Beloved Let Us

‬‬“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭4:7-8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

All we hear is how much God loves us. Most songs we sing extols His love for us! Little is said about how much we should love. 

Did you know that salvation is more than God loving us? 

Did you know that there is more to being a Follower of The LORD Jesus Christ, than being loved by Him?

There must be evidence in your life that you belong to Him. He does not come to you and leave you like you are, there must be change!

What must change?

Your heart! 

What you love.

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭2:15‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Examine your heart while there is time.

“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24:12-13‬ ‭KJV‬‬

"But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds:”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭2:5-6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

You cannot love God and the world.

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22:37‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Repent!

Even so - MARANATHA! 

Do Not Fear

"Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one. ’ ”"

(‭Isaiah‬ ‭44‬:‭8‬ NKJV)

We are living in extremely uncertain times and those who do not know God will not make it!

It is so easy to take our eyes off of Him and look at our circumstances!

Everything is vying for our attention! Everything is a crisis! Everything is suddenly!

World news, local news, doctors news! Nothing good! All bad! 

 All reports are meant to instill fear in you! 

Fear will incapacitate you! It will isolate you! It robs you of peace and joy and can take all of your money! Fear will cause you to make bad decisions because it colors what you see and hear with dread! It says that your circumstances will never get better! They will only get worse! Always darkness; no light! Fear is out to kill you!

Fear projects the future just like faith, but in the negative! 

You fear it; you speak it; it happens! 

"For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to me." (‭Job‬ ‭3‬:‭25‬ NKJV)

Fear is sin! 

Fear shows a lack of trust in God! It says to God, "You, God, are not great enough to handle my circumstances! You, God, are incapable of changing anything!"

Fear declares to The Creator of The Universe, "You have no power!"

Fear is a spirit, out of the pit of hell, whose sole purpose is to distract and paralyze you; rendering you ineffective for the work God has called you to do!

To be rid of fear requires repentance, not a drug! 

Finding the root of that fear (the time of entry), repenting of the judgement, confessing and repenting of the circumstance that allowed its entry, is the only way to be free!

Repent of your actions that have accused God of being powerless! Humble yourself before God and acknowledge Him as The One True God! 

When God is your God (and not the devil) you can walk fearlessly anywhere because He, God, has your back! 

He has to be on your Throne; He has to be LORD! Not you!

Repent of your sins! Regain your focus and keep your eyes on the prize!

"while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." (‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭18‬ ASV)

"You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You." (‭Isaiah‬ ‭26‬:‭3‬ NKJV)

You can have peace and live without fear, no matter what "it looks like", when HE is truly your LORD!

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 11/24/14, 10/8/15

But Seek Ye First

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33 KJV)

"Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." (Psalms 37:4 KJV)

What is your heart's desire? Are there "things" for which you long? Do you think that "if only I could have/do; I would be happy"? 

You know many people think that is what these two scriptures are all about! If fact many a pulpit has taught that very thing; that God will give you what you want, but often times that sermon was tied to you giving money! Sad!

So what is your heart's desire? 

If "it" is for more of God, I promise you He WILL give "it" to you!  If you are seeking Him, you will find Him!

The funny thing is; when you seek Him and find Him, you want for NOTHING more! He becomes your "all in all"!

Being in His will; working for Him; giving Him your all; sharing in even a small part of the miracles He is working in the lives of His children is the most amazing "thing" anyone could ever long-for! Watching miracle after miracle of changed lives, long ago hurts healed by His tender mercies; what more could anyone want?

But the best part is "seeking Him"!  Setting aside time, daily, to read His Word, to hear His voice speaking to you; feeling His love; what more could a heart desire? He is everything! Without Him, there is only nothing! Nothing compares!

He is my desire! 

If you are unhappy in your life; if you keep thinking there has got to be more; you are right! There is and He IS God!

Repent! 

Seek God! 

Find your happy place! 

It's that easy! 

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 4/10/14, 11/25/16

Jesus Said

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22:37‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Do you?

Do we even grasp the importance of loving The LORD God? Do we even understand He desires our love?

“Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him My salvation.” 

Psalms‬ ‭91:14-16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Our society for the past 50 years or so has been humanistic. We celebrate everything human or self. We allowed that religion into our schools and it infiltrated our churches. Look at the definition:

hu·man·ism

ˈ(h)yo͞oməˌnizəm/

noun

1. an outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems.

   • a Renaissance cultural movement that turned away from medieval scholasticism and revived interest in ancient Greek and Roman thought.

     noun: Humanism
   • (among some contemporary writers) a system of thought criticized as being centered on the notion of the rational, autonomous self and ignoring the unintegrated and conditioned nature of the individual.

I do not see a love for God in us. I see a love for self and a desire for a god to love us! As a whole we do not know how to love. We love the idea of a God of love, for He loves without our reciprocation. In the church today, everything revolves around Him loving us.

The church has another Jesus.

And Jesus, The Word made flesh, warned that this would happen!

“For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭11:4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

This "other" Jesus is the enemy; the devil; Satan; who comes to kill, steal and destroy! He has twisted The Word of God; has perverted doctrine; has enticed many generations with a sugar coated gospel that requires nothing of its believer. 

God loves me and He is a good God; another gospel. 

No where in humanism will you find "pick up your cross" or "die to self!"  For humanism is all about self love, self esteem, self preservation! It's all about "feel good!" 

Killing the "old man" does not feel good! 

Having "self" on the throne is idolatry and will send you to hell no matter what words you said at the altar!

Please examine your heart! Be honest with your self! You see God already knows who you worship! Ask Him to open your eyes and ears and change your heart! Ask Him to bring you to repentance! 

When He exposes the sins residing in your heart and you see just how much evil is truly there and you realize the sacrifice He made, you will know love! That will be your initial encounter with your First Love! Guard it well, for it can be lost; and so will you be!

