Bread of Life, JIL

” FOR THE SCRIPTURES SAY, IT IS BY FAITH THAT A RIGHTEOUS PERSON HAS LIFE.” GAL. 3:11

I know for a fact that I want to have a righteous life in the sight of my God in heaven. I know that the only way to God is though my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I also know that the way to Jesus is through my faith. I have too truly believe in someone who I have never seen physically. I have to read the word of God, listen to the Holy Spirit and carefully listen to what he tells me, and then believe wholeheartedly by being a doer of his word. I must put my faith into action because that is part of the belief. Without a strong faith this is all impossible. The faith that I have built and continue to strengthen has to be fortified with long lasting prayer and praise for my Lord. I have to come to the realization that I am a spiritual being living in this world and not a worldly being trying to reach out into the spiritual realm. The devil will throw obstacles, every doubt, every fear and every illness, and every worry in front of me to stop the progression of my faith. But, in order to stay strong in the Lord I must continue to grow. I must stay heavily involved in the ways of God and not succumb to the ways of the world. If I stay focused on the path the Lord has set out for me then I will have life. I will have a life that will always include the shelter and safety of my Lord God in heaven. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” OBVIOUSLY I AM NOT TRYING TO WIN APPROVAL OF PEOPLE, BUT OF GOD. IF PLEASING PEOPLE WERE MY GOAL, I WOULD NOT BE CHRIST’S SERVANT.” GAL. 1:10

Being a servant of Christ is not easy. It wasn’t easy for Jesus to take our place on the cross. However, he did so with a dedicated love for us. I can’t even imagine what that death would have been like. Our Lord wants each and every one of us to live a great life here on earth. It is not his intention for any of us to be sickly, fearful, doubtful or worried about our every move. His desire is for us to be healed emotionally, financially, spiritually and physically. Our problems are caused when we try to listen to the world and do things on our own. To be successful we need to trust in the Lord in all areas of our lives. He needs to become, if he hasn’t already, our focus. He must be the first one we go to in times of need. We must go to him with praise when we are successful and joyful. We must surround ourselves with his mighty presence. We must recognize and listen to the Holy Spirit. We must know his thoughts and ideas by reading and meditating in his word. We must not put our focus on the world but on our Lord. We must attach ourselves to every word and thought he provides to us and never let go. We must serve him in body and spirit. If being successful and following the ways of the world are our goals, then we are not servants of Christ. But if Jesus becomes our focus, then being a servant of Christ is our reward. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” BE JOYFUL. GROW TO MATURITY. ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER. LIVE IN HARMONY AND PEACE. THEN THE GOD OF LOVE AND PEACE WILL BE WITH YOU. ” 2 COR. 13:11

We are to surround ourselves with the things of God. We are to stay acquainted with his ways, his servants’ attitude and his joy. We are to continue to grow in him. We cannot continue to grow if we are not continually connected to him in every way we live. Our Lord God in heaven must become our way of life. We must take time and not only pray and praise him but also to listen to him. Sometimes we do all of the talking and don’t let our Lord get a word in. He has given us the holy Spirt to help us, guide us and protect us. We must, however, listen to him and do as he instructs. We may not always agree or have the desire or energy to follow him in his instructions, but we must encourage one another and live with the knowledge that we are a part of God’s great army and that we all are going through things that are difficult for us. We must all work together in harmony and represent our Lord well. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” I WILL NOT JUDGE THOSE WHO HEAR ME BUT DON’T OBEY ME, FOR I HAVE COME TO SAVE THE WORLD AND NOT TO JUDGE IT.” JOHN 12:47

” BUT ALL WHO REJECT ME AND MY MESSAGE WILL BE JUDGED ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT BY THE TRUTH I HAVE SPOKEN. ” JOHN 12:48

