Tag: #dailydevotional

EPISODE 258 GOD IS OUR DELIVERER

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v66zn7j-god-focus-this-morning-ep258-god-is-our-deliverer.html

The title of today’s episode: GOD IS OUR DELIVERER

How often do things look like there is no hope? How many bible stories look like the battle is lost, then God shows up. When God is on the move, hold on to your hat, things are going to turn around.

The children of Israel at the red sea are a good example. They were trapped and looked like they had no hope, then God showed up and told Moses what to do, and Moses said stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.

There are times that we need to stand still and allow God to do what he does best. Standing still is hard to do. But while we stand, there are two things we can do, pray and praise. If we praise God, it helps us focus. We are making and keeping the God connection in our lives. Then, pray for strength to stand. Pray for God’s will to be done in our country.

For several years we have been fighting an intense battle for the soul of our nation. God has heard our many prayers. We have to believe that he will do what he has promised. We are at that moment when things are starting to appear scary, but as we stand strong in this moment, we will see the deliverance of the Lord.

Is 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

God often tells us to not fear. I love this verse because He says do not fear because I am your God. That statement alone should be enough. Do not fear, I am your God. That switches the burden of us carrying everything to making it his responsibility. Then he says he will give us strength and will help us. When we feel we cannot go on, remember he is there and will give us strength. He says he will uphold us.

God is not surprised by anything that satan and those who he controls will do. If you know what the enemy is going to do, you know what to do to take them down. God is in control.

Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Many scriptures tell us that God is our strength. Others say the joy of the Lord is our strength. In order to have the Joy of the Lord, we need to spend time with him.

Psalm 46:2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

It doesn’t matter how scary the red sea looks. It doesn’t matter that the enemy is closing in around us. We have to remember that God is with us, and he will take care of his people.

Fear is a strong emotion. It can be paralyzing if we allow it to, but we can overcome fear with faith. Our faith needs to be stronger and bigger than our fear. We often think about the cross when we think of salvation. When we say that God will save us in every way possible. He is our long-term plan for our soul. But he is the short-term plan for our lives here on earth as well.

We just have to keep standing while God is holding us upright. We will not fail, and we will not fall. God is with us, and he will save us from all our fear.

Psalm 34:4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. It doesn’t say a few of our fears, but all of them. Victory will be ours as long as we can stand strong.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

LIKE SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ENCOURAGEMENT

EPISODE 257 PREPARED AND VIGILANT

CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v66nn67-god-focus-this-morning-ep257-prepared-and-vigilant.html

WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: BE PREPARED AND VIGILANT

Life can turn on a dime. We do not know what will happen in the course of a day. One moment everything seems to be perfect. Little do you realize that you are a golf ball sitting up on a tee, and then you find yourself 300 yards down life’s road and wondering what just hit you. There is little we can do to prepare for some things that happen. But we should prepare for the things that are inevitable.

For example: Winter storms sometimes leave people without power. Many end up without heat when this happens. It pays to prepare and have an alternative source of heat in an emergency.

Prov 30:25-28 The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer; 26 The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks; 27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; 28 The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.

I have talked about the four creatures listed in Proverbs 30 a time or two before, each has special characteristics that mature Christian’s need to possess.

The ants prepare their food in the summer. Sort of like people used to can food from their garden. It is a lot of work to preserve food, but it is very nice to see the jars in the pantry. However, spiritually speaking we don’t preserve our spiritual food, but our spiritual food preserves us.

The conies are rabbit like creatures that build their houses in the rock. This protects them from predators. Spiritually speaking, if we put on the whole armor of God, only our back is exposed. So to have complete protection, we need to make sure to keep ourselves against the rock who is Christ Jesus. He will protect our vulnerable spots from our predator, the forever loser, satan.

The locust teach us to band together. It is good to have a group of people our church family that we can rely on when life gets tough. Only in unity can we be fully effective in the earth.

The spider takes hold with her hands. Sometimes we have to take hold of what we need to get us where we want to go. It is what comes out of the spider that gets them where they are going. We have to be determined to allow what is inside to come out of us. Show our faith, hope and determination to do what we need to do.

When I think about being prepared I think about the parable of the five wise and the five foolish virgins. All of them were good people. All of them had a lamp. But not all of them had oil. Our light will not shine without the anointing of the Holy Ghost. It is not enough to say I am a Christian. We have to shine our light into the darkness.

