Bread of Life, JIL

” YET TRUE GODLINESS WITH CONTENTMENT IS ITSELF GREAT WEALTH. AFTERALL, WE BROUGHT NOTHING WITH US WHEN WE CAME INTO THIS WORLD, AND WE CAN’T TAKE ANYTHING WITH US WHEN WE LEAVE IT.” 1 TIMOTHY 6:6-7

As we look at 1 Timothy 6:6&7 and meditate upon it, the words spoken are very powerful words. When we come into this world and we are growing up, we really don’t expect anything more than being content in our lives. As children we were happy to have great parents, food for our stomachs, a house to live in and the feeling of protection from the outside world. As adults we begin to lose some of this contentment. We begin to live in the world and become a part of the establishment. We try to “keep up with the Jones.” When we die and leave this world, we take nothing with us. We can’t take our money, homes, family or anything else we have accumulated while living on this earth. We should live our lives with the wisdom of God. We should be happy with what he has provided to us and not become greedy. If all that he gives us is food, clothing and shelter to survive, and nothing else, then we should be content because we have more than we had when we came into this world. We should be grateful to our God in heaven for his blessings on us. We should live with the godliness we have been given, with thanks and praise to our Lord God in heaven. Our God doesn’t want us to just survive but wants us to succeed in what we do. He wants us to be healthy and content in what we have so that we represent him well to others. We must trust him to be faithful in our lives and to give us what we need to be great testimonies on his behalf. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

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

It doesn’t matter what kind of struggles you are going through. You may be sick, depressed, angry, confused, bitter, worried, fearful or doubting, but the Lord is with us to help us through whatever we are going through. It doesn’t matter how large or small the struggles are, our Lord is right there to help. We can never give up. The devil and his army of evil is always there to try to stop God’s work. He is always there throwing obstacles in our way. But our God has given us the Holy Spirit to live within us and be with us through all things. We must, however, learn to discern what the Holy Spirit is telling us. We must learn how to use his power. We must first know God’s word. We must know right from wrong and good from bad. We must be willing to meditate upon his word daily and to continue to build our faith. We must remember to take time to pray and ask for the help we need. Even though God knows what we need before we ask, we still need to take it before him. We must be willing to take time to listen and follow the directions he is giving us. We must never go to him with prayer and then pick the prayer request back up and take it with us. We must leave it with him knowing that he has answered it. We must thank him and praise him for the answer even though we may not have experienced its manifestation in our lives. We must truly trust in him to answer and provide the answers to our prayers from his timetable and not ours. He must be first in our lives with nothing before him. When this happens, we will be living in his righteousness and in his love and protection.

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

” BUT GODLINESS IS PROFITABLE FOR ALL THINGS, SINCE IT HOLDS PROMISE FOR THE PRESENT LIFE AND ALSO FOR THE LIFE TO COME.” 1 TIMOTHY 4:8

Our Lord of peace offers us peace of mind. As we continue to strengthen ourselves in the Lord, we should accept this peace of mind no matter the situation we are in. If we will slow down and take a few moments to listen to what message the Holy Spirit is providing to us, we will be able to live our lives with joy and peace. The joy and the peace that we live in will help us to reflect the Godliness of our Lord. It will help us in our lives here on earth and also in our lives to come. Trusting in Jesus allows us to live our lives without fear and doubt. We will be able to walk within the true shelter of our Lord. We will be showing our strength and faith in Jesus. It is important that we trust in him, delight in him and commit our ways unto him. We must stay focused completely on Jesus and his faithfulness to us. If we do, we will be able to live a strong and faithful life here in this world and at the same time witness the ways of Christ to others. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” DO NOT STIFLE THE HOLY SPIRIT. DO NOT SCOFF AT PROPHESIES, BUT TEST EVERYTHING THAT IS SAID. HOLD ONTO WHAT IS GOOD. STAY AWAY FROM EVERY KIND OF EVIL.” 1 THESSALONIANS 5: 19-22

There are many in this world who make fun of the bible. They claim that God’s word is nothing more than mere fantasies and fairy tales. They claim that the bible is just another book. They make fun of those who prophesy God’s intentions. They make fun of those who claim to be filled with the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Oh, how wrong they are. Those of us who know Christ as our Lord and Savior and are focused on his word know, without a shadow of a doubt, that the bible is not just another book, but is the true word of the living God. It is our roadmap as Christians for living a life here on earth that will be successful and one that will help us to lead others to Jesus. God’s word is filled with promises and prophesies about the future. It takes away fear of the unknown, gives us joy, peace and strength, and the ability to overcome the devil and his evil. We have learned by use of the Holy Spirit that we must test everything by way of his Holy Word. We must take everything that is said and compare it to what God says about it. If it is not comparable to the bible, then we are to discard it as false and worldly. We must stay focused. We must never stray from his word. For if we do, the devil will slip in and cause disruption in our lives. He will cause us to stray farther and farther away from God. We must continue to build up our faith each and every day. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” GODLINESS MAKES A NATION GREAT, BUT SIN IS A DISGRACE TO ANY PEOPLE. ” PROVERBS 14:34

