Bread of Life, JIL

” MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY IN THESE EVIL DAYS. ” EPHESIANS 5:16

” BE STRONG IN THE LORD AND HIS MIGHTY POWER. ” EPHESIANS 6:10

As Christians we should walk with our heads held high in strength and faith. We should not be running away from the battles that rage in our lives, but we should be running toward them with great confidence that our Lord God in heaven is with us and will help us. The moment we see the problem too large, and we shy away from it, is the time that the devil throws fear and doubt into our thoughts and the way we act. When we allow doubt and fear to take over we are defeated. It is necessary to stand tall in Jesus and fight the fight. This is easier said than done, but if we wrap ourselves in the blanket of the lord’s faithful promises and continue to believe, no matter the situation, then we will be victorious. We should use our times of trouble as opportunities for spreading God’s word to others. We must not live a life of fear but one of continued joy and love in the Lord. We have great strength in the name of Jesus. We should be using it. The devil hates it. There is mighty power and strength in his name. We must stay connected and never unplug from God’s word. BELIEVE YOU RECEIVE BECAUSE GOD IS YOUR SOURCE! PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

” THROW OFF YOUR OLD SINFUL NATURE AND YOUR FORMER WAY OF LIFE, WHICH IS CORRUPTED BY LUST AND DECEPTION. INSTEAD, LET THE SPIRIT RENEW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ATTITIUDES.” EPHESIANS 4:22-23

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior everything changes. We become a different person. 40+ years ago when I accepted Christ I had to change a lot of things. The one area that was the hardest for me was smoking. When I accepted Jesus I was smoking up to 3 packs per day and I enjoyed smoking. However, the Lord began to convict me from day one. I knew smoking was not good for me. I knew that my body was the temple of God. I knew that the Holy Spirit was living within me. But, I loved smoking. I would stop for a few days and then convince myself that it wouldn’t hurt to smoke a little but not as much as I did before. The Lord kept on reminding me that if I kept smoking I not only was hurting something that he had created but also I was not being a good witness for those around me. I was reading the bible, praying and witnessing to others about Christ and then have a cigarette. WOW, what a witness. I was pretty hardheaded but eventually the Lord convinced me. I took a pack of cigarettes that I always kept, just in case I needed one, and threw them out. Through the name of Jesus I talked directly to the evils of smoking by rebuking the smoking habit and never smoked again. Change is not easy. It is so important to turn our love to the Lord and away from the things of this world. Jesus died so that we can overcome the hard things in life. We have a patient and loving Lord. We have one who will gently help us through our bad times and turn us onto the right path. All we have to do is continue to build our faith and never give up on him. I still fight worldly things around me. We all do. We always need the Lord to help us. PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS!

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

Salvation is the ultimate gift from our God in heaven. It is such a great gift that our God had to offer his one and only son as a sacrifice for us. We do not have to do good and great things in order to receive salvation. We don’t have to perform certain rituals to be able to receive this grand gift. All we have to do is go to our Lord with a sincere heart and ask for his forgivness and invite Jesus into our lives. The good and great things that we do should be the fruits of our receiving Christ and not be a way of receiving him into our lives. This is a very simple process. However, what comes after we accept Jesus is not so easy. The devil fights us tooth and nail. He puts problems, struggles, difficult situations, doubt, worry and fear in our path each and everyday. We are humbled in many ways. We must remember who is in control of our lives and give him praise and glory throughout all of our struggles. We must surround ourselves with those who love the Lord as we do. We need encouragment no matter the length of time we have known Christ. We need each other to boost us up in those difficult times. We are overcomers in Christ Jesus. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

“ IT IS BY GOD’S GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED.” EPH. 2:5

