Michael J Burchett Ministries

” SOME NATIONS BOAST OF THEIR CHARIOTS AND HORSES, BUT WE BOAST IN THE NAME OF THE LORD OUR GOD. ” PSALM 20:7

” THOSE NATIONS WILL FALL DOWN AND COLLAPSE, BUT WE WILL RISE UP AND STAND FIRM ” PSALM 20:8

It seems that boasting in this world comes easy. We like to tell others of our great accomplishments. It is human nature to want others to see us as bigger than life itself. However, boasting about ourselves is not in God’s plan. We can see in various verses within the bible that boasting about ones self can lead to defeat and sorrow and even death. While we will never stop the world from boasting, we as Christians know better. We are to boast only in the Lord. We should boast about the good and great things our God does for us, for his promises in our lives and that each and every promise he makes is truthful and always faithful. The Lord is in charge of our lives. He is the one who gives us the knowledge, wisdom and strength to accomplish all things in our lives. Without him we can do nothing but through him we can do all things. We should be praising our Lord everyday for all that he does for us. We should be yelling out to others that Our Lord has made us successful and not our self serving ways. We should be giving the Lord our God all of the credit in each and everything we accomplish. We should praise him and glorify him for He is our life. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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

” LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD, WALK IN ALL OF HIS WAYS, OBEY HIS COMMANDS, HOLD FIRMLY TO HIM, AND SERVE HIM WITH ALL YOU HEART AND SOUL.” JOSHUA 22:5

The definition of religion is ” the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.” The definition of relationship is ” the way in which two or more concepts, objects or people are connected.” It is easy to have religion. Many people have religion. There are many kinds of religion in this world. People worship anything from money to statues and many things in between. This is not what our Lord God in heaven desires for his children. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we develop a relationship with him. We develop a special connection. We are able to talk to him and listen to him. We trust in what he tells us and we live our lives in such a way that demonstrates that relationship. Jesus came to this earth as a human to live a life and to experience what you and I experience everyday. He went to the cross to die for our sins that we commit and for our salvation and healings. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and savior we are expected to develop a relationship with him. He becomes not only our personal savior but he becomes our personal friend. He is someone we can hold a conversation with, tell our troubles to, experience miracles by and celebrate with. He is a living spirit. You and I are spiritual beings living in a human form. We must develop such a deep relationship with our Lord that we can overcome the world we live in. We must involve the Lord Jesus in all that we do and say. He must be in our daily lives and must be our daily lives. Don’t just have religion but have a sincere relationship with our Lord God. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL CHANGE YOUR HEART AND THE HEARTS OF YOUR DECENDANTS, SO THAT YOU WILL LOVE HIM WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART AND SOUL AND SO YOU MAY LIVE.” DEUTERONOMY 30:16

The Lord our God in heaven commands us to study his word and to meditate upon it day and night. As we do this the Lord begins to work in our lives. He begins to change how we think and the way we act. He becomes not only a part of our life but he becomes our life. We begin to look more like and resemble our father in heaven. Our attitudes toward those around us begin to change. We become the influencers and not the influenced. We become stronger and not weaker. We are able to move forward without fear of the world around us because God gives us confidence with his promises. As we become stronger in the Lord then our sons and daughters will see these changes. The changes we make in our lives will help to open doors for others to accept and follow him. It is so important to be surrounded by the thoughts and promises of the Lord so that we, and those around us, can be influenced by his presence and not be influenced by the standards of the world. As we surround ourselves with the Lord we will feel his love grow for us. We stop living our lives in sin and begin to live our lives in Christ. Our lives change and the one guarding our lives changes. Instead of serving the devil we are serving Jesus! We must never let down but always plug into Christ. His power will never go out unless we put it out. Stay strong and believe that you receive! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” HE MAKES ME SUREFOOTED AS A DEER, ENABLING ME TO STAND ON MOUNTAIN HEIGHTS. ” PSALM 18:13

I know that as I have become older in life my physical stability is not what it once was. I have noticed that I can be looking one way and find my body tipping the other way. I am not as nimble as I once was. So my daily routine of life reflects these deficiencies. I have to be more alert. I have to be more aware of my surroundings. I have to put aside some of the things I once was able to do and look for activities that are safer and more my current speed. I have to use the common sense my Lord has given me. However, as I have continued in my Christian life I have found that my age doesn’t make a difference. I can continue to study God’s word, meditate upon his word, and I am able to accomplish all of the activities he as given me to do. I can continue be a testimony for Jesus. My God in heaven has given us all that opportunity. His only instructions are to read his word, meditate upon it, pray to him and praise him for all good and great things. I may not be able to do some of the physical things I used to do but I find that I am able to do many other things in life that Jesus has given me opportunity to do. As the time for his return is drawing closer we must continue to have faith in our God. It may seem that God is not working fast enough, or in some instances, that he is not working at all. But the bible tells us that is going before us. He is preparing the way. We must continue to believe his word and act up his many promises to help us to be successful here on the earth. In the eyes of our God age means nothing. He will give us the stability to do every and all things he has planned for us to do. We must continue to believe that we receive because we are plugged into our source Jesus Christ! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” AS IRON SHARPENS IRON, SO A FRIEND SHARPENS A FRIEND. ” PROVERBS 27:17

