EPISODE 68–GAINING GODLY WISDOM

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I have been doing a study of James, it is full of wisdom. It is about Christian character. James encourages us to be intentional in our faith walk. He reminds us to be thankful for the gifts we have been given. One verse tells us to not be double minded. Another explains how damaging our words can be if we don’t guard our tongue.

Wisdom is defined as having experience and knowledge about a subject. It is an understanding that comes from knowing and learning from living something. Example: A farmer has farm wisdom; he understands by his experience and instincts how to go about farming.

Christians gain godly wisdom as we walk out our faith. The more we experience in our faith walk the stronger we become and we learn what to do and what to not do.

James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Gaining wisdom comes from God. He has shared a lot of wisdom in his word. The book of Proverbs is known as the wisdom book. It is full of practical wisdom. Today I want to focus on James 3:13-17

James 3:13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. If you have true wisdom it comes from God and will be meek. Our words will not harm but bring forth healing. Our understanding of God’s ways and how to live a Christian life is Godly wisdom. We will not be arrogant acting like we know everything. Wisdom is understanding we will never know everything, but we can learn every day.

James 3:14-16 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

There is another type of wisdom that is not from God. This wisdom is the wisdom of the world. It is earthly, sensual and devilish. It doesn’t bring peace and healing but envy and strife. It causes confusion. Verse 14 tells us to lie not against the truth. In other words, this is a warning to the hypocrite trying to say they are a Christian but are walking in the wisdom of the world. This is why the word of God tells us to come out from among those that are worldly. Because we do not want our wisdom to become the wisdom of the things of the world. The wisdom of the world is sensual or about physical gratification. The wisdom of the world is devilish. Which means that we walk in the ways of evil.

James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. Wisdom from above will give us traits that make us soul winners. Godly wisdom is pure. It is peaceable, gentle, easy to implore or plead with someone, full of mercy and good fruit. If we have true wisdom, we will walk with the fruit of the spirit being at the forefront of our lives.

God will give us wisdom to be witnesses of his plan for mankind. The word says He that wins souls is wise. We need to lean on God’s leading. He will show us who we need to tell the story of His love. He will lead us to the souls that are ready to receive His wisdom.

James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Unspotted from the world is a difficult state for some people. It means to not allow ourselves to be tainted by the world. Do not be influenced by sinners or sin. We are supposed to be an influence on them.

When we became a follower of Jesus part of our purpose in life became winning souls. Part of the reason we have been given the Holy Ghost is to go out and make disciples. We are to help those that are spotted by the world to find peace. We do this by being wise and not pushing them but by leading them to Jesus.

Prov11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

We need to use a gentle approach with most people. We cannot put them on the defensive or they will not hear our words. We must be wise and patient. But more than anything else we need to listen to the leading of the Holy Ghost. He will give us what to say. Then we too can be wise and win souls to the kingdom.

Prov 9:10The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. True wisdom comes from our reverence of the Lord. He is all wise and all knowing. As his children he has promised to lead us into all truth. He will give us wisdom and understanding.

I Kgs 3:5 In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. Feeling the weight of responsibility of ruling such a large multitude of people he asked for wisdom. God honored his request and blessed him to build the temple that his father could not build.

Two prostitutes came before Solomon. Each had a newborn baby only a few days apart. One died, so they each argued that the living baby was theirs. Each told Solomon their story and how the baby was their child. Solomon had been given wisdom from God and said, Divide the child in half and give half to each. One spoke and said, No, give her the child do not harm it. The other was ok with dividing it. Solomon knew that the real mother would love the child enough to give it up to save it. He granted the correct mother custody. When word of this story spread throughout the land everyone marveled at the wisdom of Solomon.

We may never have the wisdom of King Solomon, but God can give us wisdom in how to handle things of this life. He will give us godly wisdom to be able to discern the truth in any situation.

Thanks for watching,

Until next time,

Be Bold, Be Brave and Keep Your God Focus

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EPISODE 67–NARROW ROAD

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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode is: “NARROW WAY”

MATT 7:13-14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

The world is full of people who are bold about their disobedience to God. Then there are people who are sincere about their worship but choose the wrong god. These are normally people that were trained from childhood to worship these false gods. The third group says they believe in Jesus but do not walk in his truth and ways. They give him lip service but have never had an encounter at the foot of the cross. These people will be lost. They are part of the broad way that leads to the wide gate of destruction.