Jesus speaking:

“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭2:4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Unrepented sin leads to a hardening of the heart! To keep your heart pliable before the LORD, we must walk in love; walk in forgiveness; walk in repentance - daily!

Again, Jesus speaking:

“Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”  ‭Revelation‬ ‭2:5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Repent while there is still time!

Even so - MARANATHA! 

Because It Is Written

"because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”" (I Peter 1:16 NKJV)

When God said "Be Holy", it was more than a suggestion! Also, He did not say, "lay back, and don't lift your finger, because I'm going to make you holy!" No, He commanded us to "be holy", which means we have to do something to get that way and it also means it is possible! 

Just saying you have no sin, does not make you sinless! 

And if Jesus did it all; took all our sins; and we didn't have to do a thing, then we would see no illness, poverty, or evil in anyone who followed Him!

However, as long as we have breath, we will fight the flesh and it's desires and only in striving for holiness, will we become holy!

First of all; to "be holy", means to be without sin. To become holy, means you first have to know you have sin, so that you can become sinless!

"How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my transgression and my sin." (Job 13:23 NKJV)

Not only are we born into sin, we all have a sin nature! Without, effort we sin; from childhood on! Anger, jealously, gluttony, bitterness, envy, unforgiveness, are just a few sins we exhibit early on, with no instruction! In fact children have to be taught, sharing, love, kindness, self-control! Those qualities do not come naturally; only sin does!

The Law of God was given to us to make us aware of what God considers sin! The book of Deuteronomy lists the things men do, that God considers sin, and says if you do them, this will happen: The Curse! It also says if you don't do them this will happen: The Blessings!

When we sin, we come under the curse and our lives show the symptoms; sickness, poverty are just a couple and we see it everywhere! 

When we confess our sins and repent (turn away), He is quick to forgive us and heal us! Living a holy life is as simple as that! Living under the blessings of God is as simple as walking in repentance! ("Simple is the hardest thing you will ever do!" Chet Murrell)

"You put my feet in the stocks, And watch closely all my paths. You set a limit for the soles of my feet." (Job 13:27 NKJV)

Once again; if you don't know you've sinned, you don't know to repent! That is why the enemy has lied to the church and said, the law is no longer valid; that we have a new covenant and you don't have to follow the old one! 

When one, decides to make Jesus his LORD, and follow Him, yes he is under a new and better Covenant! However, when we sin, The Law is standing there to convict us of our sin, and we fall under it's curse! Again, if that were not the case, all it would take to walk in health and prosperity is to make Jesus your LORD! But look in your own body; look at the church; you see illness everywhere! It's there because of sin! There is no repentance in the church today, because it bought the lie; hook line and sinker! 

Church we have to repent!

You want healing? Repent!

Become obedient to God's Word! You can walk in health!

Ask God to expose the sin you are holding onto in your heart! Confess it and repent! 

Be holy! 

Make holiness your heart's desire! 

Then Jesus will be seen in you! 

It's not "works"; its obedience to His Word! Matthew 22:37-40

Am I there yet?  No, but I am working on it breath by breath! Leviticus 26:3 and Philippians 2:12  

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 5/2/14

The Fire

“The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.”  Leviticus‬ ‭6:13‬ ‭KJV‬‬

One little sentence with utmost importance! The simple duty of the priest to maintain the fire; keep it stoked; to never let it go out! Did they comprehend the importance of their obligation?

Do we know the ramifications of letting our fire die out?

One would think fire is fire. Where we get our fire and WHO we burn for is critical!

At least in God's eyes!

“And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before the Lord.”

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭26:61‬ ‭KJV‬‬

They had let their fire go out and substituted a fire not of God, thinking they could get by; discounting the importance of holy fire! Compromise in the camp for which they paid the price. 

We will too.

Sin puts the fire out.

It brings about the hardness. The cold dead heart of unrepented sin can and will take you over the line as long as you choose to stay in your sin. 

In reading in Leviticus of all of the sacrifices and offerings required for payments of sin what comes to mind is that Jesus paid it all! Such immense and unspeakable gratitude for His sacrifice. He paid it once and for all; His the perfect sacrifice! 

That should light the fire in the deadest heart!

Yet we deny our sins, bury them and burn with strange fire. We believe He does not see or care. We think because we once said some words at an altar we are okay. 

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭64:6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

We love our sin more than we love God, and believe we will lose more than we will gain by repentance. It should not be so!

“Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20:5-6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Key words:

 "hate Me" & "love Me"

“Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.”  Psalms‬ ‭123:3‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Oh Father, bring us to repentance! Only You can show us the error of our ways! Please do not turn Your Head from us! Have mercy, LORD, in Your Son's precious name, I pray! Amen!

Even so - MARANATHA! 

Give Ear

“Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭78:1-3‬ ‭KJV‬‬

I happened upon this Psalm this morning after my reading (now in Leviticus); a seeming recap of all I've read recently!

Then I read:

“For all this they sinned still, and believed not for His wondrous works. Therefore their days did He consume in vanity, and their years in trouble. When He slew them, then they sought Him: and they returned and enquired early after God. And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭78:32-35‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Mankind has not changed in all of these centuries! Nothing is new under the sun.

It took disasters; it took death to turn the people back to God, and it still does today. It did me.

I remember bargaining with God: "Oh God if only You will . . . then I will follow you forever!" As soon as the crisis was over I forgot my vow; but He didn't! It took my mother's death to put me back on the road to finding Him! 

In a recent lesson a friend taught, she confessed and repented of reading her Bible and judging the children of Israel for their sins, and then doing the very same thing! And so have I! I even remember, as a small child, reading about how they treated Christ and saying in my heart, "I would never do that!" I judged them! Oh, I have done what they did and so much worse! Why He puts up with such stiff necked and stubborn people is the mystery! 

