EPISODE 243–FINDING HOPE

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There is a phrase that says, I’ve lost all hope or they’ve lost all hope. What does it mean to lose hope? First, we have to understand what having hope means. Hope is having an expectation that things will work out for our good and we will have a happy outcome to our situations.

We have all been walking through some crazy things since Covid hit. We can tell when an event makes an impact because we say before Covid or after Covid, just like the events of 911. Almost everyone can remember where they were when the news came that there had been a plane crash into the towers. It was like time stood still. For a couple of days, we were in shock, but then America rallied and found hope.

We are in another time that it seems like hope is hard to come by, but as a Christian we can always have hope. When we have Jesus, we can get through the highs and lows of life, because we are not alone. We place our hope in Jesus and, not in our abilities, politicians or anything else. When we put our hope in man, we will be disappointed.

Finding hope in Jesus, means that we know without a doubt, he is the one that will go before us. In our highs and lows, our happy times or our worst days, we have hope that he will work everything out.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

It is hard to understand circumstances sometimes. It is even harder to believe that loss and grief can be for our good. It is hard to walk through sickness and pain, wondering how it is for our good. In other situations I have walked through, I questioned how it could be for my good. But God knows what he is doing and will use even the dark times to strengthen us and help us grow closer to him.

This life is all about growing fruit an winning souls for the kingdom of God. Our purpose in life is to be a light and help to all that we come in contact with in this life.

I do not hide the fact that I went through a period in my late twenties when depression was my companion. I had lost all hope. It seemed like everything I ever wanted was slipping through my fingers. The harder I tried the worse things seemed. I pray that you never have to experience that smothering darkness of lost hope. As long as we can hold onto our peace and hope, we will not fall into depression.

Prov 13:12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

The word deferred means to postpone or put off. When hope is postponed, it is easy to become hopeless and fall into depression. If you are in a state of depression, it is impossible to just snap out of it. I had someone tell me that one time. It is not that easy, but it requires a change of attitude. You need to find a reason to have hope again.

Jesus is the light that can shine into our darkness and give us a ray of hope. Once we find that hope again, we need to hold onto it with every ounce of strength we have in us. I pray I can always hold onto hope in every situation that I will face.

Once we have walked through a few situations in life, it is easier to cling to hope. Because God brought us through our fiery trials in the past, we can use that to strengthen our hope that he will do it again. We may not see how He will see us through, but He will.

Lam 3:18-21And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord: 19 Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. 20 My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. 21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

Anytime we face a situation that tries to cause us to lose hope, we have to remember where God has brought us from and the promise of where we are going. It will strengthen our hope in the Lord.

Many stories in the bible will help to encourage us and strengthen our hope. God is the God of the impossible situations. He can take the bad and turn it around for good.

I want to leave you today with one final verse:

Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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Episode 242 – Honest and Sincere

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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: HONEST AND SINCERE

I want to talk to you today about being honest and sincere. What does each thing mean? How do we apply honesty and sincerity to our lives?

On a family vacation when I was about fifteen, we visited a wax museum. To a kid in the 80’s that was an amazing thing to see. There was even one of the statues on the outside of the display that looked so real, we waited for her to move out of our way for a short time before we realized she was wax too. She was a little blue-haired lady with her pearls and purse on her arm. Although they appeared real, they were only statues.

People all down through time have worshipped people and things that are not the real, one, true God. There is only one God, our Lord Jesus Christ. If you are idolizing anyone else, you are committing a sin. Movie stars, pro athletes, and singers are normally at the top of that list. But some even put preachers on a pedestal. Our pastors are meant to lead and watch over the flock to warn of false teachers who are wolves in sheep’s clothing. They were never made to be a dictator over their congregation’s lives. They were never made to be idolized. All of these are like the wax people in that museum. None of them are real compared to our God.

Psalm 97:5-7 The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. 6 The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory. 7 Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.

The word says that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Even the most wicked, demonic person we can think of because the demon that is controlling them knows who Jesus is and that they have no power over him. We want to be found in worship of the only God that is worthy. The one that died to save us from eternal torment.

