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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: WORSHIP OUR WAY OUT

One Of my favorite worship groups is Casting Crowns. Their lyrics touch home on a lot of their songs. Like Voice of Truth for example. The song says that satan tells us one thing that is a lie, but the voice of truth tells a different story. In other words, the still small voice of God always tells us the truth. We find freedom in His truth.

The truth is we are on a rollercoaster in our country. Things are up and down and there are dark clouds on the horizon. But we cannot allow the twists and turns or dark clouds to sway us. Our God will take care of us.  

There is another of their songs that hits closer to my subject for the day. Praise him in the storm. When life is stressful and everything is out of control like a tornado swirling about our lives, we can fall into fear, or we can have faith. These are our choices. Fear will only destroy you. Faith will give you the strength to lift your hands in praise, even if you don’t feel like it. We lift our hands and praise him through our storms. Suddenly, something happens, the storm doesn’t seem as big or as scary. Suddenly, we realize that our God is bigger. That tornado is now just a small thunderstorm. Did the circumstances change? Not really, but our focus changed. If we allow ourselves to focus on God, everything else is small in comparison.

Once again, I want to remind you of the story of Jehosophat found in 2 Chronicles chapters 17-21. He had three large armies coming against him. To the natural mind, there is no way he could win the battle. But he changed his focus from the enemy and how many there were against him. He called for fasting and prayer. He turned to the one who is big enough to handle his problems.

God told him to send his worshippers out front before they marched into battle. Most armies have their strongest warriors out front to show strength. To the natural mind it would seem silly to put singers and musicians out front. But he did, and God went before him and when they got to the battlefield, the enemy had destroyed themselves.

Psalm 22: 3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

God inhabits the praise of his people. It stands to reason the bigger the problem, the more we need to praise Him. He has promised us that he will never leave us. We have to listen to the voice of truth when he says he will take care of us.

There is not a storm too big, a problem too scary that our God cannot and will not fix if we trust him to handle it. But we have to praise our way out. More than anything else we need to remember that God has chosen to take care of us, so he will fight our battles for us.

Deuteronomy 9:3: “The Lord your God is He who goes before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy your enemies.”

Exodus 14:14: “The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

Deuteronomy 20:4: “The Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”

Deuteronomy 3:22: “Ye shall not fear them: for the Lord your God he shall fight for you.”

Psalms 106:1 – Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Thanksgiving is the lowest form of worship. It is simply thanking God for what he has done. But we have to allow our heart to connect with God and just praise him because he is God. Praise him because he is awesome. He created the heavens and the earth. He created each one of us.

The more we worship him, the more we change our focus. Once we have praised God, we can petition him for an answer to our problem. He will send the answer at just the right time. Even if that timing is not when we think it should be, he is perfect and knows what is best. When he says wait, it is for our own good.

Focusing on God will keep everything in perspective and help us weather any storm that comes our way.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: NO FEAR

Do not allow the enemy to cause you to react with FEAR. In the 1980’s there used to be a commercial for a brand of deodorant. The slogan was never let them see you sweat.  It would show different scenarios that were stressful. Then they would say because the person was using their product, their stress didn’t show.

We do not make clear decisions when faced with stressful situations if we allow anxiety to factor into the equation.  When we are faced with stressful situations the enemy has created, we have nothing to fear. We can say, Never, let him see you sweat. Never let him see your fear or anxiety. It is satan’s job to create scenarios that put us into stress. The opposite would be peace. Jesus is the prince of peace. He removes all anxiety and replaces it with peace that passes all understanding.

Satan plants seeds of fear and doubt. Satan is afraid of our father. Actually, when a child of God gets a hold on their identity and realizes who they are in Christ, it is the devil that is sweating. He knows that we will no longer be pushed around. We have to fight the enemy with resistance to his fear seeds.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Instead of letting him sit on our shoulder and whisper what if this? What if that? What if, what if, what if? We have the power to resist those thoughts and tell the devil, I am not listening to you. Go away. By refusing to listen he has to leave.