Before the bridegroom comes, we need to make sure that people are prepared and have oil in their vessels. There is room for everyone to grow and learn in the Lord.

How do we prepare for the things life throws at us. Start now by building a closer relationship to our Lord Jesus Christ. The closer we can back up into the rock the safer we will be, and the less things will catch us off guard.

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

This doesn’t say he will have the power to devour us. He is searching for someone who is weak and not prepared. If you are a child of God, the devil cannot devour you without your permission. So do not give him permission to cause havoc in your life by speaking negatively. If we keep our God Focus, he will only be allowed to go so far, before God stops him.

In the days in which we are living, it pays us to be vigilant and draw closer to God each and every day.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

LIKE SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ENCOURAGEMENT

EPISODE 256 GRAND AND GLORIOUS DAY

CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v66cjas-god-focus-this-morning-ep-256-grand-and-glorious-day.html

WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: GRAND AND GLORIOUS DAY

The word glorious means: deserving praise, honor and great admiration.

Psalm 72:19 And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.

Our God is worthy of all Praise for what he has done for us. His name deserves honor and praise. Stop for a moment and focus on the things he has done for us. Each day is an amazing gift. He gives us a chance each day to do better than the day before.

I used to attend church with a semi-retired preacher and his prayer warrior wife. They walked through some horrible things during their life time from cancer, tuberculosis, heart issues to the loss of their daughter. They often shared their stories with the younger couples in the church. He would get up to sing during our church services, he would more often than not say, it’s a grand and glorious day. Every day we are given we need to approach with a positive attitude and a thankful posture.

I was humming an old hymn today, “What a day that will be”. To those who are not familiar with the song. Some of the lyrics say, “what a day that will be when my Jesus I will see. When I look up his face, the one who saved me by his grace,” My mind started wandering to what it will be like when we are finally in heaven. I thought, That will be a grand and glorious day. Which reminded me of the preacher and his precious wife.

Matt 25:21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Think back to when you were a child, the wonderful feeling of a parent telling you, that you did a great job. Imagine how we will feel to hear him say, well done. He has created a great opportunity for us, he has made it easy for us to succeed. Because his mercy is new each day and he will wipe out our fault, shortcomings and sin if we ask him. It makes all that we walk through in this life worth it. Knowing that our rough situations, even if they seem to go on forever, are still only temporary compared to eternity.

I have great respect for people who walk through long drawn out trials with grace. It is easy to get into our human emotions and act impulsively. Sometimes we lash out in anger. But if we can learn to give it all to God and keep our focus on him, he can teach us to have grace under pressure.

There is a line in a song made popular by Casting Crowns, it says, “Living he loved me, dying he saved me, buried he carried my sins far away, risising he justified freely forever, one day He’s coming oh glorious day.”

While he was living, he loved us enough to not ask for deliverance from the cross. He willingly died for us and through his blood we are justified. What a glorious day when we meet him face to face.

Just something to think about today as you meditate on the goodness of God.

Thanks for watching,

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

LIKE SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ENCOURAGEMENT

EPISODE 255 STEADFAST IN THE STORMS

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v65e8wg-god-focus-this-morning-ep255-steadfast-in-the-storms.html

WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: STEADFAST IN THE STORMS

Often, as Christians, we are told we need to have deep roots. When the storms of life come, we will not be able to survive unless we do. Now is the time to make sure our roots are strong. We are facing a storm and when it comes, we will stand strong if our roots are deep. If we are not deeply planted on a solid foundation, we risk being blown over or damaged by the storms.

It is easy to be optimistic when the sun is shining, but when the rains come, and the sky is dark it is more difficult. We, however, can overcome anything we face with God by our side. I was thinking today about how far God has brought me. I have walked through some hard things. I am sure all of you have walked through some serious storms. But be encouraged, we are still standing.

Gal. 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Jesus made us free; we need to stand fast or be strong and determined to hold onto that freedom. The word tells us to not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage. It means to not allow ourselves, to give up in a weak moment and fall into sin. If we can stay focused on God and stand strong, it is impossible to fall into sin. It is when we allow ourselves to lose focus on God that we could end up in the bondage of sin.

