Tag: faith

SAUL TO PAUL

Why would God take someone who helped to persecute his people and turn them into an apostle? I am referring to Saul of Tarsus.  Because God saw all the good that he was going to do.  He saw him as the one who would write a large portion of the bible. He was considered the enemy of Christians. He even participated in the stoning of Stephen. Saul spent many years studying the Jewish law and their ways.  He had been deceived to believe that Jesus was not the Messiah.

In Acts Chapter 9, Saul threatened to slaughter the disciples of the Lord. He went before the high priest and asked for a letter to the synagogues in Damascus. This letter would give him the authority to arrest and return to Jerusalem, bound for punishment.

He was on his was to Damascus, and suddenly a light shined all around him. This light came from heaven. It was so bright that he fell to the earth. Then he heard a voice that said, “Saul, Saul, why persecutes thou me?”

The story goes on to say that Saul was blind for three days. He didn’t eat or drink. Everything he ever knew about God was about to be radically flipped around. He had to make a decision to stick to the path he was on or to yield to God.

God told Ananias to go to Saul. He questioned God, because he had heard about all that Saul had done to the believers of Jesus. God told him that Saul was a chosen vessel to spread the gospel to the Gentiles.

Acts 9:17-23 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.  18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. 19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. 20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.  21 But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?  22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.  23 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:

God told Ananias that Saul was a chosen vessel to spread the gospel.  What made Saul different from the others who were persecuting the Christians? I believe Saul had a heart for God. He wanted to do God’s will. Many Pharisees and Sadducees were in it for their recognition and personal gain. God chose Saul and he was named Paul.  He carried the message of Jesus to the Gentiles.

He is proof that people often start off a certain way, but God knows how they will end.  He knows if they will surrender to Him and be saved.  He sadly knows if they decide to turn from him and not accept His sacrifice.  This is why we are not to judge anyone, but we are to show everyone the love of God.  Jesus knows how each life will end.

How will you end? I believe the line is being drawn in the sand. No longer is God going to allow people to straddle the fence.  You are either in or you are out. He wants us to be all in for Him.

II Cor 6:1-2 6 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.   2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Today is the day of salvation. It is not a time to be sitting on the fence. God will remove the fence one day and what ever side you are on when he does will determine your destiny. It doesn’t matter where you start this race, it is how you finish.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS.

BUILDING A HOUSE

Psalm 127 Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

I know, I hate to waste my time. Why would you waste your time building a house, that does not have any value? A contractor could invest a lot of time and money in building a house. Now imagine that house sitting on the market.  No one is living in it; therefore, it has no value as shelter or comfort to anyone. The contractor cannot get a return on the investment to put in other projects.  This is the worst-case scenario for a contractor.

Spiritually speaking, we can build all sorts of fancy buildings to have meetings in that we call church.  But if the Lord is not in building the spiritual side of the house (church) it is worthless. True everlasting kingdom things will not be accomplished. People will only be full of coffee from their coffee bar in the lobby. The church needs to be full of the Spirit of God. It is God that transforms lives.

How many times do we miss God’s instructions about how he wants us to build? Every good contractor will have a blueprint.  Our Bible is our blueprint, it gives us instructions on how we need to build His house. Many natural houses get taken out by dry rot and termites. Our church can suffer from the decay of sin. Too, long we have allowed sin to creep into the church. Eating away at the foundation like termites. We have accepted things that are contrary to the word in the name of compassion and tolerance.

The church is not called to conform to the world. We are called to change it. If people’s lives were in good, solid shape they would not need God to remodel them like an old house. Eph 2:19-22    19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;   20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;  21 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.

We are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Jesus told Peter that he was a rock, and said, upon this rock, I will build my church.  In other words, you have a solid grasp of what I want you to carry out in the world. You will be solid and not wishy, washy. I can trust you to be solid ground for people to build their understanding of the gospel.

Just like Jesus being the chief cornerstone of any congregation, we need him to be our personal spiritual cornerstone. Our personal lives need Jesus in the center.  We too need a blueprint on which to build our lives. Again, that blueprint is the Word Of God, our Bible. The enemy has tried to alter the blueprints by changing them with a watered-down version of the word. Some of the “new” translations are severely inaccurate. If someone new to building came along and read some of these translations, they would be deceived and not build on a firm foundation. Then the house would suffer all sorts of issues from cracks in the walls to a total collapse.