Our great United States of America was once looked upon as the strongest and most powerful nation in the world. We were a nation of great influence and feared for our great testimony of “in God we trust.” No longer is that the case. Our great nation has been on the decline for the past several decades as we have removed God from our schools, businesses, churches and government. We have come to accept many liberal thoughts and ideas. What has happened to our nation in the past 12 months is a culmination of all of these decisions that have been allowed to exist within our society. These liberal thoughts and ideas are helping our great land to rot from the inside out. We have elected officials who no longer care for the greater good of each American. The longer we allow the devil to control our schools, our government, our businesses, and our churches, the more likely we are to fail as a nation. We are all witnesses to these things manifested in today’s world. We as Christians must stand up and be counted. The only way to overcome such evil is by prayer and meditation in the Word of God. We must continue to pray for our leaders and believe that God will be placed back into our schools and government. We must instill, once again, the Christian values that our forefathers instilled when this country was founded. We must remember that “Godliness makes a Nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” BUT THE GATEWAY TO LIFE IS VERY NARROW AND THE ROAD IS DIFFICULT AND ONLY A FEW FIND IT.” MATTHEW 7:14

Living a life worthy of Jesus is a very difficult life to live. However, living such a life leads to much joy and peace. With strong faith in Jesus and the use of the Holy Spirit you and I can live such a life. But once we begin our journey in Jesus the devil sets out to destroy everything we do. He places doubts in our path. He puts fear in our thoughts. He uses temptation to push us off of the path. He uses embarrassment and persecution from the world to make us feel very uncomfortable. He uses bitterness toward others and unforgiveness in our hearts to deter us from our goal. He uses jealousy and lust to keep us from following our Lord. We can go and spread God’s word but if we are not producing the fruit then others are not going to believe what we are saying. It is extremely important for us to stay well-grounded in the word of God. We must stay completely focused on Jesus and his ways. We must continue to build upon our faith each and every day. We must be able to stand up in the face of the devil and all of his evil ways and defeat him with the promises of God. Our Lord has given us all of the tools necessary in order to come out victorious. However, we must stay focused and never take our eyes off of Jesus and the end goal. Remember, “We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.” Phil. 4:13.

PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” ALWAYS BE JOYFUL AND NEVER STOP PRAYING. BE THANKFUL IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES, FOR THIS IS GOD’S WILL FOR YOU WHO BELONG TO CHRIST JESUS. ” 1 THESSALONIANS 5:15-18

I learned a long time ago that understanding what the Lord wanted out of me was pretty simple. However, due to the devil and all of his scheming ways I made it very difficult to follow the Lord. I felt confused and out of touch with the Lord. I wanted to do what the Holy Spirit was leading me to do but I would always try to outthink Him. I have been shown on more than one occasion that I try to make things much more difficult than they should be. I had to be reminded that the Lord is the Lord of peace and not confusion. I had to be reminded that he wants me to be successful, joyful and to live with a peace of mind. In order for this to happen there had to be a separation from the world. Yes, I had to live in this world, but I had to understand that I am a child of the living God. I needed to get back into his word and take the time to concentrate on what he was telling me. I had to pray before I read his word and after I read his word. I needed to understand that no matter what situation confronted me I needed to continue to praise Jesus in and through the situation. Without him close to me I could not overcome the obstacles thrown in my way. But, with the Holy Spirit living in me I realized I had the power to overcome. I needed to pray at all times, and I needed to believe, with a newly founded faith, that God’s word is unbreakable. It is the solid rock I needed to be a part of, for the strength I needed. He would get me through all and every situation I was in, and I could have peace of mind through all and every trouble I had to defeat. Always remember to PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THING!

