EPISODE 80–ENDURANCE

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/8OWe0R4-CVI

The title of today’s episode is: “ENDURANCE”

We are in the battle of a lifetime. The church has not had to face such persecution and opposition for many, many years. We are in this to keep pressing forward and showing the world our faith. Jesus is on our side; we cannot lose.

Things may appear scary and if we look with our natural eyes, things do not look good. But we have to endure whatever is coming our way and stand strong in our faith.

Matthew 24:13 KJV: But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

We have to endure what is coming. As Children of God, we have to stand strong on our faith. We need to fight back with prayer. We can only win if we come together and pray for our nation, pray for the body of Christ.

James 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

We find that James is encouraging endurance and patience. He is explaining how the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth. This is all about the harvest. It is saying, Jesus is waiting patiently for the precious fruit which is the souls that will come in during harvest time. Until he receive the early and latter rain.

The early rain was His Spirit that was poured out on the early church. The latter rain is when His Spirit is poured out on the earth for the final harvest of souls.

James 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

James is encouraging the believers to establish their hearts. In other words, we need to make sure that our heart is set on the things of God. We are to be determined and have a made-up mind that nothing will keep us from God. We have to have our minds set on the things of God.

The best way to establish our hearts is through prayer and studying the Word. Prayer for an understanding of God’s word.

James 5:9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. This means we are not to judge or complain against other believers. We need to get our hearts right if we have grudges against anyone we risk being judged by God.

James 5:10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

We need to look to the prophets as our example of how to stand strong during affliction. Job is one of the best examples of enduring. He was patient and trusted God even in the midst of horrible loss and sickness. He kept his faith and trust when everyone told him to “curse God and die.” But he kept his faith and he was very blessed for endurance. Just like we will receive God’s blessings if we can stand strong and endure our fiery trials.

Think about a runner. They train long hours to build up lung capacity to run marathons. They have to be determined to finish the race strong. They build up their endurance by training.

We build up our endurance to run our spiritual race by training. Training our minds to guard our mouths. Train our minds to fight against negativity planted by the enemy. We are learning to walk by faith and not by sight.

Every time we pray, we add to our endurance. Ask God to help his people stand strong. Every time we dig deep into the word of God, we learn something to give us endurance to stand against the enemy.

2 Tim. 2:3-4 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

We are just passing through this life. It is not our destination; it is just somewhere the road goes through. We cannot allow the things of this life to distract us from doing the will of God.

Enduring means that we will come through the fiery trials of life without compromising or allowing our faith to waiver. It all comes down to knowing God’s will for our lives. Then not allowing anything to keep us from carrying out that will.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 79–GOD WILL DELIVER

CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/Jk2R3AO2pAE

WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode is: “GOD WILL DELIVER”

Psalm 91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

I mentioned this verse a few days ago in Episode 72 about Angels. God loves us so much that He created Angels to watch over us and protect us. Let that sink in and think about it the next time the enemy tries to tell you that you are not loved by God.

Psalm 91:13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. God gives us authority to overcome attacks of the enemy. The word says that satan is like a lion roaming to see who he can devour. We have power over the enemy. An adder is a type of poisonous snake, but God will render the poison of the enemy neutralized. The lion, adder and dragon are all representatives of satan’s attack. But God has given us power over the powers of the enemy and we can walk right over top of the enemy.

I want to take a moment to look at the word trample. Dictionary.com defines trample – step heavily and noisily; stamp. to tread heavily, roughly, or crushingly.

We will not tip toe past the enemy quietly in fear of getting attacked. But we will step heavily, roughly crushingly to destroy the attacks of the enemy.

Psalm 91:14 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. God says because we set our love upon Him, He will deliver us. Oxford Dictionary defines set – as put or bring into a specified state. We need to show Him our love for Him. If we lavish him with our love, he will deliver us from the enemy.

He will place us on high, because we love Him enough to learn of Him. Because we know His name, the name of Jesus.

Psalm 91:15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. When we have been in the secret place and really know God, we can call upon Him and He will answer. He will deliver us from trouble.