God will never leave us alone. We can count on him to be our defense and our strength. The things that happen in this life we cannot always control. But we can control how we react to them. We have to walk by faith, allowing what we know about God to give us strength.  We know that he has promised to never leave us. He has promised to take care of us. By trusting him to do what he has promised, we are fighting fear.

Phil 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

His word says he will supply all we need. If that need is physically, spiritually, emotionally or financially it makes no difference, He will provide.  We cannot allow the enemy to cause fear.

Psalm 27:1 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? We have no reason to fear. The Lord is our strength, we have no reason to be afraid of the enemy. It doesn’t matter what the enemy does, we cannot allow satan to get to us.

Psalm 27:2-5 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. 4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. 5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

We have to be determined to fight back. We have to stand strong we will persevere as long as we keep our focus on God. Fear is not faith. As long as we walk in faith, we will not fall into fear.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

If God doesn’t give us fear it is safe to say it comes from satan. God gives us power over the powers of the enemy. He gives us love so we can share it with the world. He makes our minds strong so that we will not be deceived by the enemy.

Prov 29:25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe. It is easy to fall into the fear of man. We all have a basic instinct to be accepted. It is easy to fall into the fear of men. But it is a snare that keeps us bound. If we can break free and only put our trust in the Lord, we will be safe. He will work things out for our good.

I John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Fear hath torment because it is a constant loop of anxiety. What if, What if, What if? Perfect love comes from God. He will help deliver us if we allow him to set us free.

If you haven’t already voted, today is the day. The rest of us need to pray for election integrity and that God’s will be done.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: A MOMENT OF DECISION

As Christian’s we face many hard decisions as we travel this road of life. I often think about Elijah on Mt. Carmel asking them to choose who they will serve. I think that is a good question to start today’s post. Who is on the Lord’s side?

My first video was on location from Cape Henry, Va. I stood near the sight of the landing of the original settlers of Jamestown. They landed April 29, 1607. One Hundred Sixty Nine years before our revolutionary war. These people were people of great faith. It would take faith to get on a ship without any guarantee that you would ever see land again. But they loaded their families, a few belongings, their bibles and their faith and set sail. They wanted the right to worship God as they chose, without religious persecution.

When they landed Robert Hunt, their spiritual leader called a fast. They fasted and prayed before disembarking from their ship. The first day off the ship they erected a cross on the beach and Robert Hunt made a covenant of dedication.

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We do hereby dedicate this Land, and ourselves, to reach the People within these shores with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to raise up Godly generations after us, and with these generations take the Kingdom of God to all the earth. May this Covenant of Dedication remain to all generations, as long as this earth remains, and may this Land, along with England, be Evangelist to the World. May all who see this Cross, remember what we have done here, and may those who come here to inhabit join us in this Covenant and in this most noble work that the Holy Scriptures may be fulfilled.

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After the prayer, they read the following Bible passage: “All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the Lord’s and he ruleth among the nations” (Psalm 22:27-28).

People today would like to tell Americans that we were not founded on faith. We were never a Christian nation. They have tried to wipe out the real history. They no longer teach civics in school, because they do not want the next generation to know the rights they have been given under the Constitution of the United States. It is up to each of us to ring the bell of freedom. It is up to each of us to stand strong for the foundation of our country and our faith. The Lord ruleth among the nations.

Psalm 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

Our nation will not survive without godly principles. It will not survive unless we grow a backbone and stand up for what is right. The narrative today is a separation of church and state. They say Christians shouldn’t be involved in politics. Some Christians say, “I am not going to vote, God will put whoever he wants in there anyway.” But these things are not true.

One, the separation of church and state was created to keep the government from setting up a religion and expecting all the citizens to attend that church. Like the church of England was doing. This is why many fled from Europe to come here for freedom of religion. It is to keep the government out of church, not God out of government.