Staying sharp in the Lord our God is of vital importance. The Lord has made each of us to be social creatures. Some, of course, are more social than others but we all need the companionship of others. It is important that we surround ourselves with other believers, with those who reflect the same values and attitudes as those of Christ. We all know how important it is to keep our faith strengthened, and sometimes it takes a word or an action from someone, who God has put in our lives, to help to keep us sharp and to remind us of the importance of staying on the path to right standing with God. A good friend is one who is not afraid to tell us when we are leaning in the wrong direction or if we need a word of joy to pump us up they are there to do so. They have the ability to be forth coming in a loving and compassionate way. The Lord uses each and everyone of us to help others. He puts us in situations and in places to open doors for us to enter, so that we can help others in times of need. The question becomes, whether we go through the door and follow the instructions the Lord has placed in our hearts, or do we become hesitant in the situation and depend upon others to accomplish what God wants done. It is true that if we don’t succeed in following God’s instructions that he will find someone who will. We are a part of God’s army here on this earth. We have to ready for battle each day. Listen to the Holy Spirit and do as he instructs. Don’t miss out on the blessing of helping someone else. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” NONE OF THEIR ENEMIES COULD STAND AGAINST THEM, FOR THE LORD HELPED THEM CONQUER ALL THEIR ENEMIES. ” JOSHUA 21: 44

OUR LORD PROMISES US THAT HE WILL BE WITH US IN ALL SITUATIONS AND IN ALL THINGS. HE HAS PROVIDED FOR US A COMFORTER IN THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE STAY IN TUNE WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. WE NEED TO LISTEN CAREFULLY TO HIM. IF WE LISTEN CLOSELY WE WILL BE GUIDED TO DO THE THINGS OF GOD. WE WILL RECEIVE THE POWER PROMISED US AND WILL BE ABLE TO CONQUER OUR ENEMIES. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE THIRD PERSON OF GOD. HE IS A REAL PERSON AND NOT A MYTH. HE IS POWERFUL AND EFFECTIVE IN WHAT HE DOES. THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT WE RECEIVE POWER AND WISDOM AND BETTER UNDERSTANDING. HOWEVER, WE MUST RECOGNIZE HIM AND KNOW THAT HE IS WITH US IN AND THROUGH ALL THINGS. HE LIVES WITHIN US. REMEMBER THAT JESUS RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT WHEN CAME OUT OF THE WATER DURING HIS WATER BAPTISIM. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS NOT AN OVERWHELMING INFLUENCE IN OUR LIVES BUT THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT HE HAS A QUIET VOICE. LISTEN TO IT. BE SENSITIVE TO IT. BE ABLE TO TALK WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AS HE IS A PERSON AND IS HERE TO HELP EACH AND EVERYONE OF US IN OUR TIMES OF NEED. WE CANNOT BE DEFEATED FOR WE HAVE THE TOOLS THAT OUR GOD HAS GIVEN US. LET US BE SURE TO RECOGNIZE AND USE THEM. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” GOD’S WAYS ARE PERFECT. ALL THE LORD’S PROMISES PROVE TRUE. HE IS A SHIELD FOR ALL WHO LOOK TO HIM FOR PROTECTION.” PSALM 18:30

Have faith, build upon your faith and exercise your faith! We must obey the commandments of the Lord our God. To obey is to act upon those commandments. God has provided many promises throughout his mighty word. He never fails on any promises. But you and I must be in a position to follow through on the promises that he has so graciously provided to us. We must be aware of what they are and take them from the shelf of life and put them into action. Without a strong faith that believes that our Lord works in our lives, we cannot act upon the promises, and therefore, many times will not profit from them. This is not God’s fault but ours. We must continually build upon our faith. We must be able to stand in the face of the enemy, no matter what form he takes, and never back down. We are to never let up in our aggressiveness in the our Lord Jesus. We are to live our lives through every word that comes from the mouth God. We are to be a part of him and allow him to work in our lives. This is impossible to do without strong faith. We must have faith upon faith and then more faith. Believing in God’s word and believing him to work in our lives takes the same faith. In some cases it takes a bit more faith. We must stay ready for whatever test we about to go through. With the help of our Lord God in heaven we have victory in all things. Don’t listen to those “nay sayers” around you. Don’t listen to the lies of the devil. But read and meditate on God’s word and activate his presence in your Life. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS !

” TO THE FAITHFUL YOU SHOW YOURSELF FAITHFUL; TO THOSE WITH INTEGRITY YOU SHOW INTEGRITY.” PSALM 18:25

It is important to remember, as we live each day, that the way we treat others, the way we speak to others and the way we use our faith to witness to others is so vitally important. Each day you and I are sowing seed. We are either planting seeds of doubt, fear, worry, sickness and disease, and unforgiveness or we are planting seeds of love, joy, strength, forgiveness, healing and words of faith in our Lord Jesus. Psalm 28:25 tells us that if we are faithful then our God is faithful. If we live our lives with integrity then he will show integrity. We will reap what we sow. If we want to live a life in Christ we must know how he wants us to live. We must have faith to be able to stand for how we are to live without the fear of being persecuted. Our God is faithful but he wants us to be faithful as well. We need to show him that we love him and that we are faithful in the way we live. It is easy to say the right things but it is not so easy to always live what we say. We are being watched very closely by those around us. Others are making determinations about their own faith by watching how we live and how we deal with struggles and temptations. It is not easy but we must continue to be strong in our times of trouble, we must keep our faith at it’s highest level so that we can live a life without doubt. We must live a life that represents our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to it’s highest degree. Our time on this earth is short. It is taken away in a breath. Let’s make our time on this earth one that is not only useful to our Lord but one that is undeniably strong in Jesus!

” SERVE THE LORD ALONE.” JOSHUA 24:14

” SUBMIT TO GOD AND YOU WILL HAVE PEACE; THEN ALL THINGS WILL GO WELL FOR YOU.” JOB 22:21

There is only one true God. We are to serve him only. We are to praise him and give glory to him for all things. We are to submit to him, listen to him and put our faith into action by trusting what he promises. We must be able to discard all outside forces. We must be able to throw away all distractions of the things of this world. Our Lord God in heaven must become the center of our life. He is what makes us go. He is our source for all of our thoughts and actions. As we all know, this is not the easiest thing to do. We have evil fighting us every inch of the way. In order for us to be successful we must have the faith to stand up the evil in this world with great trust in our God in heaven. We must believe that he is with us and, believe that no matter the results of our troubles, all things will turn out for the good of our God. Our Lord is looking for our commitment. He is looking for our trust in his promises. He is looking for our dedication to him. God will share us with no other. We must make choices in our lives everyday. If we have the Lord at the center of our life then those choices will involve him and we can rest assured that all things will turn out for his good. We can be confident that he will use our failures as blessings to others and help us to learn from them. But we must trust him. We cannot put our trust in our own decisions and our own actions. Remember, the Lord loves us more than we can imagine. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” BUT IF YOUR HEART TURNS AWAY AND YOU REFUSE TO LISTEN, AND IF YOU ARE DRAWN AWAY TO SERVE AND WORSHIP OTHER GOD’S, THEN I WARN YOU NOW, THAT YOU WILL CERTAINLY BE DESTROYED.” DEUTERONOMY 30:17 & 18

This great country that you and I live in is at the greatest crossroads that it has ever seen. The United State of America was founded upon the word of God. In todays world we are finding that we are straying away from these founding principles. We no longer are standing up for freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to bear arms or basically freedom of anything. Those who have been elected and who are now running the greatest country in the world, have elected to go down a path that leads to destruction. Their hearts have turned away from God and they refuse to listen. They worship other God’s such the love of power, money, and other corrupting values. Lie upon lie seems to be tolerated by those around us. Our Lord God has taken a stand. It is very clear. He tells us that those who refuse to listen to him and are drawn to other Gods will most certainly be destroyed. Our country is on the verge of being completely destroyed. Many are still under the influence of the evil that surrounds us and believe the falsehood’s of the current leaders of this country. They continue to believe the lies, thinking that this could never really happen to our land. Believe me, it is happening right before our very eyes. There is still time however. You and I must stand up and be counted for our God in heaven. We must stand up and not fear the things around us. We must not be concerned about the idle threats of the left. We must not believe in the things we see but the things of the spirit that are not seen. Our God is in control! He loves this land as much as we do. But time is running out. We must do all that we can by standing up and being heard as well as continue to build our faith in Jesus. We must continue to pray and pray consistently for this country and all of it’s people. Let us not waiver but be strong in the Lord God! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” STUDY THIS BOOK OF INSTRUCTION CONTINUALLY. MEDITATE ON IT DAY AND NIGHT SO YOU WILL BE SURE TO OBEY EVERYTHING WRITTEN IN IT. ONLY THEN WILL YOU PROSPER AND SUCCEED IN ALL THAT YOU DO.” JOSHUA 1:8-9

In the endtimes we must stay prepared to stand in the face of the devil with confidence that our Lord Jesus is with us. We must meditiate upon his word, know his word, understand his word and obey his word. We must continue to build upon our faith, trust in our faith and act upon our faith. The devil is running around like a loose cannon, taking captive anyone who will allow him in. His time is short. Our God in heaven will only put up with so much from this evil world and those who think only of themselves and not of others. He will be returning soon. In the meantime we must be able to use his word in providing victory in our lives. We must know the Word of God so well that we can stand in the face of doubt, worry, fear and even the devil himself, with the confidence of victory of Jesus. Remember, we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” HE IS THE LIGHT TO REVEAL GOD TO THE NATIONS, AND HE IS THE GLORY OF YOUR PEOPLE ISRAEL.” LUKE 2:32