Jesus spoke a parable of a wise man that built on a rock. When the storms of life came, it stood strong against the storms. But he also spoke of a foolish man that built on sand. When the storms came, his house fell. We never want to see anyone fall. It is up to us to get into our Bible and study the blueprint. Then we need to share our knowledge to help others build wisely.

I Cor 6:19- 19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  This is a reminder that we are the house in which God dwells. We can trust him because he is a master craftsman. He not only built each one of us as unique individuals, but he created the heavens and the earth.  We are so individually designed that we all fit together perfectly to make the beautiful bride that Jesus will return to receive one day soon.

JUDE 17-21 17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Do not let your labor be in vain; allow God to build your house.  He wants to talk to you. Spend time in prayer, building up your most holy faith. I promise you He will keep you on track if He is your chief cornerstone.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

DON’T BACK UP

When we come up against something that is scary, the instinct is to back away slowly or run. Like if you are walking in the woods and come upon a bear. It is the instinct of the bear to be afraid of you. Just like you are afraid of it. We want to back up or run.

It is time the church stopped being afraid of the enemy. It is time to stop backing up.  It is time to go forward and take back our territory.  We have nothing to fear. Satan is under our feet. Stop backing up. We cannot look at how things appear, it seems like the enemy is winning. But we know that it is a temporary situation.  God is going to turn things around if we take a stand.

It looked like Egypt was going to overtake the Israelites at the red sea. We are at that moment in our history.  It will not be long until God divides our red sea.  He is going to destroy our enemy. How else can there be a great harvest except we wake up and do what God wants from us?  He wants us to stop letting things distract us and stand up. We need to dig deep into the Word.  Don’t just read it but pray before reading for a deeper understanding.  We need to study and dig deep.

Psalm 91:11-16  For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.  12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.  13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. 14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

We cannot be afraid of what we see with our eyes because we walk by faith. We do not go by the things that we see. He will protect his people from harm and danger. How do we get the protection of God? How do we know he will send his angels to protect us? Notice verse 14; if we show God’s love, because we know his name.

How do we know if we love God? John 14:15-16  If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; If we love God we will keep his commandment and he will send us His Spirit which gives us the power to stand strong, be witnesses, resist the temptations of the enemy and so much more.

It is decision time; the line is being drawn in the sand.  Will we stand for Jesus? Will we look back at life here with longing for the past? It is like spinning a wheel and turning around in a circle; wherever you are looking (wherever your heart is); when the wheel stops determine your fate. Many are playing Russian Roulette with their souls. God is asking us to make a choice. Are we standing for truth, even if it costs us our life or are we being wishy-washy, spineless Christians in name only?

Look at the story of Lot and his family. Lot’s wife looked back with longing and it destroyed her. God told them to not look back; He was going to destroy the city because of the evil. God never pours out wrath on the wicked without dealing with them and giving them a chance to change. He is giving the evil ones of this world today a chance to change. But that chance is quickly coming to an end.

We can help someone to find Jesus. We cannot believe the lies of the enemy; it is not too far gone. If we stand strong and stand up, we can overcome the things the enemy is trying to do.

2 Chr. 7:14 14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Stand up, stand up, stand up for the word of God.  Stand strong for what is right and true.  Open your mouth and speak the truth of God. We are living in amazing times and God is going to do something that will astound us all. We need to stand and fight the good fight of faith.

I Tim 6:11-12 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.  12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

I pray that you decide to stand strong, fight the good fight of faith and do not look back. Keep yourself from being shaken by how things look. The God of angel armies is our Father and he will deliver us if we stand strong.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

DON’T SINK YOUR SHIP

I tried to write on another subject, but God kept bringing me back to this basic subject. We need to walk by faith and not by sight.  Walking by faith means we trust fully in God. We have to trust that God will see us through the circumstances, even if we do not see our breakthrough yet. We believe in him. Speaking negatively and complaining is not trust and it is not faith. Our words can delay our blessing. It can delay the answer to our prayers.

You would not take something and put a hole in the side of a perfectly good boat. Well, you wouldn’t unless you want to sink it.  Then why do we speak negative words out of our mouths? We are literally sinking our own ships.  We are wrecking our own lives with our words. (This happened to the children of Israel; they complained and repeated a negative report of a few. (The giants are too big). They complained to Moses that he brought them out into the desert to die. That is the very thing that happened; because of unbelief and negative complaints, they were made to wander for 40 years until their words were fulfilled, and they died in the desert, never seeing the promised land). It wasn’t God’s plan for them to wander that long. It wasn’t his plan for them to die in the wilderness.