Standing strong is easy as long as we keep our eyes on Jesus. It is when the tragedies of life happen, when the storms of life blow in, that it is easy to lose focus. In those moments, we are most vulnerable to the enemy.

1 Cor. 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

We should never feel like anything we have done for the kingdom is in vain. There are times that things do not work out like we planned or expected. This is often because the enemy has got his hands in the mix. But God can take even the things we perceive as mistakes and use them for His Glory. God doesn’t waste anything, but uses it to build us and grow us.

The word tells us to be steadfast and unmovable. Steadfast means to be constant, firmly loyal or unwavering. We need to be solid and strong in our faith, not allowing our circumstances to move us.

James 1:6-8 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

If we are steadfast and unmovable, we will not waiver. Allowing our circumstances to move us, we risk becoming double-minded. The word tells us that it makes us unstable in all our ways. We do not want our circumstances to dictate our faith. We want our faith to dictate how we handle our circumstances.

People often say, Don’t tell God how big your mountain is, but tell the mountain how big your God is, I say to you, don’t tell God how big and scary your circumstances are, but tell your circumstances how big your God is.

Just as God took the animals to Adam to see what he would call them, sometimes God is waiting to see what we call our circumstances. The words we say, will determine out outcome and how long we are stuck in the circumstances.

Stand strong; you do not stand alone. God goes before us, is with us and will fight for us. We have no reason to fear.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

LIKE SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ENCOURAGEMENT

EP254 THE LIGHT WILL SHINE AGAIN

CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v651bas-god-focus-this-morning-ep254-the-light-will-shine-again.html

WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: The Light Will Shine Again

The new year always brings thoughts of being better organized. I always have a long list of things I want to get done. As the cold darkness of winter sets in, I normally allow procrastination to give me excuses to just sit quietly in my recliner with a cup of tea and something to read.

As children of God we cannot allow the enemy to whisper excuses to us. He will tell us there is time to read our Bible’s later. He will whisper, it’s cold outside, it won’t hurt to miss one church service. The more we listen the darker and colder it gets. Just like winter, the light verses darkness ratio is unbalanced. We find ourselves longing for warmer and brighter days. But things will not change unless there is more light. When the earth is in alignment with the sun to shine on our area more, the days will be brighter and longer.

Spiritually we are in a place of darkness. Which means, we are in a time when there is an absence of light in a lot of places. We are at the breaking of day, in the darkness before the dawn. The short period ahead will soon give way to brighter days. The things in the world appear scary. It is easy to want to hide away from it all. But God didn’t design us to hide from evil. He created us to let our light shine. We are made to be warriors and those who stand strong. He is looking for those who will not hide from the giant but will be willing to stand and boldly proclaim, “I come to you in the name of the Lord.”

Now is the time for those who are willing to stand, to take a stand. Where are the Joshuas and Calebs. Where are the Davids and even the Esthers and Deborahs? We, too, have that kind of fire within us if we can just access it. We do that by not giving in to the enemy when he whispers his distractions.

We sometimes forget that we have been bought with a price. We have God’s fire within us to shine a light into the darkness. We have a choice to make; will we curl up and hide? Will we run into the battle and say, We are more than able to take the territory that God has given us. Because we do not battle alone. If he goes with us we are guaranteed to win the battle.

Romans 8:31-33 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.

If God be for us, then who can be against us? Jesus already gave us his all when he died on that cross. He has nothing left to give us. Everything we need is within us, because His Spirit dwells within us. We just have to learn to trust, believe and surrender to the leading of the Spirit.

I understand that it is so easy and so difficult at the same time. It takes us a long time to learn to lean on him. He wants us to be like little children. God wants us to depend on him for everything. Because He is our everything.

When the days ahead appear dark, know that Spring will soon be here. The more we do to let our light shine, the sooner the tables will turn and God’s light will be shared all over the world.

Go out and let your light shine; you can make a difference in someone’s life. It is up to us to destroy the darkness.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

LIKE SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ENCOURAGEMENT

EP253 – RESTORING THE CORNERSTONE

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v64qs9s-god-focus-this-morning-ep253-restoring-the-cornerstone.html

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: RESTORING THE CORNERSTONE

As we begin a new year it is good to take time to reflect. The body of Christ is in a good position to make a large impact on the world. But first we need to make sure we are strong and fortified. My mind wanders to Nehemiah’s story today. The walls of Jerusalem were in ruin. God placed it on Nehemiah’s heart to restore what made Jerusalem strong. The walls needed to be rebuilt. People needed to have faith in the fact that God was going to watch over them again.