As you and I live each day here on earth we are given opportunities to travel many different paths. Some are good paths and others are bad. If we travel at night we need lights for our cars to see the road we travel. We need flashlights to light our paths taken in the darkness. The same is true for the spiritual paths we may take. We are given the opportunity to travel many different roads in our spirtual life. Without a light to show us the way we may travel into areas of evil and danger without protection. However, as Luke 2:32 states, He is the light. He is the glory. We need to wrap ourselves with the truth of our Lord and Savior. We need to surround ourselves with his word, and the many promises within his word, that lead us down the right trails. Without God’s Holy Word, without Jesus and without the Holy Spirit, we are in danger of following the wrong roads. We are in danger of ending up in a dead-end with no way out. But, our Lord God has provided us with the light we need. If we make a wrong turn we have the ability to go to him and he will help us get back on the right trail. If we have to travel through dark and scary places he assures us that he is there for our safety, our protection and our guidance. We must never allow ourselves to stray from our God. We must keep him close and never out of mind. He is our light and our glory! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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

In Joshua 1:9 God was commanding Joshua to be strong and courageous and, to not be afraid or discouraged. These were not actions that God was asking Joshua to follow. These were actions that God were commanding Joshua to follow. The command given to him was important to follow because he was about to lead the Israelites across the Jordan River into the land God had given them. This was quite a heafty task, one that could very well instill fear and doubt. But , God reassured Joshua by telling him that He was with him no matter where he went. You and I have been adopted into the family of God. We have many challenges ahead of us just as Joshua did. Our God is the same yesterday, today and tommorow. That command given to Joshua is still good for us today. We must remember that God has commanded us to not fear, doubt or worry. If we follow his command then our lives will become much easier. Doubt , worry and fear do nothing more than shorten our lives. They put a heavy toll on minds and bodies. We must not allow the devil and his evil demons to enter any phase of our lives. If we follow the commands of our God in heaven then we will add days to our lives and be able to live in peace and joy. We must remember and believe his promise, ” God is with you wherever you go.” PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” I KNOW THE LORD IS ALWAYS WITH ME. I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN, FOR HE IS RIGHT BESIDE ME. ” PSALM 15:8

The Lord our God in heaven has promised us that he will never leave us. He continues to be with us in good times and in bad times. As we walk through each day we battle problems. Some are small and some are large. No matter the situation our God is right there beside us. He is with us to comfort us and to help strengthen us in our times of need. All we have to do is ask. We can live a life of joy if we only remember that the Lord is truthful, honest and continues to have an everlasting presence in our lives, if we just allow him to. We must continually recognize his presence and live our lives with the boldness of God and the strength of his Holy Spirit. There is nothing that can defeat us unless we allow it to. Would you rather live a life of joy, love, peace, peace of mind, strength, and compassion for others, or, would you rather live a life of doubt, worry ,fear, anger, sickness, unforgivness and hate? I know that the world has nothing for me but the failed promises it provides each day. But Jesus, with his death on the cross, has proven his love for me. Give me Jesus and not the world. Remember, we are in the world but we are not of the world. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” HE SHOWS MERCY FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION TO ALL WHO FEAR HIM. ” LUKE 1:50

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior our lives change. Our desires change. All of the sudden our instincts to do good or bad change because the Lord is living within us. Our desire is to try to the good our God wants us to do. As humans we don’t always do the good we are supposed to. The Lord has given us a free will to make choices. Sometimes our choices are not in line with the Lord’s desires for our lives. However, if we go to our Lord and ask for forgiveness our sins are wiped clean, never to be remembered again by our God in heaven. As our children watch us in our growth in our Christian lives they will remember how we react to troubles. They may not immediatly show that they are reflecting the values of Jesus but as their lives go on those values begin to break through. We are human testimonies for our families. Our show of love for our God will have an influence on others. Yes, the devil will win some of the battles. There may be some of our family members who do not follow the ways of the Lord. We have to be able to turn them over to the Lord and trust him to put others in their paths in hopes that the salvation message will influence them. I truly believe that if we have dedicated our lives to him he will honor that dedication. He will perform miracles and all of our family members will have the opportunity to accept him as Lord as Savior. The Lord loves us very much. We must continue to show our love for him by representing him well in our own lives. We may take ridicule but with Christ we can do all things. We must continue to pray and bring all of those whom we love before him and trust him to take care of them with the hope that the decisions they make will reflect the same values they have seen us make in our decisions before them. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” THE LORD LOOKS DOWN FROM HEAVEN ON THE ENTIRE HUMAN RACE; HE LOOKS TO SEE IF ANYONE IS TRULY WISE, IF ANYONE SEEKS GOD.” PSALM 14:2