I know I speak of it often, but our words have power. It is like we pray for something and then we kill the prayer with our words. Speaking negatively is killing the seeds we plant in prayer. That is not faith.  We plant seeds of faith in prayer. We cannot allow the enemy to take those seeds we plant, in prayer, by speaking unbelief. Our complaints are agreements with the devil. They are contrary to God’s word.

Prov 18:21 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

Do not get nervous. I don’t believe the name it, claim it doctrine.  People take the truth of God and twist it for their own gain and purpose.  Our words must be according to God’s will. I do know that unbelief and negativity are not of God. I have seen things in my life that many would love to see.  I have seen miracles of God.  I have seen blind eyes healed. People bowed over not being able to straighten and walk upright; until the power of God touched them. Broken legs healed; people needed crutches and then walked out under their own power after the saints prayed for them. This was normal for me growing up.

I have seen people instantly healed.  I have also seen people have to walk out things in faith to get to their healing weeks and months later. But they kept talking faith and God saw them through. Never repeat a diagnosis from a doctor by saying, “I have….” You can say I was diagnosed with …. When you say I have this disease or that you take possession of it. You claim it to be yours.  Faith says symptoms are there, but I will not claim it. (This doesn’t mean you are burying your head in the sand and ignoring what is going on; you are saying, I take it into captivity. I have power over it. God will remove it from me.

Have you ever heard the phrase ‘Loose lips sink ships’? I wondered about the origin of it. It comes from WWII. It was a warning to our soldiers and people at home that any information leaked, even unintentionally, could cause the loss of a warship.  It means to be aware of unguarded talk. Did you get that? I am going to say it again, be aware of unguarded talk. The situation was severe enough for this reminder because the enemy had spies everywhere. Satan is waiting for us to open our mouths in negativity, so he can use it against us.

Matt 12:35-37     35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.  36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.  37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

We can speak life to someone that is hurting. We can speak negatively and harm someone else.  Do we always feel like being positive? No. But by not speaking the negative and speaking the positive we can give life and strength to another. I want words of faith to justify me. I want faith to manifest in my life.

James 3:1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. 2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.  3 Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. 4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.     5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!  6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.  7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: 8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

The entire third chapter of James is all about our words. Verse two tells us how we can be perfect.  If we are able to refrain from hurting people with our words, then we have the fruit of self-control.  It is difficult to speak life and not negativity sometimes.  But, like with any exercise, we can increase our faith the more we use our faith. The more we hold our tongues and not speak negative, deadly things, the more we will grow closer to God.

God hates gossip; he doesn’t want us to speak harm to anyone. He doesn’t want us to speak negatively about our situations and those of others. Because our words have power. Just like we are not to judge one another.  We all come short of where we need to be in Christ. We are to walk as close as we can and He will take care of the rest.

Pray and ask God for HIS strength to say the right things.  He is faithful to help us if we truly trust in HIM.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

SILENT NO LONGER

Where are the watchmen?  Where are the gatekeepers that protect the city from the enemy?  For far too long, the city of God has been in ruins because we allowed the enemy to get inside the church.  We set satan up in our pulpits to preach prosperity doctrine and things that are not of God.  Then we wonder where the power went that used to be in the church.  We traded it for silver and gold.  It was traded for houses, cars and alligator shoes. The ones that were not guilty of teaching such nonsense are just as guilty for keeping silent. Is our silence a sin? Should we have stood boldly and cried out against wrong?

James 4:17 -17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

But God has a remnant of people that have not bowed to the idols of this world.  Just like in Elijah’s day, he felt like he was the only one that had not bowed to baal, but God had people that were standing strong. We, too can stand strong against the evil of this world.

Isaiah 62:6 I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence,

My biggest mistake and shortcomings are that I have sat quietly by because I didn’t want to have conflict with anyone.  I have not been as bold as I should have been to stand up and declare the word of the Lord.  Preachers and teachers are not the only ones who are called to go make disciples.  We are all sent out to love people and show them Jesus.

God has set watchmen on the walls to keep an eye out for the enemy. These watchmen were supposed to warn us to prepare for battle.  The gatekeepers were supposed to check identities and not allow the enemy to enter the city.  Where are the gatekeepers and watchmen? It is up to us each, in our own way, to guard the territory we have been given. 

Parents need to loudly declare the word of the Lord that satan will not get their children.  It is promised that He will bless your children.  Jacob was blessed because of Issac and Abraham.  I am blessed because I have generations of God-fearing people in my lineage.