Then, there is a remnant (a small group of people) that is sold out to the cause of Christ. They follow Him closely and desire to walk in the narrow path. We often use the words straight and crooked. Straight meaning a direct line between two points. Crooked meaning a curvy or zigzag path. Evil walks on the crooked path.

However, our verse says strait, as in a narrow passage in between two land masses in a body of water. The narrow way is a path many choose to not walk. It is too difficult to walk the narrow path, they will say. They don’t want to sacrifice their time, their will, their emotions, or their resources.

Luke 13:24-27 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: 26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.

The Pharisees believed they could earn their way into heaven. If they kept all the law and all their added rules they would be saved. They didn’t even know the Messiah when he was standing in front of them. Jesus explained that many would strive to enter but would not enter because of their self-righteousness and judgmental attitudes. Their broad way was more important to them than setting aside their religion and following the Messiah.

Prov 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. The way that seems right to some is the broad way. It leads to destruction.

Which path are you on? Are you on the broad road? Allowing man’s ideas and made-up religion to guide you down the wrong path. Are you on the narrow way? The one that leads to heaven. The road that says you are sold out to the cause of Christ.

Every Christian denomination has some elements of God’s truth. They all have many well-intentioned people. No denomination is fully right about everything. Until the Body of Christ comes into alignment with our head which is Christ Jesus, we will never reach our full potential.

We all need revelation, a deeper, more meaningful walk with God. James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. This says if we draw close to God He will draw close to us. We need to be led by the Spirit and not allow our understanding to lead us. Prov 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. He has promised to direct our path. We just have to listen. If we can hear that still small voice, he will lead us on the narrow path. Take time to examine the path that you are on if you are on the wrong one, it’s not too late for a course correction.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 66 –BEAUTY OF GOD’S POWER

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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode is: “Beauty of God’s Power”

God is all-powerful. He spoke the world into existence. He worked out all the complicated physics and created atoms, protons, electrons and neutrons. He gave things balance and allowed birds to defy gravity and fly. While he was working out the complicated science of the universe, he cared enough to make it beautiful.

The sunrise in the morning, the sunset at night, a meadow strewn with wildflowers of all colors and shapes. Don’t even get me started on the beach. It is amazing to stand on the water’s edge and see nothing but water for as far as our eyes can see. But he gave the ocean boundaries and told the waves how far they could cover the sand of shore. The way he paints the sky each night and morning should be enough proof that there is a God. Because only God could create something so beautiful.

He separated day from night and gave us billions of stars to look at twinkling down on us. He took the darkness and declared let there be light. The darkness disappeared and light bounced off of everything. Showing God’s handiwork. But he wasn’t satisfied with just the earth and the animals that he created uniquely.

He created mankind and gave him the ability to create art, music, poetry, and stories. It is in this creative process that I often feel the closest to God. To me, creating and painting is almost an act of worship.

No human will ever be able to create beauty like God. But there is a peaceful solace in being able to paint our version of God’s beauty.

In his written word, we find a lot of beauty. Normally, each beautiful, moving thing is accompanied by something painful. Look at the beauty of Jesus’s sacrifice. That is the single most selfless, passionate, loving thing that could be done for you and me.

Accompanied by the fact that he freely laid down his life for us. Was the fact that he knew what he would suffer. He knew the prophecies; he knew how the Romans brutalized those they punished. They would go above and beyond the normal punishment for Jesus. He freely chose to do it anyway.

There is such beauty in his selfless love for us. He cared enough about mankind that he was willing to die for us.

There is beauty in the power of the cross. Jesus gave us power to overcome our obstacles. He gave us power to become the sons of God. The power we have within us goes beyond anything we can imagine. But we limit God with our words and our lack of faith at times.

If we could truly realize that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives within us. We have power in the name of Jesus. We are free from bondage because of that beauty of God’s power. He made a way, when we didn’t deserve a way. He gave us freedom when we deserved punishment.

Our sins separated us from God. He desired a relationship with us so much that he came, bled and died to set us free. How is it that we cannot pray for more than five minutes? How is it that we find it hard to work him into our schedules? He asked so little in return for what he gave to us.