Things in our country needs a God intervention. The only way that will happen is if His people, will get in the secret place and pray for God to forgive our nation for turning their back on Him. Ask for Him to deliver us out of the hand of the enemy.

Psalm 91:16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

This is the best way to sum up and end this chapter. God will give us a long life and give us peace. He will satisfy or meet our needs, desires and expectations. He will be there to show us his deliverance.

Over the past four days we have learned the key is alone time with God in the secret place. If we can build our relationship with Him in the secret place, there is nothing that can touch us. Because He hides us under his wings. He will protect us from attacks of the enemy. He will send angels to watch over us.

Until Next Time,

Be Bold, Be Brave and Keep Your God Focus

EPISODE 78 — THE REWARD OF THE WICKED

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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode is: “THE REWARD OF THE WICKED”

This is day three of looking deeper into Psalm 91. It is full of encouragement and warning. Like most of the Psalms, it shows what will happen if you are righteous and what will happen if you choose a life of wickedness.

Psalm 91:6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

The word pestilence means disease, plague, pandemic. When this says the pestilence walketh in darkness, it doesn’t mean a disease that only attacks in the night. But it means it brings a spirit of darkness and no one knows where it will strike next, like evil in the night. It is meant to bring fear to everyone.

Destruction at noonday could be a reference to the heat of battle. Things wither under the heat of the sun at noonday. Things could die from the heat if they do not have water. In the heat of our battles, at noonday of our battles, we need God’s living water to sustain us when things are at their hottest. It is in the heat of the battle that one can become the most fatigued. But we will not be destroyed because God is with us.

Psalm 91:7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

During a pandemic, many could die but it will not come near the people who have been in the secret place with God. We cannot fear the attacks of the enemy. God will take care of his people who pray. Not just a five-minute prayer, but really get down to business and seek his face. Ask him for direction and peace in the middle of the battle.

Psalm 91:8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

Many places the word tells us what happens to the wicked if they do not repent. We were all wicked at some point, but we were smart enough to surrender to God’s plan for our life and repent.

Psalms 91:8 means that the things that come upon the wicked we will see, but it will not happen to us. Look at the Egyptians, they had all sorts of things happen to them, God sent the plagues to warn them, but they didn’t listen. They eventually ended up destroyed in the Red Sea. That was their reward for all they had done to God’s people.

The Children of Israel saw what happened to the wicked, but were all safe on dry land before the first drop of water rolled in on the wicked. He will always make a way of escape for his people. The reward of the wicked is destruction, if they will not listen to God and repent.

Psalm 91:9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; 10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

In the first video about Psalm 91:2, we learned that refuge meant safety, sheltered from pursuit, danger or trouble.

The word habitation means a place to live, home or dwelling. Psalms 91:9-10 means because we have made the Lord, who is our safety and shelter from the enemy, our dwelling place or home, the enemy will not win. No evil will overtake us and no plague will come near our dwelling or our home. Because we are under the protection of his wings.

When there is a lot of sickness like flu season or other viruses we need to look to God and remind him of Psalms 91. Pray for his protection. He will deliver His people, those who dwell with Him in the secret place.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 77 –AVOIDING SATAN’S SNARES

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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode is: “AVOIDING SATAN’S SNARE”

Today, I am picking up where we left off on the video titled Secret Place. There is no better place to be than the secret place of God. He is our Father and he will take care of us.

Psalm 91:3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

A snare is a trap set to catch small animals. It consists of bait and a rope or cord that makes a noose. When an animal wanders in to eat the bait, the trap is sprung and they end up tied up. Sometimes, it will deploy a net that covers them so they cannot move.

Satan will try to lay snares for us. He knows what he is doing when he sets the traps. But the word says he will deliver us from the snare of the fowler. In other words, God will help us to resist the bait in the first place. If we do fall into temptation, he will help us to escape the snare of the enemy.

He will also deliver us from the noisome pestilence. But what exactly does that mean?

Oxford Dictionary defines noisome as being disagreeable, unpleasant or scandalous.

