Michael J Burchett Ministries

” PRAY IN THE SPIRIT AT ALL TIMES AND ON EVERY OCCASION. STAY ALERT AND BE PERSISTANT IN YOUR PRAYERS FOR ALL BELIEVERS EVERYWHERE. ” EPHESIANS 6:18

No matter what we come across during the days ahead, we must believe that the Lord our God in heaven is with us! He will give us strength, wisdom and knowledge and make us witnesses on his behalf. He has his mighty angels standing ready at the door to move in our direction. They are prepared to go to battle on our behalf. So, we are not to doubt, but instead, believe! Our God never fails! He is always truthful and faithful, and he loves us more than we can imagine or understand! He will help us in ways that we will not expect. We are to never try to outthink the Lord our God, creator of both heaven and earth, as he is with us always! We are not to question his decisions, as his decisions are not ours but his. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” LET ALL WHO SEEK GOD’S HELP BE ENCOURAGED. FOR THE LORD HEARS THE CRIES OF THE NEEDY.” PSALM 69:32-33

We must build up our strongest faith and endurance. We must understand that our strongest faith must endure the strongest attacks of the devil. He throws doubt, worry and fear at us each day. He clutters our pathway with sickness and disease. He surrounds us with lies, cheating and confusion. We as sons and daughters of Christ must be overcomers of all of this. We must be able to discern the difference between right from wrong. We must be able to overcome all of the rubble thrown in our path as we travel forward each day. Because the devil and his army are working overtime, we must also work overtime. We need to be prepared 24/7 to fight back. We must surround ourselves with God’s word. We must know the scriptures and know his word well. Our faith must be able to take us directly to prayer in times of battle. We must understand God has a plan. He has a time. His time and plans do not always line up with our schedules. We must put our complete trust in God’s timing and his plan. We must be patient and be able to wait upon his answers. For our trust to stay strong we must have a faith that is unmovable. We must have a faith that is continually being built upon. We must listen carefully to the Holy Spirit for guidance, direction and strength. Our God has prepared us with all of the tools necessary to defeat the devil, but it is not easy. Without the strongest faith possible it is impossible. We must continue our efforts to build our faith in Jesus each day and be prepared for what is thrown at us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“SINCE HE HIMSELF HAS GONE THROUGH SUFFERING AND TESTING, HE IS ABLE TO HELP US WHEN WE ARE TESTED.” HEBREWS 2:18

When Jesus was sent to this world, he became well tested. From the very beginning he became human and was treated as such. As a young boy he had parents just as you and I. He grew up with his father a carpenter and I am sure probably learned the trade. As a child he went through the same struggles you and I went through. When he was chosen by God to be our High Priest and began his ministry, he became tested even more. His faith, his strength, his wisdom and his knowledge became tested from the very beginning. He was tested throughout his life but his maturity and growth in his Father God in heaven was greatly tested by the devil when he was taken to the top of the world and offered the devils worldly kingdom. Our Lord has gone through every temptation, every sorrow, every hurt and every doubt, fear and worry that you and I go through. Because he has been through suffering and testing, he is able to have a loving compassion for us when we go through our pain and suffering. He knows how we feel, and he knows how to help us. He knows well how to present our pleadings to our Father God in heaven. He is our Savior and our mediator. Without Jesus and what he went through for us we have no chance. But with our great faith and trust in him we have every chance. We must act upon his word and trust him to take care of us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” COMMIT YOUR ACTIONS TO THE LORD, AND YOUR PLANS WILL SUCCEED.” PROVERBS 16:3

If we take each day and commit our efforts unto the Lord our God in heaven, we can then feel confident that our Lord will work in our lives. It doesn’t make any difference if we are a highly touted executive in one of the largest companies in the world or if we are a janitor in the local school, if we commit our ways each day to the Lord, he will be with us and help us through the toughest of times. If we are dedicating our day to him, we are inviting him to take action in our lives. We are telling him that we trust him to be with us and help us along the way. He loves us and wants us to live with joy and be successful in all that we do. We should always keep the Lord first in our lives! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” WE CAN MAKE OUR OWN PLANS BUT THE LORD DETERMINES OUR STEPS.” PROVERBS 16:9