We have the power to stand up and overcome whatever we face. It is like having electricity to your house. It is turned on, but the breaker box is shut off. All it takes to access the power is to flip the switch.

We need to get serious about our faith walk. It is time we flip the switch and access the power of God that is within us. We cannot overcome the enemy if we do not walk in the power of victory that is given us through Christ.

Rev 12: 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

He takes the ashes of our broken lives and gives us beauty in all forms, from the sunrises to peace in our soul.

Isaiah 61:1-3 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

God’s beauty shines in our lives as we go forth shining the light He has given us. Just as the stars twinkle at night and the sun shines each day. He gives us light to go into people’s darkness and give them hope. That is the beauty of God’s power. When he gave us power to become the son’s of God. He poured into us the ability to go forth and help people out of their darkness. To show them the freedom we have in Jesus Christ.

The crucifixion was not a pretty sight to behold. I cannot even imagine how those who witnessed it felt. But the work of the cross is the greatest act of love ever witnessed.

I Cor 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

We have to share Jesus to the world, where they are in their hurt and pain. Many will not come looking for Him because they do not know they need Him. The preaching of the cross and redemption means nothing to them. Until we show them his beautiful light. The light that is the beauty of God’s power.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 65 — GOOD FRIDAY??

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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode is: “GOOD FRIDAY??”

When I was a child, I wondered why the day that Jesus was brutalized and nailed to a cross was called Good Friday. I didn’t think that what happened to Jesus was good at all. I remember asking my grandpa what made Jesus different from the other two on the cross with Him. What made him special?

He explained that the other two committed crimes and that was how the Romans punished criminals. Then he said, Jesus was perfect and without sin. Yet He chose to be punished to take away our punishment so that we could be saved. I remember being a little scared that they could have put us on a cross. Still not understanding why it was Good Friday. It still seemed like a bad Friday.

I am sure the disciples that ran and hid felt like it was a bad Friday. They were in shock and allowed fear to overtake them. Can you imagine how they felt? They had walked with Jesus and saw the miracles. They knew He had power. Yet they saw Him punished. Fear had to set in a little because it looked like the Romans had power over Jesus. But Jesus gave up his authority to become the lamb of the world. He surrendered to the process for each of us.

I cannot think of the crucifixion without Day Three by Lords Song going through my mind. But it says “Day One the hill ran crimson red with blood to cleans all sin. Day Two reminds us keep the faith when the doubt sets in, what a difference one day makes from death to victory. The cross became an empty grave on Day Three.”

Good Friday is good because that was the greatest day in history. It was the day we all were given the right to be set free. It looked dark on Friday. The enemy thought he had won. Day two, the disciples were down and feeling the pain of grief. But the good news is that He rose from the dead-on Day Three, full of power and victory over the enemy.

We cannot only find encouragement in the resurrection and how it gives us the right to be saved. But the story of the cross can give us encouragement for all of our situations. Things could not have looked darker than it did on that Friday. But Sunday came and freedom came with it.

Our situations may seem bad or look dark sometimes, but we can look at Good Friday and how dark it was and remember that the light will spring forth again. Sunday was the brightest day of hope.

When we are dealing with moments it looks like the enemy is winning. We may feel like we lack strength to go on but be encouraged and hang on because victory is just around the corner.

While Jesus was in the grave, he descended into hell and took away the keys of death, hell and the grave. When He rose, He had taken back the authority that Adam lost by eating of the tree that God told Him to not eat. Jesus destroyed the plans of the enemy.

He gave us the power to become the sons of God. But if it had not been for Good Friday, there would not have been the victory of Sunday morning. Without the dark times, we could not appreciate the light of victory.

As we walk through dark times, we have to hold on, victory is just around the corner. Remember the cross became an empty grave on day three. As your enemy closes in and you feel trapped, like the children of Israel at the Red Sea. Remember, God made a way and opened the sea. He turned a scary moment into ultimate freedom.

Do not be discouraged, He is waiting to turn our dark Fridays into victorious Sundays. Take time to thank God for His work on the cross and that He has given us the right to become the sons of God. Praise him for his precious blood cleanses all sin. His blood that gives us power over the powers of the enemy.