Oxford Dictionary defines pestilence- a plague such as bubonic plague, disease, infection, sickness, pandemic, contagion.

According to the dictionary, it means he will deliver us from an unpleasant sickness, disease, or pandemic. This is something we need to pray everyday. “Lord your word says you will deliver me from sickness, disease or pandemic.”

How did Jesus overcome Satan in the wilderness. He quoted scripture back at him. God like for us to pray the word back to him also. “Lord I am standing on your word, it says….”

Psalm 91:4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

When it says he will cover us with his feathers, I think of a mama bird hiding her babies under her wings to protect them from danger and storms. God will also hover over us and protect us from danger and storms of life. We can trust him to care for us and keep us safe, because He is our heavenly father.

His truth, which is the Bible, will be our shield and buckler. Both the shield and buckler are used for defense. Both are a form of stopping the attack of the enemy. Shields were normally large and soldiers would stand behind them to prevent being struck with an arrow.

A buckler is a smaller shield worn on the non-dominant arm of the soldier to protect them in hand to hand combat.

God’s truth is our defense against the attacks of the enemy. Again, we need to use the word to speak to the enemy. If he is attacking your health, quote scriptures about healing to him. Whatever battle we are facing, God has our defense within the pages of the bible.

This is why it is so important to know what is in the word. It is our link to God, our shield, our sword or weapon of attack when we need to go after the enemy. It is God’s love letter to us, and so much more.

Psalm 91:5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

This verse is all about attacks on our mind. Many people have problems in the night with fear. Fear will attack in the night when all is quiet. They will have all sorts of symptoms, but it boils down to the enemy trying to prevent peaceful rest. The what if’s we don’t know are greater than the things we know and have control over. All the unknowns can bring with them lots of levels of anxiety and fear. If the enemy can paralyze us with fear, we can not be effective witnesses. We have no reason to fear. God is with us.

Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. The word says we will be in perfect peace if we keep our mind on God.

Psalm 91:5 goes on to say, not for the arrow that flieth by day. These are attacks on our mind during the day. It is more of the same. The enemy will see if he can cause us to fall into fear, anxiety or worry. Those are arrows of his warfare coming against our mind.

The above verse said his word was our defense. We can use the word when a thought comes into our minds. We can dismiss it and pray against it. We can quote the word and stand strong against the enemy. His arrows of fear, anxiety, depression, worry and uncertainty can be quickly overcome if we learn to recognize it for what it is, an attack from the enemy.

So far in five verses of this chapter we have learned that we can dwell in a secret place with God. He will be our shield of protection from attacks of the enemy against our minds and bodies. He will deliver us from the traps of the enemy. But we have to dwell in the secret place, in order to be able to recognize the attacks and traps the enemy has set for us.

Take time to seek God, find your secret place in Him. So you can boldly stand against the attack of the enemy.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 76–SECRET PLACE

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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode is: “Secret Place”

I have been reading Psalms 91 over my home for a few weeks now. As I have been praying this chapter, I have come to know God in a deeper way. There have been things I wanted to know more about and began to research and study. I want to share what I have learned over the past few weeks. It is going to take a few devotionals to cover the whole chapter.

Psalm 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

The secret place of the most High. Where is the secret place? A lot of Christians have a place that they like to go pray. It is a place they feel they can connect easier to God. But that is not what this verse means by the secret place.

The secret place is not a physical location as much as it is being in the presence of God. Quiet time with God getting to know Him intimately. He will reveal things to us as we grow our relationship with Him. It is all about getting to a certain level of His presence.

Take the way the temple was built, you had a courtyard, an outer court and an inner court. People would enter a gate into the courtyard. But this was only a general vicinity of where the king was on his throne. Some would be able to enter the outer court. This was closer to the king; one would know he was in court. One would have to petition to see the king. Only by invitation would you get to go into the inner court and speak with the king.

We as children of God acknowledge Him when we give thanks. We can talk about Him to our friends and family. This is being in the gate, into the courtyard. We know He exists, we acknowledge He is good.

The times we go to church and fellowship with other believers, could be considered the outer court. We are in the presence of the king. We can see Him and hear him.