Our God in heaven is extremely gracious. He has provided salvation, healing and forgiveness through the death of his one and only son Jesus Christ. We should never take that for granted. We should always be thankful and willing and ready to serve him in any way that he asks us to. In order to keep ourselves strong in the Lord we must continue to build upon our faith. We must stay in God’s word and meditate on it daily. It is important that we openly confess his word, act upon his word, receive his word, and then tell about his word. We must be humble, patient and gentle with each other compensating for each others faults. We must truly love others and be willing to develop a servant’s attitiude and act upon it by serving others and being gracious to them. We must reflect God’s personality in our own lives as living testimonies. We should be speaking God’s word and living God’s word. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” HE SAVED ME FROM DEATH, MY EYES FROM TEARS, MY FEET FROM STUMBLING.” PSALM 116:8

” AND SO I WALK IN THE LORD’S PRESENCE AS I LIVE HERE ON EARTH.” PSALM 116:9

The bible tells us that when Jesus went to be at the right hand of God the Father, that he sent his Holy Spirit to live within us. As we walk through each day it is important to never forget that not only is the Lord with us but that he is living in us. He is here to guide us in our ways and help us in our struggles. As we live each day, and we remember these things, we should be living our lives in such a way that we are faithfully representing our Lord here on earth. Our God is a loving God and does not force us to do anything. He has given us a free will to live our lives in the way we choose. So, the Holy Spirit is not twisting our arms at every turn and making us do right but he is convicting us. He helps us to recoginize right from wrong and gives us the opportunity to choose the direction we want to go. We don’t always listen and choose the correct way. When we do things we know are not right we should immediatly go to God and ask for his forgiveness. We must always remember to try hard and recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit. We should walk each day in the presence of the Lord because we ARE in the presence of the Lord. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” AND THE PEACE I GIVE IS A GIFT THE WORLD CANNOT GIVE. SO DON’T BE TROUBLED OR AFRAID. ” JOHN 14:27

As we look around the world today or watch the news on TV we can clearly see that the world in which we live is in turmoil. It is in complete chaos. If we believe what we hear on the news and set our sights on the things of this world then the fear in this world will overcome us. However, we have been given a great gift from our God in heaven. We have been given his peace. If we put our focus on our Lord God in heaven then we will realize that he has a plan. His plan for this world has been in place since the beginning. If we realize this plan and believe in the promises our Lord has given us then we can and should be living in the peace of our Lord. He will send his angels to protect us. He will deliver us from chaos and the struggles of this world. Yes, we still have to confront these evils because we live in this world but we can meet each and every concern head on and with the confidence that God has it all under control. No matter the situation we face our God will get us through it. With faith in Jesus we are all overcomers. We must continue to build upon our faith each and everyday. We must meditate on God’s word day and night staying plugged into him constantly. We should believe we receive because God is our source! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, YOU WILL ASK THE FATHER DIRECTLY, AND HE WILL GRANT YOUR REQUEST BECAUSE YOU USE MY NAME.” JOHN 16:23

” ASK USING MY NAME, AND YOU WILL RECEIVE, AND YOU WILL HAVE ABUNDANT JOY.” JOHN 16:24

The name of Jesus is the most powerful tool we have in our toolbag. The bible tells us that through the name of Jesus, demons flee. The devil knows how powerful Jesus is. He tried his hardest to get Him to conform to his ways without any success. Jesus was true to his father in heaven and we are to be true to our father in heaven. Now we have been given the strongest of powers in the name of Jesus. Jesus is the difference maker. You don’t hear his name being spread all over the TV or in any news casts. The people of this world have been blinded to his power. But, we have been given this wonderful name to defeat the evil around us and to set our hopes and fears aside because of the wonderful power in the name of Jesus. Sometimes when I am feeling down, depressed or fearful I will just close my eyes and begin to say the name of Jesus over and over. Quickly those fears disappear. What strength he has given us. The Lord does not want us to fail. He wants us to succeed no matter where we are or what we are doing. But, we cannot be afraid to openly talk about and use the name of Jesus in our daily lives and to put his name into action. PRAISE THE NAME OF JESUS IN ALL THINGS!

” FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE FOUNDATION OF TRUE WISDOM. ALL WHO OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS WILL GROW IN WISDOM. ” PSALM 111:10

” AND THE PEACE I GIVE IS A GIFT THE WORLD CANNOT GIVE. SO DON’T BE TROUBLED OR AFRAID.” JOHN 14: 27

We should walk through life with confidence. We should never walk through life in fear or doubt. We must stay connected to the Lord our God. He has sent us the Holy Spirit who helps to direct us and give us strength. Stay in prayer and listen carefully to all of the answers the Lord provides. If we do, then we will be able to walk the walk and talk the talk with the confidence of Christ. PRASIE THE LORD!

” BUT THE HOLY SPIRIT PRODUCES THIS KIND OF FRUIT IN OUR LIVES: LOVE, JOY, PEACE,PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, AND SELF-CONTROL. “

As we live each day we should take the time to examine just how we are living our lives. Are we producing the kind of fruit that is evidenced by the truth in the Holy Spirit? Is our life producing the kind of fruit that others will see and recognize as coming from God? Or, are we taken in by the ways of the world and living a life that fits in nicely with the world around us. As true followers of Christ we should live a life that is separating itself from the ways of the world. There is no gray area. There is no in between. It is either living for Christ or living for the world. Our lives should reflect our love for Jesus. When it does then others see our attitudes and faithfulness for Christ. They see our self-control through troubles times, our peace and patience, love and joy. All of this fruit produced by the Holy Spirit gives us opportunity to witness to others about Jesus and the great gifts he has provided to us. Jesus loves us and gave his life for us. We must stand strong and in support of our Lord and not be ashamed of him so that he will not be ashamed of us before God. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” SO I SAY, LET THE HOLY SPIRIT GUIDE YOUR LIVES. THEN YOU WON’T BE DOING WHAT YOUR SINFUL NATURE CRAVES. ” GAL. 5:16

We were all born into sin. The Lord our God in heaven gave us the most loving opportunity to overcome our sinful nature by sending his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins. However , we are not perfect. We are still tempted. We still live in a world filled with sin. Our Lord sent his precious Holy Spirit to live within us and to guide us. We must train ourselves up in order to be able to listen and hear the Holy Spirit as he directs our every step. We are surrounded by the things of the world so it is easy to become involved and comply with these things. But, if we continue to build upon our faith, stay plugged into God our source, and learn to listen to the voice of the Lord, will are able to overcome the world. As we live our lives each day there are many situations that require us to make decisions between right and wrong. As we cross these bridges of indecision we must take a step back and listen to the Lord. Often times we have a check in our spirit, a time that we just aren’t sure if we are to follow our instincts. If we are not completely sure what to do we need to pause and pray to the Lord. That little indecision or check in our spirit is the Holy Spirit speaking to us. We should stop and listen. If we do, the Lord will give the right steps to take. God has a plan for our lives. We sometimes like to move swiftly past his plan and begin to act upon our own. When we do we move into a dangerous, and most times, a failing situation. We must listen to the small still voice of the preceious Holy Spirit and all will be well! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” YOU WILL ALWAYS HARVEST WHAT YOU PLANT. ” GAL. 6:7

Farmers around the country and the world plant crops that they feel will benefit them the most. They do their best to nurture their crops by fertilizing them and spraying for all weeds that try to grow and lessen the crop’s value. We as Christians are much the same. Whatever we plant is exactly what we will harvest. We cannot expect to plant greed, jealousy, sadness, lust, lying, cheating, doubt, worry and fear, and then reap joy, love, compassion, strength, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We cannot plant weeds and expect to harvest healthy crops. Through our faith in God we must sow the things of God. We will then reap the things of God. If we want to be treated with respect then we must treat others with respect. If we want others to treat us with kindness then we must treat others with kindness. We must do everything possible to make sure that the weeds of the devil are picked from what we sow and are thrown out. Our faith must continue to be strong and we must continue to believe that we reap what we sow. Unbelievers of this world are watching us closely. We cannot win others to Christ by sowing the ways of the world. Remember, if we plant things of this world then we will reap the benefits of this world. However, if we plant the things of God we will reap the benefits of God. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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