The people of Jerusalem had been carried away, captive by a foreign king. God allowed it to happen because the people lost sight of their relationships with God. They turned to false gods to worship.

The modern church today, has left the old paths, they have been drawn away from God. They worship man’s ideas of God, but neglect the one true God. There are a few, a remnant, that have held on to the truth of God. It is up to us, to strengthen the wall and rebuild the church.

Just as the Jewish people forgot God, we have forgotten the cornerstone. We have become the builders that rejected the cornerstone. But we are not without hope, it is not to late to rebuild the church. But the cornerstone has to be restored. Jesus must become the center.

The word tells us that Christ is our foundation, the chief cornerstone that we build our faith upon. A cornerstone in ancient Israeli architecture was a large center stone that was placed under a building. It was the point that the building was supported upon, as well as the outer foundation. Without the center stone or cornerstone that was support for all the corners, the building would collapse in on itself.

Eph 2:18-19 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

This is saying that through Christ, we both, Jews and Gentiles, have access to God by one spirit, which is the Holy Ghost. We are no longer strangers but are part of God’s family.

Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

We have to follow the teachings of the apostles and prophets laid out in God’s word, because they all point to Jesus as being our foundation.

Eph 2:21-22 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

The church, the body of Christ is fitly framed and growing together as one to become a holy temple in the Lord, we are put in the place God needs us to fulfill the purpose of strengthening the body of Christ.

Imagine you are a contractor in charge of building a house. Would you use pvc pipes as a substitution for 2×4’s in a wall. That is not the purpose of the pipe and the building will not stand. Just as a 2×4 is not good to use to run water but a pvc pipe would work much better. We have to find our place in the body to be the most effective. But we all work together to build up and edify one another and Jesus Christ.

Acts 4:10-12 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

For context this is when Peter and John had healed a man outside the temple, at the gate called beautiful. The church people of the day were trying to give them a hard time. But they explained to them that Jesus was the cornerstone on which they had faith. Jesus was the reason they had the power to heal the man. They went further to say there is no salvation except by Jesus. This was blasphemy to the people of that day. They rejected the cornerstone, but he was who they needed and they didn’t want to give up their religion.

Jesus came to save those who were lost, he didn’t come to start a religion or a denomination.

Psalm 118:19-22 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord: 20 This gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter. 21 I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. 22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

We are at the moment of decision as we start this new year. Will we be like the religious leaders of Jesus’ day and reject him in the name of our ideas. Will we continue to follow man’s ideas of Jesus? Will we be guilty of continuing to build on a foundation that is not the truth of God’s word but man’s perception of that word? How long will we allow the enemy to divide God’s people with denominations? How long will we reject the cornerstone?

It is time that we make sure that our house is built on a solid foundation. Jesus Christ is our cornerstone, our structural support. Anything less is going to leave us in a mess.

As we start a new year, take a moment to think about how much of a priority Jesus is in your life. Do you talk to him often or only when you are in trouble? Do you study his word or only open your Bible on Sunday mornings? Jesus doesn’t want to be in our church box, he wants to be in every aspect of our lives.

As I have said before, I never ask you questions or to reflect on things that I have not already asked myself. It is good to take a moment to check our lives and make sure that the cornerstone is where he belongs, in the center of our lives.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

LIKE SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ENCOURAGEMENT

EP252 REAR VIEW MIRROR

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v64fbfp-god-focus-this-morning-ep252-rear-view-mirror.html

WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: REAR VIEW MIRROR

It is often said the reason our rear-view mirror is smaller than our windshield is because we are not supposed to spend too much time looking back. As 2024 comes to a close, I will spend the day, as I always do on Dec 31, reflecting.

It is good to look back and think about the lessons we have learned. It is good to think about what we could have done to make our walk with God better. I often think about the story of Lot and how when his wife looked back to Sodom and Gomorrah she turned into salt.

