Tag: faith

FIERY TRIALS

I am sure that Daniel would not have wanted to be in the lion’s den.  The three Hebrew children probably would not have wanted to be put in the fiery furnace. Job would not have wanted to suffer the things he did.  But sometimes, the things we walk through are not just for us but to let the world see Jesus in us. Even Christ prayed, “Let this cup pass from me.” Yet he went to the cross and suffered because it was for the salvation of mankind.

I Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:  13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.  14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

We often wonder why good people seem to suffer while evil people prosper. The evil ones have their reward for a season.  But the Children of God will have our reward forever more. The fiery trials are to make us stronger.  The fire will burn out our impurities. The things we sometimes walk through are to teach us a lesson. The enemy will sometimes see how we walk through the fiery trials and be amazed at how God has worked on our behalf.

Do not be discouraged or allow the spirit of heaviness to lay on you.  He will remove the spirit of heaviness. Depression and discouragement have filled the earth.  But God will remove them if we look to him and trust in him.

God is looking for a few good men and women to be his army.  He honors the bold and the brave.  It will take boldness, Holy Boldness, in these days in which we live. We must have a made-up (determined) mind to follow Christ, no matter what it costs, even our lives.  He is starting to give marching orders.  Will we obey? Will we rise up and be the Christian Army the world needs to see or will we stay in our comfort zone? I am afraid those that choose the comfort zone over the fiery trials will be left behind.

The next time you walk through a tough time, remember that your fiery trial is working for your good and the good of others.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

JOY AND HAPPINESS

Phil 4:8-9   Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.   9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

We often tell our friends that we only wish for them to be happy.  But actually, we should wish for them to be joyful instead.  Happiness depends on outside factors. If we have the right romantic relationship, if we have the right job, if we have material things that make us comfortable. All these things affect our happiness.

Joy is something we carry on the inside.  It is a sense of contentment or peace.  It does not dependent on material things, friends, family or the right romantic partner. Joy is a state of being that comes from God.  If we are His people, he will give us joy.  Inner joy can help us to let our light shine in difficulties. Adversity can affect our happiness.  It doesn’t affect our joy.

We can have our backs against the wall and feel like we have no escape from the things that come against us in life. These things can steal our sense of happiness, but they cannot steal our joy, as long as we look to Jesus to help us overcome our fiery trials.

Happiness is about pleasing ourselves, while joy comes when we please others.  Being content is a choice that we will not allow the enemy to make us feel down if we don’t have the material things, we wish we had in our possession. God will provide all we need.  If we have what we need today, tomorrow will take care of itself. When it arrives, we will again evaluate if we have all we need.

Phil 4:10-12 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.   11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.  12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

We may face rough times, but learning to be content is a way to allow the Holy Ghost to take control of our lives.  He will lead us exactly where we need to be and will provide what we need. If we can learn to be content, we will be a greater light to the world.

Joy is a fruit of the spirit and comes from the Lord. The longer we walk on this Christian journey the more our fruit should grow. We should walk in Love as well as Joy, letting our light shine before the world.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

SEEKING GOD

People and things are not always as they appear to be. Manipulative people doing satan’s work are all around us.  They have evil agendas for our future and those of the children of this world.  We cannot believe everything we see or hear. Technology has become so advanced you cannot even believe a photo or video any longer.  Anything can be manipulated. How do we tell the good guys from the bad guys?  It is not always easy, many times we allow our emotions or compassion to make us second guess.

If we have God’s Spirit inside of us, one of the nine spiritual gifts he promised we could have is discernment. (Listed in I COR 12: 4-11) This is when the Spirit of God warns us when the enemy is using someone to lay a trap for us. Discernment will let us know what we need to know in order to help ourselves or others to not be harmed by the enemy.

God does not reveal things to harm anyone, but to bring His people together. Just as he has always used prophecy to warn His people and guide them during tough times. The body of Christ needs to shake loose the doctrines of men and get in the word.  Ask God for answers. I promise he will guide us if we are willing to listen to him.

The Holy Ghost is our guide, He is waiting to speak to us and direct our footsteps.  But we cannot hear his voice if we don’t slow down and listen. God is calling us to rest in him and listen for his still small voice.