” THE WISE ARE CAUTIOUS AND AVOID DANGER; FOOLS PLUNGE AHEAD WITH RECKLESS CONFIDENCE. ” PROVERBS 14:16

There is a great difference in being confident in the Lord Jesus and the being confident in the ways of the world. As we continue to build our faith the Lord honors our prayers and needs. Because we are faithful, he is faithful. Because he is faithful, we can be confident that he is with us in every situation we confront. However, we must remember to go to him and ask for his help. He will provide us with the wisdom and the knowledge we need each day. We must continue to believe and then receive. We must act upon his word and put into action. If we do not, then we are walking in danger. We are taking a great risk by plunging ahead with confidence that we can do without the Lord’s help. Our Lord is with us always. We should be speaking with him always and without hesitation. He should be the first to come to mind in times of troubles and we should always be praising him for all of the good and great things he does for us. So, let us all be strong, all be cautious, and all be filled with the wisdom and knowledge of our Lord God in heaven. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” FOR GOD CHOSE TO SAVE US THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, NOT TO POUR OUT HIS ANGER ON US.” 1 THESSALONIANS 5:9

God’s time of grace is becoming shorter and shorter. By each breath we take the time is getting closer to his return. We don’t know the time or the day, but we do know the season. We are living in some very strange times. Things are happening that we don’t understand, nor will we probably understand them until the Lord returns. At this very moment we continue to live in God’s time of grace. We still have time to spread his word to others so that they too can become children of the living God. God has made it very clear that he chose to save us through Jesus and not display his anger on us. That is what he has been doing ever since Jesus died upon the cross. However, that time is about to end. Our God is about to display his anger and wrath to the world. When he does, we can be so thankful that we will not be here to experience it. The bible tells us that his time of wrath will be the worst of times. There will be no more grace. Those who then see the light will have to go through great persecution and death in order to be accepted into God’s kingdom. It will be a terrible time to live on the earth. What we are going through now is nothing in comparison. It is important that we each get serious and spread God’s word while there is still time. Our Lord is returning soon! The time gets shorter by each breath we take. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” GOD HAS CALLED US TO LIVE HOLY LIVES, NOT IMPURE LIVES.” 1 THESSALONIANS 4:7

As Christain brothers and sisters we are called to live lives that are worthy of our Lord Jesus. We are not called to surround ourselves with the things of this world. We are not called to live our lives in such a way as to satisfy those around us. We are called to live quiet and honest lives. We should not be seen as troublemakers but as people of faith. We should live in such a way that represents God’s holy word. We should be able to get our points across to the world by using God’s word and his precious Holy Spirit. This is not the easiest thing to do. Our Lord never said that once we accept him as our Lord and Savior that our lives would be one of luxury and with no worries or hard times. As long as we live upon this earth, as followers of Jesus, there will be turmoil. We really need strong faith in Jesus and the Holy Spirit in order to function properly. We need to read and meditate upon his word day and night. We need to know at a moment’s notice just how the Lord wants us to handle any and all situations. We are to live as good, honest and peaceful examples of our Lord Jesus Christ. We must remember that “we can do all thing through Christ who strengthens us.” Phil, 4:13. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THNGS!

” OH, PLEASE HELP US AGAINST OUR ENEMIES, FOR ALL HUMAN HELP IS USELESS. WITH GOD’S HELP WE WILL DO MIGHTY THINGS, FOR HE WILL TRAMPLE DOWN OUR FOES. ” PSALM 60: 11-12

We achieve many things during our days on this earth. We are able to accomplish many great feats in our chosen field of work. We are able achieve greatness in the raising of our families. We have and are still accomplishing many things in life that we just take for granted. Have you ever stopped to wonder just who is truly responsible for our accomplishments? Is it you and me? Well, many times we take credit for things we shouldn’t. But it is important to remember who our source is. We need to take time to remember that our Lord is our source. He is our helper in life. He helps us through our hard times and give us our abilities to be successful. He wants us to be successful in what we do. But he also wants us to be testimonies for him in good and bad situations. When we are being persecuted for our beliefs or for anything we are doing we must be able to go to our source for help. He will help us to conquer and become successful. Any human help we might get, is only temporary. When times get really tough, we often find that our friends are not there when we need them. However, our God is always with us. We need to tap into the Holy Spirit and listen for directions. Our helper is with us every day and in every situation. But we must trust and believe that he will help us. God will never force himself upon us but wants us to come to him in faith and desire his actions. When we do all things will be well. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” LIVE WISELY AMONG THOSE WHO ARE UNBELIEVERS AND MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY. LET YOUR CONVERSATION BE GRACIOUS AND ATTRACTIVE SO THAT YOU WILL HAVE THE RIGHT RESPONSE FOR EVERYONE. ” COLOSSIANS 4:5-6