She was punished because she looked longingly to the place of sin that they left. We can look back in a way that is productive. When we draw on past experiences to sympathize with someone who is stuck in the same trap you were rescued from by Jesus. There is nothing wrong with thinking about how far we have grown. But if we are looking longingly at our old life of sin, then we are going to end up in trouble, like Lot’s wife.

One year ago, after wrestling with God for months, I started my video devotional channel. I do not have a large following, but the ones that I do have are faithful to check in. There are some things I have planned for this channel in 2025. But I am waiting for the right time to start.

Time is a curious thing, we can do the right thing, and if it is not in God’s timing, it is normally a wasted effort. Praying for God’s timing in the upcoming year will be more crucial than ever. Our world is on the verge of some major changes. It is most important for us to stay strong and hold onto our Faith. God has amazing things in store for his people. I would not want to be found in the shoes of those who defy God and fight against his will.

For those who have shown an interest in scripture writing, I am working on a project that I should have completed soon. I will share more about that later. Let me know what you think about a Bible Trivia question on Monday and an answer on Friday. If it is something you would enjoy, let me know. But if you are going to google the answer, you would be cheating yourself out of leaning more. It is all about getting to know the word of God as well as we know our TV trivia or sports trivia.

At the beginning of each year, many pick a word as their word for the year, for example, faith, meaning they want to increase their faith. It is good to reassess our goals for the upcoming year. Figuring out where we are weak and trying to do better is a good thing, especially when it comes to the things of God.

We cannot change the past, so there is no use worrying and wishing it were different. There is no reason to look back, except to draw perspective and strength or to remember something or someone who is not a part of our present day.

We can only make the most of each day that God blesses us with; what can I do today that will prepare me to be a stronger Christian tomorrow.

We can only look with hope to tomorrow, that no matter what we face, God is there, and he will take care of his people. We cannot allow the things we see to cause us to get battle-weary. We need to be strong like David and believe that we never go to battle alone.

Take some time to reflect on the good. Try to let go of the bad. One thing we can always count on, God is in control as long as we yield to him, and he will see us through whatever 2025 brings.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

LIKE SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ENCOURAGEMENT

Have a wonderful New Year’s Eve!

EPISODE 251 – NO LACK TO OUR GOD

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/urhJyDIbq88

Our world is in the middle of a time of spiritual starvation, but not for lack of food. There are plenty of bibles. Many people that are not willing to accept the word of God as a source for their soul. There are too few people trying to share the amazing word of God. The word that has the power to strengthen, enlighten, encourage and transform even the hungriest soul.

We find a story in the fourth chapter of 2Kings about a poor widow. She approached Elisha and told him that her husband was gone and that they were going to take her sons for bondmen to pay off her debt. Now there was famine in the land. People lacked a lot of the basic necessities of life.

The prophet said to her, what do you have in your house? She started to say nothing then she said except a pot of oil. He told her to go barrow vessels from all her neighbors, and he told her to not barrow a few but many. When she had them all she was to go into her house and shut the door.

2 Kings 4:4-7 And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. 5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. 6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. 7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.

Because there was a famine, people were lacking oil also. She was able to sell all the oil and become debt free.

I was thinking about how we have a spiritual famine in the world today. It is not because God is lacking. We are not using what we have in our house. The Holy Ghost is often referred to as being oil or the anointing of God. There is not a shortage of oil. But there is a shortage of willing vessels.

In order for us to complete the harvest so that Christ can come and get his bride, we need to go gather vessels. We need to gather as many as we can. People are needing to be filled with the power of God or the oil of his anointing.

The widow poured and poured until she ran out of vessels. God will do the same, he will pour out his Spirit until there are no more vessels (willing vessels). Then he will call his children home.

Just as her children were almost sold into slavery. The whole world is a slave to sin unless they have let God fill them full of his precious oil. This story is often used to reflect the nature of how God provides and takes care of his people, even in famine.

He sent the children of Israel to Egypt to get away from a famine. When Joseph was second in command of the land of Egypt. They were not meant to stay 400 years. Sometimes we move in and take up residence in the places that God only meant to be a temporary situation. A place to ride out the famine.

It is time that we help those around us to get out of the place they have set up residence. We need to help them get back to the place God has for them to dwell. We are to dwell in the secret place of the almighty, not be traveling in the sinful world. It is easier to dwell in the secret place of the almighty if we have oil in our vessel.