If the service is an anointed one, then one may enter the inner court into the kings presence. Every layer is a step closer to really knowing the king. But only close friends and family enter the residence of the king. The place He dwells.

In order to be in the secret place with the king. We have to build a relationship. We need to petition Him to be able to know Him, intimately. Everyone and everything are gone from this place. This is that place deep inside of our spirit that we can really hear the voice of God. It is a place that only God remains to talk to us and with us. We can get to the place that we can be in his presence, in the secret place, quickly. Many would say if we are prayed up, which is a church phrase to say that you talk with God a lot. If we are prayed up we can enter his presence quickly in times of trouble. He will know our voice and hear our cries for help. The spirit flows quickly if we have the relationship. If we have been in the secret place.

The enemy will do all he can to keep us distracted and in the court yard or the outer court. These are places that ease the conscience that we know God. But it is more just knowledge of his existence.

At one point, during the times of Moses until Christ came, only the priest could enter into the actual presence of God. The holy of holies. Jesus broke down that barrier. Now we do not need any man to intercede on our behalf. We can come boldly to God and ask for forgiveness or whatever we need.

It is up to us, how much we want to invest, in the most important relationship of our lives. Do we want to be barely in the presence of the king? Do we want to be able to enter where He is and be alone with Him to share our worries, fears, uncertainty and make our requests known. In the times that he speaks to us and reveals things to us, we can say we are in the secret place of God Almighty. We will be under the shadow of God.

Psalm 91:2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Once we have been in the secret place with God, we have confidence to say He is my refuge and my fortress. Oxford dictionary defines refuge as a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger or trouble.

Oxford dictionary defines a fortress, as a military stronghold, a person or thing not susceptible to outside influence or disturbance.

We can be safe and sheltered from the pursuit of the devil. Since God is our fortress, we will not be susceptible to outside influence. We will not be swayed by the temptation of the enemy if we dwell in the secret place in God’s presence.

If you don’t know God in that deep meaningful way. It is not too late to enter into the secret place and really, really, get to know Him in a deeper more meaningful way.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 75–PRESSING TOWARD THE GOAL

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A goal can be defined as an objective or a desired result. A point we reach when trying to accomplish something. In a foot race it is the finish line. What is your goal in life? If you ask this question some say they want to be an Olympic athlete. Others go to school for years to be doctors or engineers. Too often when thinking about life’s goals people think only of their careers. Others long for the day they can have their retirement home on the beach.

As children of God, we often do not think about pressing on to the goal of finishing this life’s race. The things we do in this life are temporary. The word says we need to occupy until he comes to get the bride. That is why we can have goals in this life for whatever we wish to do.

It is a good thing to have goals about the direction of our lives. However, we need to remember that only what we do for the cause of Christ lasts. Only following Jesus and doing what he has told us to do will matter. He has told us to go out and make disciples.

Phil 3:12-13 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

Paul says He hasn’t arrived at his goal, neither is He perfect, but he follows after Christ that He may reach perfection. Then He goes on to say to forget the things which are behind. There is no reason to look back. We cannot change the past.

Phil 3:14-15 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

He keeps pressing on toward his goal, the prize of the high calling of God. He will reveal to us what we need to do on our journey for the next step toward our goal.

Phil 3:16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. 17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

We are to walk in the light we have been given while searching for the next level of understanding. As we walk in the light we are given, He will shine more light on our path. Paul told them to follow him and to mark them that walk as he did as an example.

Phil 3:18-19 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

Paul warns that many walk as enemies of the cross. He warns of their destruction. They seek after what satisfies their appetite for sin. They boast and glory in their evil. Because they desire the earthly things. Even though we are to live and occupy until he comes, we must keep our eyes on the prize of finishing this race strong.

Phil 3:20-21 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Our goal and focus should be on doing the will of God. Christ is able to subdue or bring under control all things.

Psalm 126:6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

Our goal as God’s children is to gather the harvest. Keep pressing on to learn the deep things of God. As a part of the body, it is our responsibility to gather the harvest and wait patiently for the day He comes to get His Bride.