We all have neighbors or friends or co-workers who are unbelievers. Some are good church goers but have not accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. Some may believe quite contrary to what we believe. Others may not believe at all, trusting only in the world around them. As believers in Christ, we have to be prepared to communicate with all of those around us no matter their beliefs. In order for us to be prepared, it is important that we have a strong prayer life. We must allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives and we must be willing to be patient and quiet before him so that we are able to follow his instructions. He will lead us in the way we are to handle each and every person we communicate with. He will give us the words and the actions we need to live wisely among them. We must be gracious and caring. It is important they feel the love of Jesus radiating from us. We must not be so overbearing that we are turning them away from the Lord before we even get started. Each person is different, and each conversation will be different. We must be prepared. This is an everyday occurrence. The Lord has given us tools to use but we must be able to use them wisely. We must stay plugged into the Lord and be patient. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” LET YOUR ROOTS GROW DOWN DEEP INTO HIM, AND LET YOUR LIVES BE BUILT ON HIM. ” COLOSSIANS 2:7

” 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

When we begin our lives with Jesus we begin as a babe in Christ. It is a new learning experience. We need to start out with soft food, just as a baby does and work our way into the more solid foods. We must continue to grow in Christ. We must never allow ourselves to become stagnant thinking that we have grown enough and need nothing else. We are told to let our roots grow deep into Jesus and his way of life. We are to continue to study and meditate upon his word morning and night. No matter how long we have been a Christian we must continue to grow. Our Lord is very clear in his message to us that we are to set our sights on heaven and not earth. We are to focus on the realities of heaven and live a life with the Lord of heaven by our side. Everything we go through on this earth should be dealt with by our focus on Jesus in heaven. Our answers don’t lie within reach here in this world, but they are with Our Lord Jesus. He provides his children with all the necessary tools in which to live a life of peace and joy upon this earth. However, we must go to him and ask him for his help. Then we must believe in the help. We must not doubt but believe to receive. Doubt, worry and fear will weaken our faith and not allow us to live the life God wants us to live. So, we should continue to focus on things of heaven and not the things of this world. If we do, we will continue to grow and be strong in our Lord. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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

Everyday is a new day and a new day brings new challenges. New challenges bring new and exciting victories in Jesus. I have understood for some time that I am not the most patient person in the room. When I set out to do something I want to get it done and get it done quickly. The problem with this characteristic is that sometimes things are done too quickly, and mistakes are made. I have learned over the years that if I take more time and not be in such a hurry, the job has a better chance of getting done correctly and, in the long run, more swiftly. The same goes for our daily lives in Jesus. When we go to the Lord with our prayers and requests it is very easy to lay them at his feet and then pick them up and carry them away with us. We then find ourselves continuing to worry and fret about these problems all over again. This is not what our Lord desires. We need to lay our prayers at his feet and leave them there. We are to be patient and believe that he is taking care of them. If we continue to worry, then we are not fully trusting him for our answers. The Lord works on his own time schedule and not ours. WE MUST TRUST AND BELIEVE! THEN BE PATIENT AND RECEIVE! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” DON’T BE SELFISH, DON’T TRY TO IMPRESS OTHERS. BE HUMBLE THINKING OF OTHERS AS BETTER THAN YOURSELVES. DON’T LOOK OUT ONLY FOR YOUR OWN INTERESTS BUT TAKE AN INTEREST IN OTHERS TOO. ” PHILIPPIANS 2:3-4

Socializing is a huge part of our lives. We have been given the ability to converse with those around us. It is important that we make good use of this time and wisely choose our words and actions. As we follow Jesus through our journey here in this world, we have been given great opportunities to socialize with other brothers and sisters as well as with non-believers. Sometimes we can get so wrapped up in ourselves and our own needs that we miss these opportunities that our God puts before us. If we are being humble and thinking of others, we will not miss them. There is a purpose for all situations. It just doesn’t happen that others are placed in our path. There are needs to meet, bodies to be healed, salvations to take place, and emotionally drained individuals to be replenished with God’s strength. There is always something to be accomplished. There is always a plan in place. We should be prepared for every opportunity we have. We should stay in constant communication with our Lord God in heaven. We should ask for him to open our eyes to every situation that we confront and give us the ability to deal with it in his name. We should pray in the Holy Spirit and listen as he guides us through these situations. If we pray always and trust our Lord to answer us, then we should be alert and aware of his answers. Be ready to help others. You just may be the tool the Lord is using to help someone come to the Lord or become healed. Always be prepared with a strong faith and belief in our God in heaven. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” WORK HARD TO SHOW THE RESULTS OF YOUR SALVATION, BY OBEYING GOD WITH DEEP REVERENCE AND FEAR. FOR GOD IS WORKING IN YOU, GIVING YOU THE DESIRE AND THE POWER TO DO WHAT PLEASES HIM. ” PHILIPPIANS 2: 12-13