The definition of a realist is a person who accepts a situation as it is and is prepared to deal with it accordingly. I think we can all call ourselves a realist in this world as we see things in the natural and accept them for what they are. Our Lord has provided for us his holy word with situations and people from the past, with spiritual enlightenments throughout, and with commands and promises. We must live our lives in accordance to the godly principals, commands and promises. How do we do this? We must become a realist in the spiritual world. We must take our God at his word, the truth! We must act upon his truth in our lives and display to others our faith and belief. There is no doubt or fear involved. We must believe God’s word just as we belive that trees grow or the snow falls in the winter. When we become a realist in Christ we have the authority he gives us to live ourlives in strength and not in weakness. We can live our lives without fear, doubt or worry. We can live our lives in assurance that our God is with us in all things and that, no matter what the situation looks like to the world, we know the Lord will use every situation for his good. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” WE HAVE BEEN RESCUED FROM OUR ENEMIES SO WE CAN SERVE GOD WITHOUT FEAR, IN HOLINESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR AS LONG AS WE LIVE.” LUKE 1: 74-75

Our Lord God in heaven has opened an important door for us. It is the door of opportunity through Jesus Christ our Lord. Fear is not a part of loving our Lord God. It is a stumbling block, a huge boulder and a great divide that tries to separate us from our faith, trust and love for Jesus. However, the Lord has given us the ability to build our faith so strong that it can withstand the many obstacles that stand in our way of truly loving and serving him. We must be able to stand in the face of doubt, worry and fear to be able to worship our God the way he wants us to. He wants our total being and not just a part of us. He wants us to be free and joyful in our praises of him. The devil wants only to deny us from having a close relationship with the Lord. He wants to do everything and anything to separate us from him. As we begin to strengthen our faith we begin to focus more on our Lord Jesus and less on the world. We begin to worship the Lord with a stronger conviction not being concerned about how the world looks at us or what they say about us. The Lord wants us to live a good life, one free of doubt, worry and fear. We can do this if we use the tools he has provided for us. Praise him, pray to him, listen to the Holy Spirit and continue to surround ourselves with his great and loving word! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” YOU ARE BLESSED BECAUSE YOU BELIEVED THAT THE lORD WOULD DO WHAT HE SAID.” LUKE 1:45

The words in Luke 1:45 are included in a conversation between Elizabeth and Mary, the mother of Jesus. Elizabeth concludes that Mary is blessed because of her faith in what God said he was about to do. We think our faith is tested, can you imagine what the young virgin felt like when the angel of God visited her? She was overwhelmed. However, she believed that God would be true to what he said he would do. What about you and me? Do we always believe what the Lord promises? I know that my life has not totally reflected that I believe or act upon what the Lord has always told me. Sometimes I don’t listen. Sometimes I think I can do things better than God. I still have those problems. But, I continue to read his word, confess his promises, and build my faith stronger and stronger on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Yes, I continue to stumble and fall but the Lord is always there to pick me up so that I can move on. Making those mistakes can be a part of the learning process in building faith, if we learn from the mistakes. The Lord our God in heaven loves us and would not provide his mighty promises if didn’t plan to keep them. He has never failed on a promise and he never will. It is up to us to continue to focus on his word and move forward no matter the circumstances. In everything we do we must pay attention to the Lord and find out what he thinks about our decision. If what we are doing does not line up with God’s word then we should not do it. If we are about to do something or make a decision in our lives and we are just not sure we should do it, then don’t. Take a step back, pray and listen. He will answer. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” I WILL ASK NOTHING MORE OF YOU EXCEPT THAT YOU HOLD TIGHTLY TO WHAT YOU HAVE UNTIL I COME.” REVELATION 2:25

The Lord has shown me the following message many times throughout my life. I try hard to follow his word each and everday. I am not always successful but he is always there to catch me when I fall.

” THE LORD’S COMMANDS ARE IN YOUR HEART. THE LORD IS YOUR LIFE! HE IS THE FIRST ONE YOU SHOULD THINK OF IN TROUBLED TIMES! HE IS THE FIRST ONE YOU SHOULD GO TO FOR HELP! HE IS THE ONLY ONE YOU SHOULD PATTERN YOUR THOUGHTS, WORDS, AND ACTIONS AFTER! HE IS THE ONE YOU SHOULD NEVER DENY AND BE WILLING TO BE PERSECUTED AND DIE FOR! HE IS THE ONE YOU SHOULD RISE EVERY MORNING FOR AND THE ONE YOU SHOULD REST YOUR EYES FOR AT NIGHT! HE SHOULD BE IN ALL OF YOUR THOUGHTS, WORDS AND ACTIONS ! THE WORD OF THE LORD IS IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART! THE LORD IS YOUR LIFE! BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS IN ALL THAT YOU DO AND SAY!