We are currently living in a time of grace. Jesus has not come to judge but has come and died for us to save us. You and I are not perfect, and we cannot be. We can, however, strive to be as much like Jesus as we can be. We need to surround ourselves with the things of God so that we are aware and remember the ways of our Lord. But because we are not perfect, we do and will make mistakes. When we make those mistakes, we must remember that our Lord is not judging us, but instead, is here to forgive us and help us to get back on the path he has set us on. Jesus is not here to condemn. Our God in heaven has set a distinct time for judgment. It is our goal to be judged righteous and to receive our rewards rather than to be judged unrighteous and receive eternal damnation. So, let us all take advantage of the grace that is being poured out on the world right now. Our Lord Jesus is here to help us not judge us. Let’s listen to and use the Holy Spirit as our guide in life. Let’s remember to go to God, in the name of Jesus and ask for forgiveness the moment we have realized our mistakes. He loves us very much, but his time of grace is running out. We do not want to be involved in his time of judgement for this world. We should use all of the common sense and wisdom he has given us and not be as foolish as the world! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” AND SHE WILL HAVE A SON, AND YOU ARE TO NAME HIM JESUS, FOR HE WILL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS. ” MATTHEW 1:21

WHAT A DAY THIS IS. WE ARE CELEBRATING THE BIRTH OF OUR SALVATION. WITHOUT THIS DAY OUR LIVES WOULD BE USELESS. WE WOULD BE HEADING TO TOTAL DESTRUCTION. HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THIS DAY OUR GOD IN HEAVEN HAS SAVED THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN HIS SON JESUS CHRIST! JESUS ENTERED THIS WORLD TO LIVE A LIFE FOR YOU AND ME. TO GO THROUGH PERSECUTION, STRUGGLES AND THE OVERALL REALITIES OF THIS LIFE. YOU AND I ARE SO BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO OPENLY CELEBRATE THE BIRTH OF OUR JESUS CHRIST! WE SHOULD BE CONSCIENCE OF HIS BIRTH EACH DAY AND CELEBRATE IT WITH AS MUCH GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION THAT WE CAN. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EACH AND EVERY ONE.

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

Focus! Focus! Focus! It is so important that we as believers and followers of Christ Jesus stay focused on the foundation of wisdom. Fear of the Lord, loving him with all of our being, is the key to all of our success in life. Jesus loves us unconditionally. As we pray each day and stay in his presence, we are filled with not only the joy of the Lord, but also the wisdom that he so graciously gives us. As we continue to deepen our relationship with Him our judgments and our decisions become more clearly displayed before us. As long as we stay focused on the Lord Jesus and listen carefully to what he is saying we will find our life to one of joy and success. He does not want us to fail. He wants each of us to feel safe and secure in everything we do and speak. However, the only way this can happen is for us to stay totally connected to him. Read his word and meditate upon it. Pray to him constantly and give him the praise he so richly deserves each and every day. If we do this and understand how he wants us to live our lives, we will be all the richer for it. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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

” FOR WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN I AM STRONG.” 2 COR. 12:10

Have you ever noticed that when we are going through times of stress or trouble, that these are the times we depend upon our God the most? When things are going well in our lives, we will more often than not forget about what the Lord has done for us along the way. We seem to forget to praise him for all of the good things he has done to get us to where we are. This is an area we need to correct. But when things take a turn for the worst then we usually go to God for help. Our Lord God in heaven is able to show his strength through our weaknesses. That is why is so important that we go to him in prayer and ask for his help and then take a step back and let him display his strength. Many times, we will ask and then try to fix things on our own. As a result, this never works. So, keep in mind that it is in our times of weakness that our God is working within his strength. It is through these times that you and I can be witnesses for Christ. Our lives are able to reflect his great strength. So, when we are at our weakest moments in life, we are actually at our strongest because of the great power of our God. We need to take advantage of these times and represent him well in all that he does. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” IF YOU MAKE THE LORD YOUR REFUGE, IF YOU MAKE THE MOST HIGH YOUR SHELTER, NO EVIL WILL CONQUER YOU; NO PLAGUE WILL COME NEAR YOUR HOME. ” PSALM 91: 9-10