In a world where there are so many voices trying to get our attention, it is even more important than ever to find quiet time with God.  Psalm 62:5-6  (5) My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.  6 He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.

Jer 29:11-13 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

God has plans for us, plans for good and not evil. But we have something to do too. God is not a genie in a bottle that grants wishes.  He is a loving God that wants a relationship with us. We have to pray and follow Jesus.  Verse 13 says we will find him when we search with all of our hearts.

God doesn’t want a ritualistic prayer.  He wants an honest conversation with us.  He is not afraid of our honesty.  He already knows what is in our hearts.  But by opening up and asking the hard questions, we can find the answers we seek.

I don’t want to see anyone miss the move of God that is coming because they are too afraid to step out of their comfort zones. Now is a time to be praying like never before, asking for God’s guidance. Big changes are coming, we need to be ready for the move of God. 

John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

The Spirit of truth is the Holy Ghost, He is our guide.  But someone traveling could have the best guide ever, but if they don’t listen to them, or follow them they may as well be without a guide. We need to follow Him closely and pray every day for Him to lead us. By yielding our lives to Christ, we will never be alone, even in the worst of times.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

HEALING

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

He was wounded for our sins. Jesus’ death brought healing opportunities for our souls.  But he also took stripes for our physical healing. Jesus heals us today. We can anoint one another with oil and pray for healing.  God will heal us if we have faith.

Some say I don’t believe it; miracles don’t exist today. To those I would say don’t waste your time praying if you don’t believe it. If you don’t believe you won’t receive it. If God is not able to heal these bodies, he has created, then how can we trust him for our salvation from hell? That is a bigger miracle than healing our bodies.

James 5:14-15 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

I have a unique perspective; I was raised to know the power of God. My grandpa had the gift of healing and miracles.  I used to travel in the summers with him and my grandmother to revivals all over the upper east coast. I have seen things that God has done. I have experienced healing of my own.  I recently was sick and had pain in my side after a few minutes of my parents praying for me I got better.  I claim the blood Jesus shed for me.  I am blessed to be his child. He healed me of chronic sinus headaches many years ago. He delivered me from depression and constant anxiety. Many more things that I cannot even remember. 

Our lives as Christians are based on faith. Heb 11:6 -But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. The God of the universe lives within us, we have all power.  We just have to access it by faith.

As Jesus was being beaten, bruised and crushed something happened, his anointing flowed.  Just as olive oil flows from crushed and bruised olives.  That process released anointing. That same anointing lives within us. This is why we can pray and ask for healing, and he will deliver us.

3 JOHN 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. If we expect to receive things from the Lord, we need to have a relationship with him. We need to walk by faith and not by sight. As we grow in our relationship with God we gain power. The power we gain is to be used for the glory of God and to help others.

James 1 3-8  (3) Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 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. 6 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.

It comes down to what I wrote about a few blogs ago. Who’s report are your going to believe?  Are you going to trust God or trust man. Do we have faith? Do we not have faith?  We have to have this matter settled concerning these things before the enemy attacks.  We have to have a made-up mind that no matter what comes our way we will walk by faith.  That is what it means to be a child of God.  We have to be determined that on this day, I will trust the Lord for all of my needs, physically, spiritually and financially. He is the God that cannot fail. When our eyes pop open tomorrow we need to say, “I trust you Lord to supply all my needs and take care of me. I will do all I can to be the light and witness you have called me to be on the earth.”

The time is drawing close that God is going to divide those who fully trust from those who partially trust. We are about to see the church rise up in the power and anointing that it once had many years ago.  How else will we show the unbelievers the way to Jesus? Evil is all around us, but do not fear Lord Jesus is near.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

NO TIME

Feeling pressed for time seems to be a part of the American lifestyle.  We never seem to have enough time to do what we need to do and want to do. Often, we feel like we do not have time to pray or read God’s word. It is a fact that people make time for what is important to them. Martin Luther said, “Show me where a man spends his time and money and I will show you his god.”