We should hold onto all that the Lord has given to us. Never look back but always look forward. He loves us and is with us. Our Lord is returning soon. Hang onto what he has given us and hang on tight. The ride is about to get wild. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“ LISTEN O’ISRAEL! THE IS OUR GOD THE LORD ALONE. AND YOU MUST LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD 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 AT HOME AND WHEN YOU ARE ON THE ROAD, WHEN YOU ARE GOING TO BED AND WHEN YOU ARE GETTING UP. TIE THEM YOU YOUR HANDS AND WEAR THEM ON YOUR FOREHEAD AS REMINDERS. WRITE THEM ON THE DOORPOSTS OF YOUR HOUSE AND ON YOUR GATES.” DEUTERONOMY 6: 4-9

Our God in heaven is the same yesterday, today and forever. Our God never changes. His Word is the most important thing in our lives because it helps us to create the faith we need in order to believe in him and his mighty promises. If we don’t have faith then it is replaced by fear. Fear, of course, is of the devil and not of God. We must understand that fear and faith cannot live together. Where there is fear there is no faith. Where there is faith it scares the fear away. We are reminded in Deuteronomy that we are to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul and strength. We are to WHOLEHEARTEDLY, commit ourselves to the commands of our Lord God in heaven. We are to talk about the ways of God all of the time. We should have God’s commands on our minds and in our conversations while at home, at work, in the morning and at night. We should make sure our children are blessed with these commands as well. Our God recognizes that we need him in our lives everyday and all day. He knows that devil and his demons will not leave us alone. So, he has given us the tools we need to keep the evil one away. He has given us the name of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. We must, however, remember to use the name of Jesus, listen to the Holy Spirit and use the faith that we have built to fight off the enemy. The Lord loves us very much but we have to do our part. We have go all in for Jesus. There is no in between. Remember, faith and fear cannot live together.

” KEEP WATCH AND PRAY, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT GIVE INTO TEMPTATION. FOR THE SPIRIT IS WILLING BUT THE BODY IS WEAK.” MARK 14:38

I have learned over the years that I must stay strong in the Lord and never let anything or anyone come between the Lord and myself. There are so many distractions in a normal day and even more distractions on an abnormal day. I know that if I don’t keep my focus on my priortities at hand that I can easily be distracted and swayed to believe and do things that are in direct contradiction of how the Lord wants me to live my life. It took me a long time to realize that what I have with the Lord is not a religion but a personal relationship. He is to be the way I live my life. I must surround myself with his holy presence and keep my focus on him. He is my priority. Everything else comes after my relationship with Jesus. The Lord has shown me that in a personal relationship I should be able to come to him and visit at anytime no matter where I might be. My conversations do not have to formal prayers. We can just have a conversation. I can let him know how I feel and ask him for his help or I can go to him and just give him praise for all that he has done for me. The important thing is that he is first in my life. Whenever something goes wrong I go to him in prayer for help. When things are going good I go to him with praise and thanksgiving. What this personal relationship does is create an environment of love and protection. It protects me from temptatation and other evils of the world by knowing that he is always there. He loves me and wants to protect me. He has helped me throughout the years and continues to help me to build my faith. He is my way of life. He is first and never second. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” THE FOUNDATION OF LAW AND ORDER HAVE COLLAPSED. WHAT CAN THE RIGHTEOUS DO?” PSALM 11:3

Does this scripture in Psalm 11 bring anything to mind? It appears that in our country today law and order is under great attack. We continue to see evil take place in the form of destruction of property, people being killed or severly injured and justice being exstinquished for those who have been victims. All of this confusing activity is being accomplished in the name of civil rights. However, our Lord God is a God of order. He is not a God of confusion. So, what do we do? It is important to remember that God is in heaven and that he is still in control. It may not seem like it at times but we must never doubt. We must never leave an opening for the devil and his evil schemes to get in. We must remember and act upon the fact that our God in heaven is our source for the life we live. He will protect us in times of need. He will keep us well fed in times of hunger. He will heal us when we are sick. He will give us hope when we are down. But, we must act upon our faith. We must put our faith into action and never doubt the promises of God. He is forever faithful. Remember, he is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is never changing. He loves us and has given us what we need to not just survive in these times but to thrive in these times. We must continue to pray and praise him for his great strength and compassion for each of his children. We must continue to build our faith each day. We must believe that we receive because he is our source and not the ways of the world. So, what do the righteous do? We continue to believe the promises of God and act upon them. We must do more than just read the bible. We must use it as the roadmap and tool it is meant to be. We must set it into action by stepping out in faith and letting God go to work! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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