We live in a great nation, one that was founded upon trusting God and creating freedom for all. Today, as we live in the endtimes, we see our great country taking a turn in the opposite direction. We see lying, cheating, greed, deception, control, intimidation and many other evil ideas taking shape. These evil ideas are helping to create great problems for us as a country and for the world as a whole. As we watch and wonder how those who are in leadership positions and others who agree with their ideology can be so blinded and not see the obvious, we must remember that God has a plan. His plan is in place and we are living within that plan today. Things that are happening in our world we may not understand but we must remember to trust God in all things. Our faith must be strong and we must be able to put away the thoughts and ways of this world and concentrate on the thoughts and the ways of our God in heaven. We as a nation have turned away from God. We have taken prayer out of schools, our nation currently does not support Israel in its struggles and we are turning our ways over to other religions of this world along with other evil ideas and worldly ways. We are still living in the time of grace. Our God continues to have great compassion for his people. We need to continue to pray, for not only our leaders, both national and local, but for the leaders of the world. There is still time left as God’s plan has not been completed but completion is right on the door step. We must believe that we receive because God is our source. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“ I WILL NOT FAIL YOU OR ABANDON YOU.” JOSHUA 1:5

Our Lord is Perfect! Our God in heaven has made many promises that are displayed throughout his glorius and gracious word. Joshua 1:5 is one of those great promises. If we truly believe that God will never fail or abandon us then our lives here on this earth will become so much easier. Yes, the devil will continue to attack and cause as many problems as he can but our Lord stands beside us. He provides us with strength and confidence. He provides us with his Holy Spirit to live inside each of us for guidance and courage. We must remember Phil. 4:13 that says, ” I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME.” The name of Jesus alone is the greatest tool that our God has given us. The devil and all of his demons flee when we use the name of Jesus. They know that they have been defeated. We have the power but we must have the faith to use it. We must believe and receive because God is our Source! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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

” FEAR OF THE LORD IS A LIFE-GIVING FOUNTAIN; IT OFFERS ESCAPE FROM THE SNARES OF DEATH.” PROVERBS 14:27

As we live in this world we all make human mistakes. This is natural because we are not perfect. The important thing is how we rebound from our mistakes. As living testimonies for Christ we must put complete trust in Jesus. We must trust every word he has spoken to us in the past and every word he speaks to us today. We must love him unconditionally just as he loves us. No matter the mistakes we make there is nothing that our Lord God in heaven cannot forgive or will not forgive, if we go to him with a sincere heart and ask. He promises that he will rescue us and protect us. He tells us that our true love for him will be an escape from the snares of death. When we take these sins before God we must believe upon his true love for us and that he has truly wiped our slate clean and has forgiven us. We are spiritual beings and we must think that way. As he saves us from spiritual death we must turn around and display to the world that same love. We must own up to our mistakes and live our lives in truth and sincerity. Our love for our Lord should be so strong that nothing will shake our belief in his love for us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“ PEOPLE WITH UNDERSTANDING CONTROL THEIR ANGER; A HOT TEMPER SHOWS GREAT FOOLISHNESS.” PROVERBS 14:29

One of the primary ways that the devil attacks us is with anger. Anger can produce characteristics, that when put into action, can produce deadly and outrageous outcomes. Relationships can be destroyed, friendships lost and even lives lost in extreme situations. Anger is a lot like alcohol or any drug we take that has the potential to take control of our lives. It can become so severe that we don’t even realize what we are doing or saying. In order for us to be able to control this aggressive attack of the devil we must continue to be strong in our faith in God. We must stay in his word and be able to fight the devil and anger with God’s promises. We must stand in the face of anger and rebuke it in the name of Jesus. Our Lord has given each of us the power through the name of Jesus to defeat the devil and his evil attacks on our lives. That includes anger toward others. We are overcomers and need to be able take a step back, praise the Lord and ask for his help. If we allow anger to take over our lives we will never win a battle. If we are living a life in Jesus then we will defeat anger and all of the bad results that comes with it. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” MY LIGHT WILL SHINE FOR YOU JUST A LITTLE WHILE LONGER. WALK IN THE LIGHT WHILE YOU CAN, SO THAT THE DARKNESS WILL NOT OVERTAKE YOU. ” JOHN 12:35