Many are driven in business and are very successful because they work hard all of their life. What does it really profit us if we gain earthly things and lose our souls? Fame, Money, Recognition and Adoration of the masses all mean nothing without God. We need to be like Joshua and Elijah.  It is time we choose God. The battle lines are being drawn. Make sure you are on the right side when the dust settles.

Even Moses asked Who is on the Lord’s side? This was after Israel had committed idolatry by making a golden calf. While Moses was on the mountain getting the ten commandments, they were breaking each of them in the camp below the mountain. Only a few stood back and didn’t participate in idol worship.

Joshua 24:15-17   14 Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.  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.  16 And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods;

Later in the Bible, in the book of I Kings, the people were asked to choose again. Ahab met with Elijah and they talked about how Ahab thought Elijah was troubling Israel. Elijah answered back that  Ahab’s father’s house had forsaken the Lord to follow Baal, a false god. Elijah suggested that they gather all of Israel and the prophets of Baal to the top of Mt. Carmel. 

20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. 21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.  22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.  23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: 24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.

The prophets of Baal went first; they cried and cried from morning until night. They cut themselves with knives and bled for their god. Nothing happened. Elijah got his turn and he said a simple prayer, then suddenly, an explosion of fire fell from the heavens.  It not only consumed the offering but the wood and the water in the trench.

Notice verse 21. Elijah asked them how long they were going to try to serve the Lord and serve Baal. The church of today is lukewarm and trying to “straddle the fence.” The lines are being drawn today. People’s fate hangs in the balance.  I encourage you to choose the ONE TRUE GOD, OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.  There are many things and gods of this world to distract us.  But make no mistake, when God is ready to call his children home, there will be “no time” to get ready.  Everyone’s fate will be sealed. Don’t be left behind because of a lesser god.  The one true God is waiting to hear your choice and accept your answer.

It is time for the warriors of God, to make sure you are battling on the right side. We can defeat the enemy, by investing the time to pray and speak faith.  We will find time for what is important.  I encourage you to make GOD a priority, and see how life will change.

GREAT WISDOM

The book of Proverbs is full of wisdom.  It is believed to be written by King Solomon. If you remember his story, he asked God for wisdom and God gave him vast wisdom. Many people in our lives have wisdom; these are the ones we want to spend time. We gain wisdom by being around wise people.

Proverbs 30:24-28 speaks of four wise animals.

Prov 30:24 There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:

Prov 30:25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;

We can learn a lot of lessons from each of them; ants are very small creatures. They communicate and work well together.  Their cause is greater than their individual needs.  They know winter is coming and they need to store up for winter.

We need to be laboring to get souls saved before it is too late, and we cannot work. The harvest ready and the laborers are few. 

Many things could be said about saving or storing up for winter. We try to save money for emergencies or for something we want to do, like a trip to the beach. The greatest thing we can store up is treasures in heaven. 

Matt 6:19-20

 19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:   20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

Prov 30:26 The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;

Conies are small creatures that look like rabbits with short ears. They find holes in rocks to hide from the weather and get protection from larger animals and birds that may want to have them for dinner. They are wise in the fact that they make the rocks their home, their hiding place.  We can be wise, too when we make “the rock” Jesus our hiding place. He will keep us safe from the storms and will protect us from satan who is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

Prov 30: 27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

Locust are grass hopper like creatures, that are docile on their own but when they get in a swarm of others can be quite destructive to crops. The lesson we can learn from them is to band together. When we come together with a single purpose in mind, more gets accomplished than each of us can get done on our own.

Prov 30: 28 The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces

There is nowhere a spider cannot be found building her web; even kings palaces. One of the lessons we can learn from the spider is determination.  They will build a web and you can sweep it down and by the next day there is another web in its place.

What if we were so determined to build the kingdom of God? What if every time the enemy knocked down what we were trying to do, we didn’t complain. What if we just got up and tried to build it stronger.

Another lesson is, what comes out of the spider is what gets it where its going. Sometimes it is what comes out of us that determines our destination.  Are we talking defeat or are we talking faith? We can only go on if we have the faith that we will overcome the enemy and be able to build God’s kingdom.

