Encouraging People To Focus On Our Lord Jesus Christ
Tag: #faithwalk
Below is the link to the video for the Thursday blog, “Facing the Fire.” I had computer and internet issues all weekend. Hopefully, I will be able to get back on track. Have a great day!
https://rumble.com/v6r3ya8-god-focus-this-morning-ep305-facing-the-fire.html
THERE WILL NOT BE A VIDEO VERSION TODAY UNTIL LATE THIS EVENING. I AM SORRY BUT I HAD SOME ISSUES WITH MY EDITING SOFTWARE.
WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING
The title of today’s episode: FACING THE FIRE
Don’t waste the trials. Just as a blacksmith tempers a blade with fire, so are we tempered with fiery trials. It is in the fire that our edge can become ready to be sharpened. Until it has an edge put on it the blade is useless.
Further using the analogy of the blade, imagine you are the metal that is being pounded, stuck in a fire, stretched, dunked in cold water, then pounded again. If the metal was able to think, it may wonder why this is happening to it. Just as we often wonder. We question what we have done for things to cause us such distress. Is God disappointed in us? Many times, it is not because we have failed, but because we have set our minds on doing God’s will. The things we are dealing with we realize is an attack of the enemy and not a trial at all. Having a good prayer life will help us to discern the difference.
Trials remind us to depend on God. They drive us to our knees in prayer for a good outcome. When we are able to give our situations to God, he will give us amazing peace in the middle of the worst storms of life. In our trials our weaknesses become strengths.
Nothing can touch us without it going through God’s hand, so even when things are tough it is for our good. It is to teach us a lesson that will grow us into the best version of ourselves we can be. In becoming the best, we will be the warriors God needs us to be to gather the harvest.
There are trials that shatter us into a million pieces. We don’t even think God can find all of the pieces to put our lives back together, but he knows everything we feel, hope, dream. He knows how we hurt and how the enemy lies to us. He is the only one able to put us together. He will bind our wounds and heal our brokenness.
Romans 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Our suffering cannot compare to the spiritual gain that will be built up in us. The things of this life will someday pass. Of one thing we can be sure. Trouble comes to everyone. Just like thunderstorms come and go. But when the storm is over, the sky looks even brighter than it did before the storm. We just have to lean on God and ride out the storms of life, leaning on him. He will not allow us to be overtaken but will at some point whisper peace be still to our storms.
James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 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.
I can honestly say that I have never rejoice and counted it joy when trials come, none of us want to suffer. Jesus didn’t want to suffer, he asked for the cup to pass from him. But he surrendered to the will of God and went to the cross. He will never allow more in our lives than we can handle.
Sometimes trials and suffering come to grow us. Other times we suffer because of bad choices and disobedience. The only good to come from this type of suffering is to learn not to be disobedient children.
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
We as children of God can never allow the enemy to make us feel alone. We cannot allow him to put heaviness on us that we isolate from other believers. We need our brothers and sisters to pray with us and encourage us when we are fighting our way through trials of life.
Taking life one day at a time is the only way to walk through a trial. Allowing God to work in us will give us strength to see us through whatever storm we are facing. Sometimes, we need to reach out and help others through their situations. In lifting up another, we elevate ourselves out of our trials.
Through it all, we can trust that God is with us, he will never leave us. He will see us through whatever comes our way.
Until next time,
BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS
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CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v6qv6ss-god-focus-this-morning-ep304-avoid-distractions.html
WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING
The title of today’s episode: AVOID DISTRACTIONS
Our enemy will try to offer us shiny sin. He will paint it with glitz and glitter to distract us and cause us to make a bad choice. If he can distract us with sin and we freely choose to follow the enemy, then he has us trapped.
But if we choose to follow Jesus, and are resisting the enemy’s temptations, then he will try to distract us in other ways. He will cause people that follow him to give us a hard time. He will throw things at us to distract us from what we need to be doing.