Until Next Time,

Be Bold, Be Brave and Keep Your God Focus

EPISODE 74–FRET NOT, TRUST AND COMMIT

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Hello My Friends:

Welcome to God Focus this morning. The title of today’s episode is “Fret Not, Trust And Commit.”

In the first part of Psalms 37 is a lot of wisdom. As our country faces major issues, we should not fear what the enemy is doing.

Psalm 37:1-9 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

This word tells us to not be afraid of evildoers. God is our protector and will take care of us. We are not supposed to be envious of those who are doing evil. Several synonyms for envious: Jealous, resentful, spiteful, covetous, bitter.

We are not to be jealous that they have wealth and power. We are not to be resentful that things seem to be going their way for now. We cannot allow hate to take root in our hearts toward them. We cannot covet what they have or be bitter toward them, even though they are doing evil. Because God will deal with them.

Psalm 37:2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

God will only allow evil to seem to have the upper hand so long. Once He has exhausted everything to get them to turn from their evil, he will cut them off. Look at Pharoah, God gave him at least ten chances when he sent the plagues, to change and stop his evil against the children of Israel. But he did not change, so God drown him and his army in the Red Sea.

Psalm 37:3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

We are told not to worry, fear or fret over these things. We are to Trust and Do Good. We need to believe God. When he tells us he will deliver us from the enemy we need to trust that word. We are to go about our lives and keep doing good. Not allowing the fear that the enemy would like to put on us to overtake us. If we trust and do good, we will be taken care of and will have what we need.

Psalm 37:4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Many think this is a blank check for what they want. False preachers will tell you God will give you all sorts of monetary wealth and the things money can buy. But God is not a genie in a bottle to grant us expensive cars and material things. They skip the first part that says to delight in the Lord. Delight means to please someone, take joy, find happiness. If we find happiness and joy of being in God’s presence, that is to take delight. If we delight in the Lord, he will give us the desires of our hearts, because our hearts will align with God’s will for our lives. He can and will provide what we need. It is all about aligning our desires with the heart of God.

Psalm 37:5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

He wants us to commit ourselves to Him. When we commit ourselves to God it means we pledge, devote or dedicate our lives to following His leading. We bind our life to Him. If we are truly following Him, He will bring to pass good things in our lives.

Psalm 37:6-7 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. 7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

These two verses summarize the above verses. He tells us to be patient and not worry or fear. We are to not be shaken by what the enemy is doing. Because at the right time, God will bring down the evil.

Psalm37:8-9 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. 9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.

Do not be angry or in any way do evil. We are to walk upright and wait on the Lord. He will take care of his people, no matter how things appear. The enemy will not win as long as we Fret Not, Trust In God and Commit our way to him.

I suggest you read the entire chapter of Psalm 37. It is full of encouragement to know God is on our side and will take care of His people. For time’s sake, I am going to skip to the last two verses of the chapter, verses 39 -40.

Psalm 37:39-40 But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. 40 And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

Why does He deliver us? Because we trust in Him. If we truly trust Him, we will commit our lives to following Him and will not fear what the enemy will do. Be strong and have faith that our God will do what He has promised. He is not a man who can lie. If He says it will happen, it is going to happen.

Until next time,

Be Bold, Be Brave, and Keep Your God Focus.

Have a wonderful day.

EPISODE 73 -WARRIORS ARE OVERCOMERS

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/8YD6TXUJ2ac

Hello My Friends, Welcome to God Focus This Morning. The title of today’s episode is, “Warriors Are Overcomers.”

Many authors have experienced the blank page stare. That is, you sit looking at a blank sheet, not knowing what to write. An idea will come, and it is just a stray thought. Then, you sit wondering how to expound the idea into an article or a book.

I sometimes find it hard to find things to share with all of you. The word of God is so full of stories that make good points. How many ways can I tell you how wonderful the Lord God Almighty is before I repeat myself? There are times I feel like I share the same things over and over again. But I have been given the task to encourage you to walk as close as you can to God.