I have made it a practice to read Psalm 91 each and every day. I am sure that there are others who do the same. It contains such calming promises from our God. In order for us to be able to live by any and all promises from the Lord it is necessary that we eliminate all doubt, worry and fear from our lives. If we are intertwined within the worries and struggles of this world, then we are allowing fear and doubt in. Faith and doubt cannot exist in the same place at the same time. It is wise that we keep up with worldly affairs so that we know what is happening. The question is how to do this without becoming intimately involved with the world and its ways. The answer to that question lies within the presence of the Holy Spirit. If we watch the news or listen to others speaking about worldly events, we must keep in mind that we are not of this world. When we hear the things that are happening, we should be listening as though we are watching and listening from afar. We should be watching and listening with the trust that our God in heaven is in total control and has his children and their needs at the forefront of all that he does. If we totally trust in what our Lord says through his many promises for our lives, then we can look at the world today with confidence that we will succeed through Christ. No matter the situation we find ourselves in He is with us. He promises to go before us. All we have to do is trust him and let him work through us. If we are watching and listening to the world through the eyes and ears of the Holy Spirit, we will be led and directed to succeed. We should not fear but we should listen, read, meditate and pray. There is a great ending for those who trusts in the Lord! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” RABBI, HIS DISCIPLES ASKED HIM, ‘ WHY WAS THIS MAN BORN BLIND? WAS IT BECAUSE OF HIS OWN SINS OR HIS PARENTS SINS? JESUS ANSWERED, ‘ THIS HAPPENED SO THE POWER OF GOD COULD BE SEEN IN HIM! WE MUST QUICKLY CARRY OUT THE TASKS ASSIGNED US BY THE ONE WHO SENT US.’ ” JOHN 9:2-4

I often hear others ask the question ” why did God allow this sickness or this disease or this death to happen to such a good person? When I hear these questions, I must remember that our God in heaven has given us all a purpose in life. It seems as though we all carry a burden of some kind, whether it be a disease, a deformity, an unhappy childhood, the loss of someone at a very early age or any other burden we may bare. No matter the situation and no matter the result of the burden, our Lord God has given us a task to complete. There is an orderly and complete purpose in everything our God does. We may not think of it or understand the reasoning behind his purpose but that doesn’t matter. What we must do is believe in him. We must live our lives in such a way that others see our faith rise up before all of our sickness, disease, sadness, or whatever the burden, and live our life with confidence and joy in our Lord Jesus. We must allow the power of God to be seen in us. As we believe we begin to receive. Our faith becomes stronger, and our lives are allowed to be used by Christ for his good purpose. We must remember that we were put on this earth for a reason. We must believe our Lord Jesus for the reason. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” IN VIEW OF ALL THIS, MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO RESPOND TO GOD’S PROMISES. SUPPLEMENT YOUR FAITH WITH A GENEROUS PROVISION OF MORAL EXCELLENCE, AND MORAL EXCELLENCE WITH KNOWLEDGE, AND KNOWLEDGE WITH SELF-CONTROL, AND SELF-CONTROL WITH PATIENT ENDURANCE, AND PATIENT ENDURANCE WITH GODLINESS AND GODLINESS WITH BROTHERLY AFFECTION, AND BROTHERLY AFFECTION WITH LOVE FOR EVERYONE.” 2 PETER 1:5-7

” THE MORE YOU GROW LIKE THIS THE MORE PRODUCTIVE AND USEFUL YOU WILL BE IN YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.” 2 PETER 1:8

All of our dealings with God are built upon the foundation of our faith. Building faith is much like baking a cake. There are certain ingredients that are necessary for the cake to turn out as it should. Faith has certain company it hangs around with, and that company consists of the ingredients that are necessary for our faith to be strong. Those friends of faith are:

1. Virtue (moral excellence);
2. Knowledge (a renewed mind);
3. Temperance (self-control);
4. Patience (waiting with joy);
5. Godliness (like God);
6. Brotherly Love (kindness); and
7. Charity (love for everyone)

If we are lacking any of the ingredients that faith needs, then our faith will not be as strong as it can and should be. To continue to build our faith we need each of these ingredients to be included and we need to stay strong in each. It is wise as we continually build upon our faith each day to take a step back and review the strength of our faith ingredients. Are we lacking in any area? Is it necessary to refocus on our Lord and his many promises? The more we analyze, the more we grow. And the more we grow the more productive we will be in Jesus. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” FOR THE KIND OF SORROW GOD WANTS US TO EXPERIENCE LEADS US AWAY FROM SIN AND RESULTS IN SALVATION. ” 2 COR. 7:10