We need to take back the territory that we have quietly let the enemy come in and steal.  Where are the warriors of God?  It is time for the “dry bones” to arise and go on the march to take back our homes, our schools, our cities, our churches and our government. 

How do we fight these battles? Not with weapons like most would think of as weapons. We fight with our words; we declare the Word of the Lord. We pray boldly that territories will be restored to the people of God.

2 COR 10:3-5  3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:  4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)  5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

We are flesh but do not war with other people. We war with spirits and demons sent out to destroy. The things we fight are not carnal or natural but we are in the biggest spiritual battle of our lives.  We do not battle alone; God sent mighty warring angels to battle things we cannot see.  Casting down ideas of evil that try to take over the place that God is meant to be, we are to arrest every thought that is not godly. We can conform it to be obedient to Christ. In other words, we cannot keep ideas from going through our minds. That is the way the enemy enters our lives through our thoughts. But when things that are contrary to the word of God pass through our minds, we need to not dwell on it but tell it to leave in Jesus’ name.

This is why it is so very important to have the Word on the inside of us. How can we fight against evil if we do not know the definition of evil according to the word of God? It is time for us to get outside the walls of the church building and “BE” the church.  We cannot win the lost sitting in a pew.

Luke 4:23- And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.  The word compel means to strongly suggest, talk until they quit resisting, to coerce. If we keep quiet, we cannot compel them to come into the family of God. It is time we were silent no longer.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

DRY BONES

READ EZEKIEL CHAPTER 37

As I read Ezekiel Chapter 37, I cannot help but compare the dry bones to the modern church.  God is weary of the way things are going in our country and around the world.  We have no one to blame for the mess this country is in but ourselves. Somewhere along the way the church stopped being the church and allowed the living water to dry up. John 7:38 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. It is time to believe for life to be breathed back into the church.

We have sat quietly by while evil has taken over the world. We should have stood boldly and declared that sin is sin, without compromising. Instead, we buried our heads in the sand and allowed the liberals to destroy things in the name of equality.  We are not all equal, there is right and there is wrong. There is righteous by the blood of the lamb and those who are in sin.

Now it is time for the warriors of God to arise and say, “NO MORE, NOT ON MY WATCH” It is beyond time to take back the territory that the enemy has stolen.  We need to pray, the prayers of our founding fathers for this country and the world. Prayers need to go up asking God to let the living water flow.

We have spent time in the valley of dry bones. God is getting ready to breathe new life into the church. It is time we stood boldly and put on the whole armor of God. Most of my facebook friends have seen my post of the cross at Cape Henry in Virginia Beach. Long before this land was ever our country, people declared and decreed over it.

Robert Hunt was their leader, a group of Christians landed in 1607. Even after a long journey across the waters from England, they stayed on their ship for 3 days and fasted. They prayed over their new land and thanked God for the opportunity to worship the Lord without government interference. When they got off their ship, they took some of the wood and built a cross.

APRIL 29, 1607 PROPHECY AND PRAYER BY ROBERT HUNT

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.

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).

I stood under a concrete cross that was erected on that site. It is a humbling experience to stand under a thirty-five foot cross. It was a powerful experience to read those words and know that those words were prayed and spoken over our land. God answers prayer, even ones prayed so long ago.

We are not without hope.  It doesn’t matter how things look.  I am sure to Ezekiel that the dry bones looked like it was a hopeless cause. Ezek 37:3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. God told him to prophesy to the bones and they lived.

Is 55:10-12 kjv  10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:  11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.  12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Notice Verse Eleven It says his word will not return void. We need to speak the word and declare it over our land.  Verses like:

2 Chr 20:17  Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.

Deut 1:8 Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.

God gave the Children of Israel the promised land. Once long ago, God gave a group of religiously oppressed people a land. Their descendants became a band of rebels that signed a declaration of independence and created our country. It is time we took back that land from the enemy.  But we will not win with what most people believe to be weapons of war.  We will win this one on our knees in prayer. We will win by declaring the scriptures about our victory in Jesus.

2 Cor 10:3-5 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:  4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)  5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

I read the back of the book and we win.  Be encouraged, the dry bones will live again. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

PEARLS OF WISDOM

Pearls are rare finds inside the shell of oysters.  They are used in jewelry mostly, but the shells are also used in medicine.  For a pearl to be formed, the oyster has to suffer an injury or get a foreign substance inside the shell.  The oyster’s natural defense against foreign substances is to isolate it.  The oyster will continue to add layers to protect itself from harm.  This isolation produces the pearl.