Prov 4:23-27 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. 24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. 25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. 26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. 27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
With every new level of growth we obtain, we will be stronger. It takes new battles to continue to strengthen us. The enemy will try even bigger distractions. He will use our hope and dreams and try to give us what we really desire, but it is a trap. We need to wait on God to give us what we desire.
Psalm 37:4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
If we are doing our best to delight ourselves in the Lord. We will desire to please him and delight in his ways. If we do his will, he will give us what we desire. We cannot take shortcuts offered by the enemy or we will be in a mess.
His traps often look to be exactly like the opportunity we have been waiting for, for a long time. Having discernment about God’s plans will keep us from falling into the trap.
Heb. 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
We have to set aside every weight and sin that distracts us. The enemy will not win if we keep our focus on Jesus. He has the final say and will give us what we need to stand against the enemy. Not only do we have the whole armor of God. But God himself has promised to be our defense.
Isaiah 54: 17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.
No weapon the enemy creates to use against us will prosper as long as we allow God to lead our lives. He is our strength and our shield.
Psalm 59:1 Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.
It doesn’t matter what distractions he tries to send our way. It doesn’t matter who he tries to use to cause us to fall into fear, anxiety, worry, sin or any other distraction, we will stand strong as long as we hold tight to our Lord.
Stand strong, my friends; the enemy may be seeking whom he may devour. But hold tight to the faith, and he will not find anyone to distract with his lies or traps.
Until next time,
BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS
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CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v6qt82q-god-focus-this-morning-ep303-the-danger-of-the-sinners-prayer.html
The title of today’s episode: THE DANGERS OF THE SINNER’S PRAYER
I want to talk to you today about the dangers of the sinner’s prayer. Please listen to the end so that my point can be made clear. I know that many will take offense at my words, but I feel compelled to share them anyway. I do not want to see people lost because they lacked understanding.
I know from personal experience; I had a cousin that said the sinner’s prayer when she was around nine or ten. Then she grew up and refused to listen to anyone about her salvation. She lived a sinful life by even man’s standards. But when the subject came up, she said she was saved. She had said the sinner’s prayer when she was younger and considered herself a Christian. Even though she didn’t have any fruit of being a Christian. She died and I am ninety five percent sure that never changed and she died lost, because there was no conversion. There was no change. Although this is a beginning for some, I think it does more harm than good, on a grand scale.
Acts 3:18-19 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. 19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
Because Christ came and died, we have a right to salvation through and by the blood. Verse 18 says that Christ has fulfilled the prophecy given by the mouth of all his prophets. Verse nineteen then says, because Christ has fulfilled the prophecies and the law, we now can be saved. Then verse 19 shows the next step is to repent and be converted. Let us deep dive into what it means to repent and be converted.
Websters Dictionary online says Repent means
1: to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one’s life
2 A : to feel regret or contrition
B : to change one’s mind
Contrition means to be Contrite- feeling or showing sorrow and remorse for improper or objectionable behavior, actions, etc.
In summary repent means to show sorrow and remorse for our actions that break God’s law. It is not enough to say the words, we have to truly feel sorry that we have broken God’s laws. It is not enough to repent, but we need to allow God to work in our lives that we are converted or changed. This is how our sins are blotted out. So that our soul can be refreshed by the infilling the Holy Ghost.
Webster’s says converted means- to bring over from one belief, view, or party to another, to change from one form or function to another, to alter for more effective utilization.
Being converted means that we change from the person we were when living in sin. We will start looking to Christ for our direction. Does it mean we will be perfect doing this, especially at the beginning? No, that is where God’s grace comes into the picture. His grace is not a license to continue like my cousin to walk in our sins.
Many churches have adopted what the mainstream television ministries have created, it is known as the sinners prayer. They will tell them to repeat these words and then say now you are saved. When they most of the time have not even repented, let alone been converted. Then they continue to live their lives believing that they are saved. Because the preacher told them they were saved. This is a huge lie of the enemy. He wants people to be lulled into a false sense of security.
Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Believe in thine heart…. How can I tell if you believed in your heart or if you just have head knowledge. Who am I to tell you, you are saved? This is just simply wrong and sending a lot of people to hell with false security. Because no conversion was ever made.
I often use this for example to prove my point: When I was in elementary school we used to say the pledge of allegiance to the flag. We said the words but didn’t know what they meant, it didn’t create allegiance within me to the flag. It was just words. Just like all the nursery rhymes before we learned to quote.
Saying the sinners prayer is just words. People may be a little happy since others have told them that they are saved, but in many there is no real change. We need to stop creating a false sense of security in people. We need to explain to them that they need to just talk to God and sincerely tell him that they are sorry. They need to understand that it is a journey of repenting daily. A journey of enduring and walking out our faith.
They need guidance that true repentance in a heart thing. (Believe in thine heart) Being converted means that you no longer wish to break God’s laws, and you strive to live a life pleasing to him. You will no longer live a life of sin.
We should never tell anyone they are saved. We don’t know their heart. They need to ask God for the answers to those questions. He will not allow any to be lost that truly love him and want to live for him.
There is coming a move of God in our world that is going to shake things to the foundation. God is sick of religion and division. He will call those who truly love him to higher ground in him. He will not leave any behind that want to follow him. But it is going to take more than repeating a few words after a preacher. It is going to take us being sold out to the cause of Christ. To be so wrapped up in him that people will not be able to tell where we end, and God begins. It means walking in his spirit and not fulfilling the desires of our flesh.
I have wrestled with this for weeks. Trying to find the right words to get my point across. I understand it is hard for people to find words sometimes. But we can encourage them to pray by simply talking to God. Explain that there has to be a change, we have to change what we can and let God change the rest. But we do not say a magical bunch of words and are instantly saved. It has become a religious ritual. Jesus didn’t come to start a religion. He didn’t come to burden us with a bunch of rituals. There were already people bound by religion and religious rituals. He came to set the captive free. Those who were captive in every sense of the word. From those bound by satan to those bound by religion.
Just because you went to the altar at age six doesn’t mean you are saved for the rest of your life, and you can go out to live like the devil until you die of old age. Nothing in a life like that glorifies God. We are here to help others find God. To live a life that he is pleased with, not to be a bad light by telling people we are Christians when living what is obviously a sinful life. Please stop the religious rituals and stop telling people that by saying this magical formula that they are saved. Saying the words only will not change people. Unless those words come from their heart.
I hope my point was made clear and this was not an attack on anyone. I felt compelled to warn people to think about it. God is trying to bring up his church to a higher level. It is time we think about everything we have always done to see if it lines up with the word of God. Nowhere did Jesus send out his disciples and tell them to have someone do a religious ritual of saying certain words to be saved.
We are in end times, evil is strong in our world. The only way we will survive is if we as the body grow together and level up. It is time to be serious about our faith walk and our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Only in being who he fully needs us to be in the earth will the church prevail over evil.
He cannot use a sick body as effectively as he can a whole healed unified body. We are each responsible for our own souls. But we have to make sure we are helping the lost and not empowering them to stay that way.
Until next time,
BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS
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CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v6qrb0i-god-focus-this-morning-ep302-do-not-fear.html
WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING
The title of today’s episode: DO NOT FEAR
I want to ask all of you to say a prayer for the victims of these crazy storms that have been in our nation for the past couple of days. Which brings me to my topic, things right now look scary. It is impossible not to feel emotions at the loss of life and everything people have worked their whole lives to build. But we cannot let the enemy cause us to fall into fear. Fear is the opposite of faith.
I want to talk to you about fear and those who try to cause it. In this world there are a group of people that have sold out to satan. They do anything and every evil thing for their fake god. Just as there are those who are preaching the truth of God’s word there are those who are purposely twisting it to cause people to fall into fear and even into sin.