Day One, they found him guilty, and it turned dark. Day two was full of doubt, and the enemy thought he had the upper hand. He thought he had won. Until Jesus met him face to face and took the keys of hell from him and set free the captive. He came out of the grave on Day Three victorious over death, hell and the grave. This is why we celebrate Day Three, for we have nothing to fear. Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, has risen. It is time for us to rejoice in the freedom he has given us from bondage.

Have a wonderful resurrection weekend.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 64 –WE CANNOT HIDE

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The title of today’s episode is: “WE CANNOT HIDE”

Ostriches bury their heads in the sand to hide. But when I did a little research that is just a myth. Since they do not fly, they build their nests in the ground. Occasionally, they will stick their heads in the ground to check on their eggs. For years people have said they buried their heads when scared or threatened. If they feel they cannot run away. They actually will fall down on the ground and try to blend into the terrain, not moving.

Our enemy is on the prowl to destroy us. We cannot be like the ostrich and run or just sit still and hope the enemy will not attack. He sees us, because he is afraid of us. If he thinks we are weak or afraid he will attack.

It is like a small child covering their eyes and thinking that you do not see them. We do not have the luxury to cover our eyes. We need to pray for God to open our eyes as never before, we need to see the truth. God will open our eyes and show us the things He wants to reveal to us.

We have to have our ears open as never before to the still small voice of God. He will whisper what we need to know if we are listening. But we have to listen, or He cannot guide us. If we are too busy doing our own thing and making our plans, it will drown out God’s voice.

When I was a child, my grandma had a statue of three monkeys, one was covering its eyes, one covered its ears and one was covering its mouth. It was saying, see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil. Too long the church has been like the monkeys. They shut their eyes and ears to evil, and stopped using their mouths against evil. We no longer have the luxury of shutting our eyes. The battle is getting real. We are fighting for the souls of our families and friends. We are fighting for the final harvest. We cannot cover our eyes and ears. We cannot cover our mouth either. We need to tell the enemy he cannot have our families, our friends or the harvest.

It is time we asked for our spiritual eyes and ears to be open. It is time we open our mouths and declare victory in all situations. We do not have the luxury of being complacent and hoping if we are still and quiet that the enemy will not attack. Our enemy is out to destroy us, our families and to destroy the harvest before we can reach it.

Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Because of Jesus’ work on the cross, we can come boldly to the throne of grace. We can ask our Father for what we need. His Spirit lives within us. He will lead and guide us into all truth. If we allow Him to lead.

When I say we need our spiritual eyes to be opened. I mean that God needs to show us the things He wished for us to know. He needs to give us understanding. The church is in desperate need of spiritual discernment.

(Warning: Do not buy into the new age philosophies about seeing in the spirit realm through meditation. If you do, you will get a demon showing you things you don’t want to see. Or worse, the demon will show you things you wish to see, so you can be manipulated by the enemy. These things are real even though many close their eyes to the fact that the enemy has power. Do not fear these things, we have been given power over the powers of the enemy when we received the Holy Ghost. This was not what I meant when I said our eyes need to be open. When Christian’s meditate, we focus on the one true and living God. We focus on his word. We do not ask the universe to open our eye.)

We have to be led by the Holy Ghost. God can give his people dreams and visions today as he did in the days of old. But He can also open up our eyes of understanding and when we read His word, we will see what He is speaking to us. He can take the verses on the pages of His Word and guide us to what we need to be doing.

Many have experienced the way the word will guide us along our path. A situation will arise and we ask God for guidance. The next time we flip our Bible open and begin to read, the verses will come to life in us, and we will know what we need to do about our situation.

When I say we need our ears open to hear, I mean not hear a sound, but understand God’s leading. One definition of the word hear, is to understand or pay attention when someone speaks. When God speaks, we need to understand and pay attention. Our spiritual ears need to be open to his voice.

I have talked often about the power of our words. We not only have to be careful not to gossip or speak curses, but we cannot allow negativity to come out of our mouths. We need to speak things that edify or build up. Things may look a certain way, but we cannot speak what we see with our natural eyes, we have to speak what God would have us speak in the situations.