“Nevertheless they did flatter Him with their mouth, and they lied unto Him with their tongues. For their heart was not right with Him, neither were they stedfast in His covenant. But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned He His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath. For He remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.” Psalms‬ ‭78:36-39‬ ‭KJV‬‬

They were walking with Him; in fact He was leading them day and night and "their heart was not right with Him!" They too were not steadfast!

He knows how we are, because He made us! But that does not make our sin okay with Him!

“How oft did they provoke Him in the wilderness, and grieve Him in the desert! Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭78:40-41‬ ‭KJV‬‬

They loved their sin more than they loved God! And so do we.

Yet, every time we fall, and when we come to our senses, He is there to offer His hand to pick us back up - when we turn back to Him. 

Repentance, turning back to God; forsaking our evil ways! It is not a one time event, but a daily walk on that hard, narrow road. 

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭1:9‬ ‭KJV‬‬

We have to know what sin is and we have to know to confess and repent!

Yet, the church today does not teach about sin. Talking about sin makes people uncomfortable!  So most are unaware that unforgiveness is sin! So is bitterness, unbelief, gossip, fear, anger, judging, stubbornness, grumbling and complaining!

“If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭1:10‬ ‭KJV‬‬

His Word is not in us, for we do not read His Word! To know God you must read your Bible!

I challenge you to read it cover to cover like any book! If you do not understand it, then you need to ask God to open your eyes, open your ears and change your heart, so that you can receive The Word from Him! 

It is way past time for us to get serious about our walk with The LORD! Time is running out! Repent now, while you still can!

“Alas for the day! for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.” Joel‬ ‭1:15‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Even so - MARANATHA! 

Then A Cloud

“Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭40:34-35‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Moses was unable to enter into the tent because the glory of The LORD filled the tabernacle!

Moses, a friend of God, who spoke with Him face to face, was unable to enter, because His glory filled the tent!

How can we so nonchalantly speak/sing about bringing His glory down, or "show us Your glory"? 

Until we grasp the enormity of God and our insignificance, we are unable to comprehend His power and holiness! Our lack of reverence, awe; our lack of "fear of The LORD" betrays our time spent in seeking His Word! The Word, details our sin nature and His righteousness; we must come to the place of understanding that He is God and we are not. 

Job's description;

“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.” Job‬ ‭1:1‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Finally understood:

“Then Job answered the Lord, and said, Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.”  Job‬ ‭40:3-5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

We must come to the end of ourselves, and see who we are not, to discover Who He IS!

Maybe that is when we are able to surrender!

Oh thank You LORD for being a God of mercy; a God of such grace as to lovingly look upon your creation with such compassion! Made from dust, by Your hands, forgive our sins, our prideful selves and bring us to repentance! Change us LORD! Open our eyes so that we may see what we are not; how little our impact, so that we may have a glimpse of Your immenseness! Make us to understand Your vastness so we may truly fear You!

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs‬ ‭1:7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16:6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jesus speaking: 

“But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear Him, which after He hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear Him.”  Luke‬ ‭12:5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Even so - MARANATHA! 

And He Said

“And He said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto Him, If Thy  presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and Thy people have found grace in Thy sight? is it not in that Thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and Thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭33:14-16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Are you separated?

Are you going with God?

Does the world know you walk with Him?

The children of Israel were different from all other nations, because of they obeyed God's Commandments. When they disobeyed they became like the other people in the world. Their obedience set them apart! 

It does us, still, today. 

And we, also like them, take on the characteristics of "the world" when we turn our backs on His Commandments. Often it's a slight difference, however over time we are indistinguishable from the world. We look like them; we act like them; we desire the things they have! 

God is not enough for us. 

At least that is the lie we believe from the enemy! We look at others and they look so happy! They have it all! They have all of the trappings that go with the world and also go to church. So it must be alright! Right?

WRONG!

There's no room for compromise.

You can say Jesus Is LORD, but it means nothing if you do not obey His WORD! 

There is another Jesus, that most churches worship these days, who does not require obedience. Just as long as you come and bring money, you're good; minimum of 2 hours a week and cold cash; checks and automatic drafts acceptable! Gifts and talents are appreciated: sing in choir, play in band, teach Sunday School too, assure you a ticket to heaven! Get on the glory train!

“For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭11:4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Jesus said: “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

‭‭John‬ ‭14:15‬ ‭KJV‬‬

How important is your relationship with Jesus, to you?

Do you have a relationship?

Do you love Him, or do you love the idea of Him? 

There will come a day when you WILL need Him; need His presence; need His rest!

There will come a day when you will cry out to Him!

Please don't wait until catastrophe strikes to turn to Him! 

Repent, turn, while there is still time! 

He will be your Rest, in the storm and people will know you are different - separated!

Even so - MARANATHA! 

Then He Said

"Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." (‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭23‬ NKJV)

Denying oneself is hard but imperative to be a follower of Jesus! It is totally opposite of the teachings from most of today's pulpits. Because when you are carrying your cross there is no way to carry the things that make for a comfortable life! All the money and success the world expects you to gain is not important in The Kingdom of God!

"For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it." (‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭24‬ NKJV)

As long as we hold onto the things of this world we are NOT on the narrow path! You cannot live and do the things the world does and follow Jesus!

"For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?" (‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭25‬ NKJV)

When you are born again through repentance there is a change, and your desires are to please your Father! His approval is more important than your own satisfaction! 

"that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts," (‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭22‬ NKJV)

However, when the tests come, and we blow it, the devil whispers in our ears: "there is no way you can do this"; "give up"; "it didn't take"; "well so 'n so does this"; "it's not so bad - just once"!  And we listen; thinking those are our thoughts; then we say them, and they become ours! When we speak them, we give them life, and the devil knows this!