We want to be found doing God’s will and being sincere vessels. For those of you who do not remember when I shared this before, the origin of the word sincere means without wax. It used to be that when porcelain vessels were fired in the kiln, sometimes they would develop small cracks. Dishonest merchants would fill those tiny cracks with wax to make them appear to be whole. The ones without cracks sold for more money. The ones without cracks were said to be sincere or without wax.

When we are real, genuine and sincere, we will simply be who we are and will not try to be something else. Learning to accept who God made us to be is the beginning of a whole new world. Because we will be walking in the path he created for us. If we are doing all that we can do, Jesus will cover our broken places with his blood. We do not need to fill in the broken places of our lives with wax.

The world is full of people wearing masks, trying to be something that they are not, there is freedom in just simply being ourselves. There is freedom in honesty.

Proverbs 11:3 – The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.

Integrity means to walk upright, have good morals or to be honest, lacking deception. Our integrity will be our guide because when we walk with integrity, we follow the teachings of the Bible.

Psalm 26:11 But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me.

This verse emphasizes the importance of walking in honesty and sincerity. They are building blocks for the fruit of the Spirit to develop in our lives. We all know how important it is to bear good fruit. Go out today and make it a good one by walking with integrity.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 241 HIGHER GROUND

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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: HIGHER GROUND

It is often said when we find ourselves in a situation that could cause us to fall into temptation, we need to seek higher ground. It seems the opposite should be true, if we are in danger of falling, the closer to the ground the safer the landing. However, when it comes to the things of the spirit, the higher the better for us.

As we climb toward higher ground the closer, we become to God. When our God Focus is set right, we will not fall into temptation. The closer we get to God, or the higher ground we find ourselves standing, the more we will be able to resist temptation.

The enemy wants to drag us down. It is his job to make us fall. He will come at us like a flood at times, just to see if he can destroy us.

Isaiah 59:19 So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.

God is our standard or wall of defense against the enemy. He may come at us like a flood, but it will not penetrate the wall of defense or dam that God has raised against it. The enemy is powerless against God. God’s ways are higher than ours, he is always our higher ground. He is our safe place to run to when the enemy comes in like a flood.

High places have always been used for religious purposes. Moses went to the mountain top to receive God’s laws. God was speaking to Moses on the mountaintop and the children of Israel were in the valley, committing evil. They were breaking every law God had given to Moses. Many prayers and sacrifices have been made on mountaintops.

We should never discount the lessons of the valley. The valley is not a bad place, it is a growing place. Sometimes it is a resting place before we start to climb the next mountain in our path. Rest assured even though Jesus is the lily of the valley, He goes with us on our journey to climb the next mountain.

The higher, the fewer; this phrase could describe anything school, work, athletics. Only those who have discipline and determination will rise to the top. Many people for example, start out with big goals, but as life happens, they allow things to cause them to drop out or fall away. We cannot allow the circumstances of life to destroy our determination to keep climbing to higher levels in God.

Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

We can feel safe in knowing that God’s ways are higher than our ways. He knows best and will take care of us, as long as we look at him. We can not allow the things that are going on in this life to drag us down. They may seem bad, scary or disappointing, but as children of God we have to stay strong and keep looking higher.

We can never allow ourselves to be overtaken by pride either. Pride will cause us to have a false sense of security. It will make us feel to good to ever fall. When we get to the point that we feel we are higher and better than others, we can be sure a fall is coming. God will not tolerate his children being prideful.

Prov 16: 18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

The only way we can keep from falling is to stay on solid ground. Keep our feet on the right path and our focus on Jesus our Lord.

Psalm 56:12 Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee. 13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?

We depend on God to save our souls. Why can’t we depend on him for everything else, like keeping our feet on the right path? If we can stay on the right path and depend on him, we will always reach higher ground.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 240 BE ENCOURAGED

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There is nothing too hard for God. He is with us and will watch over us. Each day is a new beginning. God gives us a chance to start fresh and change our future. I could not imagine when I was in my twenties that I would have walked through some of the things that I have been through. We never know what a day will bring, good or bad. But God can and will use whatever we face and go through for our good and the good of others.