We have all experienced sorrows in our life. We can use these sorrows to either create and harbor grudges and anger or we can use the sorrows to experience a closeness with our Lord God in heaven. Grudges and anger lead us down a path of destruction and sin. We lead lives of fear, doubt and worry. We trust no one and we have anger and bitterness toward everyone. This is not what the Lord wants us to do. He wants us to believe in him and understand that no matter the situation he has all things under control. He wants us to show his love to others and be compassionate and truthful. He wants us to live our lives with strength, joy, honor and peace. If we do the sorrows that we face will lead in the direction of strengthened faith and a life that will demonstrate to others the love of God that offers salvation, healing and forgiveness. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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

As we go about our lives each day it is hard to consistently remember that our Lord is with us through it all. Psalm 37:5 tells us to commit and trust him. If we do, he will help us. Whether we are pounding a nail on a construction site, getting ready to go into a business meeting, or tending to our household chores, we should be committing our ways to the Lord. Our day will go so much smoother with our Lord sitting beside us and helping us to complete our day. Helping us to stay safe and making our decisions wise. He should be involved in every thought we have and every action we take. With him we can do all things but without him we are nothing. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” BE STILL IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD AND WAIT PATIENTLY FOR HIM TO ACT.” PSALM 37:7

When we turn our struggles and troubles over to the Lord, we need to leave them with him and let him take over. They are no longer our problems but are now his problems. The more we interfere the longer it takes the Lord to complete his work in our lives. We must understand that the Lord sees the whole picture. The answer to our prayer may be affecting someone else or creating a situation in someone else’s life that now needs his complete attention. We need to be patient. We need to stand still before him and let him do things on his time schedule. We need to wait patiently for him to act. He will act! He promises! Our Lord never fails on a promise! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” FOR THE LORD SEES CLEARLY WHAT A MAN DOES, EXAMINING EVERY PATH HE TAKES. ” PROVERBS 5:21

There are no secrets. There is absolutely no way to hide from our Lord God in heaven. He knows every move we make, every decision we make, and every thought we have. We may be able to hide our thoughts form others but our God in heaven sees and knows. It is so important that we take the right path. That we are always talking with God. We should be involving him in every decision we make. He has given us a free will so that we can prove to him that our love for him is honest and true. We have the choice to follow him or follow the world. If we are following the Lord, then we are following the things that are unseen. We are going against the ways of the world. Jesus knows our hearts. He knows our deepest secrets. He knows where our dedication lies. He’s sees clearly the path we have chosen. It is important that we choose his way and his path. It isn’t easy. The Lord has never told us that following him would be easy. We still have mountains to climb over and valleys to climb out of. We still have much persecution to endure. But, with following the Lord we have help. We have the Lord who has promised that he is with us and goes before us. We just need to build our faith and believe we receive because God is our Source and not the world. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” THIS IS THE ONLY WORK GOD WANTS FROM YOU: BELIEVE IN THE ONE HE SENT. ” JOHN 6:29

” FOR WE LIVE BY BELIEVING AND NOT BY SEEING.” 2 COR. 5:7

We are brought up in this world to believe by seeing. When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we must turn that way of thinking around and begin living our lives by believing what is unseen. This is not a simple matter by which you can just flip a switch and we are suddenly living by believing. There are many forces on this earth trying hard to distract us and lead you down a different path. We all know that the devil and his team is working 24/7 to keep us from doing anything God wants us to do. The devil is a false God and is just the opposite of God. He is going to hell and wants to take you and I with him. We also have spent our lives being trained that we must see to believe. So, we must re-train ourselves to believe with faith. This re-training takes a lot of time and effort. It is important that believing by faith become a part of our lives. We must keep our focus on God’s Word and the many promises he has given us. We must pray each day for his continued help. We all have a measure of faith. We had to have faith in order to believe in Jesus for our salvation, healings and forgiveness of sins. However, the Lord has made it clear that we must take that to the next level so that we can live a more secure and joyful life here on earth and be the best testimonies possible. We must continue to build our faith. We must keep our faith at the forefront of our thoughts, words and actions. If we do our testimonies for Christ will become stronger and stronger. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” THOUGH OUR BODIES ARE DYING, OUR SPIRITS ARE BEING RENEWED EVERY DAY. FOR OUR PRESENT TROUBLES ARE SMALL AND WONT LAST VERY LONG.” 2 COR. 4:16-17