The next time your spiritual life feels like you are in a famine, remember the Lord will give strength to his people. There is nothing that we face today or will face tomorrow that he cannot handle. He tells us to not walk in fear, but to trust him. God is with us and will provide for us. He will fill our vessel or refill our vessel and give us a refreshing of his power and strength, if we trust in Him.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

LIKE SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ENCOURAGEMENT

CHRISTMAS EVE

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v62ckbe-god-focus-this-morning-christmas-eve.html

The title of today’s episode: CHRISTMAS EVE

I thought since today is Christmas Eve I would read the Christmas story found in Luke chapter 2. There are many opinions among Christians about Christmas. They argue over Christmas trees and other thing that have become American traditions. I am not going to debate those here. I want to embrace what we have come to know as the meaning of Christmas, even though the birth of the savior probably was in the summer months the early church moved it to be when the winter solstices happened to keep people from being drawn away to worship idols during pagan festivals. Just as the resurrection of Jesus is celebrated during the spring equinox, for the same reasons. But I think most can agree it is good to remember the stories of Jesus.

Luke 2 – And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;

23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)

24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.

26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,

28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,

29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:

30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.

It doesn’t matter what day he was born, we need to be sure we celebrate the fact that he was born. We celebrate the fact that we have eternal life because he was born, lived and died and rose again.

I appreciate all my viewers, I want to wish you a wonderful Christmas tomorrow. I will not have any videos the rest of the week so I can spend time with my family. I will resume on Monday Dec 30 so we can get prepared for the new year.

God Bless each and every one of you. Merry Christmas!

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

LIKE SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ENCOURAGEMENT

EPISODE 250 WAITING FOR STRENGTH

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v61z75b-god-focus-this-morning-ep-250-waiting-for-strength.html

WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: WAITING FOR STRENGTH

All around us are people who are growing battle-weary. They are facing terrible things and have been praying it seems like a long time for their answers. Almost anyone who has been around Christians or church any length of time has heard the following verse.

Is 40:31 – 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.

We often are encouraged and want to soar like an eagle above our issues and problems. But even though we read it, we often do not allow the Wait part of the verse to sink into our thoughts. They that wait upon the Lord. That is an important part of the process.

There are times when we barely get finished saying a prayer and it is answered. That is awesome and wonderful, other times he wants us to wait. There is something to be said about the waiting process. In the waiting, we learn to trust. In the waiting we learn that God has a plan and lessons to teach us. We are strengthened by the process.

Once we have gained this amazing strength, God is growing in us, we will be able to run and not be weary. We will walk and not faint or give up by falling to the side. During the wait we often have to encourage ourselves, and find strength to keep trusting, because things do not look like we are praying for them to look. But he is still God in our trials, in our problems and in our victories. He is still God.

Being a child of God is not always an easy road. Anyone who tells you that life is always wonderful when you are a Christian is a liar. We are subject to the same ups and downs in life as anyone else. We often have more issues, because the enemy tries to put things in our path to see how we will deal with them. He uses people to try to trip us up.

But those who wait….will gain strength. Think about the eagle’s wings. They are large and powerful. An adult eagle can lift their body weight. They can fly between twenty and thirty miles per hour.

Learning to wait on the Lord is often a difficult process. We are the instant generation. We want everything right now. God says there is something to be said about the waiting.

Psalm 27:14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

This verse again tells us to wait on the Lord and we will gain strength. This says strengthen thine heart. Often, it is our heart that needs courage and strength. God will provide what we need, but first, we must go through the growing process. In our waiting, we learn to trust.

Psalms 37:7-9 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. 9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.

It is easy to get discouraged as we see the wicked prosper and we seem to struggle. But their prosperity is only temporary. His word says that the evildoers will be cut off and not inherit the earth or eternal life. We should not be discouraged everything in this life is temporary both good and bad.

Psalms 130:5 – I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits for God to move but in his word (which he promised to strengthen us) I do hope. Every word in the Bible is there for us to be strengthened and encouraged. It is there to teach us to trust and what will happen if we don’t fully trust in him.

We can be sure that God will strengthen us to run our race to the end, as long as we wait on Him.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

LIKE SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ENCOURAGEMENT