As for the attitude that some have about God putting whoever in office he wants, we still have to come in alignment with God’s plan and vote. It is our right and responsibility to choose the next leaders of our country.

There is a lack of faith in election integrity. I understand the frustration as an American. But not voting because some may try to cheat is like saying, “I don’t care, do what you want to do.” At least by voting, we have done everything possible to make things go right. Then we pray and leave the rest to God.

I Tim. 2:1-4 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Paul told Timothy to pray for those in authority. That doing this is good an acceptable in the sight of God. This will help us to see souls saved. We have to lead by example.

I shared all of this to encourage you to not fail to fulfill your duty as an American Citizen and as a Child of God. We don’t have the luxury to vote for a party. We have to vote for Christian values according to the word of God. The truth of God’s word is the party line I am sticking to this year.

I ask that you pray about the right choices. Do your research and know the truth. God will reveal the truth if we ask Him. He can guide us to make the right choices. Our country was founded on One Nation Under God. Many have fought and died for our freedom to vote. Not voting is like spitting on the grave of every veteran who didn’t come home and all those who came home, never to be the same again.

There is a movement to stop whatever you are doing today at six o’clock pm and pray for our country. Send up prayers that our elections will be one of integrity. That God’s will prevails and America will come into alignment with God’s will. Pray about the choices we have on the ballot. Then go out and do your Christian Duty and vote.

God is with us and will be with us as long as we choose to walk with Him. We have the choice, do we walk with Jesus or do we turn our backs and allow satan to have free reign?

As Joshua bold stood and declared before the children of Israel.

Joshua 24:15 “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

The choice I make is, I choose Jesus. I will serve the Lord.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: WHO ARE YOU?

There is a lot of talk about identity. People are constantly questioning who they are and who they are meant to be in the future. They allow the world to define them by their looks, money and job title. We are also defined by our character and work ethics.

Many companies take advantage of people who are hungry to climb the corporate ladder. These people sacrifice twelve and fifteen hours a day on the alter of corporate greed. Each time a new project comes up they are promised a promotion, only to be passed up for someone who is a drinking buddy of the boss. Where do Christians fit in in this crazy rat race. We value time with family and to do ministry over devoting ourselves fully to the God of corporate greed.

We realize that our identity is not in our looks, money, job title or what kind of car we drive, but our identity is in the Lord. We lay our lives on the altar of doing God’s will. That will looks different each day. Sometimes we are called to serve, other times we are called to encourage. Listening for God’s leading is what is important.

This was prompted by a woman that I know. She said she felt like she didn’t do anything for God. When I questioned her further she brought up that her sister in law taught Sunday School to the children for many years. She had never done that so she was feeling like she had not ministers to anyone. I know for a fact that this woman and her husband have given not only tithes faithfully to the church but generous offerings. I know of many meals she has prepared and taken to people that just went through surgery or a loss of family. She writes notes of encouragement to people and many other things. All of this without wanting draw attention to herself. I reminded her of this fact.  Not all of us are called to stand behind a pulpit, but we are all called to share the gospel. Not all are called to be Sunday School teachers, but like my friend, she taught her sons to love God.

We cannot allow the enemy to drag us down or tell us that we do not have an identity. He would love nothing more than to get us depressed about our status in life and our identity. If he can cause us to doubt who we are, then he can keep us from stepping into who God wants us to be in the next season of our lives.

There is no doubt the church is on the brink of some major changes. But they will be for the good. The line is being drawn and the fence is too high to straddle any longer, we have to pick a side. Will we be defined by the things of this life? Will we allow Satan to tear us down by telling us we are not a good enough Christian? Will we allow the politically correct of this world define us?

It is time we check the fence. Are we on the inside where God is? If not it is time we get inside the safety of God’s yard.

Psalm 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

There is a whole lesson on that one verse about being in the presence of the Lord. Being thankful gets you in the gate, but we have to go further to get to him, we need to enter his presence with praise. There is a difference in being thankful and worshipping from the heart. Worship makes that heart connection.

It is going to take us being 100% sold out to Jesus. Like those people who work those crazy hours for a promotion on the job. We need to be sold out to our job of furthering the cause of Christ. There is a big dying world that needs us to step up.

Our identity and all our hope should be in Jesus. If we know who we are in Him, we will not be confused about our identity. So, I ask again, Who Are You?

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: PSALM 27

27 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? We have no reason to fear because the Lord is with us.

2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

David said that even though a large group come against him. He would not fear. We are in a battle for the soul of our nation. We are in the biggest battle of our lifetime. Far too long we have looked at what the enemy is doing. It is time we stop looking at what he is doing and start looking to Jesus the author of our stories.

4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. 5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

We all know the story of the one who build their house on a firm foundation. As long as we are on solid ground, God will protect us and our house will be solid. It is when we allow the cares of this life to chip away at our foundation that we risk falling into temptation and sin.

Keeping our focus on God will assure that we stay on that solid rock.

6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord. 7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.

Not everyone seeks God’s face, many seek his hand. But he desires that we seek his face.

9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. 11 Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

Lead me in the plain path. The simple path. The enemy will paint pretty pictures of the wrong path. It is paved with all sorts of shiny luring things to cause us to go the wrong way. It would be easy to be deceived, except we have the Lord to lead the way. He will lead us in all truth.

12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. 13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

It is easy to get battle weary and want to rush ahead of God’s will. If we can learn to wait on him and keep our faith, he will give us strength.

I want to encourage you to not look at how things appear, but how we believe God is going to make them. We walk by faith and light, not darkness and the deception of the enemy.

Stand strong and be courageous. We are in a battle, but we will win, as long as we are on the right side and that side is the side of the Lord.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: KNOWING GOD’S VOICE

Today I want to talk about God’s voice. It is the most powerful thing in the universe. His voice spoke the world into existence. The word says if we are his sheep, we will know his voice. But we do not start out knowing God’s voice. It is a process of learning to follow the leading of His Spirit. Although God can speak in an audible voice like he did Moses from the burning bush, most of the time it is a gentle nudge in your spirit. It is a thought in your mind.

Learning to discern between our thoughts, the enemy’s noise and what God is speaking to us, is a process. God will tell us to do something, and the enemy will immediately start telling us why we shouldn’t. The more we ask for God to speak to us, the better we will learn his voice.

John 10:4-5 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

If we are his sheep we will know his voice, he goes before us and we follow him. We will not follow a stranger because we do not know his voice. In this life there are many voices competing for our attention. The enemy has many voices that try to sway us. But if we can learn to know God’s voice, we will never go astray. Sheep normally stay close to their shepherd.

When lambs are born, the shepherd makes sure to spend time talking to the sheep. That way they know his voice. In the long run, it will help when the sheep gets out in the field. There may be other voices, but he will always find his shepherd.

Jeremiah 33:3 – Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

God has promised to not only answer but that he will show us great things. When it comes to the things of God, a lot falls under the category of the miraculous. We have to be able to hear him when he answers us.

Romans 10:17 – So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

We can hear God through his word. The word reinforces our faith and our understanding of God. I am sure that most Christians have experienced the right verse at the right time. This is one way God speaks to us. The more we know his character the easier it becomes to  discern the voices we hear. For example: We know that God’s word tells us to not lie. If we hear a voice telling us to lie, we can discern that is the enemy instead of God. But if we didn’t know the word of God said that we are not to lie, it may be harder to discern his voice.

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Part of knowing God’s voice is having quiet time to be still and listen for his voice. Because we never want to go where he doesn’t not lead, it is important that we learn to follow his voice. He will lead us into all truth and righteousness, but we have to be willing to follow his leading.

There is nothing we face that he will not see us through if we lean on him and allow him to lead the way.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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