The children of Israel is my go to for the example of what not to do. They accused Moses of bringing them into the wilderness to die. They saw their circumstances as being bigger than their God. Then they saw the giants in the promised land as being bigger than their God even though he had destroyed Egypt, the largest superpower of that day, before their eyes. What they spoke, they received; they all died in the wilderness.

We cannot keep talking about how things appear in our country. We need to come before that throne of grace and declare before God that we believe the word. We believe God is in control. We believe He will not allow us to be overtaken by the enemy. All of the people we perceive as evil are under Satan’s control. We know that our God has more power. We must speak God’s truth and trust him to deliver His people.

Pray for the eyes, ears and mouth of our enemy to be shut. While praying for the body of Christ to be awake, watching and listening to God. Then speak victory, because God will not allow His people to be defeated. He will lift us up, He will go before us and fight our battles.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 63 -PILLAR OF SALT VS SALT OF THE EARTH

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Are you a pillar of salt or salt of the earth?

I ask the question because I recently read the story of Lot again. I started to think about a pillar of salt versus being the salt of the earth. In the book of Genesis is a story of Lot. He was the nephew of Abraham. He had gone to Sodom and Gomorrah and started to build a life.

God found that there were not any righteous people there and was determined to destroy the city. He told Lot to take his family and leave, not looking back.

Gen 19:22 Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. 23 The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. 24 Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; 25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. 26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

God sent angels to warn Lot that God was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. God told Lot to escape quickly because he could not do anything until he was gone from that place. God told them to go and not to look back. As they were leaving, Lots’ wife looked behind and turned into a pillar of salt.

We do not even know her name, but we know of her disobedience to God’s command. It is an example for us to not take the commandments of God lightly. We cannot be sure why she looked back. Some say it was that she was longing for the material things she left behind. Others say that she left married daughters there and was afraid for their lives. Some say she looked back just to see the destruction out of curiosity.

I guess the reason really doesn’t matter, it is the lesson we can take from Lot’s wife. Disobedience has consequences. Even if God doesn’t turn us into a pillar of salt. Sometimes the things we do in disobedience can get us stuck in a place as if we were turned into a pillar of salt. We can get so bound that we are unable to move from that spot. We cannot go forward and we cannot go backward, we are stuck in the chains of the enemy. Being set free so we can move forward takes a lot of prayer and deliverance from the shackles the enemy puts on us when we are disobedient.

Phil 3:13-14 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, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Forgetting those things that are behind doesn’t mean you will not have a memory of what is behind. It means to make a conscience decision to not dwell on the past. We need to be reaching, extending our hands to take hold of what God has for us in this season of life. We can press on to the things God has in store for us. We sometimes have ideas of the way our life will work out. When it doesn’t go the way we think or wish, we need to allow the plan to fade away and look forward.

We do not want to remember the things behind us and turn around. There is no reason to turn to the past. There is no reason to look back; God has set us free. If we were happy with our sins, we would not have looked for Jesus in the first place. We do not want to be a pillar of salt, unable to move away from our sin. Jesus came and we have a better way.

Matt 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Jesus says we are the salt of the earth. But if the salt has lost its flavor, it is not good for anything. Salt is a seasoning that makes everything taste better. It can also be used as a preservative.

Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Jesus is what makes us the salt of the earth. We are here to share the seasoning of God’s word. It is the spiritual preservative the world needs. We can have an effect on others by being around them and allowing them to see Jesus.

He has made us light and salt to help others see they need Jesus. Imagine sitting down to dinner and the food being good but lacking salt. Once a little salt is added it tastes better. Peoples lives are like that, sometimes they just need a little salt. They need us to show a little light and share Jesus with them.

Each of us has a choice to make every day. Are we going to look forward or look back? We have to choose every day to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the desires of the flesh. Many places, different leaders, prophetS and teachers have said “Choose this day who you will serve.” God or the things of the world, the little false gods.

So, I ask the question I started with, do you choose to be a pillar of salt or are you the salt of the earth?

UNTIL NEXT TIME,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 62 –NO SHORTCUTS

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Many try to take shortcuts when it comes to serving God. In our own abilities we try to push things and make them happen. Which is really the opposite of what it means to trust God. He is in control of everything, things will work out in God’s time. We cannot rush to the answer.