What is trust? Trust is the firm belief in the realiability, truth, ability or strength of someone or something. It is extremely important that each of us strengthen our trust in our Lord God in heaven. The first question we must answer is whether our Lord is trustworthy. Can we rely upon him? Is he truthful? As we pray and read through the scriptures we find that the Lord has presented us with many promises. He assures us throughout scripture that he never goes back on a promise. He never fails on a promise. He is always there for us. So, is he trustworthy? Without a doubt he is! The problem is not whether our God is trustworthy but whether we can believe that he and his mighty word is trustworthy. Have we built our faith to a point where we can trust the Lord and his word? Can we put our lives in his hands and trust him to get us through every situation we encounter? Is he the one we go to first when we are going through struggles and problems? If the answer to these questions is yes, then congratulations. If not, then we still have work to do. We continue our need to build upon our faith, surround ourselves with Jesus and his word. As humans, I believe that we are always struggling to trust God. Why? Because the devil is always attacking. Always throwing doubt , worry and fear in our face. We have to constantly battle and get to a point in each struggle where we are trusting our Lord to answer us and give us the strength we need. He will give us the strength and the wisdom we need to get through anything we might be going through. He never fails! We must continue to work at trusting him. We must never let down. Surround yourself with his word and surround yourself with others who believe in the promises of God. He is our strength and he never fails us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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

Our world that we live in is becoming as confusing as it can become. Without the Lord it appears that there may be no end. However, there is hope in Jesus. I believe that we are in the midst of a great revival. It could be the last push before our Lord returns. As we Christians begin to stand up for what we believe we continue to see the persecution and resistance coming from the world. The Lord has made it very clear that we will be persecuted for being his followers. We must have a faith that has been built on the solid rock of Jesus Christ. There can be no doubt in our lives. If we allow doubt, fear or worry to enter then we will not be able to stand in the face of danger. We will melt just as an ice cube in the hot sun. We must have a faith in Jesus that is so strong that we stand like concrete in the face of persecution, fear, doubt, worry and danger. We can only do that if we believe that our Lord is with us in all things at all times. We must meditate upon his word day and night, continue to pray to him and praise him in all things. We have the victory. Our God has given us the tools necessary to win each battle. We must, however, have the faith, strength and endurance to use these tools. Our faith in Jesus is the key. Remember, “we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.” Phil. 4:13 In the days moving forward things will not become easier but harder. We must be prepared by having an unmovable faith in our Lord Jesus Christ! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” YOU CAN MAKE THIS CHOICE, BY LOVING THE LORD YOUR GOD, OBEYING HIM AND COMMITTING YOURSELF FIRMLY TO HIM. THIS IS THE KEY TO YOUR LIFE.” DEUTERONOMY 30:20

Making the right choices in life are somtimes very difficult. As we read through God’s word we can see that he makes it very clear how to make the right choices. In Deuteronomy he gives us instructions as to what we must do to make our lives easier.

To make right choices we must love our God in heaven. Before we can truly love him we need to really get to know him. We need to know how he works and what he stands for and what he requires of us. We need to understand that following him isn’t easy because of the distractions around us.

To make right choices we need to obey him. Once we understand who God is and what he stands for we can begin to build our relationship with him. In doing so we will begin to better understand what he expects of us. We need to pay attention to his word and to the Holy Spirit. Once we understand what his commands are we must be able to obey him and follow his commands.

To make right choices we must be totally committed to him. God’s word says to be “firmly” committed to him. That means that our relationship with Christ must be strong and that he is first in our lives and on our minds. Our faith in him must be continually growing stronger. We must not waiver.

Our Lord makes it very clear that the choices of loving him, obeying him and committing firmly to him are the keys to our lives. If we do these things it will be easier to make the right choices in our daily lives. We must rececognize that our Lord is with us at all times and that we can do all things through him who gives us strength. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE WITH GOD”. MARK 10:27

There is nothing impossible with God on your side. With true faith in the Lord we have the miracle of salvation, healing, and the forgiveness of sins. We are able to walk through troubles and tribulations with great confindence. We are given great strength to overcome any obstacles put in our way. We are able to walk through life with great wisdom while telling the story of Jesus Christ. We are given the ability to be living testimonies on behalf of the Lord our God in heaven. God has created a plan for each of us. As long as we are on this earth we are to work hard to carry out that plan. The ultimate outcome for each and every plan is to be a great witnesses and win others to Christ. We all have the same goal but have been given different ways to reach this goal. Our Lord loves us and he wants as many as possible to be with him in heaven. He continues to give us time to walk with him here on this earth and spread his word and his promises. But, the time of grace is about to end. The Lord will be returning soon and, when he does, he will display his great wrath on those remaining on this earth. The message of salvation, that he gives each of us to carry and spread to the world is increasingly important as each day passes. We don’t know the day or the time of his return but we do know the season. I believe we are living in that season. Build up your faith and continue to live in Jesus! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” The Holy Spirit said to Philip, ‘ Go over and walk along beside the carriage.’ ” Acts 8:29