” SO, WE DON’T LOOK AT THE TROUBLES WE CAN SEE NOW, RATHER WE FIX OUR GAZE ON THINGS THAT CANNOT BE SEEN.” 2 COR. 4:18

We all have troubles and problems in our lives. Whether they be physical, mental, financial or spiritual in nature we all must confront daily problems. If we spend all of our time and efforts focusing on how we are going to overcome those problems, we will waste our days and most likely accomplish nothing in the long haul. Whether we live a short life here on this earth or whether we live to be 100 years old our days are numbered, and our lives are relatively short in this world when we compare it to God’s great plan. As we get older our bodies begin to fail and things begin to go wrong. But we can be comforted to remember that we are spiritual beings and that our spirits are being renewed each day. The troubles we have in this world are nothing when it comes to God’s plan of eternal life for those who believe. So, it is important that we pray and leave the details to our God in heaven. You and I should use our time to focus on our future, on the things of our Lord that are unseen. We need to continue to build upon our faith. We need to be reading his word each day. We need to be praying each day. And we need to be giving glory to our God each day. We need to be renewing our spirit man by understanding that our Lord is with us and never leaves us no matter the situation you and I are going through. We need to focus on our future life, performing work that create results that are pleasing to our God in heaven. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” FOR THE LORD IS THE SPIRIT, AND WHEREVER THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS, THERE IS FREEDOM. ” 2 COR. 3:17

” AND THE LORD – WHO IS THE SPIRIT – MAKES US MORE AND MORE LIKE HIM AS WE ARE CHANGED INTO HIS GLORIOUS IMAGE.” 2 COR. 3:18

The Lord has given each of us a glorious gift. He has given us each the glorious Holy Spirit who lives within us. How many of us think of the Holy Spirit during the day? What credit do we give the Holy Spirit in our lives? Do we ever visit with the Holy Spirit? He is not just a tool the Lord has given us to accomplish things in this world. 2 Corinthians tells us that the Lord is the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not a thing but a person. The Lord promises to be with us in our times of trouble, needs and sorrows. He promises to go before us when we need him as our leader. He does this by living within us in the person of the Holy Spirit. It is sometimes very easy to forget about the Holy Spirit and who he is. But, with him we have freedom. With his presence in our lives, we have direction and comfort. We have peace of mind because if we are communicating with him and listening carefully, we are being directed to do things that are wise in nature. He will help us to make the right decisions and stay away from the things and the people who will hurt us. If we recognize him, and do as he tells us, he will continue to mold us into a person just like him. We will live lives on this earth that will reflect his patience and love for others. Others will see how we live which may open doors to conversations about Christ and the salvation message. Let us all take heed of the Holy Spirit and his significance in our lives. We will all be stronger and wiser in the Lord. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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

It is so very important to hear God’s word and to read his word each day. However, there is so much more to being a follower of Christ Jesus than just hearing and reading his word. As we accept Christ into our lives, we are accepting the living, and breathing Spirit of God. God’s word is much more than just words on a piece of paper or words carved on stone. God’s word is alive and strong. His word is to be put into action and not just read so that we can feel good in our times of need. We are to live the bible. God wants to become a major part of our lives. He is not controlling or forceful in anything he does. You and I must be willing to reach out to Him and invite Him into our daily lives. We must include him in the way we live and the way we think. Our faith plays a key role. It is by faith that you hear and believe the word of God and it is by faith in his word that allows you to involve him in every word and action that you take. If our hearts are assured that God never fails on his promises, then we should feel very comfortable in allowing him to direct our lives while we live on this earth. We can separate ourselves from the worries and doubts of this world by living a life that represents our Lord and Savior in the greatest of ways. We must live in him and allow him to live in us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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

