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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

THE TITLE FOR TODAY’S EPISODE:  BECOMING BOLD  

I often encourage you to be bold and brave. Jesus was bold. It takes a special kind of heavenly boldness to stand up to the religious people. Jesus didn’t come to create a religion; he came to set us free from religion. He often spoke bold in the presence of religious people.

The closer we get to Jesus the bolder we are going to get. The more of his word that we have down on the inside of us the bolder we will be.

And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. – Acts 4:31

Notice they spoke the word of God with boldness after they were filled with the Holy Ghost. God will give us holy boldness to be witnesses to the lost and dying world.

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? – Psalm 27:1

 Boldness doesn’t leave room for fear. God is our strength he will give us the boldness we need each day if we allow him. In order to be bold, we must replace the fear of man with the fear of God.

We develop boldness by growing our relationship with God. The closer we get to God the less we have a fear of man or anything else. We develop our fear of God as we study the word and pray for his guidance.

Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

Notice how they realized that Peter and John had been with Jesus. This was the reason for their boldness. He had encouraged and empowered them to be bold. They learned from his example. He will empower us too. We must look to him and lean on him. He will always show us the way.

Imagine a lion, walking through the jungle. He is aware of his surroundings. He is strong and bold. Then he lets out his roar. It is something that comes from deep within. The whole jungle takes notice when he speaks. They don’t call him king of the jungle for nothing.

We are children of the king. Jesus is referred to as the lion of the tribe of Judah. This title shows his lineage from the tribe of Judah. It also refers to his victory over death, hell and the grave. He is king of kings and lord of lords.

As we grow in wisdom and understanding of what it means to be a child of God the boldness will come, then we too can let our voice be heard proclaiming the gospel.

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

I love this verse, it reminds me that there is a roar inside. That I can be strong and bold. The enemy doesn’t win. As a matter of fact, he is a fake. He tries to counterfeit everything God does, but he lacks the power of God.

When Moses went before the Pharaoh the first two or three signs he gave the king to show God’s power, the magicians were able to fake. Sometimes the enemy can look so good. His tricks seem to be so real, that if we are not careful, we will fall for them. This is why we must pray for God’s discernment and wisdom.

Go out today and be bold, share the good news to the world. Our window of opportunity is closing.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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THE TITLE FOR TODAY’S EPISODE:  HIDING FROM THE HEALER

I can remember as a child hiding from my mom when I got scraped up when playing outside. Because she would put that red liquid pain in a bottle on my wounds to prevent infection. The disinfectant always worked and in a couple of days all would be well. The pain a distant memory.

Other times my brother or I would go running with something as small as a bug bite begging for a band aid. Because the band aid called attention to our wound that was nothing. We wanted sympathy or pity.

Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

This verse has two-fold meaning. We were wounded spiritually before we were born. Adam and Eve sinned and all of mankind was born wounded. Jesus is the answer to our spiritual sin sickness. Yet how long did we run from the healer? He was trying to disinfect our soul. But we ran because the pain of change seemed too big.

But when we gave in and allowed him, he cleansed us in his blood. He not only took stripes to redeem our soul from hell. But his stripes were for our physical healing and emotional healing.

I have met people who have walked through some horrific things in life. I myself have walked through depression and grief. But I’ve learned most of the time not to run from the healer. It is better to pour out all the pain in those sobbing prayers that only God can understand. He has the cure. He can pour in the oil and the wine of his spirit to heal us.

After tragedy most people can find healing and move on with their lives. Emotional pain can come in lots of forms. But even when wounds have healed sometimes there are scars left behind.

We will be able to share our story to help other to know that they can be healed. Walking through painful things develops compassion in us. We can sympathize with someone in a similar situation. However, we must guard our lives against those who are just wanting a band aid. They want sympathy and pity. This is a form of manipulation. The person may not be aware they are manipulating you, but then again they maybe.

Many years ago, I tried to help a woman that was new to our church. She had multiple issues because of bad choices in the past. Over three or four months I spent countless hours on the phone with her letting her talk about her problems. Nothing changed, because she had not really changed. I realized the reason she was attending church. She thought if she gave her life to Jesus that he would bring her husband back to her. It was her attempt at getting her way and Jesus knew her motives.

She had tried begging, faking attempted suicide, manipulating her children to beg him to come back. Everything you could think of she tried. But she told the people at church she was trying to move on and pick up the pieces. But deep down she wanted God to bring her husband home. God would not do that because of free will. The man was determined to never return.

She didn’t come to Jesus for salvation or for healing. She just wanted to show the community her wounds. It is sad she had the right answer, but wouldn’t let him make a true change and heal her.

Three things to take away from today’s devotional.