It is like God is a juggler of all living things. God is the ruler of the universe; everything is about timing. He knows when to let the rain fall. He knows when to give us what we ask Him for and when to withhold it. Allowing something to happen too soon could cause everything to be out of balance.

Sometimes, we ask for things that we are not ready to receive. We are not mature enough in God to walk into what we know He has for us. But it is all about timing. If He answers too soon, what we want could destroy us. If the answer is too late, we may have given up and not even care.

We have been praying for God to bring down the evil around us and set up the righteous. Some of us are getting battle weary and tired of waiting for the turn around. But do not be weary. God knows what we need and will bring it to pass in his timing.

Be careful of shortcuts to what you desire. Satan often offers a short cut but it is a trap. The only way to run this race is to endure until the end. For example, I desire for my blog to grow. Many marketing people have contacted me about helping me to grow it. But I know that it is a waste of time to engage their help. Because this is not just a blog about any subject, it is about faith. If it were a travel site or something the shortcut would be a blessing.

Before I started it, I told God. It was His, I was doing it for Him and to encourage his people. It was in His hands to grow and to take it where it needed to go. The responsibility is not mine. So back to my original point. If He would allow it to grow too fast, I would not be able to handle the pressure. He knows the timing of when I can handle more, as He grows me and makes me more mature in Him, he can trust me with more.

If satan cannot stop us he will try distraction. If distraction doesn’t work, then he tries offering us what we desire. If God won’t answer our prayers then maybe we can make them happen. Trying to force the outcome in our flesh or by taking a short cut will always bring failure.

God doesn’t always say no, but often says wait. Because He knows best about the timing of all things. As children of God, we need to understand that he is True, Just, Right and Real. He is in control of the universe. All things are in His timing.

Eccl.3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

True peace in God comes from embracing the season we are in and not worrying about the other seasons. God will move us to the new season when the time is right. Until then we need to praise him in the season we are in and keep our faith. There are no short cuts to where we want to go, we have to stick to the narrow path and trust God’s leading.

We cannot allow ourselves the luxury to think we can control the outcome of things. That is being arrogant which is the opposite of being humble. God is looking for us to get out of our fleshly desire to control things and to simply trust in Him.

Is 40:29-31 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

If we learn to praise Him in the waiting season, He will renew our strength. If we wait when He says wait, He will raise us up and give us what we need to keep going straight without any shortcuts.

The best biblical example I can find is in Matthew Chapter 4:

1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

The Spirit led him into the wilderness to be tempted. This is where Satan offered Jesus a shortcut to what God has planned. He started with something small. Would it have been a big deal if Jesus had turned the stones to bread? Probably not, but it would have opened the door to satan to get a stronghold.

5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. When that didn’t work then he tried to tempt him into jumping off the top of the temple. He then tried to make Jesus justify who he was in God. “If you are the son of God.” Jesus had just fasted and prayed for forty days and nights. He would have been spiritually strong. Often people will try to do the same thing to us. In judgmental ways, “If you are really a Christian…”

8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Satan then offered Jesus a shortcut to God’s plan for Jesus to rule over the kingdoms of the world. This shortcut would bypass the pain of the cross. Satan thought he could offer Jesus power and he would not see that the shortcut would keep us bound for hell.

This time Jesus told him to leave him alone and quit talking, he wasn’t buying his lies. Jesus understood there are no shortcuts to the end result. God’s plan has to be walked out with patience and love.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 61 –THE WORD

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/X_vPpZJrDj8

WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode is: “THE WORD”

The Bible is not just some old book full of ancient stories. It is living and breathing. The word can inspire us when we are lackluster. It can encourage us when we are down. Comfort can be found in the verses when we are suffering. It enlightens us to God’s law and the fact that no one can ever measure up on their own.

Then we read of a virgin who found favor with the Lord. The Holy Ghost overshadowed her and a baby was created. This child was half God and half man. Jesus is the word made flesh. This is why I encourage you to study your Bible. We need to get to know the word. The more we know the bible the better we know who Jesus is.

John 1:1-4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

In him was life. We get a new life when we follow Jesus. He is our life. Jesus gives us light to walk the path before us.

Psalm 119:104-105 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Jesus, the light of men, is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path. The word is the answer we all need.

Paul charges Timothy to stand firm on what he has been taught.