Scripture tells us that when Philip heard the Holy Spirit tell him to go over and walk beside the carriage, he not only went, but ran over to the carriage. The Ethiopian Eunich was blessed that day because a child of God had listened and followed the commands the Lord had given him. Prior to that command Philip had received another command. He was given directions as to how to get to the Ethiopian Eunich. What if Philip had decided that he was too busy to make that trip? Would the Eunich have missed out on a blessing? I don’t think so. If Philip had not followed the Lord’s commands I believe God would have found someone else to carry out his directions. However, Philip would have missed out. How many times do we hear instructions from the Lord and not follow through. We are either too busy, too tired or just don’t listen. Sometimes we are overcome with our busy lives and we shut the Lord out. It is necessary that we stay in tune with the Lord all day long. He must be our go to person. He uses each of us in many different ways. If we don’t listen and act upon his commands then we will be sure to miss out on blessings from him. The Lord uses us to bless others. We don’t know when, where or why but the Lord our God has a plan. His plan will be carried out whether you and I are a part of it or not. So, stay alert. Listen carefully to the still, quiet voice within you. Follow the Lord’s commands and be a blessing to someone else so that the Lord can be a blessing to you. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” AND JESUS SAID TO HIM, ‘ GO, FOR YOUR FAITH HAS HEALED YOU.’ INSTANTLY THE MAN COULD SEE, AND HE FOLLOWED JESUS DOWN THE ROAD.” MARK 10:52

Jesus was quick to tell the blind begger that his faith had healed him. The begger would never have been healed of his blindness had he not had the faith that Jesus could heal him. His faith was so strong that he was yelling for Jesus. He was being a disruption to others because his window of opportunity had arrived and he was not going to miss it. He put his faith in Jesus into action and was healed. Without a strong faith in the promises of our God his promises will not be fulfilled in our lives. Without a strong faith in the miracles that can take place through the powerful name of Jesus, none of these miracles can take place. It is important to remember that the devil and all of his army is here trying to steal away all of these exciting actions of the Lord our God in heaven. This is a great spirtual battle between the Lord and the devil. The difference is that the devil is a falsehood in action. He lies, cheats, steals, creates havoc and throws all of the evil he can at us and at the same time he makes it look and feel so real. He wants to take not only our physical lives from us but also our eternal lives. He wants to steal away all of the blessings of the Lord our God. However, our Lord God is loving, caring, gracious and forgiving. He wants nothing more than for us to follow him by walking in his ways. However, he is not going to force us. He wants each and everyone of us to willingly come to him, be saved, forgiven and live a life on this earth that is fullfilling and useful for his use. We must stay in his word, build our faith continually and never stop resisting the devil. We must learn the promises of God and stand in the face of the evil one and let him know that we have faith in our God and his mighty works. We must never back down but always stay strong and faithful in his promises. If we continue to step out in faith our Lord will honor those actions. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” DAUGHTER, YOUR FAITH HAS MADE YOU WELL. GO IN PEACE. YOUR SUFFERING IS OVER.” MARK 5:34

In order for us to live lives of strength we must have faith. We can do nothing without it. We must remember that all things are possible with our God in heaven, but we must be able to believe in him and believe in all that he does, before we can claim his healing in our life. Our faith must be so strong that we are willing to go out of our way to find him in the largest of crowds as this woman did to find her healing. We must not doubt for the least amount of moments. We must surround ourselves with those who are also believers in the miracles of God. We must stay in constant contact with him. We must listen carefully for his direction in our life. Our God in heaven is a loving and caring God. All evil comes from the devil and his demons. We must not allow the devil to control what we say or how we act. No matter the outcome in our lives we must remember that all things happen for a purpose and that our God will use all things for his good. We must stay alert and look for the good and not the bad. We must read his word daily and remember that the bible is not just a book but it is the living and breathing word of God. It is alive with God’s precious promises. Continue to build upon your faith and believe that you receive! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

‘ LET THE CHILDREN COME TO ME. DON’T STOP THEM! FOR THE KINDOM OF GOD BELONGS TO THOSE WHO ARE LIKE THESE CHILDREN. I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, ANYONE WHO DOESN’T RECEIVE THE KINGDOM OF GOD LIKE A CHILD WILL NEVER ENTER.” MARK 9: 14-15

I hope that everyone has at least a few good thoughts of their childhood. It was a time of innocence, a time when we could believe and make believe. It is very interesting that the Lord described receiving his kingdom with the innocence of a child. He did so with a purpose. As adults we sometimes have many things clogging up our minds. Our daily grinds sometimes result in aggrivation, confusion, depression, and pressures from many sides. We don’t allow ourselves to slow down long enough to take a breath and clear our minds. We have the ways of the world flowing in and out of our thoughts which makes it hard to concentrate on anything other than the world around us. Our Lord has made it easy to accept him. All we have to do is confess that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. We must acknowledge that he died on the cross and rose again in our place. He died and rose again so that we could live. However, we have a tendency to make things a bit more confusing than they have to be. It is very important that we consider Mark 9: 14-15 in a serous manner. We need to dumb ourselves down. We seem to contantly build ourselves up to a level where we think we know more that our God in heaven. Let us all take a step back and clear our minds. Don’t make it hard to believe and receive. But instead believe as a child and trust God in heaven for the rest to fall into place. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!