1. There is not a broke place God cannot heal within us if we fully give the hurt to him. We need to quit hiding from the healer.
2. People have free will, God will never override that will.
3. We need to learn who we can help and when someone is being manipulative. Like my example: I wasted months of time, one of our most precious assets. I am learning to listen to God’s leading and not be drawn in by compassion. It’s ok to walk away from people. We cannot help people who do not want to be helped. Because they are truly hiding from the healer.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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THE TITLE FOR TODAY’S EPISODE:  MYSTERIES

One of the most popular genera of books and movies are mysteries. The reader or one watching the movie wants to know the hidden clues that leads to the truth of the mystery. They try to figure out the secret before it is revealed.

There are many mysteries that the answers are revealed with time. I remember when I was a kid, my dad having a bumper sticker that never made it on the car. He used it as a bookmark in his bible. It said, “Anyone, can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the apples in a seed.” Time would reveal the mystery of how many apples would grow on one tree. But they would have to be counted all the years that the tree produced fruit.

Most of us do not sit around and ponder how many apples may be in a seed. But we all have things that are mysteries to us. God’s word is full of many deep mysteries. Some of those mysteries will be revealed on this side of heaven. Some we will not understand until we get to heaven.

Luke 12:2-3 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. 3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

These verses at first glance seem like a warning. We should not try to hide anything. I often think of people trying to hide sin. It will be revealed. It is another way of telling us that truth wins in the end. Sometimes it takes a while but truth is always revealed.

Jesus was warning people to not be like the religious leaders of that day. They made people think that they were good. But hidden inside of them was greed and moral corruption. One of their biggest sins was pride. They felt above the average man, self-important and self-righteous. The Pharisees fooled many people, but God sees and knows everything. Nothing can be hidden from God.

Some people feel like that they are too full of darkness for God’s light to penetrate. Those are the people God seeks. He takes those that were full of darkness and gives them his light. Suddenly, the world sees God’s redeeming power. The light is shining where only sin and darkness dwelled.

I have a friend that hit rock bottom many years ago. I will never forget her words to me when she was telling me about her encounter with God. She said, “I was so far down that I didn’t know if his hand would be able to reach me.” She is one of the most on fire for God Christians that I know today.

When God reaches into the hidden places and makes a change, there is no longer a mystery. The world knows that God has made a change in them. There are many mysteries in life, but God can take the hidden sins and bring them to light. Not to expose or make that person feel worse about their choices, but to cleanse them and give them hope.

However, if people choose to stay dark and evil, God will only tarry with them so long before the darkness is revealed in another way. This time they are destroyed by their darkness.

Proverbs 24:12 –For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

Let this be your assurance that God sees all and knows all. Even though the word speaks of mysteries, to God there is no such thing. He is not surprised by anything. He sees and knows all.

We may never know how many apples are in a seed. We may never know a lot of hidden things in our life time. But when we get to heaven, we will hear the half that has never been told. We strive to know God in a deeper and more meaningful way every day. Someday, we will not be limited by the capacity of our flesh to understand. For now, we have to understand that God is bigger than any problem, hang-up, sin or conflict in our lives. His arm is not short; he can reach rock bottom to save a human being. All it takes is for us to trust that he knows all the answers, even how many apples are in a seed.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

THE TITLE FOR TODAY’S EPISODE:  HEART CONDITION

Today I want to talk to you about the condition of the heart. What is written in your heart? Are all the mistakes and failures of the past? How about every negative word anyone ever said over you? The only thing that can combat sin and negativity is the blood of Jesus and the word of God. Being a child of God is all about the condition of our heart. He will take our stony heart and replace it with a heart of love and compassion.

Jer 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

God is still putting his word in us in the form of the Holy Ghost. He comes to live and dwell within us. But we still need to study the word. It is not an automatic thing just because God lives within us.

God gave the children of Israel his laws on stone tables that Moses carried down from the mountain. Today we have his word in the form of a bible. The fuller our heart is of God the less room there is for the enemy. We must guard our heart against evil. For out of our hearts we speak.

We are to speak truth. Because our words have power. We are supposed to be content with what we have and not covet what is our neighbors. Being obedient is not about checking off a list of good things to do. It is about pleasing God. Because he is first in our lives.

People often say, it doesn’t do me any good to read the bible. I don’t remember any of it. But we are to keep planting it in our hearts anyway. We don’t see seeds growing roots, but one day a sprout breaks the soil. That is the first time there is evidence that there was a seed. So be patient about what you are reading. It is growing roots.

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

God is not interested in how much bible we can memorize. He wants us to allow it to take root and make a transformation in us, one that will keep us on the right path. With his word in us it will be harder for us to sin. Having the word in us, helps us to make better choices in life.

God will speak to willing hearts. He wants us to be open to him and his word. God’s word tells us to not harden our hearts. Some that are legalistic says being a follower of Christ is about a list of rules and walking perfectly.  But they have never heard of God’s grace. If we fall, he will forgive us. Legalism puts too much pressure on the body of Christ. This is why God made a better way. The Pharisees pushed perfectionism, which made it all about what we do and nothing about God’s part. We have a better way, because Jesus’ blood make us free not only from sin, but legalism. If we love him we will want to keep his commandments. Being obedient is something we will want to do and not an obligation.