Each and every one of us have a life to live and a story to tell. That story is either going to be one of living in the world or one of living in Christ Jesus. All of our stories begin at birth but when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior our stories change. Our life changes, the way we live changes and the way we speak changes. However, our stories become more complex as we live longer lives. The Lord has things for us to do and to accomplish. We have to be patient before him and listen to the small still voice of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been given to each of us to live within us and direct us in our daily lives. He directs us to not only live a life that is acceptable to God but also to help us to be successful and triumphant. We must continue to live in the Lord each and everyday. We must love him and obey him. We must honor him and praise him. Our primary job on this earth is to win others to Christ. We are tools used by God to help save them from an eternity in hell. We are tools that the Lord our God in heaven uses to complete his work. We should strive to tell stories of salvation, healing and forgiveness. We should keep our focus on Jesus by living our lives in joy and peace and be able to spread our stories to others. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” BUT I FOCUS ON THIS ONE THING: FORGETTING THE PAST AND LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT LIES AHEAD. I PRESS ON TO REACH THE END OF THE RACE AND RECEIVE THE HEAVENLY PRIZE FOR WHICH GOD, THROUGH CHRIST JESUS, IS CALLING US. ” PHILIPPIANS 3:13-14

” DON’T WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING; INSTEAD PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING. TELL GOD WHAT YOU NEED AND THANK HIM FOR ALL HE HAS DONE.” PHILIPPEANS 4: 6

Sometimes it is easy to relive the past because we have been through it, and we have already experienced it. However, that isn’t the way to live our lives. We are to look to the future and what lies ahead of us. The problem with that is that we don’t really know what the future holds for us. That can sometimes be scary and seem very unstable. We are in a race to the very end, and we cannot slow up. We cannot allow the past or any other obstacle to hinder our journey. To stay the course, we are told not to worry about anything but to pray about everything. We are to stay in constant communication with our Lord and tell him what we need and thank him for everything he has done. With a good prayer life, we can clear up our future. As we read and meditate within God’s Holy Word, we will find answers and receive directions. It is so important that we surround ourselves with the things of God. We cannot be impatient, but we must be quiet before him and allow him to work in our lives. Impatience, on our part, will help to create doubt, and doubt will help create fear and worry. Staying close to our Lord and making him the focal point of each day will help us to stay strong in him and to finish the race strong. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” UNLESS YOUR FAITH IS FIRM, I CANNOT MAKE YOU STAND FIRM. ” ISAIAH 7:9

Our Lord God in heaven makes it pretty clear that without our total faith in him he cannot work adequately in our lives. He has given us a free will to live our lives how we choose. He made it clear from the beginning that he is not a forceful God but a loving God. He wants us to be his child because we choose to be. To choose him we must believe in Him. To believe in Him we must trust him. To trust in Him we must have a faith that is so strong that it allows us to trust in the unseen. Our faith must be so strong that it allows us to overcome our human nature and believe in things of the spiritual world. We must retrain ourselves in the way we act and speak. We must train ourselves up in the Holy Spirit. We must surround ourselves with the things of God, his word and his mighty presence through the Holy Spirit. We must stay in his word every day. We must pray in the Spirit every day. We must give him the praise he so richly deserves every day. We must stay in tune with the Holy Spirit every day. If we do, our Lord will set us high above all of our troubles and concerns. He will give us the wisdom to live our lives in joy and peace. He will comfort us in times of need, and he will carry us through deep waters and over the highest of mountains when we are tired. He is our loving God, and he wants to help us live our lives without fear, doubt and worry. With his help we can live through the most troubling of times and come through knowing, that in the end, our Lord has made us victorious!

PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” WHATEVER HAPPENS, MY DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, REJOICE IN THE LORD. ” PHILIPPIANS 3:1

There is no “IF” in Jesus. Our Lord can do all things and does do all things if we allow him to. The “IF” factor is not in Jesus but in each of us. I would guess that we all would be very surprised if we counted how many times, we say the word “if” in our daily conversations with others and with our God in heaven. The “IF” factor allows doubt, worry and fear to enter into our lives. It allows the devil a foot hold. We must have a strong faith in Jesus and be strong in the way we live and speak. We must speak with confidence in the Lord and his promises. We must continue to read and meditate upon his word. No matter the circumstances thrown before us, we must rejoice in the Lord. We must continue to trust God and have a strengthened faith to believe that he is in control of the situation at hand. We must allow the Holy Spirit to work through us and guide us in all of our ways. If we listen closely, we will hear his voice and his thoughts. If we follow his instructions and do not stray from them, we will be able to rejoice in the Lord always and live our lives with the confidence God has intended for each of us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” LIVE CLEAN, INNOCENT LIVES AS CHILDREN OF GOD, SHINING LIKE BRIGHT LIGHTS IN A WORLD FULL OF CROOKED AND PERVERSE PEOPLE.” PHILIPPIANS 2:15