IMPORTANT: Every thought in your head is not your own! The "still small voice" is God. The loud, accusing, doubting, incessant, negative voice is the devil. Your voice is the one to which you come into agreement and speak! It's your choice that is your voice!

Recognizing the devil's ways; his voice is one of the ways to overcome and gain the victory in this war! 

"nor give place to the devil." (‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭27‬ NKJV)

Giving place to the devil, comes when we live like the devil; when we live like the world! If we enjoy and desire what the world has to offer more that the things of God, we are not following Jesus. 

Giving place to the devil also comes when we have unrepented sin in our life, he has a right to be there and accuse us! And WHAT he is accusing us of, is OF WHAT we need to repent!

It may be a deed, it may be unbelief, it may be rejection, it may be a fear; those things that torment us are from him and God wants us to be free! Freedom only comes from repentance of those sins!

Take fear!  Do you know that the fear that plagues you, (say of storms - since we are having so many) says to God, "You are not big enough to protect me", "I can't trust You!" 

Your fear is unbelief and unbelief is sin! 

Fear is the same as faith, as it also projects the future, but in the negative!

When a fear comes on us, and we give voice to it (speak it out), then we give it the power the devil is counting on, to make it happen! 

We have a choice! Live in fear or live in freedom! 

The Word tells us how to live a victorious life! It is doable no matter what the devil says! Through repentance and obedience we receive the peace and joy The Word promises and they are worth our every effort! 

Time is running out and we must get serious about our walk! The line has been drawn and the separation of the wheat and the tares has begun! (Matt 13:29). 

"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; (‭II Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭10-14‬ NKJV)

Repent!

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 7/3/15, 9/18/16

Oh That Men

"Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men"! (Psalms 107:15 NKJV)

"For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness." (Psalms 107:9 NKJV)

I am here to tell you He does! 

I knew my soul had a longing - and I searched my whole life to fill that gaping hole and found nothing - not even church!  I did not know I was hungry for righteousness and goodness, but oh, that was the feast for which I was starving!

In repentance and forgiveness I found a place at His banquet table! I hunger no more! In peace and rest I nestle at His chest hearing His heart beat for me!

In thanksgiving, my heart only beats for Him!

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy," (Psalms 107:1, 2 NKJV)

I am the redeemed! 

I am the Beloved!

I am His!

You can be too!

Even so - MARANATHA! 

And Moses Said

“And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that His fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.” ‭Exodus‬ ‭20:20‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Do you fear God?

The fear of The LORD has been missing in the church for hundreds of years. 

We fear everything but God, and the devil has made it so, for he would be god. We fear the unknown; we fear what could be; we fear the dark; we fear man; we fear spirit; and many enjoy fear, searching out the adrenaline rush!

Infiltrating the church; the devil has painted a picture of a God of love with no power. We do not fear ramifications, or retribution of our sins, so we do not hesitate to commit them!

“And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭57:11‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“For we know Him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto Me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge His people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”  Hebrews‬ ‭10:30-31‬ ‭KJV‬‬

We cry out in song "show us Your glory!" Never considering if He gave us what we asked for, we would be extinguished in seconds, our sins are so great! 

We leave our services proclaiming His presence in our midst, never considering if He indeed showed up, as we boast, we would be on our faces, trembling in terror; changed forever! The spirit moving in our churches, evoking a party atmosphere is not good, as it brings recognition to man. God's presence humbles man and glorifies God! No one stands before a Holy God and He brings Holiness with Him! 

Who did you see, you can say, who left church holy last week? Do we even have a concept of what Holy is?

People we have got to get this right! 

“Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” 1 Peter‬ ‭1:16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.”

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭15:40‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20:1-6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22:37‬ ‭KJV‬‬

We are commanded to love Him! Yet, all we boast in, is how He loves us! If we love Him we will fear Him and keep His commandments! Our desire will be for Him; for His pleasure, not our gain!

All we love is the world and what it offers, yet we say we love God! 

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭2:15‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭12:4-5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭96:9‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Until we truly recognize we are sinful by nature, in need of a Savior, and humble ourselves in fear of The LORD, we cannot truly love Him! We must come to grips with the fact we deserve hell, before we can worship Him!

Pray God opens your eyes and reveals the sin in your heart! Pray God brings you to repentance! 

Before it is too late.

Even so - MARANATHA! 

For That

“; for that the Lord heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against Him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭16:8‬b ‭KJV‬‬

How often do we think that our murmuring, our grumbling and complaining, is against the LORD?

Our unhappiness; our displeasure; our griping which is put out there; directed at no one is actually received by God as an accusation against Him! We are saying in effect, "You have not done!" "Your promises have failed." "You are not who You said You are!"

The enemy, is whispering those lies in your ears, and you, when you speak them, come into agreement with him, accusing God; just like the children of Israel. They murmured against God for 40 years and God let them die in the wilderness. Only Caleb and Joshua went into the promise land. They gave a good report!

We are all about "promises"; we claim them every chance we have. But did you know that every promise comes with a condition? To receive them, we have to meet certain criteria!

“And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.” ‭Exodus‬ ‭15:26‬ ‭KJV‬‬

"If thou" - then! 

It's not just speaking the promise and standing fast! It's not just watching your words; it's about obedience. 

It's about loving God more than our creature comforts! It's about doing what He says instead of what we want to do! It's about putting His Will above our will. It's about seeking Him with our whole heart in every matter! It's about making Him our principal purpose in life. That's making Him LORD!

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous.”  1 John‬ ‭5:3‬ ‭KJV‬‬

My prayer this morning:

Father God, I humbly come to You this morning, seeking forgiveness for my murmuring! I confess, Father, that yesterday I grumbled and complained, and my heart was not right! I repent LORD of my impatience, of eye rolling, of not being grateful for all You provide, and I thank You for Your mercy and Your grace! Your Word says "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy! I choose to extend mercy today, for I so need Your mercy, LORD! Thank You for Your Word that shows me The Way and I choose today to walk in it! In Jesus' precious name I pray! 

