Michael J Burchett Ministries

” 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!

” 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!