I walked through some dark times with depression. God truly delivered me and set me free. I feel like the best days are ahead. I know our country is getting ready to walk through some dark times, but Jesus is our light, and we will find our comfort and safety in Him. I am not naïve enough to believe there will not be trials and troubles. However, I believe in Jesus enough to know that he will carry me through whatever I face.

There is no one more reliable than our Lord. He is not a man that he can lie. When he says something will happen, it will. When he says He is going to do something, He will. We need to find enough strength and faith to know that there is nothing that we could face that Jesus will not be there to see us through. He is the calm in the eye of our spiritual storms. He is our rest and peace when the chaos surrounds us. Every day we need to learn to lean a little more, trust a little harder and love a little deeper.

The random thought today was about being a warrior in God’s army. Do you know you are a warrior? A problem that ancients warriors didn’t have, they knew who they were and trusted their abilities. They trained hard and understood what they were capable of doing. They trusted their king and put their lives on the line for the cause of the king.

Today, we fight battles in the spiritual realm, but often, we do not know who we are in Christ. We do not fully trust our king. We often give our enemy more credit than he deserves. The Psalms are full of David’s concerns, fears and prayers as he faced battle. But he didn’t lose heart, he kept leaning on His God. David trusted God with his whole heart. The Psalms reflect the heart of David. He trusted God and did not allow himself to fear.

There are many soldiers in God’s army, but not all will become warriors. A warrior will face the battles and sometimes end up with scars. But they stood boldly when the battle raged against them and looked to their God to fight with them. Soldiers have training and are brave. A warrior is someone who has faced the enemy head on and stayed strong. They continued to fight when most would have given up.

Anything you overcome; you have power over it. In my case, I overcame depression. I now have power over it. Does that mean that the enemy doesn’t try to come back and tell me the lies to get me in that place? No. But I know his tricks when it comes to that area of life and know how God helped me conquer it the first time.

We can take every new thing that we face and apply a measure of faith. God helped me to overcome that battle. I can conquer the new thing the enemy is trying. If we keep focused on our King, we will be strong in battle, because he has given us the equipment we need to overcome the enemy.

Psalm 24:8-10 Who is this King of gloryThe Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

The King of Glory is the Lord strong and mighty. There is nothing we will face today that will overtake him or surprise him. He will give us new strength for each new day. We overcome evil by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. We need to open our mouths and share what the Lord has done for us.

Until next time,

Be Bold, Be Brave and Keep Your God Focus

Have a great day!!

EPISODE 72 –ANGELS

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v4ofl0n-god-focus-this-morning-episode-72-angels.html

Hello My Friends,

I apologize for the late posting. We have been struggling with keeping our internet working since the storms that hit early last week. I appreciate your patience and support.

The title of today’s episode is, “Angels”

There are all sorts of angels. There are too many kinds to remember all of them. There are some that are Seraphim, like Michael and Gabriel warring angels. There are some angels like Isaiah saw in his vision of the throne. Their entire function is to fly and sing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Host: the whole earth is full of his glory.”

Some angels are created to deliver messages like the one that visited Jesus’ Mother Mary and told her that she was going to have a son. Others are governmental angels that God has placed to look over the running of things.

Psalm 91:11-12 For he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways. 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

There are many other kinds of angels. The kind I want to talk about is what we call the guardian angels that he sends to watch over his children. They are responsible for protecting us and only allowing what God wills.

As I was reading Psalm 91 something came to me that I had never thought about before. Since I was a child my parents and grandparents prayed over me for God to allow his angels to encamp around about me and protect me. I have always known about how God protects us. I cannot tell you how many times I have had close calls that I know he has protected me.

It says they are given charge, this means-to entrust with a duty or responsibility, task or obligation. In other words, they are entrusted with the duty of watching over us. So far this was nothing I had not heard before, then God gave me a revelation. He loves us so much that he created angels to protect us. Like someone that is assigned to look out for our well-being. This is why a lot of people call them guardian angels.

It makes me wonder; how many times has God’s angels stood in the way of something happening to me. A reckless driver turned off the road I was on before we could collide. The train held me up in traffic long enough to keep me from that person that was on the wrong side of the road being there to hit me. I decided to not run an errand until a different day, because he was protecting me from coming in contact with someone who was sick.