Even so - MARANATHA! 

But Know This

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!"

(‭II Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭1-5‬ NKJV)

Yes we are, with no doubt, living in the "last days"! 

I'm sure I'm not the only one who sees it! Everyday, I am face to face with the examples Paul gave to Timothy of self-absorbed people, having a form of godliness! 

There is a big difference in loving yourself and being "in love" with yourself! The same gulf as loving God and just going to church!

Never, since time began, has mankind been so deceived! 

"But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived."(‭II Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬ NKJV)

It truly is amazing to speak The Truth to someone and watch it go over their head! Then, in the next moment they will quote some person they have just read, as though it were gospel! Deceived! 

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables."(‭II Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭3-4‬ NKJV)

There is only one Truth! 

There is only One Gospel!  

And The Truth hurts! 

The Truth shines a light on the sin in your life and cuts to heart of the matter! 

You are going to hell without the Blood of Jesus Christ as a covering for your sin! And there is no salvation without repentance! 

As iron sharpens iron (Proverbs  27:17), we as friends are to admonish the people we love to stay the course! If we see them going off in the wrong direction, we are to (in love) give them the right coordinates to change their headings! 

Friend, if you have unforgiveness in your heart, you will not see God! If you are angry, if you worry, if you are a control freak, if you are bitter, if you are self-absorbed, if you do not honor your parents you have sin in your heart! 

If you do not "love The Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might, and your neighbor as yourself", then you have broken the 1st Commandment, and are living in sin! 

For Jesus' Blood to cover your sin, you have to admit you have sin and you have to be remorseful! It's not just saying "yes, I have sin", you have to be truly sorry and repentant!

There is a huge difference in being sorry for sin and being sorry you got caught in sin! (Ask any spouse that caught their mate in adultery!) Lip service does not count!

Repentance is the most important act you will ever commit! And repentance is a commitment! A commitment to turn away from sin and go in a different direction! It means a changed life! 

If you said some words at the altar but you are still living the way you were before, you are not saved; no matter what your denomination preaches! 

Confession and repentance of your sin is the only way to apply The Blood! It is not automatic, when you ask Jesus into your heart! If someone did something to hurt you years ago and it still hurts, it's not under The Blood! There is unforgiveness there! 

I know first hand! I chose to repent of unforgiveness, of each act that God brought to my memory! I humbled myself, and confessed I had unforgiveness. I literally confessed, to a couple of trusted friends, I had judged the person who had hurt me, and I repented for my sin and forgave! I KNOW it's under The Blood, because it no longer hurts! The open, seeping, nasty wounds I had buried for so many years, but that were still so painful to the touch (because they never healed), are as if they never occurred! It actually feels as if those acts happened to someone else! Mainly because they did; to the old me!

Friend, please examine your heart and ask God to reveal to you the sin that is there! He will!

I too thought I was "okay" with God, and have come to know that "okay" is a lie from the devil!

"Okay" is NOT OKAY!

"that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. (‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭27‬ NKJV)

Jesus is coming back for a holy bride! 

"Okay" won't cut it!

Repent while there is still time!

Even so - MARANATHA!

From 4/4/14, 1/5/16, 8/20/16

Therefore Pride Serves

"Therefore pride serves as their necklace; Violence covers them like a garment." (Psalms 73:6 NKJV)

Why won't we turn loose of pride? Why do we hold onto it so tight? Wrapped in fear we cling to our Pride!

Pride stops us from being obedient to God's Commandments! 

Is there anything more important than obedience? No. 

You who believe that you are okay with God; you who say you are a Christian; if you do not obey His Word, you are not following Christ! 

Three times this week while encouraging people to deal with the unforgiveness in their heart and confess their sin; their response/excuse was: "not yet",  "I'm not ready", "maybe tomorrow"!

"And they say, “How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?"” (Psalms 73:11 NKJV)

Is it even a consideration, in their heart, that they are keeping their sins from God; that He doesn't know? 

All are in the midst of storms, because God is trying to get their attention; trying to turn them back from the broad path they are on, to the narrow path. 

"Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors." (Psalms 73:18, 19 NKJV)

To halt that descent, all they have to do is become obedient to what The Word Of God says! 

"Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18 NKJV)

The proud do not consider what place "pride" has in God's eyes!

"And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”" (Mark 7:20-23 NKJV)

Look where The Word of God places "Pride"!  Do not think in your heart that "Pride" is the lesser of the sins! "Pride" got the devil thrown out of heaven! He wanted to be like God! 

If you are holding onto pride, instead of humbling yourself to obedience of His Word, you are doing the same thing!

And you who are reading this, do not judge those three, for you are just like them! God is calling you also to let go of your pride; humble yourself to obedience!

I promise you; you will humble yourself or God will humble you! Playing Russian roulette, with God, is very foolish! He's calling you to Him, but you have to come to Him on bended knee!

Repent while there is time!

Become obedient to The Word!

- CHOOSE to forgive the person and the act!

 (Matthew 6:14-15)

- CONFESS the choice to forgive, to a friend! 

 (James 5:16)

- REPENT of the unforgiveness and the judgments you have held onto, in your heart!  (Luke 13:3) and (Matthew 7:1-2)

Empty yourself! Make a list of people you need to forgive. Deal with your stuff! Humble yourself! Don't let that spirit of pride rob you; separate you from God another moment!

Obedience IS true worship!

Become obedient and then, like me, you will read the following scripture and weep!

"Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (Psalms 73:25, 26 NKJV)

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 5/16/14

Pardon I Beseech Thee

“Pardon, I beseech Thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of Thy mercy, and as Thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now. And the Lord said, "I have pardoned according to thy word:"” Numbers‬ ‭14:19-20‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Moses interceding, on behalf of the children of Israel, and God forgiving them because Moses cried out to Him. God listened to Moses and refrained His hand. Yes, there remained consequences for their actions, however God did not destroy them in one instant. God changed His mind because Moses asked.

I read this and had an "Aha" moment! Another weapon for my arsenal! I had never thought to beseech The LORD to "Pardon" the iniquities of the one in need of prayer. Moses did that for 40 years with the Israelites, time and time again. One man interceding for the people. And God heard and moved. 

“And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.”  Ezekiel‬ ‭22:30‬ ‭KJV‬‬

All throughout The Bible we see where prayers raised up, brought healing, deliverance; changed lives!  Our prayers are so important; in one life or many! And I so appreciate everyone who has prayed for my family recently. Please continue!

My prayer this morning:

Father, I come to You this morning, having nothing I can boast in, but I can boast in You; Your mercy and Your grace! Father, I pray for my friends and family, pardon our iniquities! I ask LORD that You would open our eyes to the deception that is all around us! Open our ears so that we may hear Your voice above the lies of the enemy. Expose the sin in our hearts so that we may repent and give us a heart for repentance! Change us LORD! Save us to the uttermost! Make us usable for Your glory! Put it on our hearts to be the one who will stand in the gap, for your son or daughter who is in need; individually and collectively! Let us love not only in word but also in deed! May we be Your mouth, Your hands, Your feet, in this dark, dark world. All for Your glory!

“But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.” Numbers‬ ‭14:21‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Even so - MARANATHA! 

But As For

“But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”  Genesis‬ ‭50:20‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The same is true today. What the devil means for evil, God means for good. 

Every circumstance we face, no matter how horrendous, God can use for His glory, when we submit and yield to Him.

At the time Joseph was sold into slavery; while he was left in that prison; he could not see the good God intended. God had given him dreams and everything looked like they would never come to pass. Yet, in all those years, in all those trials, Joseph believed God and trusted Him, for God blessed him in each circumstance; he found favor: a blessing from God!

Do we trust God where we are? Are we believing that He is working things out for His glory in the midst of our pain? Can you see His blessing?

The refining fires are hard, and our flesh wants the difficulties to end. The process of life often seems unfair! We cry out "why?" And never wait for His answer; our impatience exhibits our lack of faith. But we must know that He is faithful, even when we are not. He knows how much adversity; how much Fire it will take to make us into His image! 

You see that is what this life is about! He has to get us to the point where we surrender our will to His. 

The breaking point; such a good thing in His hands. 

All of the time I was going through the painful events in my life, I never knew that He was directing my steps to a complete surrender of my will! I never dreamed He would remove all of the pain! I never would have believed that, in His hands every failure on my part; every mistake; every sin could be used for His glory; that He could redeem every crisis, heartbreak; every act of defiance! He could turn the evil into good!

Be encouraged brothers and sisters! God is still on the throne and what looks like the end of the world, is just the beginning of a glorious adventure in the hands of The Creator! Instead of "standing" strong in your might - yield! Surrender! Give up! 

“Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”  Psalms‬ ‭55:22‬ ‭KJV‬‬

In His hands - beauty for ashes! 

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:6-7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Even so - MARANATHA! 

Oh LORD You

"O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether." (Psalms 139:1-4 NKJV)

This Psalm has got to be my most favorite of them all! It is the one that astounds me;  comforts me; just all round blesses me!

This morning the tears come again! So much pain in so many I love! 

I remember being there! I remember having no where else to turn; coming to the end of me, and that's where I found Him!  The One who created me! The One who knew me better than I knew myself! The one who accepted me just as I was; broken, damaged goods; with nothing to offer but me! At that point I had no pride and that what just where I needed to be to find The One Who gave it all for me!

"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me; Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You. For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth." (Psalms 139:7-15 NKJV)

If you are facing a storm so big you cannot see the end; if it is so dark that no light shines through those black clouds; pease know there is One who can see you and loves you and wants to reach down and illuminate your darkness! Only He can wipe it away and give hope for the hopeless situation you are in!

If you are looking at no where else to turn you are right where you need to be, because THAT is where HE is!!!!

"Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You." (Psalms 139:16-18 NKJV)

"When I awake I am still with You!" Oh what a wonderful place to be and to know such peace! 

To know through every fiber of my being that He is in control of everything I do, everything I love, everywhere I go, and that He is always there, no matter where I am; wow! There are no words to convey the comfort and love He instills in those who believe and trust in Him! 

If you have been told that you have all this, but you are not "feeling" it, then there is sin that is blocking the flow! Humble yourself, ask Him to show you and then repent of what is separating you from Your Creator!

This storm you are facing is the very thing He will use to bring you to Him! Don't put it off any longer! Surrender and live for the first time in your life! 

THEN you WILL praise God in the storm!!!! With all that is within you!!!! What awaits you, is beyond all imagination!

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 3/25/14

Therefore Submit

"Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7 NKJV)

This is one of the churches favorite scripture! I see little signs on Facebook, all the time about resisting the devil and he will flee from you!

Do you know that the flesh is incapable of resisting the devil, if a person is not submitted to God?  Oh, you might be able to stay him off for a bit, but he's just toying with you! Victory in the battle is only obtainable with submission to God! We have no power, to prevail in spiritual warfare, in and of ourselves!  (Acts 19:15)  

We find ourselves in these trials and tests and try and pray our way out! Our comfort is our only consideration. 

"You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures." (James 4:3 NKJV)

The storms in our lives are there to turn us back to God! Instead if praying, "God heal me", we should pray, God show me my sin, and I'll repent!"

"Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”" (James 4:4-6 NKJV)

If you need healing in your body, then you need to humble yourself before God and be obedient to His Word! 

Obey His Commandments!