Romans 8: 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

God’s mercy is waiting in our future to carry us through anything that the enemy will try to do to us. There is not a battle that will come our way today that God will not be there.

Lam 3:22-23It is of the Lord‘s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Mercy means that we are given forgiveness, kindness and compassion when we deserve punishment. God shows up in our time of need, even if we have brought our troubles on ourselves. His compassion doesn’t fail us when we need it. He is faithful or loyal to be there for us.

How faithful are we to doing what God wishes for us?

At times we can get busy in the hustle and bustle of life. Especially this time of year and get sidetracked. It is easy to lose our focus. But even when we have lost focus, God is there to help us get on track. We sometimes need to stop and take inventory of our priorities.

I have allowed myself to get a little sidetracked this weekend. I didn’t have much time to prepare anything for your devotion. I am cutting this short this morning. In order to refocus and regroup. I am glad that God never gives up on me and that his mercy is new each day.

I just want to remind you that God is good. When we are celebrating, God is good. When we find ourselves in the middle of our fiercest battle, God is good. On the ordinary days, God is good. Keep looking up and stay encouraged. He will not leave us to face things alone. We can look to him in every situation. Remind yourself that you are not alone.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 239 HOLD ON AND KEEP FIGHTING

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We have so much to be thankful for as children of God. I want to encourage you today to think about your worst moment. Then, think about how God brought you through it. It is always good to use the past to encourage ourselves when we are facing hard things. To those who are in the middle of your worst moment, be encouraged your breakthrough moment is coming.

It is always darkest before dawn. The enemy fights the hardest right before God makes him let go completely. There is nothing we face that we must face alone. Jesus is with us to help us and give us strength for that next minute, next hour and next day.

I just have a quick idea to share with you today.

Genesis 28:10-17 And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. 12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. 13 And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; 14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. 16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. 17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

How many times have we been a place that we didn’t feel like God was there? Jacob woke up and said “Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.” There are times God is there, and we don’t know it. It feels like our prayers are hitting the ceiling and there is no hope. But even when we don’t feel him, he is there. We have to know that we walk by faith and not by feeling. Our faith says he is there with us, even in the darkest valley.

Circumstances do not dictate our outcome. God dictates our outcome. He will see us through even when we do not know he is there, that is when our faith has to come through. We know his word says he will not leave us or forsake us. We have to stand on the promises in the word.

Matt 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

If you feel like your world is flying apart, he is the glue that is holding it together. Stand strong, look unto him and keep fighting the good fight of faith.

Thanks for watching,

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 238 LIVING WATER

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What happens to water when it gets pooled or doesn’t flow? It becomes full of bacteria, it becomes stagnant. In this stagnant state, it begins to stink because of all the rotting plants and other rotting things that are in it. This is what happens to Christians too often. It is easy to fall into a routine and not flow in the spirit of God. We stop praying as much as we should. We get out of the will of God and grow cold or become stagnate.

All the dead things that have built up while we are in a rut and become stagnant. When the living water starts flowing, everything changes for the better. In the stream of the spirit of God, we get unstuck.

God’s living water is pure. It keeps us from becoming spiritually dehydrated. It is a fact that if we become dehydrated we cannot function. Severe dehydration will eventually kill someone. We cannot allow the enemy to keep us from the flow of God’s Spirit until we are dehydrated.

Pure water contains no contaminants. Dead leaves provide a place for disease to take hold and grow. In order to have pure water again, the dead leaves and rot have to be removed. We cannot grow spiritually if we have dead leaves. We have to remove all the dead things so that we can grow new leaves.

In the spirit, we need to be prepared and filter the things of the world with the word of God so that things do not get dammed up and become stagnant. The word guards our minds and lives.

Filter out what is not of God. Otherwise, it can contaminate your source of pure water.

This reminds me of the story of Issac in Genesis Chapter 26. I suggest you read the whole chapter.

Gen 26:15-20 For all the wells which his father’s servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.16 And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we. 17 And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. 18 And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them. 19 And Isaac’s servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water. 20 And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac’s herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him.