Often, we have feelings like we may not want to go somewhere we planned to go. I believe that is God’s way of protecting us from something harmful. We have an amazing God. We should not be surprised that he created angels to watch over us, we are His children. He paid a horrific price for us, why would he not protect us?

Matt 7:7-11 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8) For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9) Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10) Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11) If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

How much more does God love us? He will give us only the things needed to make us stronger. He gives good gifts to his children and sends angels to watch over us. He loves us so much it is hard to wrap our minds around that love. We have become somewhat desensitized to the message of the cross. We fail to let it really impact us sometimes. Other things get lost in our theology, while we are searching for the deep things of God. It is good to sit and ponder on the things of God. This is how Christian’s meditate. We take a passage of scripture and think about it. We pray for a deeper understanding and God’s revelation.

It is in the quiet times that God will give us a fresh insight into the heart of the scriptures. Like starting to understand how much he really does love us. Not only did He send his son to die for us. Which was the most amazing act of love, but he created angels to protect us and watch over us. I find that to be amazing love and amazing grace.

Until next time

Be Bold, Be Brave and Keep Your God Focus

EPISODE 71–SPIRITUAL STORMS

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/AR4aji24n2A

WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode is: “ SPIRITUAL STORMS”

The recent storm that ripped through my surrounding community knocked out our power and internet. I stood on my front porch one minute and went inside the house. I heard hard rain hitting the roof. As I looked through my window, I could see the rain, I could hear the thunder. All was ok at my house.

My family lives half a mile away. They got high winds, and there was lots of storm damage near them, including downed trees and power lines. It may take a week to get through all the damage. It reminded me of the Derecho of 2012. That time, my home had all sorts of wind damage and trees on my roof. My neighbors looked like they had been through a rainstorm.

Spiritual storms in our lives can come out of nowhere. Things we don’t expect can throw our lives into chaos. The enemy loves to create chaos. He tries to get us to doubt how big our God is by making our situations seem out of proportion. If he can get us to fall into fear, he is closer to getting the upper hand.

Many scriptures tell us to not be afraid. I have to admit when that Derecho was tossing treetops on my roof, I was a little scared. Just as quickly as the storm came up it was gone. The whole thing was over in about three minutes, except for some rain.

When it comes to the spiritual storms we all face, we have to remember that we have some control over the situation. We can call on Jesus. He will help us to endure the short time it takes for it to blow through our lives.

Faith is what helps us to stay on course in a storm. Without faith we cannot stand firm on God’s word. It takes that deep belief in the power of God to stand strong when the wind is blowing.

The enemy would like nothing more than to send a storm to destroy us. He will try all sorts of things to distract us from our mission. But we must stay on course for the sake of those we are on earth to reach.

We never know when a spiritual storm may arise. We do not always know when someone else is in the middle of a storm. They may be fighting a battle that has hit them like a Derechos.

As children of God, it is our responsibility to help those that find themselves in a spiritual storm. Pray for them. Our country needs prayer to survive the spiritual storms that are coming. But be encouraged, Jesus is in our boat and will speak “Peace Be Still” to our storms.

Finding peace in the middle of the storms is not always easy. Our emotions want to get in our way. Fear will overtake us if we allow it. Fear is the opposite of peace. Allowing fear in our storms only gives power to the enemy. He then will bombard our minds with more scenarios. Your boat is going sink you will drown. He will try to put so many what if’s in our thoughts that we begin to believe them.

But our God is there waiting and watching, to see if we can walk on faith like Peter walked on water or if we are going to sink by losing faith. Do not be discouraged, sinking happens to everyone. It wouldn’t be a storm if it wasn’t something to overcome. It wouldn’t be a storm if it wasn’t scary.

God is close by to see how we handle our storms. But if we are His child you can be sure He is not far and will lift us above the storms. As the old song says there is shelter in the arms of God. To quote it, “I will have no fear for Jesus walks beside me. Sheltered safe within the arms of God.”

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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