As I was reading and talking with the Lord this morning, he asked me a very simple question that seemed to have a very simple answer. But when I went to answer it, I found that it wasn’t that easy. His question was this: “WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN ME AND THOSE YOU LISTEN TO IN THE WORLD. I AM TRUTHFUL, HONEST AND UNFAILING IN ALL THAT I SAY AND DO. THOSE IN THIS WORLD ARE UNTRUTHFUL, DISHONEST, SELF-SERVING AND TOTALLY CONFUSED. NOW, WHY WOULD YOU LISTEN TO AND DO AS THE WORLD INSTRUCTS INSTEAD OF LISTENING TO AND BELIEVING ME? ” This seems like a very straight forward question with a very straight forward answer, but when I analyzed what I had been doing I found that I had been listening to the world more than to what the Lord was telling me. I had been listening to and reacting to what I could see and touch and feel and not to what is unseen. My only answer was that my faith needs some work. My faith needs some renovation. It needs to be stronger. I need to surround myself with and meditate on the Word of God and not the news cast. I should not be believing in this world and allowing myself to make my own decisions. Jesus wants to be involved in all of my decisions and not just those that I remember to pray about. So, I must work at making Jesus my total source. I must begin to live more in the spiritual realm where spiritual reality is taking place. I will never be perfect, but I will be working hard at making my Lord more real than ever in my life. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” BUT GOD’S UNFAILING LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS CAME THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. ” JOHN 1:17

Jesus is our mediator with our God in heaven. It is through Jesus that our God knows us. If we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, then we have a direct line to our God in heaven. We can feel secure that Jesus is faithful and is always there to intervene for us. There should be no doubts or fears that our God does not hear our prayers. Jesus understands what we are going through. He has been through all of our turmoil’s in life. He has experienced all of the persecution that comes against us as Christians. He has been lied to and lied about. He has experienced the fears of life here on earth and doubts that plague us every day. He has seen it all. Because he has seen it all we know that he has the ear of God and because God knows Jesus, he knows us. We must trust in our Lord and allow him to represent us. We must believe as little children and not allow our advanced worldly thoughts to get in our way. We cannot outthink God. We must allow ourselves to become simple and patient. We must love Jesus with all of our heart, mind and soul. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” BE ON GUARD. STAND FIRM IN THE FAITH. BE COURAGEOUS. BE STRONG. AND DO EVERYTHING WITH LOVE. 1 COR. 16: 13-14

The coming of the Lord is soon. We are told to be strong, courageous, be on guard and do everything with love. It is important to understand that if we try to stand against these evils without the help of the Holy Spirt our struggles and our battles will be extremely difficult. We have been given a wonderful gift by our God. We have been given the third person in the presence of the Holy Spirt. The Holy Spirit lives inside us. He guides us, helps us be faithful, helps us to stand strong in our times of battles and helps us to do all things in love. However, if we don’t take the time to recognize Him and listen to what he has to say then his presence in our lives is being wasted. We need to recognize Him for who he is. He is alive and living within us. As we walk among the worldly, we should look at things through the eyes of the Holy Spirit. Our struggles, temptations and battles with evil are all spiritual battles. The causes of all of this evil come from the spiritual world. Our neighbors next door or our fellow workers are not the problems. The devil may be using their actions to cause us to become angry, sad, tempted or to experience other evil actions but the trouble is the devil who is a spiritual being. If we begin to listen to the Holy Spirit and see through his eyes what is really happening, then it will be easier to understand just why things happen the way they do. We must never take a vacation from our prayer time and our conversations with Jesus. We must continue to ask for his help. We must ask the Holy Spirit for guidance and help. We must stay deeply involved with the Lord our God. When we do, we will win all wars. The Lord promises us these victories. But we must do our part and use the faith he has so graciously blessed us with. Let us all stay in communication with the precious Holy Spirit! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“LOOK STRAIGHT AHEAD, AND FIX YOUR EYES ON WHAT LIES BEFORE YOU.”

” MARK OUT A STRAIGHT PATH FOR YOUR FEET; STAY ON THE SAFE PATH.”

DON’T GET SIDETRACKED; KEEP YOUR FEET FROM FOLLOWING EVIL.” PROVERBS 4: 25-27

There are many distractions in our lives today. It becomes very easy to turn our focus on things of the world and become heavily involved with those activities. When this happens, we take our eyes and our focus off of Jesus. We begin to look to others as examples in our lives and begin to believe more in the world than we do in the promises of our God in heaven. Fear, doubt and worry begin to take over our lives and we are unable to fulfill the life Jesus so graciously set before us with his death on the cross. It is so important, especially in this day and age, that we stay focused on Jesus. We must not allow anything to come between Jesus and our relationship with him. He is our only shelter. He is the only way to the life we are meant to live. He died so the you and I could live. The path to Jesus is the safe path. We are to stay on this road and stay away from the evil jungle of the unknown. The jungle produces many evil things. Let us keep on the path to righteousness. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” KEEP ALERT AT ALL TIMES. AND PRAY THAT YOU MIGHT BE STRONG ENOUGH TO ESCAPE THE COMING HORRORS AND STAND BEFORE THE SON OF MAN.” LUKE 21:36

Our Lord is returning soon. All signs point to his return. All prophecies have been fulfilled. We must remember that for as long as we must wait for the return of our Lord, that we must keep ourselves plugged into Jesus. There is Joy in Jesus. If we are plugged into Him, then we can keep our focus on the future and what is ahead. We should not be concentrating on the coming wrath or the terrors that exist in the world today. We should be filled with the joy of the Lord. For we, the sons and daughters of our God in heaven, have nothing but joy and celebration ahead of us. We must stay strong in faith and concentrate on nothing but the good things of our God. We must concentrate on his mighty promises and not what we are watching happen in today’s world. As Luke 21:36 says, KEEP ALERT AT ALL TIMES. We must stay focused on Jesus and nothing else! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” WE LIVE BY EVERY WORD THAT COMES FROM THE MOUTH OF THE LORD.” DEUTERONOMY 8:3

” SHOW LOVE TO THE LORD YOUR GOD BY WALKING IN HIS WAYS AND HOLDING TIGHTLY TO HIM.” DEUTERONOMY 11:22

We don’t live each day on this earth merely to exist and survive. We have a spiritual purpose that must be performed and completed. We have the opportunity to work for Jesus, to live by Jesus and to live for Jesus. Scripture tells us that we are to live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. How do we know what those words are? All of his words and instructions for our lives come from his direction through his living word, the bible. The bible is the living, breathing word of God. It is more than just a book. It is more than a book we choose to read when we have a chance. It is our road map on how to live our life. We should read it, meditate upon it and pray God’s promises that are found within it. We need to cling to it. We need to take a step of faith and set it into action within our life. When we do this, we are showing our dedicated love for our Lord Jesus. We are fulfilling what Jesus wants for us by listening to and putting into existence his commands for our life. Jesus is Lord! We must stay connected and never let go. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” THE LORD LIVES! PRAISE TO MY ROCK! MAY THE GOD OF MY SALVATION BE EXALTED! HE IS THE GOD WHO PAYS BACK THOSE WHO HARM ME; HE SUBDUES THE NATIONS UNDER ME AND RESCUES ME FOM MY ENEMIES; YOU SAVE ME FROM VIOLENT OPPONENTS.” PSALM 18: 46-48

Our Lord God in heaven is alive and well. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. The promises he has laid at our feet are as good today as they were yesterday and the day before that. He loves those who love him. He is our protector, our strength, our patience, our shelter and our rock! He never has failed, and he never will fail. We must, however, do our part and believe. We must believe so strongly, that the way we live our lives are a proud reflection of all of his ways. We must make him our life. Everything we do should involve him. He lives so that we can live. He died so that we might live. He has a plan for each of us. If we don’t believe and are unable to perform the plan for our life, he will surely find someone else who is willing. We must be strong and courageous and without fear of this world and what it can do to us. We must keep our focus on the one and only Lord who will help us to succeed no matter the situation. Jesus is alive! The Holy Spirit is alive! We have all of the tools necessary for a successful life. All we have to do is believe and act upon that belief. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” DO NOT BE AFRAID OR DISCOURAGED, FOR THE LORD WILL PERSONALLY GO AHEAD OF YOU. HE WILL BE WITH YOU; HE WILL NEITHER FAIL YOU OR ABANDON YOU.” DEUTERONOMY 31:8

Have you ever been hesitant to go somewhere or do something because you felt inadequate or was fearful of what someone would say about you? I think we have all felt this way at one time or another. As we begin our walk with Jesus, we are assured that we should fear nothing. We should be filled with the confidence of our Lord as he assures us that he is always going before us. If we believe that promise, then we will understand more clearly that the Lord is paving the way for us to walk and move forward. In all that we do and say we should be trusting the Lord to go before us. We should be trusting him for the words we are to speak and the actions we are to take. The Lord has made it very clear to me that I must trust him in all things. If I don’t then the ability for things to be messed up greatly increase. This is not easy. We must train ourselves up to be able to trust him in all things. We must continue to build our faith and to meditate in his word daily. We must stay in constant communication with him. We must remember that He is not only our Lord and Savior but he also our best friend. We must be able to go to him with any and all problems, concerns and fears. If we can train ourselves to do this then our lives will become much more joyful and pleasing to live. We should not try to be someone who we are not but instead be who God made us to be and live our lives with confidence and joy. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” AND HE IS SITTING IN THE PLACE OF HONOR AT GOD’S RIGHT HAND, PLEADING FOR US.” ROMANS 8:34