Exodus 20:14-Thou shalt not commit adultery.

This is one of the ten commandments given by God. But he didn’t mean it in just the natural sense. Yes, he meant to not break the marriage covenant, in the natural.  It has another meaning as well, we are his bride, we are to be faithful to God. Every time we make something or someone more important than God in our lives to the point, we worship that thing or person, we are committing spiritual adultery against God.

He wants us to be faithful to him. But because God is faithful to not break his promises we can learn by his example. The more God we have within us the more faithful we will be to God.

So hide the word in your heart, let the seeds of faith grow into a strong foundation for your life. God is faithful, his word is true. Our faith level comes down to the condition of our hearts.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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THE TITLE FOR TODAY’S EPISODE:  TO KNOW HIM

God doesn’t need lip service. He doesn’t need us putting on a show of how great we are at worship. Do you worship in private like you do in front of people? Some people are loud and animated to draw attention to make others think they have a heart of God. As Jesus said about the Pharisees they have their reward.

Don’t misunderstand me there is a time and place for everything. I am not saying we cannot be loud. It is about the position of the heart. Sometimes the cry of our heart can be loud and animated. We may fall to our knees and weep in silence. God hears our hearts.

Matt 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Showy prayers or showy worship receives their rewards of approval of men. Jesus said to enter to your prayer closet and pray in secret. God will reward you openly. If we worship in secret pour out our praise, he will reward us openly. It is all about the heart and who’s   approval we are seeking; God’s or man’s.

It’s all about our desire to truly know him. That should be the cry of our hearts. Oh to know him…

As Christians we do not give our lives to Christ and then know all there is to know about Jesus. There are many false assumptions people have about Jesus. Many churches preach a version of Jesus that is not realistic or biblical. They grasp the love part, but never preach that he is a God of justice. They want people to think that God accepts sin, because he is loving. They skip over the Jesus that ran the money changers from the temple. The man who told the Pharisees they were open sepulcher full of dead men’s bone. These people have never read how it all ends in the book of Revelations.

True, God is loving, he wants us to be saved. But that takes acceptance of him into our lives. We cannot accept him unless we know him. Many picture Jesus as a statue with a few drops of blood trickling from his wounds. That is not my Jesus. My Jesus was beaten beyond recognition. He suffered for my sins, he shed his blood that we could have eternal life. That is what makes him Lord of our lives if we will let him.

Matt 24:23-24 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

How do we keep from being deceived? We have to get to know God. Deep intimacy comes from knowing him. We get to know him through prayer and study of his word. We reap what we sow.  It is important to sow into prayer and study to truly get to know God. Praying sincerely for God to search us and help us to know him.

Phil 3:10-12 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 12 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.

We don’t want to go through things to know him. We don’t want to be uncomfortable or go through the trials to know him. But trials often come to make us stronger. They teach us of his steadfast, reliability. He will be there for us. It is in the flames of adversity that we are forged. Our bond with God becomes stronger as we learn to lean on him.

We cannot jump up from the altar of repentance and instantly know God. It is a life long journey of learning to trust God. Reading and studying the word will help us to get to know him.

1 John 5:20: And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

This says he has given us understanding. He will continue every day to help us grow in knowledge and wisdom. Because we are in him and he is in us.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS LIKE, SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ENCOURAGMENT

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THE TITLE FOR TODAY’S EPISODE:  WHAT NOT TO SPEAK

As I read through Ephesians yesterday, the concept about what we do not speak came to light. We are told to not have anything to do with the unfruitful works of darkness. But we are to reprove them, which means to express disapproval of such behavior. We need to do it in a godly way.

Eph 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

Some are so caught up in the things of this world right now. They want to know all the details of the Epstein files. I know enough to know that those people are evil and that is enough to know. I don’t want details about what was done or who was there. As Christian’s it is our duty to pray for the victims. Pray they are all soon free and that they find healing. Pray for the children to be set free. This is deeper than one island. But we are not to desire to know just how evil, evil can get.

Eph 5:12-13 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

The days are evil right now. Evil has tried to take over the world. But we can redeem the time by shining our light into the world. We redeem the time by getting to know God in a deeper way.  Protection from the evil of the world comes from God. He will help us resist the devil.

Eph 5:17-20 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

God will give us wisdom and he will show us his will if we ask. We are not to be naturally drunk but to be filled with the Spirit of God. We are supposed to praise and worship God. Giving thanks to God for all that he has done for us. We keep our God Focus by singing and having a song in our heart to the Lord.

David knew how to worship and it helped him to keep his relationship strong. Although there were some times he got sidetracked, still he had a love for God and wasn’t afraid to worship him.

Phil 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

The more we focus on God the less time we have to dwell on all the details about the evil of this world. In summary, Focus on God and pray against evil. In doing this we will have the right perspective on God and his great and wonderful mercies. This perspective will prepare us to go out and reap the end time harvest.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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