He dug the wells that his father had dug. The enemy had filled it up with dirt after Abraham died. He got the water to flow again, and then the enemy came and strove with him over the well.

Every time we get things going and flowing, you can be sure the enemy will come along and try to cause issues.

This happened a second time to Issac, he cleaned out a well and got it flowing. The enemy came along, and he walked away. Then the third time, the enemy did not strive with him. God promised him that he would be fruitful and multiply.

The third well was called Rehboth which means, “For now the Lord has made room for us and we shall be fruitful.”

In this story, I can see the church of today. Some have wells that are stopped up and need to be dug out. Other have wells that the enemy is fighting for, only God can say if you are to walk away from that well or if it is where you need to be. But the Lord has made room for us all. The ground is level at the foot of the cross.

We will never be able to gather the harvest of souls without living water. We don’t want to be found at the well of strife and contention. We don’t want to be found at a stagnate well of fear and regret. Other wells of sin and heartache, complacency and procrastination. We want to be at the well of free-flowing water.

I live near an artesian well. For those of you who do not know what that is, it is a place where water freely flows out of the ground and has been fixed with a pipe. The water is under pressure from the rock structure underground. There is water flowing out of it even in the dryest of weather conditions. People come from all around the area to carry water when their wells are dry.

God’s living water should be like that of the artesian well. There should be so much pressure that we have to let it flow.

John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

When we allow God’s living water to flow freely in our lives, we will be able to share Jesus with those who are thirsty. They will never thirst again.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 237 — GOD IS MOVED

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Yesterday, I talked to you about how God is not moved by the things the enemy throws our way. Today, I want to share with you what the word says about what moves God and how God is moved.

God had so much compassion for mankind, that even when Adam and Eve were disobedient, he took care of them. He clothed them and made sure that they survived. He then went about creating a way for mankind to return to the fellowship that Adam and Eve knew before their fall. Understanding God’s heart and desire for a relationship with us is crucial to understanding what moves God. He is not moved by circumstances, politics or anything else that can cause us to fall into fear and anxiety.

In order to move God, we must move his heart by trusting and walking by faith. Faith moves God. We build our faith through prayer. Four things that move God and help us to develop our relationship with him.

One is to start a relationship with him if we have not already.

We need to Repent of the things we have done that are disobedient to God’s laws. Ask him to fill us with His Spirit. Then we will have a guide. When the Holy Ghost comes into our lives it will lead us and guide us.

2 Cor 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

The word repent means to make a turnaround. When we tell God we are sorry for being disobedient and walking in sin, we are to turn from that sin and do it no more. God’s grace is not a license to live any way and expect God to be OK with it.

Two Read the Bible:

2 Tim 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

The word of God is given to us by God so that we have an understanding of his expectations. It is to inspire, strengthen, enlighten, and instruct us in God’s laws. It is to show us the difference in a life lived well and one that is thrown away on sinful living. It is in reading and understanding his word that we come to know the heart of God. It builds our relationship with Him.

Three Worship and Praise:

God is high and there is no one or nothing above him. That is reality. When we worship, it gets our hearts set. Praise and worship elevate God in our lives. It puts God in his proper place in our lives.

Worship helps us to connect our hearts to God’s heart. It allows the Spirit of God within us to make a deeper connection. It helps us to learn to trust.

Four Prayer:

Prayer is the key that opens many doors.

I Pet. 3:2 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

Prayer is simply talking to God and waiting for him to speak to our hearts. He desires for us to spend time alone with him. God desires our trust. We learn to trust through prayer, worship, reading the word and being obedient to the word. It is all about our relationship.

God is not moved by the fiery trials but is moved by us when we fully rely on him.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 236 – GOD IS NOT MOVED

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I want to share with you a thought that I had today. It started with the three Hebrew men that were cast into the fiery furnace. That sounds like a scary prospect. No one wants to think about what should have happened to them. They stood strong in their faith and the outcome was different from the way it was meant to play out. I thought well God is not afraid of the fiery furnace. We should be able to stand strong in the fiery flames that are meant to burn our lives to the ground. Those men boldly proclaimed, Our God is able to save us, but if he chooses not to, we will honor our God and not bow to your idol.