We often learn wisdom by experiencing the consequences of acting foolishly.  Other times, things in life just happen that teach us great lessons.  The things we learn often help us to develop instincts about people or situations. These lessons and instincts are sometimes referred to as pearls of wisdom. Famous inspirational quotes and sayings are also called pearls of wisdom. It means we have an insight that, when shared, makes someone else stop and think.

Wisdom is something everyone needs. But wisdom is more than having the experience that comes with age. Some people are in their golden years but lack wisdom.  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. We get wisdom by asking God. He will guide us into wisdom. Also, the Bible, especially the book of Proverbs, is full of wisdom.

The hidden nuggets of wisdom in the Word will help us to make good choices in life.  Our choices will be easier if we have wisdom and understanding. We gain wisdom when we suffer injury. Just like the oyster isolates the injury and creates a pearl.  When we make bad decisions and have emotional scars from those choices, we will gain wisdom.

Prov 11:20 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

We need to be soul winners for Christ.  We will be wise.  We are called to go out and search for that rare pearl of a person that will listen to us.  Not everyone we tell about Jesus will listen.  Many will not accept our words. But we still have been sent to tell them about Jesus.

Take time this week to ask Him for His wisdom and guidance. He will not withhold any good thing from us if we put our trust in Him.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

SERVANT’S HEART

Where you start is not where you will end if you run this race with a servant’s heart. Many of us have God destinies that we have yet to discover.  He is going to use us in ways that we never dreamed of. As a matter of fact, if we knew where we were going to finish this race, it would probably scare us.  That is why God moves us up a new level every so often when He feels we are ready.

II Cor 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

We are changing from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord.  God elevates us as we spiritually grow and mature so that we can handle the new level.

Look at David, the shepherd boy; no one believed he would be King David. God knew his potential. David worshipped God with his whole heart.  Even when he fell into sin, God loved him and forgave him.  But notice how David was obedient to his earthly father and watched over the flock.  He learned many lessons being a shepherd.

His obedience took him to one of the greatest moments he would walk out in his life. He came face to face with the enemy, Goliath. We always will find our destiny by serving and helping others fight their battles. Even after he had been anointed king by Samuel.  He didn’t start acting like he was something great.  He didn’t let pride overtake him.  If that was some of us today, he would have said, “You need to get someone to watch the sheep.  I am going to be king.  I don’t want to do that any longer.  I am better than that; I am going to be king.” But David didn’t get prideful; he had a servant’s heart. He continued to serve as he was waiting for God’s timing. He trusted God to bring to pass what was spoken over him.

God allowed him to kill a lion. This gave him confidence when he came up against the bear. Which was bigger.  When he came up against Goliath, he had confidence that God would not let him down. Even though David was destined for great things, he served God where he was at the present time.

Facing Goliath was his destiny.  He met that destiny by being a servant.  His father Jesse sent David to take food and drink to his brothers, who were in a standoff with the Philistines. He had already been anointed by the prophet and told he would be king.  But he occupied where he was and waited for God to bring to pass that which was spoken over him.

How often do we feel like God is going to do something in our lives?  We feel he has a destiny for us that is greater than where we are currently walking.  But we get frustrated when things don’t come to pass as quickly as we feel they should happen. God’s timing is perfect. God cannot trust us with our Goliath yet.  We are not equipped to handle facing the giant. First, we have to kill the lion and the bear. Because the experience we gain facing those things will prepare us for our Goliath.

David was anointed three times to be King.  First was by the prophet Samuel. (I Sam. 16:13) This happened in front of his family. So only a few knew of God’s calling for his life. Often those closest to us will see what God is doing long before we do. 

The second anointing took place before the tribe of Judah by the elders of that tribe. This occurred in Hebron after the death of King Saul. (II Sam 2:4) Then he had to walk in his anointing in order for it to grow into God’s place for him.

The third time David was anointed to be king was not just to be king over Judah, but over Israel also. (I Chr. 11:3) This was in front of many in the nation of Israel.

This is another example of how God elevates us.  First, it was in front of his family, then it was before the tribe of Judah. The third was before the nation of Israel.  Each level of anointing gave him more responsibility. With each level, more people recognized he was called by God to be King. But do not forget he was once a shepherd boy.