We are to represent our Lord and Savior through good and bad situations. We are surrounded by people who are worried, fearful, and without hope. To them there is no light at the end of the tunnel. All they are able to see are the things that are going on in this world and you and I know what that looks like. Without hope, without faith and a belief in Jesus, there looks as though there is no end to this great turmoil. It appears that our country is living on the edge and is ready to topple over at any time. As children of God, we have the hope and the belief and the faith. We know the outcome. We know the author and creator of life and death. We know the way through the jungle of life. We have the light, and we are to be shining lights to others by living in the ways of our Lord. To some we are able talk and to witness but to others our way of life is the witness. The way we live with joy in our hearts and a smile on our faces in times of stress and difficulties, are being closely watched by those around us. The way we depend upon our Lord Jesus through the faith and belief we have built is being heavily scrutinized by others. Our Lord wants us to be living testimonies and shining lights to all around us, so that in this time of grace, others can find the answers they need through Jesus. By continuing to build our faith and continuing to cling to Jesus we will continue to be that burning light that so many others need to see and follow. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” SALVATION IS NOT A REWARD FOR THE GOOD THINGS WE HAVE DONE, SO NONE OF US CAN BOAST ABOUT IT. ” EPHESIANS 2:9

Our salvation is not the result of anything you and I have accomplished in life. It has nothing to do with how much we give in money or time. It has nothing to do with how much we attend church or help with the church activities. It has nothing to with how many organizations we belong to or how many times we have helped our neighbors. These are all great things and are all the result of our salvation. God loves us so much that he has given us the free gift of salvation. He loves us so much that he sent Jesus to this earth to die for us a humiliating death on the cross. The only reaction that is needed, in order to receive this free gift is that you must truly believe and confess that Jesus is your Lord and Savior. It doesn’t matter whether you are Jew or Gentile, black or white. Once we have accepted Christ, we are all brothers and sisters in Jesus. We cannot boast about being saved because we have done nothing to deserve it. Salvation is a complete action of love from our God in heaven. PRAISE THE LORD FOR HIS LOVE AND THE GREAT GIFT OF SALVATION!

” BE STRONG IN THE LORD AND HIS MIGHTY POWER. PUT ON ALL OF GOD’S ARMOR SO THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO STAND FIRM AGAINST ALL STRATEGIES OF THE DEVIL. FOR WE ARE NOT FIGHTING AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD ENEMIES, BUT AGAINST EVIL RULERS AND AUTHORITIES OF THE UNSEEN WORLD, AGAINST MIGHTY POWERS IN THIS DARK WORLD, AND AGAINST EVIL SPIRITS IN HEAVENLY PLACES.” EPHESIANS 6: 10-12

We are in a war between evil and good. We are in a war against the evil spirits of the spiritual world. If you and I go into battle alone, we will be crushed. We stand absolutely no chance against the devil and his army of evil. However, if we go into this spiritual battle prepared with every ounce of God’s mighty armor in place, then we will secure victory. It is important that we arm ourselves with truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation and the Holy Spirit. We must pray in the Spirit on all occasions, and we must be persistent in our prayer lives. The Lord our God has provided us with all of the tools necessary for victory. We must, however, have the wisdom and the knowledge to use them. We must have a faith that will never crack. We must surround ourselves with God’s mighty word and be persistent in all that we do in the name of Jesus. We must use all of the armor of God with authority. The battles we face every day, and the war we are fighting, have already been won. We just need to plug into the source who has provided that victory and be a part of winning others to Christ with the way we live and the way we speak. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” THE LORD IS OUR GOD, THE LORD ALONE. AND YOU MUST LOVE THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, ALL YOUR SOUL, AND ALL YOUR STRENGTH. AND YOU MUST COMMIT YOURSELVES WHOLEHEARTEDLY TO THESE COMMANDS THAT I AM GIVING YOU TODAY. REPEAT THEM AGAIN AND AGAIN TO YOUR CHILDREN. TALK ABOUT THEM WHEN YOU ARE HOME AND WHEN YOU ARE ON THE ROAD, WHEN YOU ARE GOING TO BED AND WHEN YOU ARE GETTING UP. TIE THEM ON YOUR HANDS AND WEAR THEM ON YOUR FOREHEAD AS REMINDERS.” DEUTERONOMY 6:4-8