The book of Proverbs is definitely worth reading, even if you have read it before today. Each time we read God’s word we gain new insight, strength and wisdom.

James 1:6 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.

WORSHIP FIRST

Worship invites the presence of God. Many things have been written about worship. Psalm 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: Be thankful unto him and bless his name. If we look at getting to God like castles were set up in ancient times. There were three levels inside the gate, which puts you in the courtyard. Level two puts you inside the castle in the outer court. The inner court has the fewest people. The inner court is where the king is sitting on his throne. In order to petition the King, you need to be in the inner court.

We enter his gates by offering Thanksgiving. Which means to thank God for all he has done for us. Going from thanksgiving to praise allows us to enter the castle. Worshipping God for who he is gets us into the outer court and eventually into his presence.

David made a lot of mistakes; he fell into sin many times. But God still said David was a man after his own heart. David wrote Psalms to God. He was a true worshipper. David understood that he was imperfect and that he needed God. Worship is a heart thing and we must connect our heart to God’s heart.

Worship changes the atmosphere. Sometimes things can look dark. The enemy can be pressing in from all directions; if we can press through in worship and praise, soon the atmosphere changes. We can be under a cloud of anxiety, fear, stress or sadness, to name a few, and we can start worshipping. Our worship will cause that spirit of heaviness to be lifted off of us.

God desires to spend time with his children. He wants us to worship him in spirit and truth. Satan hates it when we worship; I don’t mean just going through the motions. But when we connect to God through our Praise. Satan was the music leader, the head worshipper until jealousy entered him and he wanted to be God. God kicked him out of heaven and, along with him, him a bunch of angels that were loyal to satan.

Psalm 96:9 – O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

Take some extra time this week to show God some love and make the devil mad at the same time. Lift your voice and hands to God in praise.

Have God As Your Compass

I have a bonus blog for you today. It was written by my brother Ben. He is a man of great faith that I am blessed to have in my life. He is always there for me when I need him. He was telling me of a thought he had and I asked him to write it for my readers.

My son and I were traveling back to West Virginia for Easter when we started discussing how much we missed my brother-in-law, Bud. He was always prepared for anything while out in the woods. He always had a compass which got us thinking about being prepared. If everyone had a compass for God and makes God their true north, they will never get lost from Him.

How many times have you been lost and can’t find your way? If you knew your true north you could follow it back home. Let’s say you’re following your true north and you see something that distracts you just for a little while. You walk off the path to look at something not paying attention to your compass, and you get lost in the woods. You were going in a straight line toward home.

You’re happy because you know the way, but suddenly things change there’s a mountain slide that you have to go around. Obstacles in your way, some too big that you think you cannot overcome. Then your left with seeking answers. What do I do? You’re still trusting in your true north which is God. You start to go around these obstacles, and you get turned around, getting lost. Your compass is now forgotten, not knowing which way to go, after a long time of searching. Everyone’s time is different, all the blood sweat, and tears you find yourself at the lowest point in your life; still not knowing what to do. During all these obstacles and struggles, you still have not gone back to your compass. The only way out of this situation is to make God your true north, always follow him and you will know the way home. Romans 8:14– For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

If, not you will stray from your path and be lost. Just remember that sometimes you have to walk by faith and not by sight. (2 Cor. 5:7-9) Everyone has a compass from God called the Holy Bible (KJV ). Follow the word and you will not stray from the path on your journey home. 

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

Reflections

We often do a lot of reflecting over the past year at the beginning of a new year. We find much lost motivation to change and make life better. We look to the future with hope that the upcoming year will be a good year. Everyday, should be met with such hope that the old is gone. Our past is that, where we have been. The future is what God has ordained. Look to him today as you think about the future; because only what is done walking in God’s love counts. ❤️ BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS.

God Is With Us

I sit in my quiet living room this evening and thank God for his many blessings. Life gets tough sometimes and we often feel like the pressure of the waves is going to be too much to bear.

Then I am reminded that I am not in the swift current alone. Jesus is there reaching out his hand and pulling me up so I can breathe.

He is our life, our breath, our strength. We are never alone he is with us.

May you have a blessed week ahead. Be bold, be brave and keep your God Focus.