Our Lord God in heaven is the light. We are living in his time of grace, a time that his light is still shining. Our Lord is getting ready to return for those who have trusted in him and done his will. As we continue to walk in his light we should continue to present our Lord to the world. It is his will that as many as possible will come to him. We are his tools in helping this to happen. In order for us to be able to do this we must keep the faith. We must continually build upon our faith and live our lives by faith. God’s light is still shining. We still have the opportunity to win others to Christ. However, this time is running out. We must continue to work hard and fulfill God’s will for our lives. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” IN PEACE I WILL LIE DOWN AND SLEEP, FOR YOU ALONE, O LORD WILL KEEP ME SAFE.” PSALM 4:8

As we continue to place our complete trust in the promises of our Lord we can rest assured that he and he alone will protect us in any and all situations. As we lay our heads on our pillows at night we should begin to praise and give glory to our Father in heaven for all that he has done for us. Sometimes we are so focused on our problems, and asking God to help us through them, that we miss the answers to our prayers. Our Lord NEVER fails on any of his promises. As we live in the Lord each day, his way of life while on this earth should be our way of life on this earth. It isn’t an easy road but it is a road that has already been conquered by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He does answer our prayers! Sometimes he answers quickly and other times it may take awhile. It is important that we watch for those answers and give the Lord glory and honor for all. As the scriptures say, we must trust the Lord with all of our heart and lean not unto our own understanding. Our God in heaven is our complete and only source! PRAISE THE LORD FOR ALL GREAT AND GLORIOUS THINGS!

” BE JOYFUL. GROW IN MATURITY. ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER. LIVE IN HARMONY AND PEACE. THEN THE GOD OF LOVE WILL BE WITH YOU. GREET EACH OTHER WITH CHRISTIAN LOVE.” 2 COR. 13: 11&12

As Christians we must continue to grow in the Lord each and everyday. We must continue to understand what he wants us to do. We must understand the basic things that the Lord requires of us before we can perform the more complex things of the Lord. We are to live our lives with joy. We are to encourage one another, live in haromony and peace, and greet each other with Christian love. Before we can become witnesses for our Lord God in heaven, and be taken seriously by the world who is watching us, we must be able to come together as a family and spread the love that Christ has for us to our brothers and sisters in Christ. If we cannot do that then we will not be strong enough to show the love and joy necessary to witness to the world. We are not always going to agree on every subject but we must disagree in love and not hate. We must continue to treat each other as family and not as the opposition. As we treat each other with respect and love we will be witnessing to the outside world. Our joy, love and peace should be our way of life and not something we do out of fear or just when someone else agrees with us. Let us continue to build upon our faith and make God’s ways our way of life. If we live in the Lord then we will live a life worthy of witnessing for him! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” EVERYONE WHO LIVES IN ME AND BELIEVES IN ME WILL NEVER EVER DIE. ” JOHN 11:26

Jesus is coming soon! This is a promise from our Lord that we cannot forget and a promise that will never fail. Remember, God never has nor will he ever fail on a promise. We must continue to live in Jesus. If we live within the shelter of our living God he will protect us in every and all situations. However, we must be faithful and keep our faith strong. The evil of this world will continue to attack us from every direction but will flee when we use the power of God in our lives. We don’t have to create stories or lies and live in a fictional world to accomplish our goals. We just have to read God’s word and tell the truth. If we do, then our Lord has promised that we will never die. We will always be with him. We can live in him and be close to him right now as we live on this earth. We must pray continually and be faithful to his word. We must believe that we receive because God is our source of strength. Our Lord is returning soon. We must believe and stay prepared! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” THE PRUDENT UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY ARE GOING, BUT FOOLS DECEIVE THEMSELVES. ” PROVERBS 14:8

For centuries the devil has been trying to deceive those who follow Christ. He makes things look and sound so real that many are deceived and follow the ways of evil. It is not hard to be fooled by the devil. So, what can we do to fight off the evil deception that is always in our path? We must continually stay in the word of God and not in the world itself. We must be so familiar with the word that it becomes our one and only source. Everything we hear and see happening in the world should be compared to what God says about such things in his word. We must take all things and put them under the the microscope of God’s Holy Word. If it varies even the slightest then it must be disregarded. We cannot allow ourselves to be deceived by the world and anything in it. Instead we must read and meditate in the scriptures and be sure we know what God says about each and every situation. If we are not sure, then we need to revisit the subject in God’s word. God has not abandoned us. He has given us the necessary tools to understand and fight the evil one. We must be strong in Jesus. We must use everything he has given us and be doers of his word and not hearers only. We must stand upon his promises and recite them in the face of the devil. We are victorious in Jesus! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” THE LORD SAYS, ‘ I WILL RESCUE THOSE WHO LOVE ME. I WILL PROTECT THOSE WHO TRUST IN MY NAME.” PSALM 91:14

“I WILL NOT FAIL YOU OR ABANDON YOU.” JOSHUA 1:5

” BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS.” JOSHUA 1:7

As we continue to grow in the Lord we will become more confident in God’s word. If we are not doing so already, we must begin to meditate on and in his word. Our God is a great God. He reassures us that we must be courageous in how we live our lives. In order to live as he wants us to, we must have a faith that can withstand the arrows of the enemy. As we build our faith we will be consistant in going to the Lord in every situation. He assures us that he will rescue us in times of need. He assures us that he will never fail us or abandon us. However, we must do our part. We must stay surrounded in the ways of the Lord and, in doing so, stay strong and courageous in all that we do and say. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

“ IF YOU WANT TO BOAST, BOAST ONLY ABOUT THE LORD. ” 2 COR. 10:17

It is so easy for each of us to boast about the things that we have accomplished in life. It is easy to boast about our children and grandchildren and all of their accomplishments. We are are so blessed to have had the opportunities and to be surrounded by those we love and are so proud of. However, if we step back and examine all of the things we have accomplished and all of the accomplishments of those around us, who actually deserves the credit? Do we give credit where credit is due? Without a gracious God in heaven we would not have had the lives we have been blessed with. We would not have had the opportunities that we are so proud of. Are we boasting about him? Are we telling others about our great God in heaven and what he has done for us? Are we giving our Lord the honor and praise that he so richly deserves? It is not an easy task, since we are living in this world and surrounded by worldy ways. We are to be in the world but not of the world. As we continue to praise our Lord, read his word and continue to be faithful in him, it becomes easier to recognize and remember where the credit is due. We should not be boasting about ourselves but our God in heaven. Without him we are nothing. We are sinners without a future. But, with Jesus, we can do all things! We should not forget to give credit where credit is due. He has given us the strength and abilities that we have. He has given us salvation, forgivness of sins and healings. We should be proud to boast about our Lord, telling others of his great miracles in our lives. We should testify about Jesus and be thankful that he is a generous and gracious Lord. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

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

“ THAT IS WHY I TAKE PLEASURE IN MY WEAKNESSES, AND IN THE INSULTS, HARDSHIPS, PERSECUTIONS AND TROUBLES THAT I SUFFER FOR CHRIST. FOR WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN I AM STRONG. ” 2 COR. 12:10

WOW! I think that if each of us takes a step back, and we take a long look at our own lives, we will see that the Lord is at his best when we are at our weakest. When we are weak, we as Christians, turn to the Lord for his help. Why? Because it is the Lord in heaven and only the Lord in heaven who can deliver us from our struggles and troubles. He uses these times of trials as a witness to others so that they might be brought into his kingdom as well. We should keep the faith, praise the Lord and believe that we receive especially in our times of need. That is why it is so important that we continue to build upon our faith. We must have a faith so strong that we put our troubles into God’s basket and let him take care of them. Our Lord is strong and he uses our weaknesses to show his strength. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” TROUBLE CHASES SINNERS, WHILE BLESSINGS REWARD THE RIGHTEOUS. ” PROVERBS 13:21

For those who are of this world they are truly of the evil one. They continually chase the things of this world. They chase power and riches. They are blinded and cannot see the spiritual things of our God in heaven. They are blinded and will never have the riches we have without truly chasing after our Lord God and not the things of this world. Without the Lord they will never see these things. All of us have been given the opportunity by our God to receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We either grab that opportunity and accept him or we reject that opportunity and live our lives chasing the sin of this world. For those who chose not to accept Jesus, then trouble is always at their doorstep. The fear of death is always there. They have no way out. They suffer from the troubles of this world and see no light at the end of the tunnel. However, those who accept Jesus know of the power of the Lord. They know of his tools and that he has given them his Holy Spirit to live in them. They know that he has already defeated the evil of this world and that he has died on the cross for each of us. We as believers must continue to spread God’s word until his return. We are still living in his time of grace. There are still others out there who have a chance to accept life over death. But the time is very short. Jesus is coming soon. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” WISE PEOPLE THINK BEFORE THEY ACT; FOOLS DON’T- AND EVEN BRAG ABOUT THEIR FOOLISHNESS. ” PROVERBS 13:16

In order to be wise in the way we live our lives we must know the Word of God and be confident in it. The devil is very good at what he does. As humans upon this earth we can be easily fooled. Without the help of our Lord God in heaven we can make decisions that seem correct at the time but eventully turn sour. We must be dependent upon the Lord in all things. Even the most comfortable decisions we make should be taken to God’s Word and compared to it. What does God actually say about the things we are doing or the decisions we are making in our lives. We are not perfect and we will make mistakes but our lives can be so much easier if we just take all things to the Lord in prayer and listen carefully to his answers. We must be patient and wait upon him. He never fails his children and he has never failed on a promise. Our Lord has given to us his great roadmap, the bible. It shows us how to live our lives and what is right and wrong. We must not only read it but we must use it, we must put it into action. It is the true living word of God. We can live a truly successful life if we just be wise in the Lord. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS!

” WE ARE ALL HUMAN BUT WE DON’T WAGE WAR AS HUMANS DO. WE USE GOD’S MIGHTHY WEAPONS NOT WORLDLY WEAPONS TO KNOCKDOWN STRONGHOLDS OF HUMAN REASONING AND TO DESTROY FALSE ARGUMENTS.” 2 COR. 10:3-4

As we continure to build upon our faith in the Lord we will begin to gain more confidence in his promises. We will begin to depend upon him in and for all situations. Even though the Lord has provided us with the necessary tools to defeat the evil that confronts us, we must do our part and believe. We are humans. And because we are humans we must overcome the obstacles of this world. We are surrounded by the evils and negativism of the world. We are confronted with human ideas all day long. It is difficult, if not impossible, to get away from them. Therefore, our faith must continue to grow. We must continue to water it and fertilize it with God’s word. We must stay in contact with our lord always. If we do not, then we are putting ourselves in a position to fail. But with faith we use God’s mighty weapons to knock down those barriers. We pray and converse with our God and trust him to answer our prayers on his timeline and not ours. We do not allow doubt , worry or fear to enter. We are confident in our Lord God in heaven and in all that he says he will do. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

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

Those who stay in touch with the Lord and all of his ways will continue to be strengthened by him. Those who continually pray and praise our Lord God in heaven will continually live a renewed life. It is hard enough to live in this world but to live in it without having our source and strength is just unimaginable to me. Our God is a loving God and makes himself available to us everyday. He provides to each of us his resources and tools in order for us to live a life that is representative of him. He wants us to be successful. He wants us to be comforted. He wants us to be strong. If we are all of these things then we will make his message successful, comforting and strong when presented to the non- believer. We need to renew our focus each and every day. We need to put our efforts into learning more about our Lord through study and prayer. We need to put our efforts into living our lives in such a way that others see Jesus in us. We need to speak words of encouragment, love, and praise so that we can help to build others up and not tear them down. The Lord does all of this for us and we should in turn do all that he asks of us for him. PRAISE THE LORD.