The parable Jesus spoke in Matthew 25:21 speaks of a man that gave his servants talents and left for a long journey.  It goes on to explain that some took those talents and invested them and created more talents.  While one buried his talent because he didn’t want to lose it. When the man returned, a couple of them had doubled what they had been given. The master said 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.

This parable is a good example for us.  God gives us things and he expects us to use them to give an increase to the Kingdom of the Lord. But if we do not desire to increase what he has given us, we will never reach our destiny. We will never have that defining moment when we stand boldly before our Goliath and say, “I come to you in the name of this Lord” That word said the giant was going to fall.

Keep doing the small stuff, the God who sees in secret will reward us openly.  We just have to defeat our giant. The lesson that we need to take from this is we all have a place God wants to take us.  God has things for us to do and the way we end this life will be greater than we began if we fully trust God.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

God Knows What We Need

There is an old hymn that says, “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.”  I am sure it was inspired by Jesus’ words in Matt 6:25-34 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?  26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?   27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?  28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.   30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

It tells us that God understands our needs and desires.  He knows we need food, clothing and shelter. He is reminding us that we should not worry about our needs. God will provide what we need. He takes care of the fowls of the air. How much more important are we to God than the birds? He died for us, He didn’t die for the birds.

Phil 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. If someone had asked me before writing this article what Phil 4:19 said I would have said that he will supply our needs.  But it says need, this prompted me to look up a definition.  Need–occasion for something; necessity; a state that requires supply or relief.

There is nothing going to happen to us that God does not allow into our lives. He not only knows what we need physically, food, clothing and shelter.  He knows what to allow into our lives to supply our spiritual needs also.  When we need growth in an area, He will allow a trial to make us stronger.

We can trust him. Nothing happens to us without purpose.  When he says he will supply what we need, it goes beyond the basics.  He is our provider, we can lean on him always.

He not only provides our needs but promises to give us the desires of our heart, if we delight in Him. Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. 

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

CONNECTION

The more I walk with God, the more I realize that every day it’s not so much about what we do or don’t do, but it’s about that personal relationship. It is about a heart connection. How can you have a relationship with someone that you never talked to?

It’s like having a light bulb. And then it’s screwed into a lamp and the lamps plugged in the wall. When the switch is turned on, the power can get to the light bulb. This produces light. Without the power source, there is no light.

There is not going to be any light if we are not plugged into the power source, our relationship with Jesus Christ. We are told to let our light shine. It stands to reason that we stay connected to God.  But if we’re not connected to God and we’re not connected to that power, we will have no light.

A poor prayer life equals a poor connection.  I like to pray first thing as soon as my eyes open up. I kind of hit the snooze button, and lying in my bed, I just kind of lay there and talked to God. Thank you for what he’s done and for allowing me to see another day for the many blessings that he’s given me. Then I pray for the people that are on my heart. It starts with the day off better.

I don’t really have a set time to pray. I just kind of pray here and there all day long. But before I go to bed at night, that’s the last thing I do before I crawl in bed is thank God and pray and ask him to help all those that are lost to be saved.  I pray for those that are bound by human trafficking that God will make a way of escape for them, whether it be an unlocked door. For them to run away or whether it’s for the police or whoever to raid the place and go in and rescue them and set them free. It has been a subject that I have had a burden for a while. I pray for God to heal their wounds and their scars, physically and emotionally. That is one of the worst things that happens in our society. It breaks my heart to even think about it.

No one ever won a battle by not being bold. What would have happened if David had been like all the other Israelites? When Goliath came out there and was laughing and mocking them, and spoke, OK, send me your best warrior. What if he had just sat back and said, well, no, I’m too little. I’m small in stature and I can’t do this; someone else will go. But no, he was bold. And he said, you know, you come at me with a sword, and I come to you in the name of the Lord. And God took that little rock and that great big bit of boldness that David had, and he knocked Goliath to the ground.

Goliath’s head was cut off with his own sword. Sometimes the things that people try to use against you, God will use to destroy them. If we remain bold and stand strong. I pray that we will have holy boldness in these last days.

As the church, we need to quit letting people run over the top of us and push us around. (We let one woman take prayer out of schools. Think about it.) It’s time we had, holy boldness. I pray for holy boldness and that the people will understand it is time for the army to talk to our King.  Get our marching orders and go boldly forth.

It is time for us to go to the enemy’s camp and take back what he has stolen from us.  He is under our feet. We can put him under our feet if we stay connected to our power source, Jesus Christ. We have unlimited power through His Spirit. We can overcome whatever we face as long as we lean on Jesus.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS