us feel like we should step in and take charge. Doing this can sometimes lead to disaster in our lives. We are all so blessed to have our Lord right beside us at all times to pick us up and clean up our messes. We need to stay the course. We need to stay in prayer, stay in his Word and meditate upon it. We need to give our God in heaven all of the praise and glory he so richly deserves. If we keep Jesus first in our thoughts and actions each day and we patiently wait upon him to work in our lives, we will become so much stronger for it. Stay strong in Jesus, keep the faith and pray hard! 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 NOT FALL, FOR THE LORD HOLDS THEM BY THE HAND.” PSALM 37: 23-24

Our Father in Heaven is a detailed God. He knows every detail of each of us. He knows how we think, how we speak, how we respond to good and bad situations, what our talents are, what we are thinking and what we are going through every day. He knows exactly how much we can handle in our lives. Because he knows our every detail he wants to work in every detail of our lives. No matter the size of a problem, our God is always by our side. We may get off of his path or stumble through a problem but if we remember that his presence is right beside us and we turn and ask for his help, then he will pick us up, dust us off and put us back on the path. As children of God, we must be able to step out in faith and allow God to work in our lives. We must trust him to hold our hand through our toughest battles. We must remember him first in all things that we do. He is always there for us so we should be willing to be there for him. We should trust him and honor him for all of his protection and grace. We should love him unconditionally just as he does us. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” THE LORD DIRECTS OUR STEPS SO WHY TRY TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING ALONG THE WAY? ” PROVERBS 20:24

Our Lord makes it clear to us in many passages within his word that he is with us in all things. Proverbs 20:24 is no exception. When Jesus went to sit at the right hand of God, he sent us his Holy Spirit to live within us. The Holy Spirit directs us in the direction we are to go and helps us along the way of our journey. Sometimes we just don’t understand the direction he may be sending us or understand the words he may want us to say to someone. He has a reason for everything because he sees the whole picture. He knows the final outcome. As I follow the Holy Spirit, I have found that it is not for me to question but to follow. When I begin to question God, I find that I am interfering with his plan which in turn makes it harder for the Lord to work in my life. It is sometimes very difficult to follow the Lord and his instructions for our lives. But if we trust him and believe that he is directing our steps then why waste our time in questioning what he is telling us to do? To understand our Lord, we should stay in prayer and when we get our answers, we should have no doubt it is our Lord leading us. We should know that we know. There should be no hesitation. Stay close to God! Stay in his Word! Build up your faith and continue to trust his ways. All things from God will line up perfectly with his Holy Word. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” DON’T BE AFRAID. JUST HAVE FAITH.” MARK 5:36

Jairus had come before Jesus to ask him to come and lay his hands on his 12-year-old daughter so that she would be healed. Great crowds were following Jesus at the time. Suddenly a woman with an issue of blood touched his garment and she was healed. Jesus took the time to stop and search for her. I am sure that Jairus thought this time was like hours. However, he was patient before the Lord and waited. In the meantime, messengers came to tell him that his daughter was dead. At that moment the message from Jesus was ” Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.” When they arrived at the home of Jairus, Jesus wouldn’t allow anyone to go into the room where the daughter laid except for Peter, James and John and her mother and father. There could be no doubt allowed in the room. Jesus surrounded himself with those of faith and the result was a miraculous healing. It is important for us to realize that where there is faith there can be no doubt. When we are going through a crisis in our lives, we should surround ourselves with those of faith. Doubt will do nothing but tear our faith apart. Our faith must be as strong as the faith of Jairus. It doesn’t matter what things look like but what matters is our faith in the capabilities of our Lord and Savior. Our faith cannot be allowed to waiver. We should do as Jesus did and surround ourselves with those of great faith in our times of trouble. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” EVEN CHILDREN ARE KNOWN BY THE WAY THEY ACT, WHETHER THEIR CONDUCT IS PURE, AND WHETHER IT IS RIGHT.” PROVERBS 20:11

How our children act is often times reflected back upon our parenting skills. We want our children to be good representatives of our families. The same goes for the family of God. We should be living our lives in such a way that reflects his word. We should be living a life full of peace of mind and strength no matter what we might be going through. The world is watching us closely to see just how we react to problems and times of trouble. It is easy to be taken in by the world and the ways of the world. So, we must surround ourselves with the Word of God. We must live our lives as a reflection of his word. We should meditate in his word and pray and praise him each day. We should spend more time with the Lord than with the world. This is not easy. It takes a true dedication to Jesus. Our lives should be dedicated to him. After all, we are his family. 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

Joshua 1:9 is a great scripture and a wonderful command from our Lord. It is very hard to follow some of the commands of our God when we haven’t trained ourselves up to do so. We should compare it to great athletes who train for athletic events. They build their bodies up little by little until they are ready for whatever event they are training for. They don’t just decide to run a race one day and the next day go run it. They train for it. We should do the same. How can we possibly believe our Lord for things that we are not trained to believe for? It is very hard to get saved on one day and the next day believe God for a huge miracle to happen in our life. For one thing the enemy attacks us quickly with doubts, worries and fears. We must know how to overcome those attacks. We need to train ourselves to believe for the little things in life and then work our way up to the larger things. We need to know how to study God’s word and how to meditate upon his word. Our God never fails us. He is always with us. However, we sometimes miss his answers to our prayers because of doubt, worry, fear and unbelief. We shouldn’t be ashamed of this. His disciples did the same things. They had to learn. They listened intently to his instructions and tried to do as he instructed. We must do the same things by surrounding ourselves with his word and his promises. We must learn to believe in his promises and in the fact that he does answer our prayers. The more we study and meditate upon his word and his promises the stronger our faith will become. The more we pray to him and praise him the stronger we will become. So, let us train ourselves up in the Lord. Let us begin to believe in the unseen things of our God and not just the visible things of this world. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” YOU CAN MAKE MANY PLANS BUT THE LORD’S PURPOSE WILL PREVAIL.” PROVERBS 19:21

The Lord’s purpose for my life will always prevail. As long as I am following the Lord and doing what he tells me to do his will for my life will prevail. I may have other ideas and try other things but his will always win out. A plan for my life was put together before I was born, and it is God’s will that his plan be put into action. In my situation it has taken a little longer. I had my own plans and goals that I thought I needed to accomplish. I did accomplish some of these goals and the Lord used them to help shape the life that he had so graciously designed for me in the beginning. My God in heaven loves me just as he loves you. He had a plan for me just has he has one for you. We may not totally understand what that plan is in the beginning but if we read and meditate upon his word and use his Holy Spirit for direction then he will put situations before us and place people in our lives that will help to form the ministry, he wishes to be carried out in our lives. We must have a faith that allows us to believe in him. We must be able to step out in that faith and allow him to work in our life. Remember we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

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

When I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, he never promised me that I would have a life without troubles and struggles. He never promised me that everything I do would be turned to gold. What he did promise is his everlasting protection. In every situation that I face, every trouble I have to conquer, my Lord is by my side. I have to be reminded a lot that when Jesus went to be at the right hand of God, the Holy Spirit was sent. The Holy Spirit is with me in all things and through all things. He is with me in good and bad times. He is by my side to help me make wise decisions and to keep me on the right path for my life. My problem is that I don’t always listen to him. I sometimes forget that he is with me and try to conquer on my own doing things that only cause me more problems. However, if I just take the time to listen to him, I can save myself a lot of time as well as pain and suffering. But if I do get myself into trouble, he is always right there to bail me out. The Lord reminds me to continue to make him a part of my life. He must be my lifestyle, the way I live my life everyday. He must be the first one I think of when I have a mountain to climb or problems to overcome. With the Holy Spirt with me I can never go wrong. I just have to train myself to listen and depend upon him. He is always there to pick me up when I fall! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” BUT YOU DEAR FRIENDS, MUST BUILD EACH OTHER UP IN YOUR MOST HOLY FAITH, PRAY IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND AWAIT THE MERCY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO WILL BRING YOU ETERNAL LIFE.” JUDE 1:20-21

Fellowship with other believers is vital to a successful life here on earth. It is important that we as brothers and sisters continue to keep each other faithful in God’s word. We should build each other up in our most holy faith. Our Lord God in heaven sent us his precious Holy Spirit to help to guide us in and through all things. He is with us always. When we pray, we must pray in the power of the Holy Spirit. We must take time to listen to what the Holy Spirit is telling us. As we continue to build ourselves up in the power of the Holy Spirit our faith and trust will continue to grow more powerful. Our confidence in our Lord will grow, which will allow us to build up the confidence of others. The Holy Spirit lives within us. He should be our life. We should be thinking of him in everything we do and say. With him we are successful and full of joy. Without him we are defeated. We must work hard with the power of the Holy Spirit until our Lord Jesus Christ brings eternal life. Never let down your guard. Always be faithful in all you do. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” ALL GLORY, MAJESTY, POWER, AND AUTHORITY ARE HIS BEFORE ALL TIME, AND IN THE PRESENT, AND BEYOND ALL TIME!” JUDE 1:25

We have a God in heaven who was, is and will be forever present. Our God has never changed. However, because of sin he has had to alter his plan so that you and I can be saved and become his forever. Our God is deserving of all glory and power and majesty because of his everlasting authority. He was in charge in the beginning, is in charge today and will be in charge forever. We are so blessed to have a God who loves us so much that he sent his only son to this earth to take on all of our sin and to die a horrific death on our behalf. When we read and meditate upon God’s glorious Word, we must take it personally. Jesus didn’t come to this world to just die for someone else, but he came to die for each of us personally. He is a loving and forgiving God. He has and continues to give us each an opportunity to follow his ways, to live our lives as he lived his life. We are living in his time of grace. However, his time of grace is running out. If you have not received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then please take a moment and pray this prayer: “Dear Lord, I love you. I believe that you died on that cross and shed your blood for me. I accept you as my Lord and my Savior. Take me now and mold me to live my life as you lived your life on this earth. Thank you, Jesus! In Jesus Name, Amen.” PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” WHEN THEY CALL ON ME, I WILL ANSWER; I WILL BE WITH THEM IN TROUBLE.” PSALM 91:15

As we read through God’s great Word, we find many promises. We can all rest assured that our Lord does not fail on any promise he has made. The foundation that you and I must build in Christ is a great foundation of faith. We are asked to believe in things unseen. We are asked to totally trust in our Lord God in heaven. The Lord is very clear in Psalm 91:15 where he tells us that when we come to him in prayer, he will answer us. He is with us in our troubles. However, we must believe that we receive. We don’t need to continually pray for something over and over again. Once we take it to the Lord, we are to leave it with him with total confidence that it has been answered. Instead of taking the prayer back to him and praying over and over and over we should go to him and thank him each day for the answer. We should display our faith and trust in him. Building our faith is something that we should do continually. We should make it a habit to act upon our faith so that God can work in our lives. He does not force himself upon us. He will not work in our lives unless we give him permission. We have our own free will to act. Let’s use that free will to build our faith and allow Jesus to work in our lives. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” EVEN IF THE FOREST SHOULD BE DESTROYED AND THE CITY TORN DOWN, THE LORD WILL GREATLY BLESS HIS PEOPLE. ” ISAIAH 32: 19-20

It does not matter what we have going on in our life. It doesn’t matter how terrible our problems seem to us. We can always find someone else who has greater difficulties than we do. But problems are problems no matter their size. Our Lord looks at each of us as individuals and does not compare us to anyone else. He has set his standards through his word and compares us to that and nothing else. Whatever mountain we are trying to climb he is with us. He takes each of us and our problems and works with us individually. Yes, he might use someone else to help in our situation, but he deals with us one on one. We each have a different level of faith. The stronger our faith the larger our mountains seem to become. The Lord wants us to use our faith. He wants us to take a step forward in our faith. When we do that, he is always there to help. It is important to remember that he greatly blesses his people in all things. We must recognize that the Lord our God in heaven is in total control. When we watch the news of the day we should watch with great confidence in the Jesus. We should watch with a godly attitude and not one of fear, for the Lord is returning soon. PRASIE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS. DO NOT BE TERRIFIED; DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED, FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL BE WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO. ” JOSHUA 1:9

” FOR EVERYONE BORN OF GOD OVERCOMES THE WORLD. ” 1 JOHN 5:4

As we pray each day let’s not forget to take time and be quiet before the Lord. The Lord our God in heaven is a very special God. He is real and he is the patient, loving and a giving God that carries us through all situations. We should stand before him each day and give him the praise and the glory that he so justly deserves. He never stops blessing us. Sometimes we become so busy in our lives that we miss his blessings. This is our fault and not his. He never fails us. He is always there when we need him. As strong healthy Christians we should live our lives in the Lord at all times. He should be the answer to every problem we encounter. He tells us not to be terrified or discouraged but instead to be strong and courageous. We should never let him out of our sight. He should always be on our minds. We are overcomers! We are winners! We must give all of our problems, no matter their size, to him. With our faith we must believe that we receive. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” THERE IS NO FEAR IN LOVE. BUT PERFECT LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR, BECAUSE FEAR HAS TO DO WITH PUNISHMENT. THE MAN WHO FEARS IS NOT MADE PERFECT IN LOVE.” 1 JOHN 4:18

There is no fear in love. This love talked about is Jesus. When Jesus is present in our lives fear runs away. Fear and Love cannot and co-exist in our lives. If you have fear in your life then Jesus is not present and accounted for. We must trust in him with all that we have. When we truly trust him, then fear is no more. When we trust in the promises of our God in heaven and act upon them, then we cannot fear. Fear is not a part of God. It is the exact opposite of what our Lord stands for. I learned long ago that as soon as fear began to try and overtake my thought process I would begin to say the name of Jesus out loud. I would immediately begin to feel the fear go away. I would then begin to quote scripture that promised me his love, strength and compassion for my life. I fought back and always won. However, when I let down and try to do things on my own then fear, doubt and worry would overcome me and I would usually fail. Stay strong in Jesus. There is great power in his name. We need to use it more often! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS. I WILL SAY IT AGAIN: REJOICE! LET YOUR GENTLENESS BE EVIDENT TO ALL. THE LORD IS NEAR. DO NOT BECOME ANXIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING, BUT IN EVERYTHING, BY PRAYER AND PETITION, WITH THANKSGIVING, PRESENT YOUR REQUESTS TO GOD. PHILIPPIANS 4: 4-6

As we witness to the world, the Lord reminds us that he is near us in everything we do. We should become very conscience of his presence in our lives. With him by our side we can relax, knowing that he is with us for the purpose of helping us. Our actions in this world should display his characteristics. He tells us not to become anxious or worried about anything but instead we should converse with him presenting our requests through prayer and petition, with thanksgiving. He loves us all unconditionally. He desires the best for our lives and gives us his mighty promises to help us. All we have to do is read his word, meditate on his word, ask for understanding of his word and believe in his word. We must continue to build upon our faith each day and believe that we receive! Then we can REJOICE in the Lord! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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

With Jesus came the glorious riches or our God in heaven. He declared to his disciples in John 6:35 that he is the Bread of Life. He told them that if they follow him, they will never hunger. Our Lord God sent his one and only son, Jesus Christ, to save us from our weaknesses. When Jesus arrived, he brought with him all of the glorious riches of God and he has offered us the ability to access these riches right here in this world. All we have to do is follow him. We must follow and be a doer of his word. He promises that we will never go hungry. The richness of God is so great that you and I may never understand his level of richness. But if we follow and trust him to manage our lives then he will take care of us. He has assured us that all we have to do is ask and that we will receive. Be persistent in prayer. Believe his word. Be patient and wait for him. He will and he does answer our prayers. Never be too busy and miss his answers. He loves us and never fails us! PRAISE THE LORD JESUS IN ALL THINGS!

” TIME AFTER TIME HE RESTRAINED HIS ANGER AND DID NOT STIR UP HIS FULL WRATH. HE REMEMBERED THEY WERE BUT FLESH, A PASSING BREEZE THAT DOES NOT RETURN.” PSALM 78: 38-39

As the world continues to turn and the people of this world continue to create new ways to be evil what do you think our God in heaven is thinking? We know that he loves us so much that he has withheld his wrath from the earth. He has not yet poured out his anger on this world. There is a time for God’s wrath and that time is coming, but our Lord loves us so much that he continues to give us time to accept him as our Lord and Savior. We still live in a time of grace. We should continually be spreading the word of God not only by what we say but also by the way we live our lives. Read God’s Word, know God’s Word and live God’s Word! PRAISE THE LORD IN AND THROUGH ALL SITUATIONS!

” THE FRUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL BE PEACE; THE EFFECT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL BE QUIETNESS AND CONFIDENCE FOREVER.” ISAIAH 32:17

The word “righteousness” is used a lot in the word of God. Just what does it mean? According to the dictionary the word “righteousness” means: THE QUALITY OR STATE OF BEING MORALLY CORRECT AND JUSTIFIABLE. If we are righteous before our God in heaven, then we are justified before him. We are in line with what he stands for. We are living our lives in accordance with his ways. We are doing as he ask us to do, and we are rewarded for it. Righteousness produces peace in our lives. We are able to live on this earth knowing that our Lord is with us in all things. He is helping us along the way. As a result of our being right with God we continue to become confident in his promises and in his direction for our lives. Others will see us dealing with problems in a different way and with a peace of mind that is, without knowing the Lord, unattainable. If we are not right with God, then we are living our lives outside of his will. We will not have the peace of mind we need in order to defeat the evil around us. We will have worry, doubt and fear ruling our thoughts and the way we live. We need to stay focused on the Lord Jesus. We need to stay quiet before the Holy Spirit and listen carefully. We must be patient and wait on the Lord. We must continually meditate upon his word and be doers of his word and not hearers only. We must pray and praise him on a daily basis. We must have faith, build our faith and trust in our God in heaven! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“DO NOT LET ANY UNWHOLESOME TALK COME OUT OF YOUR MOUTHS, BUT ONLY WHAT IS HELPFUL FOR BUILDING OTHERS ACCORDING TO THEIR NEEDS, THAT IT MAY BENEFIT THOSE WHO LISTEN.” EPHESIANS 4:29

We are not only defined by our actions, but we are also defined by our words. The words that come out of our mouths and the way that we say them allows others to define our character. We must cling to our Lord God and not let go. We must live his word. When we allow him to be first in our lives our actions will represent his ways. Our words should also follow suit. We should reflect how we live with words that support our actions. We should not be negative in what we speak. As children of our great God in heaven we should have joy in our hearts because of all the great promises he has provided to us. If we believe his promises then the joy that we have, not only allows us to live a life full of peace and joy but should also be reflected by the words we speak. We should encourage others and not be negative and tear them down. When someone visits with you, they should walk away feeling encouraged and with an attitude that helps them through each and every situation. It is normal to be sad, angry and any other characteristic that reflects our emotions. But, with the joy of Jesus we should be able to handle those situations with love, patience and peace. As we look to the Lord for our help there is always great hope and excitement and not fear and worry. Our words should be words of peace, love and understanding. PRASIE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” HE WHO DWELLS IN THE SHELTER OF THE MOST HIGH WILL REST IN THE SHADOW OF THE ALMIGHTY.” PSALM 91:1

” IF YOU MAKE THE MOST HIGH YOUR DWELLING – EVEN THE LORD, WHO IS MY REFUGE- THEN NO HARM WILL BEFALL YOU, NO DISASTER WILL COME NEAR YOUR TENT.” PSALM 91:9 & 10

The definition of a dwelling is ” a building or place of shelter to live in; a place of residence; abode; home.” The Lord tells us of the benefits of living within his shelter. There is a great difference in living or dwelling within a home and just visiting a home. Our Lord wants us to live in him. He desires that we take all of our belongings and move in. When we do, he becomes a natural part of our life. Our residence with our Lord is a place we desire to go to at the end of a long day. It is a place that we feel secure and safe. It is a place where we can go and relax, knowing that our Lord is always there to protect us. The problem lies with the fact that many of us just visit the Lord’s dwelling. We go to him in prayer but then after we are done visiting, we pick up what we brought with us and leave. We find ourselves back in the world of worry, fear and doubt. We find ourselves struggling once again in the world. Yes, we all face struggles. The Lord never said that we would be struggle free. However, he has provided us with tools that will help us to be overcomers in this life. If we live in Jesus, we are with him, and he is with us at all times. We can have a conversation with him whenever we want or need to. But if we don’t live our lives in his dwelling place then our Lord will sometimes feel far away, and we will find ourselves attempting to depend on others to get us through our struggles. We must build a faith that allows us to live with our Lord everyday. It takes time and many times it take baby steps to get where we are going. The Lord loves us and wants us to trust him. Let us take the steps necessary to make the Lord our shelter and rest in his shadow. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” MANY ARE THE PLANS IN A MAN’S HEART, BUT IT IS THE LORD’S PURPOSE THAT PREVAILS. ” PROVERBS 19:21

We all like to have control of our own lives. We see demonstrations across the world proclaiming our rights for one thing or another. We want no other person to tell us what we can or cannot do. We want to call our own shots is life. We have plans for the days, the weeks, the months and the years ahead. As followers of Christ, we soon learn that our plans are second to those of the Lord. God has a plan for each of us that was put into place long ago. Things don’t just happen by coincidence. Things happen in our lives to help set up our purpose as set into place by our God in heaven. We must do just the opposite of what we desire, of controlling our own actions in our own lives. We must be patient, be quiet before the Lord and listen. We must submit to our Lord. We must have a servant’s attitude and we willing to serve him wherever he puts us and serve whomever he wants us to serve. Yes, our plans do usually come to fruition, but when the Lord is ready to do something within his will for our lives, we must be ready to answer. His will is always going to win out. Stay in prayer and praise in the Lord. Be patient and listen carefully to the Holy Spirit. Read the Word of God continually and meditate upon it. Put God’s word into action within your life. God has a plan for each of our lives. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” BUT IT IS NO SHAME TO SUFFER FOR BEING A CHRISTIAN. PRAISE GOD FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING CALLED BY HIS NAME. ” 1 PETER 4:16

It is many times very difficult to live the life God has called us to live. There are many things that stand in our way. We must remember that it is an honor and a privilege to be called a Christian. The devil has planted many seeds of doubt and embarrassment. within the world. I know that there have been times in my life where I have not completed an assignment given to me by the Lord just because I didn’t feel secure in professing my Christian values. I felt a little embarrassed. We should never feel this way. For us to be able to overcome the devil and his many evils we need to live in the Holy Spirit. To do so we must seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, pray (pray a lot), study God’s Word (meditate in his word), live his word (make his word the way you live your life), and be humble. We must begin to see things through the eyes of the Holy Spirit and not the eyes of the world. When this happens, we begin to see things a whole different way. We become stronger in the Lord and are able to overcome the ways of the world. We will become stronger and not be embarrassed to live the Christian life God wants us so badly to live. However, we cannot do these things without the help of our Lord God in heaven. The ways of our Lord must become a way of life. Remember, we can do all thing through Christ who strengthens us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” BEAR IN MIND THAT THE LORD’S PATIENCE MEANS SALVATION.” 2 PETER 3:15

I do not consider myself a patient person. I want things to happen now and not later. I desire for the Lord to return as soon as possible. I have, however, a very patient God. He loves me so much and with such strength that I cannot imagine, in my deepest thoughts, just how much he cares. The same goes for each of us. He loves us with a strength and a desire, that is so strong, it is impossible for us to realize. Yes, we know he loves us but just how much he loves us is unbelievable. Our Lord is standing on the threshold and is ready to return. His return will happen at any moment or any hour. But the longer he waits the more time he gives us to spread his word of salvation and with that time more people have the opportunity to accept his invitation. We must continue to move forward in these last days and focus on spreading his salvation message. For he loves us all and wants no one to miss his opportunity. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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

Sometimes my daily routine has become so hectic that I temporarily unplug from my source, Jesus Christ. When this happens, I find myself up to my waist in worry and concern about all of the evil that is happening around me. Throughout the years, and especially in this day and age, the Lord has shown me that it is not wise to unplug for even a slight minute. When I do, the devil takes that opportunity to ware on me. I am reminded that it does not take much for evil and temptation to take a hold. When I unplug, I know that I am in very dangerous territory. I am giving opportunity for disaster to strike in my life. Our source, Jesus Christ is our source for peace of mind, salvation, healing, forgiveness of sins, wisdom, understanding, love for others and much more. We are told to watch and pray so that we will not fall into temptation. We are reminded to never unplug from our Lord. We should stay in prayer and praise. We should recognize and put to use all of the tools he has provided for us. If we do, we will have a successful life here on this earth and will be great witnesses on his behalf. We must continue to trust him no matter the situation. I understand this is not always the easy road. But our Lord has not promised us an easy road, but instead he has promised a road that will reap all of the benefits he has promised us. We should stay strong by staying “prayed up”. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” DEAR FRIENDS, DON’T BE SURPRISED AT THE FIERY TRIALS YOU ARE GOING THROUGH, AS IF SOMETHING STRANGE WERE HAPPENING TO YOU.” 1 PETER 4:12

There are so many things that you and I as Christians do not understand. We are told to be patient and that things will be revealed to us at the proper times. There are trials that are happening to each of us. We are all going through things that we may not totally understand. As we read God’s Word there may be things we don’t understand as well. This very morning as I was reading through Matthew 24 and the Book of Revelation, I was trying very hard to put things into perspective in relation to the events that are happening in our world today. Some of these events are easily seen portrayed within Matthew 24 as well as Revelation. Over the years I have read Matthew 24 and the Book of Revelation numerous times and each time I ask the Lord for the wisdom to understand and to put these events into some order in my own mind. This morning I went through the same routine. But this time the Lord made it very clear to me that I will not know some of these things until they actually happen. He made it clear that I must TRUST, TRUST AND THEN TRUST HIM SOME MORE. I can say with confidence that the door has been opened, and he is standing on the threshold ready to return. We must be watchful and continue to spread his word until he does return for us. We cannot be assured as of when he returns, for only God knows that answer but we can be assured that his return is imminent and just on the horizon. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” TRUST YOUR LIVES TO THE GOD WHO CREATED YOU, FOR HE WILL NEVER FAIL YOU.” 1 PETER 4:19

What joys we have in Jesus! What power we have in Jesus! There is power in the blood of the Lord! It is possible to live a life of joy here on this earth. That is exactly what the Lord our God in heaven wants for us. He wants each and every one of his children to live a life that is free of worry, doubt and fear. He has provided the tools for us to be able to so this, but it takes faith to be able to understand and take that step necessary to live that life. This is not easy. We are being attacked on every side. We are surrounded by evil that spits out lies to us. Those lies sometimes seem so real that we follow them. The one thing that we sometimes forget is that we are human. We are going to make mistakes. We must remember that our Lord has promised to be there when we do and will pick us up and set back on his path. We shouldn’t feel ashamed of making mistakes or have feelings of disgrace. No matter the errors we make our God has provided us a way back to him through Jesus our Lord and Savior. We should have joy in our hearts and live our lives with that joy of Jesus displayed at all times. We must always remember that our Lord is our rock. He is our foundation. He is our shield. He is always there to pick us up and help us through our struggles. We must keep the faith, continue to earnestly pray to him, praise him and trust in his Holy Word! Take time to memorize a healing scripture or a scripture of strength. Recite that scripture each time you begin to feel down or discouraged. If we believe we receive, then our joy in Jesus will be begin to shine even brighter in our daily lives! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” FOR THE LORD IS A FAITHFUL GOD. BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO WAIT FOR HIS HELP.” ISAIAH 30:18

Our Lord God in heaven is a faithful God. He is with us always. He is with us whether we are weak or whether we are strong. He is with us in our good times and our not so good times. He created us to be who we are. He knows us inside and out. He understands how we are going to react to certain situations. He knows how much we can handle and what we cannot handle. We are each created differently and with a distinct purpose. I truly believe that our Lord will not give us more than we can handle. He knows exactly where we are in our faith life. It is not a coincidence that you live where you live. You are where you are for a reason. For whatever that reason is, you have the faith to accomplish the work he has set before you. We must keep the faith. Some of us has stronger faith than others. We all do not have the same amount of faith. Yes, we all need to continue to read his word, meditate on it and pray to him. Pray and ask God what he wants you to accomplish. He will give you the answers. We must remember that we always have the faith to complete the work that our Lord has created us to do. Jesus loves us. He knows where we are in our faith walk. Yes, we are to continue to build upon our faith, but we should build our faith with baby steps and not try to run to fast. Continue to believe in God’s promises and walk in his ways. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” SO, YOU TOO, MUST KEEP WATCH! FOR YOU DO NOT KNOW THE DAY OR THE HOUR OF MY RETURN.” MATTHEW 25:13

” THE END OF THE WORLD IS COMING SOON. THEREFORE, BE EARNEST AND DISCIPLINED IN YOUR PRAYERS.” 1 PETER 4:7

It is so important to stay strong in the Lord at all times. Each day that we live and each moment that we take a breath of air gets us that much closer to the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The stage is being set. We know he is returning soon but we don’t know the day or the hour. We must be ready every day for something to happen. We must stay disciplined in our prayer time. It is of great importance that we stay plugged into our source at all times. We must be disciplined in our reading and meditating in the Lord’s holy word, and we must stay strong in our times of praise for his great strength and wisdom. We must never let down. We must keep the faith and build upon it each and every day. The Lord has promised that he will deliver us from all evil if we use him as our refuge. He will protect us by his holy shadow if we go to him for help. He is our Lord God in heaven and there is no evil force or evil person who can stand up to the hand of our God! We must trust, delight and dedicate each day to him. We must pray, praise and meditate upon his word. We must believe his mighty promises and never doubt. He is our source of strength, understanding and wisdom. The battle and the war are our victories through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!