2 Tim 3:14-17 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 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.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

James 1:22-25But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

James tells us to not just hear the word but to do what it says. If a man is a hearer only he is like someone that sees their reflection in the mirror and when they walk away forget what they look like. If we look and allow the word to give us the reflection of who we are, we will be a doer of the word. The word will give us a picture of who we are that we will not forget. This will lead to a lifetime of blessings.

Jesus the word, is our example. He knew not sin, but was pure and without sin. His shed blood makes us pure and without sin. We have to strive to walk in perfection. Even though we are not perfect. Jesus is there to cleans our failures and sins, as long as we are sincere and ask for His forgiveness.

Psalm18:30-32 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. 31 For who is God save the Lord? or who is a rock save our God? 32 It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.

God’s way is perfect, he is our shield. He will give us strength and make our way perfect. Perfection is in the eye of the beholder. When the word says He will make our way perfect, it may not appear to man to be perfect. But in God’s eyes we will have a walk that is perfect. Because Jesus is the light to our path and his blood cleanses all of our sins.

All we need can be found in the pages of the ancient text that no one wants to believe. The Bible is the word, Jesus is the word made flesh and he walked this earth. When he died and rose again, he left this earth. Just as Jesus ascended into the clouds, someday he is coming back for those of us who have the light of life, Jesus, the Word, within us.

I know it can be intimidating and Leviticus can be hard to get through, but start with the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Read about Jesus when He walked the earth and learn of his mighty power. It will encourage you to read further and want to know all about Him.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 60 BOLD AS A LION

CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v4knzec-god-focus-this-morning-episode-60-bold-as-a-lion.html

WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode is: “BOLD AS A LION”

Are you as bold as a lion? When I think about lions, they are not called the king of the jungle for no reason. Their roar can be heard up to five miles away. There is not any animal in the jungle that doesn’t shutter at his mighty roar.

PROV 30:29 “There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing: 30 a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing;

The lion stands strong and doesn’t turn around. He doesn’t retreat. We have to be strong enough to not look back. Not ever retreat when faced with the enemy. If we are bold as a lion, we will face the enemy head on. We will not retreat but will let out our bold roar and cause the enemy to tremble.

A lion would not allow an enemy to come in and take what belongs to him. They are territorial creatures. They do not go around looking for a fight, but will protect their food, mates or territory.

We need to be territorial and protect what God has given us. We can cover our family, our home and our sources of survival with God’s protection. We can be bold over the territory that God has given us. We have the right to roar in the spirit and send the devil running.

Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

The reason the wicked flee when no man pursues is because they know they have done wrong and think they are being chased. Living under the bondage of lies can bring about all sorts of paranoia. Jesus is the only one that can break those chains. The enemy will flee at the sound of us crying out to Jesus.

When I read this verse the other day it stirred something in me. It made me wonder if I was as bold as a lion. Jesus is referred to the lion of the tribe of Judah. He is compared to a lion. Jesus knows his territory and will watch over it. He will protect us with his mighty roar.

The righteous are bold as a lion. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines bold as 1) fearless before danger. 2)showing or requiring a fearless, daring spirit.

We can be confident that our God is going to take care of us. If we go by how we feel, sometimes, we can allow the enemy to cause us to be anything but fearless and bold. If we can learn to walk by faith and not by sight, we will be bold as a lion.

Being bold means willing to stand out. If you notice on my blogs, I always use what is called bold type for the scriptures. I do this to make it stand out from the rest of the words, because the scriptures are more important. If we are bold, we need to be willing to stand out from those around us. We will be confident in what God has said and will declare the truth of God’s word without fear.

I Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Lions hunt during storms and at night. This is why Peter compared the devil to a lion walking around looking for someone to devour. The word didn’t say the devil was a lion. It said he had the hunting prowess of a lion.

Peter warned the church to be on guard. Since lions hunt at night and during storms, the enemy will also attack when we are going through spiritual storms. He will watch for us to enter a place of weakness, and then he will attack.

This is why we need to be watchful and on alert to avoid dangerous situations. The devil will not attack us when we are strong. He waits until we show signs of weakness. Then, he will attempt to draw us away from God with a temptation.