There were so many times as a young boy that I would go out and do things that I knew my mother did not approve of. For the most part those things turned out to be disasters. Even though my mother disapproved in the first place she was always there to pick up the pieces. She was always there to make me feel better. She was always there to help me learn from the disasters I had created for myself. Our Lord works in the same way. God has given each of us a free will. He expects us to use common sense and the wisdom that is available to us. But sometimes we just make the wrong decisions. When we do, he is always there to help us through. If we go to him and confess our mistakes, he will pick up the pieces and he will determine the right steps for us to take. He will be right by our side every step of the way. Our God in heaven loves us very much. As children of God, he allows us to make our own plans. Sometimes those plans turn out great and other times they turn out as disasters in our lives. We must train ourselves up in the Lord. He must be the first one we turn to. If he is, then he will give us the wisdom and the knowledge we need to power through. However, if he isn’t, and we continue to follow our own ways, then our problems will more than likely become even more disastrous than before. We must train ourselves to trust in our Lord for all things in our lives and not just a few. If we do our lives will be filled with the joy of the Lord. If we do not, then our lives will be filled with anxiety and indecision. Which would you rather have? PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” PEOPLE DO NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE; RATHER, WE LIVE BY EVERY WORD THAT COMES FROM THE MOUTH OF THE LORD.” DEUTERONOMY 8:3

As followers of Jesus, we are spiritual beings living in a physical, what you can see, world. As physical beings we must feed and nourish our bodies each day with food and water. As spiritual beings we must feed and nourish our spirits with the spiritual nourishment that our Lord provides to us. Because we live in this world, we oftentimes forget to nourish our spirit beings. The Lord our God in heaven offers us his holy word and the ability through Jesus to talk and pray to him. He offers us his wisdom and knowledge as instructions for us to live a life here on earth as worthy followers of him. We must, however, not forget that we need to nourish our spiritual being on a daily basis. Our communication with the Lord must become a natural part of our physical life. We have to recognize who we are and do as our Lord communicates to us through prayer, praise and reading and meditating on the bible. The more we feed our spirits with his holy word the more we are able to build up our daily faith. We need to remember to stand upon our faith in everything we do. When we do, we will be living in the shadow of our almighty God and will live lives that our successful and worthy of our Lord Jesus. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” THE LORD DESTESTS THE SACRIFICE OF THE WICKED BUT HE DELIGHTS IN THE PRAYERS OF THE UPRIGHT.” PROVERBS 15:8

It is so important that we take time from our busy days to go to our Lord in prayer. Prayer is so much more than just taking a list of our problems to him. It is communication with him. He truly loves us and wants to talk with us everyday. He wants to stay connected to us and be a vital part of our lives. Yes, it is important that we take our prayer requests to the Lord. But prayer is so much more than that. It includes praising him for all things, including his answers to our prayers, and taking the time to listen to him. He does talk to us. But many times, we don’t hear what he is saying because we are too busy and don’t take the time to listen. We are only interested in getting our prayers answered and then going on with our lives. It is wise that we set a time each day to go to our Lord in prayer, beginning with praise, present our requests to him, and then take the time to meditate upon his word. We should understand what he is saying and what is meant in each word that he says. We should involve him in every decision that we make, no matter how small or large that decision may be. A good solid prayer life will allow us to stay in contact with God and will allow us to put him first in our lives and actions. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” SO, PETER WENT OVER THE SIDE OF THE BOAT AND WALKED ON THE WATER TOWARD JESUS. BUT, WHEN HE SAW THE STRONG WIND AND THE WAVES, HE WAS TERRIFIED AND BEGAN TO SINK. ‘SAVE ME’ HE SHOUTED. JESUS IMMEDIATLY REACHED OUT AND GRABBED HIM. ” YOU HAVE SO LITTLE FAITH” JESUS SAID. ”WHY DID YOU DOUBT ME?” “

Even Peter doubted Jesus when the waves got too large. In the beginning he was totally focused on Jesus and trusted him completely. But suddenly, he took his focus off of Jesus and began to focus on what was happening around him. When he did, he began to sink. I find myself doing this a lot. The Lord will tell me to do something, and I am very eager to do it, but if I take my focus off of Jesus my trust in him begins to waver. I begin to tell myself that I can’t do this. I begin to sink in all of the deep waters surrounding me. However, once I begin to focus on Jesus again and ask for his continued help, he is right there with his hand out. He never fails, he never wavers. He is always a steady force and is always there to help me no matter my circumstances. We can always depend on him. We must, however, be willing trust him. When we do, we are always successful. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” LET EVERYTHING YOU DO REFLECT THE INTEGRITY AND SERIOUSNESS OF YOUR TEACHING.” TITUS 2:7