Jesus came to this earth to die for each of us. He is our defender, our protector and our only way to heaven. Without Jesus we are nothing. Without Jesus we are just wandering around this earth with no answers. We are headed in the wrong direction. Without Jesus, the devil will exploit everything we do. He will try to influence everything we say. However, when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we have the greatest mediator we can possibly have defending our actions to our God in heaven. He pleads our case to God. He sits at God’s right hand and goes to bat for us. No matter our situation Jesus is there to defend us. He is there to let God know that he does know us. He lets God know that we have accepted his death on that cross and that we have accepted him as our Lord and Savior. Jesus works for us 24/7. He never stops. He is our total strength and our power to continue to live a life in him. It is his death on that cross and our acceptance of his death that allows us to be acknowledged before our God in heaven. We should feel confident that our prayers are answered and that all of our pleading is heard. Jesus is Lord! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” TODAY I HAVE GIVEN YOU THE CHOICE BETWEEN BLESSINGS AND CURSES.” DEUTERONOMY 30:19

Our Lord God is Great. Our Lord God is Loving. Our Lord God is Patient. The Lord our God in heaven wants each of us to come to him and love him. He wants each of us to trust in him and believe him because of who he is. We must trust him in all of the things that we cannot see. Our God is all about truth. The Lord has given each of us a free will. We have the ability to make our own decisions and to do our own thing. To believe in the ways of our Lord it takes a lot of prayer, patience, praise, positive professions and faith as large as the largest mountain and deep as the deepest sea. We have the choice as to how we want to live our lives. If we want to be blessed in the ways we live here on earth, we need to choose to live in the ways of the Lord. We need to become familiar with all of those ways and build our faith in such a way that we are able to believe in all of his promises. We need to live in truth. We need to live in trust and unwavering faith in all of his promises. If we do, we will be blessed and we will be able to bless others with the way we live. So, choose blessings and not curses. We should live our lives in the way of the Lord. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” THEY THAT WAIT UPON THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH. ” IS. 40:31

With all of the stresses in our lives I believe everyone understands that we need a renewing of strength each day. Our minds become weary and our bodies become tired. After each day we must take time to renew our bodily strength by giving it rest and good food. After a good night’s rest, we begin each new day with food for our body and a fresh start for our mind. Our spiritual being is no different. We are spirits. That is our true nature. We are spiritual beings living in a worldly body and a worldly environment. It is not easy. Our spirits are no different that our earthly bodies. They need a renewing each day. If we get up each morning and feed our earthly bodies in order to have strength to begin our day then what about our spirits. It is very important that we renew our spirit as well. We should feed our spirits with spiritual food, prayer and praise with the Lord. We should read scripture and meditate upon God’s word. We need our spirits to be refreshed and renewed for the day’s battles. Feeding our spirit being is just as important as taking care of our earthly bodies. Remember, there is spiritual warfare going on around us all day long. We need that renewed strength to fight in those battles, to build up our faith and to follow God’s daily direction for our lives. Stay connected by staying close to the Lord God each and every day. Renew, refresh and strengthen your spirit being each and every day. 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

We are a delight in the sight of our God in heaven. Through the Holy Spirt he is with us in all situations whether they are good or bad. If we allow him to, he will direct our every step. Scripture tells us that God delights in every detail of our lives. He loves us so much that he wants to be included in all of our decisions and actions. Just think how sad it must make him when he is right there with us and we don’t recognize him. We don’t allow him to be a part of our lives. We don’t allow him to delight in all of our actions and we fail because of our ignorance. If we include him in every part of our lives, he will never let us fall because he has us by the hand. He is always there to catch us if we stumble. What a great thing it is to know that we have a safety net and that safety net is always with us. Let us continue to build our faith and trust in his every word. He is our Lord God and he is our safety net. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!