If God is not moved by the flames, we should not be either. God is not afraid of disease, financial collapse, people’s lies against Him. We need to find the boldness of God to not be afraid of the things the enemy throws our way. God is not moved by them; he knows he can and will deliver us. He doesn’t doubt his ability to save, heal, deliver and set free. When we get to the place in God that we have total confidence in Him and are not moved by our circumstances we will see miracles.

The early church was not moved by circumstances. They suffered horrible things in the name of the cause of Christ. They died torturous deaths at the hands of evil kings, but they did not deny their faith. They remained bold.

That same Spirit that was in them is in us today. God has not changed and has not backed off of his original idea of sin. In spite, of what some so called preachers would like you to accept as truth. Do not be deceived, God is the same, He has not changed. It is our societies that have changed. It is time we find our way back to the old paths and find that Holy Boldness that God gave the early church.

Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.

It is time for us to let our light shine and not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love the song it is well with my soul. Because it reminds us of that things in our lives can be spinning out of control, but if our standing with God is in a good place all is well. All that matters is that things are well with our soul.

We have to remember when the storms of life hit us hard, God is not moved by the storms. He is bigger than any storm that can come our way. He is the one that has the ability to change the course of any storm or dissipate it all together.

Remember the story of Peter walking on the water. Jesus was there with him in the storm. Jesus didn’t do anything to the storm for a little while. He gave Peter a chance to walk through it, to test his faith and his focus. But Jesus didn’t let anything happen to him, he was right there to pick him up when Peter asked for help.

Jesus was taking a stroll on the water. He was not shaken by the storm on the horizon. Fear of what may happen plagues many today. But worrying about what could possible take place is wasting today. There will be plenty of time to deal with tomorrow’s storms, tomorrow. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that we cannot prepare for the future. Actually it is a good thing to do. Look at the ants, they work all summer so that they do not have to go out on the snow and ice. We can get too caught up in the anxiety of it all and not enjoy today.

We were only meant to live in one day at a time. It is the only one we have any form of control over. The next time the enemy comes with all sorts of scenarios, put him in his place. We can rise above the storms, because we are not alone.

Learning to be strong and not focus on our circumstances is the next stepping stone to growth. It is all a part of learning to walk by faith. Because our God is not moved by circumstances. But he is moved by our faith.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 235 KEEP FOCUS AND COURAGE

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KEEPING FOCUS AND COURAGE

How many battles were lost in the last minutes because one side slowed down? When in a sports competition, many games are lost in the last few minutes because one side either got cocky and lost focus or the team was sure of defeat and lost courage. Focus and courage is what it is going to take for us to win our battle against our enemy.

We cannot feel like since things appear to be turning our way, that we can let down. We cannot lose courage that things will turn out in the favor of our enemy. Now is the time to double down and make sure our courage doesn’t fail.

We need to stop and take a deep breath every now and then. We need to check our lives to make sure we are on track. The word says we need to meditate on God’s word. I know I say it often, but we are to hide his word in our hearts. The more of the word we have inside of us, the less likely we are to fall into sin. If we keep our focus on God, we will get where we are supposed to be.

Psalm 119:11Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

It is the job of the enemy to distract and destroy. If he can distract us from our focus on God he has won half the battle. Knowing the tactics of the enemy will help us to avoid his traps. He is good at reading us, then we say things out of our mouth that is negative. Satan will take the negative talk and help it to become a reality in our lives. He may notice our flesh struggling with something; he will do all he can to turn up the pressure to get us to fall into sin.

Look at Samson, he was drawn to Delilah. The enemy noticed how he was taken with her and used her to bring him down. He didn’t tell her where his strength came from the first time she asked. But she kept working on him, manipulating and sweet talking to him until he surrendered.