Each of us are teachers of God’s Word. As we proclaim to be followers of Christ, we must do exactly that. We must follow his direction and his lead. We must live each day with the integrity of the Lord within us and make sure that we properly represent our God in heaven. He gives us opportunities each day to do just that. We must not waste them. If we are not focused on the end result, then we may miss those opportunities. If we are influenced by the things going on around us or involved the things around us, then we will miss those opportunities. We must keep our eyes and thoughts trained on Jesus. Through thick and thin he is with us. It is important to be quiet before him and have the patience to wait upon his answers. He loves us and never fails us. He is with us and helping us always. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” WE SHOULD LIVE IN THIS WORLD WITH WISDOM, RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND DEVOTION TO GOD, WHILE LOOKING FORWARD WITH HOPE TO THAT WONDERFUL DAY WHEN THE GLORY OF OUR GREAT GOD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, WILL BE REVEALED,” TITUS 2:12-13

Living on this earth is not the easiest of ventures. However, our Lord reveals to us the way we should live and if we follow his lead then our lives here will be much more successful and satisfying. He has revealed that we should live with the wisdom of God. We should be sure to ask our God for his wisdom. Once we ask, we need to trust him to provide that wisdom to us. We must believe we receive because he is our source. As we read the bible each day, we must be sure to meditate upon his scriptures and truly begin to understand what he is telling us. We should understand how Jesus lived his life on this earth and pattern ours after his. Without this knowledge it will be impossible to interpret God’s wisdom for our lives. He instructs us to live a life of righteousness. Our lives must reflect a right standing with our God. We must not only know how he wants us to live our live, but we must put this way of life into action. When we do, we will be living in his righteousness. And, he has instructed us to live our lives with a devotion to God. We have to commit; we have to trust, and we have to delight in him. He must become our way of life. With every move we make, every thought we take, and every word we speak, our life must move forward with Jesus at the forefront as we wait for his return. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” TO THOSE WHO LISTEN TO MY TEACHING, MORE UNDERSTANDING WILL BE GIVEN, AND THEY WILL HAVE AN ABUNDANCE OF KNOWLEDGE.” MATTHEW 13:12

How do we know that we are listening to the Lord? How do we know for sure that we are hearing God? How do we know that we are doing what God wants us to do? The very first step we should take is to stay grounded in the Word of God. We must make sure that we are reading his word each and everyday. It is important to set aside a time each day to devote to praising the Lord, praying to him, and reading his word and meditating upon it. As we praise him, he begins to prepare our hearts and to minister to us. He helps us to focus on what we need to focus upon. As we read his word, we should take the time to meditate upon it. We should take a moment to focus upon the scriptures we are reading and concentrate upon what he is telling us in those scriptures. As we continue to increase our daily communication with Jesus, we will find that it becomes a part of our day and a part of us. Our Lord is with us at all times. He is available for conversation always. He has an open-door policy where you don’t need an appointment. We each need to get to the point, where no matter the situation, we go to him first and foremost for our answers. As we continue to grow in the Lord, he will continue to increase our knowledge and our understanding. He will prepare us for each day. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” PRAISE THE LORD; PRAISE GOD OUR SAVIOR! EACH DAY HE CARRIES US IN HIS ARMS.” PSALM 68:19

The Lord, our God in heaven, assures us that he is with us each and everyday. Our communication with him should be continuous. We were created to praise our God. As children of God we have no choice but to praise him. As we continue to build our faith our praises will increase and become a part of our lives. As we know, the devil’s thought process is just the opposite of the thought process of our Lord and Savior. He desires that we do just the opposite of what our Lord wants us to do. He works hard each day to put things in our path so that we will doubt the promises of the Lord. No matter the situation presented before us we should remember that our Lord and Savior is with us. The Holy Spirit lives within us and is helping advise us to do right from wrong. It doesn’t make any difference what the devil throws at us because we are overcomers through Christ Jesus! We should praise the Lord for getting us through those situations and not be fearful, angry, or doubtful. We should praise the Lord in and through all situations. We must keep our knowledge of God’s Word fresh in our minds and continue to keep our faith in his promises strong. Afterall, we were created to praise him and not doubt him. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” BUT YOU SHOULD KEEP A CLEAR MIND IN EVERY SITUATION. DON’T BE AFRAID OF SUFFERING FOR THE LORD. WORK AT TELLING OTHERS THE GOOD NEWS, AND FULLY CARRY OUT THE MINISTRY GOD HAS GIVEN YOU.” 2 TIMOTHY 4:5

We have all been given a ministry here on earth. We are all to tell the story of Jesus and spread his word among all people. Not everyone is trained to be a minister or an evangelist but if we read and meditate upon God’s word, we are trained to spread his word. We should be living a life that represents him and speaking words that represent him. We should be handling difficulties is our lives with the strength that we have been given. Each of us should be prepared at all times because we never know when our God in heaven will put someone in our path that needs his word. If we stay focused on the Word of God and continually meditate upon it, night and day, we will be prepared. We will continually have strength, wisdom, understanding and forgiveness in our hearts. We will continue to build upon our faith and completely put our trust in Jesus. Yes, we each have a ministry as followers of Jesus, however, if we turn our backs on the preparation that we need for that ministry, he will find someone else. He will find someone who is prepared and willing to stand up for the message that is to be delivered. Stay prepared and never lose your focus.

PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” FOR GOD HAS NOT GIVEN US A SPIRIT OF FEAR AND TIMIDITY, BUT OF POWER, LOVE, AND SELF-DISCIPLINE,” 2 TIMOTHY 1:7

Our Lord God in heaven wants his children to be conquerors in this world. We were created in order to praise our Lord God in heaven. We need to trust in the Lord, have joy in the Lord and put his word to work in our lives. We must consciencely praise him each day, communicate with him each day, and be patient before him and listen to him. Our faith must be renewed and built upon. We must make the effort to follow the word of God. We cannot be hindered by fear or worry. A strong faith and trust in Jesus will allow us to do this. We must, however, keep our focus on the right target. If we take our eyes off of Jesus, for even a short period of time, the devil will step in and replace faith with fear. Faith and fear cannot co-exist. We must always remember that our God is a good God and has provided to us power in his word, the love of Jesus in our hearts, and a self-discipline that takes strength and focus from the strength of the Lord. He has given us the precious Holy Spirit to live inside us. We must listen carefully and do as the Lord instructs and wants. There is a time and place for everything. We must continue to stay strong and continue to stay the course. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” ENDURE SUFFERING ALONG WITH ME, AS A GOOD SOLDIER OF CHRIST JESUS. SOLDIERS DON’T GET TIED UP IN THE AFFAIRS OF CIVILIAN LIFE, FOR THEN THEY CANNOT PLEASE THE OFFICERS WHO ENLISTED THEM.” 2 TIMOTHY 2:3-4

Many years ago, I remember being inducted into the military. I remember raising my right hand and swearing to uphold the constitution of this United States of America. From that day forward and for the next eight years I was dedicated to the United States Air Force and what it stood for. I was controlled by the way of the military and not the ways of civilian life. Everything I did was scrutinized and controlled by the military. They controlled where I was assigned, how long I would be there and what I could do and what I couldn’t do when I got there. I was assigned, a profession in the military, trained for that profession and that was my career for those years I was in active duty. When you and I accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior we took the oath of dedication to Him. We are soldiers in the army of Jesus Christ. He should control what we do, where we go, how we should act and how we should treat others. We should not be involved in the affairs of this world. Yes, we live in this world, work in the world and raise our families in the world. Therefore, we should obey the laws of the land and honor our leaders. However, our dependance is not in the world but in Christ. We should compare everything we hear and read to the Word of God. We have been blessed to live in the United States of America where, for the most part, our laws have lined up with God’s Word. However, we are now living in a time where things are changing rapidly. The devil is running wild with confusion in his hip pocket and using it against us at every turn. We must remember, especially in this day and age, to whom we belong. We belong Jesus. He is our Commander in Chief. We have a set of regulations to abide by and those regulations are contained within his Holy Word. Stay in prayer and meditation of his Word and praise him at all times. Be proud to be a member of the army of Christ Jesus! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” FOR GOD SAVED US AND CALLED US TO LIVE A HOLY LIFE.” 2 TIMOTHY 1:9

As children of God, we are to live our lives in such a way that reflects all of the goodness and all of the characteristics of our God in heaven. He has provided to each of us the tools we need in order to accomplish that goal. We are to recognize right from wrong. We are to be able to withstand all of the evil attacks of the devil because of the knowledge our Lord has provided to us. When we accepted the Lord Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we committed ourselves to heavens army here on earth. We are fighting battles each day. There is absolutely no way we can win these battles without the weapons our Lord has given us to fight with. It is important that our faith be strong and unwavering, that we trust in his Word and that we succumb to him in all situations, never trying to win a battle doing it our way. We must pray always and listen carefully. We must stay focused on the Lord and make sure we are listening to his voice and obeying his word. We must know our way around his word and be able to use his promises to our advantage in each battle. We must know the bible inside and out and without exception, because the evil one does know it and will try to use it against us. It is not easy being a warrior for Christ, but no one said it would be easy. However, with the joy of Jesus in our hearts we can do all things through him. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” 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!