I ask the question again, are you as bold as a lion? We can all be bold as a lion as long as we stay focused on Jesus and His will for our lives. Not leaving room for the enemy to see our weaknesses. But we need to keep our fears and weakness under the blood, where they are hidden from the enemy.

Remember, lions do not turn around or retreat but are determined to protect their territory. We can hold our ground in this battle for souls. We just have to be bold enough to look the enemy in the eye and let out our roar.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 59 –WHICH JESUS?

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v4kjpuo-god-focus-this-morning-episode-59-which-jesus.html

WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode is: “WHICH JESUS?”

There is the Jesus of the Bible, the real Jesus, and then there are many perceptions of Jesus. In other words, many false Jesus’. The world has an idea of who Jesus is, which has been distorted by man’s philosophies. One of the biggest lies is Jesus loved everyone, so we have to embrace their sin so they do not feel rejected by the church. Jesus ate with sinners, they say. It is true that he did eat with sinners, but to influence them and change their future, not to embrace sin and wallow in it with them. Remember, Jesus was without sin.

Do you follow the Jesus that religion tells you is Jesus? The man that is pictured on a cross with a small trickle of blood running down his forehead with neat marks on his hands and feet and a small cut on his side. They have made crucifixion almost bearable. It has been prettied up so as to not offend anyone. My bible says he was beaten beyond recognition. He was covered with stripes on his back with a whip that ripped his flesh open. They plucked out his beard. The cruelty he suffered is far beyond our comprehension. He did it all for me. He did it all for you.

Some churches will not even preach about the crucifixion. They say it is too bloody. Yet, these same people will go to the movies and watch a serial killer for two hours carve people up with an unrealistic amount of blood.

1 Cor. 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

People need to hear the truth of the crucifixion. They need to know what price was paid for their sins. We cannot sugarcoat it or water it down. We cannot make light of it. Anything less than the full truth is not showing people the real Jesus.

Some have reduced Jesus to a statue on a cross that they pray to it every day. But my Jesus is not a statue on a cross. He is a true and living God. He is not on a cross he rose again and is alive forevermore.

Would people today recognize Jesus if He walked up to them? Would they be looking for someone completely different? The Pharisees were supposedly looking for the Messiah. But they didn’t know him, when he was standing in front of them, are we so different?

One of the biggest problems the church has in redeeming the lost is the perception of Christians. A large portion of the lost was raised in the church and have suffered church hurt. Prov 18:19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle. They see Christ through the lens of imperfect people who have not been following the teachings of the bible. These people that hurt them were following their own version of Jesus, but not the real Jesus. A self-righteous legalistic Jesus. A judgmental Jesus which was definitely not the real Jesus.

The bible warns that the spirit of the anti-christ is in the world. This spirit controls a lot of churches and religious bodies. This spirit controls a lot of political people and their narratives. But this Jesus is not the true Jesus, he is fiction of man’s ideas and doctrines. How do we find the true Jesus?

Matt 7:7-8 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.

The only way to find the real Jesus is by getting to know His character. Seek Him, ask to know Him. He will not withhold Himself from us. He desires a relationship with us. He will reveal His true heart and character to us if we desire a relationship with Him. Try studying the gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. In those pages and the entire bible the real Jesus is found.

1 John 3:1-3 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

When Jesus returns, it will all be made clear. We will understand everything because we will be changed in a moment and the twinkling of an eye. We will know the half that has never been told. The word says we shall see him as he is and we who have this hope will purify ourselves. In other words, we need to be like the real Jesus.

If you read the story of the children of Israel, they are the perfect example of church people. They accepted the blessings of God, but wanted to return to bondage. They didn’t really know God. They experienced many, many miracles but still didn’t know God.

We need to be set apart from the Jesus’ of this world. Stop believing in an incomplete Jesus. Really get to know Him, the real Jesus. He is waiting in the pages of the bible. He is waiting to meet us on our knees in prayer. He is with us in the form of His Spirit, we just have to learn to listen to the guidance of the Holy Ghost.

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

In order for us to know the real Jesus, our shepherd we need to communicate with him. If we seek Him, we will find Him. But we cannot settle for any false Jesus, we need the ONE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS JESUS. We need to listen for the voice of our Jesus. He is waiting for us to get to know him not in the stories of the bible, but know him as our friend.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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