"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." (James 4:10 NKJV)

This life we are living is not about how much we have; how successful we are in our careers; what kind of car we drive; this life is not about us! The time we spend here is all about eternity and The Kingdom of God! Our life is but a vapor and everyone knows it can end in a moment; with no notice! 

We live our life in an illusion; thinking we are our master and refusing to admit we have no control over our destiny! 

The only control we have is to whom we will submit!

If we are not submitting to God, then we ARE submitting to the devil, and resistance is a joke!

You may say Jesus is LORD, but if you refuse to obey God's Commandments then you are double-minded! 

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded." (James 4:8 NKJV)

"he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." (James 1:8 NKJV)

We go to church, twice a week, but never pick up our Bible! We "know" we are forgiven, but refuse to forgive! We accumulate wealth, and watch our brothers do without. We claim Jesus to be our Friend, then use His name in vain!  Then we pray for healing, and deliverance, and wonder why our prayers go unanswered!

Examine your heart and be honest with yourself! You are farther from God than you admit! 

Wake up church! 

Tomorrow may be too late!

Humble yourself!

Repent of your sins!

Become obedient!

"Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."

(James 5:16 NKJV)

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 6/7/14, 1/17/16

Cause Me

"Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You."(‭Psalms‬ ‭143‬:‭8‬ NKJV)

Oh, how I have been where David was, here in Psalm 143!

"For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in darkness, Like those who have long been dead. Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; My heart within me is distressed." (‭Psalms‬ ‭143‬:‭3-4‬ NKJV)

So many times, thorough out my life, my feelings were like David's! A spirit of Depression had its talons in me; tightly held in despondency; no light, no hope, no joy! I was captured! Therapy, counseling and pills prescribed for 16 years did not set me free! 

Obedience to The Word of God, procured my freedom!

David knew the only help he had was in The Lord! 

Why do we, believers, look to the world to solve a spiritual problem? Because our flesh wants our problems "fixed" with no pain on our part! 

In our "microwave", "drive-thru" society, if the results are not instantaneous, then it's a "fail"! We are spoiled rotten, and because of our rebellious ways, we are destined for the same unrelenting torment throughout eternity without repentance!

David knew God and he knew how to get the answers he needed from God! He humbled himself and turned!

When I humbled myself and obeyed The Word, God set me free! 

At the advice of a friend, I met with a brother and sister and (according to James 5:16) confessed my sins! I made a list of the people who had hurt me, and the people I had hurt, I chose to repent of the judgments I had made and chose to forgive them, and I was healed! Just as He promised! I figured I had tried everything else, what had I to lose? 

God was faithful because I obeyed! I was willing to endure the pain of humiliation, to be set free of the pain of guilt, hopelessness and rejection! I received forgiveness that night! The Blood of Jesus was irrefutably applied and I have never been the same!

The painful tragic events that had me so bound, I now have trouble even remembering! And there is no pain associated with the events! No pain! 

Then in subsequent meetings, over the past 3 years, (because I had jammed 60 years worth of sin behind the walls, I had erected to protect myself) I have been set free from a spirit of fear, a spirit of rejection, and a spirit of anger! God is cleaning out the refuse I've hidden in my heart, as my desire is for Him and a pure heart!

"Hear my prayer, O LORD, Give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me, And in Your righteousness. Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no one living is righteous." (‭Psalms‬ ‭143‬:‭1-2‬ NKJV)

"I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands. I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah Answer me speedily, O LORD; My spirit fails! Do not hide Your face from me, Lest I be like those who go down into the pit." (‭Psalms‬ ‭143‬:‭5-7‬ NKJV)

David, not only sought The Lord, but he reminded himself of all of the miracles God had done in his life! He took his mind off of his problems and put his mind on God and His faithfulness! 

When the enemy is telling you what God is NOT going to do, tell him what God has already done!

Now, when the tormentor tries to attack me, I remind myself of what God has already done!  I throw the miracles God has done in me, right back in the devil's face! 

"Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You. Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies; In You I take shelter. Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness. Revive me, O LORD, for Your name’s sake! For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble. In Your mercy cut off my enemies, And destroy all those who afflict my soul; For I am Your servant." (‭Psalms‬ ‭143‬:‭8-12‬ NKJV)

That's why I say,  "my mornings with God are the best part of my day!" 'I hear His loving kindness in the mornings!' I purpose to be with Him! I seek Him! 

And when the darkness tries to come back on me, I ask God where I have missed it (so as not to give the devil a foothold) and He reveals my sin, so I may repent! He 'brings my soul out of trouble' for His 'righteousness sake'!  It's a daily walk for His 'servant'!

Please, please, please - humble yourself and repent while there is still time!

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 3/11/15, 5/28/16

Fear Thou Not

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41:10‬ ‭KJV‬‬

This mountain that you are facing is not too big for God. He made the mountains he created them with the word he makes them rise he makes them fall. You are at this point to surrender and to give up all control. You confess and repent if you need to. Then you trust God. If this changes your life it's in his will. He holds your future not you. As I said this is fear-based it's a lie of the enemy and you are to trust God in every area of your life. God puts us in a place that we can't do anything about,  just to show you he is sovereign. There is no mess that we can make, that he can't use for his glory. But you have to surrender it! Just do it!

You Pray

You pray:

"Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You."  (‭Psalms‬ ‭51‬:‭9-13, NKJV)

You know:

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise." (‭Psalms‬ ‭51‬:‭17‬ NKJV)

But, does a dry, disappointed, uninvested spirit resemble a broken and contrite one? No.

When a known or unknown sin separates you from God and your joy dries up and hope seems far away, you face several choices:

- step into unbelief

- continue sliding back into the world, your heart hardening by the minute 

- recognize your separation and seek restoration through repentance and throw yourself on God's mercy! 

Dry, hard places are the valleys (of the shadow of what seems like spiritual death) we traverse during the tests and trials of our walk with God. 