Confusion is running wild in our world today. There is confusion about Covid-19 and just how to stay safe and keep others safe. There is confusion as to how and why our great country has taken such a downturn in our way of life. There is confusion as to what is right and wrong in our world. You listen to one person, and they believe in one solution and to another and they believe in different solution. Our world today is not the most secure place to live, especially without knowing our Lord God in heaven. If you are having problems in believing anything that is happening in our world today, then it is time to take a step back and analyze just where you are in your relationship to the Lord Jesus. There is no better time than now than to strengthen our relationship with him. We need to begin separating ourselves from the ways of the world and begin to surround ourselves with the holy word of God. In order to do this, we must commit, with all of our heart, to the ways of our Lord and Savior. We must read and meditate upon his word, we must study his word, we must pray over his word. We must replace our news channels with the bible. You and I are living in the last days. Everything that is happening in today’s world is laid our very well within scripture. All end time prophecies have been met and the Lord stands at the door ready to come back. It is so easy to get fooled in today’s world. The devil is running wild, and confusion is everywhere. In order to survive we must know the word of God and we must live the word of God. The Lord’s true word should be on our minds 24/7. His word is the truth and the only truth and nothing but the truth! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” GOD SAVED YOU BY HIS GRACE WHEN YOU BELIEVED. AND YOU CAN’T TAKE CREDIT FOR THIS; IT IS A GIFT FROM GOD.” EPHESIANS 2:8

There is not a single person in this world that is strong enough to save themselves. There is nothing you or I can physically do that will get us into heaven. Salvation comes from one source and that source is our God in heaven. Our God loves us so much that he wrapped up his son and gave him to us as a gift. It is through Jesus that we are cleansed. It is through his death and his resurrection that we are welcomed into the kingdom of God. Without the sacrifice that he so graciously gave, we cannot be saved. The only thing that is required of you and me is to believe in him. Upon that belief we are saved. We change. Our attitudes change, our ways of life change. The way we speak changes. The people around us begin to see us in a different light. God has given us a wonderful gift, the gift of salvation. We should unwrap it and hold it closely. We should never let go. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” I ALSO PRAY THAT YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THE INCREDIBLE GREATNESS OF GOD’S POWER FOR US WHO BELIEVE. THIS IS THE SAME MIGHTY POWER THAT RAISED CHRIST FROM THE DEAD AND SEATED HIM IN THE PLACE OF HONOR AT GOD’S RIGHT HAND IN THE HEAVENLY REALMS.” EPHESIANS 1:19-20

When we understand how powerful the name of Jesus is, is when we will be able to walk with confidence and strength in our own lives. The power of Jesus is the same power that raised him from the dead and seated him at God’s right hand in heaven. Our God loves you and I so much that gave up his son to die a cruel death on the cross so that we could live. It is not God’s desire that we live in poverty, fear, doubt and worry. It is not his desire that we live our lives each day in depression, sadness, anger, and rage. It is not his desire that we live our lives harboring bitterness and unforgiveness. It IS his desire that we live a life of joy, peace, strength, confidence, strong faith and health. It is his desire that you and I live a life as Jesus did when he was on this earth. We have the same power, the same hope and the same strength that Jesus had. All we have to do is believe it, receive it, and act upon it. The name of Jesus is powerful! The Holy Spirit that God has given us is powerful. Let us use them and be confident in each, for the life that God’s want for us. No matter the situation we find ourselves in we should be displaying the Joy of Jesus. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” I WILL RESCUE THOSE WHO LOVE ME. I WILL PROTECT THOSE WHO TRUST IN MY NAME” PSALM 91:14

We are to love our Lord God in heaven. Just what is the definition of love? “Love is to feel a deep affection or an intense feeling for someone.” Is that the way we feel for our Lord? That is exactly how the Lord loves us. He considers us to be a part of his family and he will do anything for us if just allow him to. However, we must love him in return. To truly love him we must truly know him. We must treat him as a part of our family. We must allow him to become involved in or lives. We must not treat him as some existing force who lives in some other universe. He lives within each of us, in the presence of the Holy Spirit. He is with us all of the time. If we involve him in our daily lives, then our daily lives will become something very special. Our lives should reflect the way he wants us to live. We should include patience, humility, gentleness and the ability to do good and not evil. If we truly love him, for the person he is, he will then rescue us. If we totally trust in his word and promises he will protect us all day long. We don’t have to live in fear or doubt or worry. We don’t have to be depressed or lonely. We have our Lord who is with us now and forever! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” FOR GOD HAS NO FAVORITES. ” GAL.2:6

Our God has no favorites. He loves each and every one of us equally. He disciplines us when we are disobedient and rewards us when we are faithful to his word. God’s outlook for our life is equal to that of our faithful brothers and sisters. He may use us differently by giving us different gifts for winning others to Christ but his main goal for each of us is that we have complete faith and trust in Him and his Word. If we find ourselves looking at others and lusting after what they have in life or being jealous of what they have been blessed with, we need to take a step back and begin to examine our own life in Christ. We need to narrow our focus and look straight ahead at what is before us. We must refocus our lives upon Jesus where we find, peace, love and joy and not hatred, jealousy and back biting. He loves us all with one goal in mind and that goal is to love our Lord with all of our heart, soul and spirit. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” THE WORDS OF THE GODLY ENCOURAGE MANY, BUT FOOLS ARE DESTROYED BY THEIR LACK OF COMMEN SENSE.” PROVERBS 10:21

The words that we speak are very powerful and can be used for good and bad. Idle words are probably the most dangerous because we don’t even realize what we are saying or how it is affecting others. We need to very careful when using the words we use. We should consider our tongues as loaded weapons. Our God is very clear that we should be encouraging others and not tearing them down. We need to give careful thought to each word we use. A kind word will go a long way in making someone’s day better. If we take a loaded gun and shoot it into a crowd, we are going to injure or kill a lot of people. We will ruin and change lives forever. Our tongue is no different. The words we speak can either save people or tear them down. They can help to give everlasting life or create complete destruction. It is very important that we choose our words, and the way we use them, wisely. If we continue to seek God every day in prayer and stay surrounded by His word, then we will be more inclined to be filled with the joy of the Lord. That joy will be included in the way we speak to others and help those we are around to be influenced with words of encouragement and not anger, jealousy or bitterness. We should stay in the presence of the Lord and be an encouraging influence on others. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“COMMIT EVERYTHING YOU DO TO THE LORD. TRUST HIM AND HE WILL HELP YOU.” PS. 37:5

Following Jesus is a continuous learning experience. We are to “sell out” to Jesus in everything we do and speak. I know from personal experience that this is easier said than done. As we walk through each day, we are surrounded with all the things of the world. We are surrounded with all of the worldly attitudes, thoughts and actions. It is nearly impossible to get away from the world when you live in it. Everywhere you turn, the world and its ways are there. It is so easy to get caught up in all of waves of concern, fear and anger being displayed by those of the world. Yet, we are supposed to commit everything we do and say to the Lord our God. We are to shun the ways of the world and have focus on Jesus and do as he instructs us to do. If we have not taught ourselves and disciplined ourselves to do this, then it sometimes becomes discouraging. Before we can commit our ways unto the Lord, we must first be able to trust him. We must know his promises. We must trust in his promises. We must believe that he is faithful in all that he does and speaks. We must believe that he never has failed and never will fail on any promise he has given to us. The more we surround ourselves with his word the more we will believe. The more we believe the more we will trust. Once we have complete trust in our God then we will be able to commit each day, each thought, each action and each problem to him. We must discipline ourselves to be silent before him and listen. We must discipline ourselves to patient before him. We must make him our total life. He must be the way we live in this world. With our Lord in the lead, he guarantees us success and peace. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” THERE IS NO LONGER JEW OR GENTILE, SLAVE OR FREE, MALE OR FEMALE. FOR YOU ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS.” GALATIANS 3:28

It seems that all we hear in today’s world is about the inequality of life for all. Everything is turned into a conversation about prejudices and how unfairly one segment of society is treated verses another segment of society. In the world of today we are making inequality larger than it may be. Yes, it does exist in our world. However, for those in Christ, this issue was dealt with thousands of years ago. In Galatians it was made very clear that there is no distinction between black and white, male and female, Jew or Gentile, short or tall. We are all one in Jesus. We are all united in Christ and we are all treated the same. We have the same Jesus, the same promises he provides in his word, the same bible, the same prayer abilities and the same communication. Our Lord treats all equally. If we are truly living in Jesus, we will see each other as children of Christ and not as individuals with distinct differences. We have all been made differently. There are no two alike. While living in this world we must be able to live with these differences and account for each of them. But, through our Lord’s eyes we are one, we are his children. No matter our skin color, our temperament or personality, we all come to Jesus in the same way. We all have the same measure of faith, and we all need to strengthen our faith on a daily basis. It is important to remember how Jesus treated those around him when he lived upon this earth. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!