” TO LEARN YOU MUST LOVE DISCIPLINE; IT IS STUPID TO HATE CORRECTION. ” PROVERBS 12:1

Some of our greatest learning experiences come from doing something wrong and then being disciplined for it. I remember as a child I would do things quite frequently that I knew my mother did not like. I was the kind of child who liked to whine a lot until I would get my way. I eventually learned that this was not getting me anywhere exept for scorn and discipline from my mother. I never liked the discipline but I learned from it. Everytime I would do something wrong as a child my parents would not hesitate to take action and correct me. As a parent myself I reflected those ways and did the same for my children. They didn’t like it any better than I did. As children we did not like discipline. But, as adults we must realize that some of our greatest learning expericences come when we make mistakes and are corrected. Our Lord is the kind of parent who loves us so much that he will forgive us and correct us so that we can live a life worthy of representing him. Without understanding right from wrong, no matter the fine line between the two, we can’t become that person our Father in heaven wants us to be. When we make mistakes we should pay attention and listen to the Holy Spirit. Remember the Holy Spirit lives within us and convicts us of the wrongs we do, just as our moms and dads did when we were growing up. We must listen and learn. Discipline and correction from the Lord is a strong love being displayed by the Lord for each of us. PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL SITUATIONS!

” IT IS THE ONE AND ONLY SPIRIT, WHO DISTRIBUTES ALL THESE GIFTS, HE ALONE DECIDES WHICH GIFT EACH PERSON SHOULD HAVE.” 1 COR. 12:11

” A SPIRITUAL GIFT IS GIVEN TO EACH OF US SO WE CAN HELP EACH OTHER.” 1 COR 12:7

Our Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever. He has never changed and will never change. In 1 Cor. 12:11 he specifically tells us that the Holy Spirit distributes gifts from God and he alone decides which gift each of us will receive. As we read 1 Cor. 12: 7 he is very up front in telling us that we each receive a spiritual gift from God. We receive these spiritual gifts so that we can help each other, strengthen each other and encourage each other as we live in this world. These gifts consits of: the ability to give advise, a message of special knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophesy, discernment, speaking in tongues, and interpretation. Some in our world today believe and teach that these gifts are not for us today but were only for those in the times of Peter and Paul. I believe that these gifts are available to us today. If we believe that our God in heaven is the same yesterday, today and forever, then nothing has changed, for our God has not changed. We must believe that we receive and not allow doubt to enter. Our faith and the persistence to build and increase our faith allows us to tap into these great gifts of our God. It is not a sin to disagree but I will say that the Lord is offering us the ability to live lives of strength, joy, happiness and a closeness with him that can only be obtained through total commitment and belief. It is so important to continue to build our faith in Jesus and what his word has to offer. We must believe that we receive because God in our Source! PRAISE THE LORD FOR HIS HOLY AND TRUSTWORTHY WORD!

” GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD! HIS FAITHFUL LOVE ENDURES FOREVER. ” PSALM 106:1

As we continue to pray and study God’s word we find that God has a love that never ends. He sacrificed his one and only son for each of us, for our sins, our salvation and our healings. Could we do that for the sinners in this world today? Could we sacrifice any one of our children for the sins of others? We are not God, so of course we could not do the same. But, what we can and should be doing is following our Lord’s desire for our lives. In order to do that we must have a faith that allows us to not doubt our Lord. The Lord allows certain events in our lives to test our faith and to build upon our faith. Our God is a good God and does not put evil upon us, but he does allow certain things to happen in our lives, so that we can build a faith strong enough to believe in him and depend upon him for all things. This is an on-going process and is one that will continue until our time is done and we are called home to be with him. He wants are lives here on earth to be productive and lives of joy and not struggles, sadness and grief. He want us to spread his word and live our loves with joy. In order for that to happen we must build our faith and believe that we receive because he is our source for all things and in all things. As we approach our struggles we must endure and learn from them. We must take the steps necessary to believe our Lord for the answers and completely depend upon him to get us through. This is not easy. We must continually pray, study and believe! PRAISE THE LORD IN ALL THINGS AND THROUGH ALL STRUGGLES!