They often contain intersections or crossroads, if you will, that lead to distractions, dead ends, waywardness, or a deeper relationship. All the while the enemy is insistently whispering his suggestions of which turn you should take; right, left, straight ahead, turn around!

Picking-up hitchhikers, like Hopelessness, Doubt, Bitterness, and Rebellion as they stand on their appointed corners selling their propaganda, is hard to resist; their cries for attention mirroring our heart! 

Will we stand fast? 

Will we fail our test? 

Will we persevere? 

Will we give-up in defeat?

The choice is ours.

However, know this! 

The enemy is a liar! 

Pictures of despair never ending, darkness with not even a glint of light in the distance, pain real or imagined almost incapacitating, all designed to wreak havoc in our minds, all lies!

The "father of lies" will say "there is no hope", "you were better off before", "you've gone too far", "there's no turning back" and that is the biggest lie of all! 

Never miss the opportunity, never put off the chance to repent and turn back to God! 

He's standing there, arms stretched wide in welcoming acceptance of our willingness to humble ourselves and reverse our course set to destruction!

He knows it's hard and He knows what it takes. You keep your focus on Him! He'll never leave you or forsake you; no matter how it feels!

"Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon." (‭Isaiah‬ ‭55‬:‭6-7‬ NKJV)

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 7/19/14, 1/15/16, 11/30/16

There Is

“There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16:25‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Father, this morning, I'm praying for those, in church, whose eyes are still closed; whose hearts are still hardened; who refuse to seek You and turn from their wicked ways.

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭2:15‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Father, I lift those who are still fully engrossed in this world and are not yet awakened to the wickedness that abounds. I pray LORD that You would bring them to repentance; change their hearts! You called me out of darkness and You are no respecter of persons!

“While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:18‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Father, forgive me loosing sight and listening, even momentarily, to the lies of the enemy. 

Father, I choose to look at them as You see them, complete and perfect, and I choose to let You have Your perfect way in their life, on Your timetable. You are God and I am not. I will do as You command, sowing seeds; You will bring the rains and give the growth in Your season. And as we walk through the wilderness places You will hold our hands. 

“But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.” ‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭3:13‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Thank You LORD for Your encouragement! Father, I will rest in You! I will trust in You! I will keep my eyes upon You; the Author and Finisher of my faith, and everyone else's! Thank You, LORD, for Your mercy and Your grace! Continue to save us all to the uttermost!

In Jesus' precious name, I pray!

Even so - MARANATHA! 

Now To Him

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us," (Ephesians 3:20 NKJV)

Amazed doesn't get it!

Enthralled is an understatement! Blown away does not come near to describing what I am witnessing The LORD doing in so many lives around me this week! Everyday multiple miracles; interventions; setting-up of circumstances for His hand to move in the lives, of those He's calling to Himself! 

Everyday, wondering with joy unspeakable, "What is God going to do today?"; then reeling with delight as I see Him position people to do His bidding! 

Drawing them close; changing their hearts; miracles as big as parting The Red Sea; lives changed forever!!!

If all you see is doom and gloom; if your heart is downcast; if you only see before you, the dirtiness of this world, then you only need to change the direction of your eyes! 

God is alive and moving on behalf of His children! You need to put your eyes on Him! He has to be your focus!  

You want peace? 

You want joy? 

You want a life worth living then look to The Creator of The Universe and see what He continues to Create! 

The old saying,"What you see is what you get", comes to mind! Everywhere I look I see God at work; and He Is!!!

Put your eyes on Jesus! Keep them there! No matter what "it'll looks like; God Is In Control!!!!!

"I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord : the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together." (Psalms 34:1-3 KJV)

Just when you think it can't get any better!

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 4/2/14, 5/9/14

Wonder what He'll do today? ❤️

It's Just A

"It's just a . . ."

How often do we believe that lie? 

It's just a movie. It's just a book. It's just a little bit of cake. It was just a little over the speed limit. It's just a little pill. It's just one drink. 

It's just a little sin. 

"Just" is an interesting word; of which there are several definitions; one being:

4. As an adverb:

"You use just to indicate that something is no more important, interesting, or difficult, for example, than you say it is, especially when you want to correct a wrong idea that someone may get or has already got.

[emphasis]

It's just a suggestion.

It's not just a financial matter.

You can tell just by looking at me that I am all right.

The reason women are drinking is just because they like it.

Synonyms: merely, but, only, simply "

"Just" only a little word; of no importance; merely four letters; I mean it's "just a" word! Right? 

The devil wants you to think that, but The Bible has a great deal to say about "words!"

Jesus speaking: “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Matthew‬ ‭12:37‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.” Matthew‬ ‭24:35‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.” Proverbs‬ ‭6:2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” Matthew‬ ‭12:34‬ ‭KJV

Of course IF you think The Word Of God is "just a book", then my words will not mean much to you! 

That's another lie from the devil. He wants you to think that what you read has no impact on eternity; that now is all there is! He wants you to think, that watching a movie that has "just" a little witchcraft or "just" a little porn, will be okay. I mean, "God knows your heart!" Right?

(If you believe in God)

Here's a few more definitions of "just!"

"Based on or behaving according to what is morally right and fair.

‘fighting for a just cause’

"(of treatment) deserved or appropriate in the circumstances.

‘we all get our just deserts'

"(of an opinion or appraisal) well founded; justifiable.

‘these simplistic approaches have been the subject of just criticism’"

So, with regards to our disregarding God's Commandments; a "just" God, would be "justifiable" in His sentence, and we should all get our "just desert!"

Praise God for His mercy and His grace! 

“The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭12:6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:103‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Blessings are upon the head of the just: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭10:6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭26:7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Forgive us Father for not rightly considering our words or handling Your Words!

Even so - MARANATHA!