We are no different, satan keeps coming at us like a spider. When a bug is caught in the web of a spider, it goes to it and bites it. But it doesn’t kill it’s prey all at once, it goes to it a few times and bites it, until it dies. Satan is the same way, if he would approach you head on full force, we would resist. But he comes a little at a time. “That little thing will not matter” how many times have we thought or said those words.

PROV 4:18-22 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. 19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. 20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. 22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

The word tells us to not let God’s sayings, or his word depart from our eyes and to keep them in our hearts. The words written in the Bible are life both spiritually and physically to us.

Prov 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Diligence means careful, persistent effort. We are to keep our heart with a careful, persistent effort to stay on the right path. It is my firm belief that if we can learn to keep our “God Focus” he will lead us the right way. If we all can learn to let him lead, all the denominational boundaries will fall away. But first, we have to all learn how to focus on God. Put him in the center of our lives where he belongs. We have made things too complicated.

Prov 4:24-27 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. 25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. 26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. 27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

Notice verse twenty-five says don’t look right or left. Then the next verse says that we need to think about the path of our feet. This is when we take time to slow down and check our focus. The next verse says to not turn right or left to remover our foot from evil.

It all starts with where we look and focus on, then we ponder, then we stick our foot into sin. We can save ourselves a lot of grief if we can just learn to keep our focus on God.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EP234 HOW DO YOU LOOK?

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v5t58a8-god-focus-this-morning-ep234-how-do-you-look.html

WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: How Do You Look?

People look at us and they judge our appearance. They think they know what type person you are by the label on your jeans. Are you carrying the right purse or driving the right car. We are judged in many ways by others. To some it is just a first impression that they stick to, a snap judgment.

Some people that are good at manipulating others will be able to say all the right things to impress. They will appear to be a kind and wonderful person then end up being a serial killer. We cannot always think that just because someone appears friendly and kind that they are friendly and kind. They may be the embodiment of the devil with a kind smile.

We can do all the Christian things and dress like we are told by some denominations and look the part of a Christian, and still not look good to God. God doesn’t judge us by the way we dress or what kind of car we drive. The title on our business cards means nothing to Him.

I Sam 16:7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

The Lord said this to Samuel when he went to anoint a king among Jesse’s sons. There was one there that looked like he should be king. He was what Samuel thought was the right height to command respect. He was handsome to look at and appeared to be king material to Samuel.

But God knew his heart was that of a coward. Sometime in the near future he would be shaking in his shoes along with the rest of the army. But God knew inside of that little shepherd boy beat the heart of a warrior. He knew David would boldly stand and defy Goliath. He knew that David was strong and the harder the enemy came against him the more he trusted in God. He had the heart of a leader and king.

But to look at him, he wasn’t much in man’s eyes. Have you ever felt like you were nothing. You felt like you had nothing to contribute. You wondered why God just didn’t give up on you. It seems that everything you attempt seems to fall flat of your expectations. You feel like they disappoint God too. It could be that maybe it is just not your Goliath moment yet. But inside of you beats the heart of a warrior.

Do not be guilty of allowing the enemy to sit in the seat of judge. He will tell you all lies to make you feel as small as possible. He will pick apart everything and bind you up with guilt, shame, worthlessness and feeling like there is no use to try.

But God sees you for who you really are, he sees your heart. The fact that you feel like you have let him down proves that you want to do what is pleasing in his sight. You are on your way to becoming what you were always meant to be by God.

Satan knows that if we ever reach the knowledge of who we are, he is really in trouble. We will be like David, the more he comes at us the stronger we will become in God. We will lean on him and trust him more and more.

Be encouraged my brothers and sisters, don’t look in the mirror, do look at how others may see you, don’t even see yourself through any lens but God’s. His word is our mirror, it will help us judge to see where our heart is and we will see the labels that matter. Blessed, Chosen, Adopted, Favored, Forgiven, Child of the Most High God.

Getting the right labels in our mind will help us to see ourselves as God does. Remember, God looks on the heart. We need to make sure our heart is set on him.

Psalm 57:7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise. My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise. My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise.

Psalm 112:7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

I ask the question once again, How do you look? If you ask him, God will show you.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

LIKE SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ENCOURAGEMENT