There is a woman on social media that is telling everyone that we need to shut ourselves into our houses and block our windows so that no light can escape. If we do not do this then evil beings will come and destroy us. When I heard this I knew it was not from God. God did shut the children of Israel in for a night while the death angel passed, that is true. But it wasn’t to cause them fear. And nothing harmed them because the blood was over their door.
When we become children of God, his blood is on the door post of our heart. He has taken on the task of being our protector. All through the word of God before judgment was sent, God’s people were safe. Noah and his family were locked in the ark before the floods came. Lot and his family God sent them out of Sodom and Gomorra before the fire started falling.
It comes down to trust, how much do we trust God. If we cannot trust him to take care of us in this life, then why worry about the life to come. We have to trust and not fear. We cannot give into the lies of the enemy. The God of the mountain that saved Israel from Egypt lives inside of us.
Get alone with him, spend time in his word. Thank him for his protection, for peace in the middle of chaos, safety when the world is out of control. But do not fall into fear or allow someone on the internet to spread propaganda and lies to cause fear. Fear is not faith. It is ok to not know the details of what tomorrow, because we know who holds our tomorrows in the palm of him hand. He did not create us to cower in fear. He created us to stand strong and be warriors.
2 Tim 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
We have to stay strong in the middle of our transition. God is getting ready to abundantly bless his people. We have no reason to fear.
Isaiah 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.
He has promised us strength, help and that he will uphold us not allowing us to fall. We just have to trust and walk by faith. We cannot go by our natural eyes and the things the enemy wants us to see.
Ps 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
I will not fear evil, because God is with me. His staff to guide me and keep me in the right path, his rod to protect us from the dangerous wolves of this life. The enemy will not prevail as long as we stick close to our shepherd.
Praise and worship is important at this time. The enemy cannot stand praise. When we sing worship songs to God, it draws us closer to God and his presence. The enemy cannot stick around with all his lies, it causes him to run. So put on the garment of praise and the heaviness of your heart will lift.
I know things feel hard right now. Like if one more feather is added to the pile of things you are carrying will break you. Remember that is when we are in the position for breakthrough.
We will prevail as long as we allow God to lead and guide us and not fall into fear.
Until next time,
BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS
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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING
The title of today’s episode: QUICK TURN AROUND
Have you ever heard someone say, just hold on you are on the brink of a miracle. Like things could change at any second. I was thinking about the story of Esther and a few others today. Most of the time they waited a long time for their breakthrough. Suddenly, it was the day that God saved his people, the enemy lost, but God’s people won.
Take the children of Israel, for example. One day they were slaves the next they were marching out of Egypt with great wealth and God had healed their bodies. The things the enemy used to hold them, no longer held them back. God used the salvation of Israel to destroy Egypt because of their worship of false gods and the way they had treated God’s people.
Look at Haman in the story of Esther. He was second in command next to the king. He was prideful. That pride became his downfall. He tricked the king into making a decree that the Jews would be killed on a certain day. He thought that he would get rid of Mordecai, because he hated him. Mordecai refused to bow to Haman, it made him angry.
The story goes that Esther approached the king to save her people from being killed. Even though approaching the king without him asking for her could have meant her death. But when she boldly approached him, he asked for her petition. But instead of asking right there she asked him to come to a banquet and bring Haman.
Haman was feeling important at this point. Dinner with the king and queen. No one else had been invited. When the king asked her what she wanted she asked them to return to dinner the next night and she would ask him.
That night, Haman went home feeling pretty good about himself but couldn’t stop obsessing over Mordecai. His wife suggested he build a gallows for Mordecai. That is what he did all night. He built a fifty-five-cubit-high gallows. That is seventy-five feet in the air. He wanted the whole city to see Mordecai on the gallows.
The king couldn’t sleep that night, when he called for records to be read, he discovered that Mordecai had overheard a plot to kill the king. He discovered that Mordecai had not been rewarded for letting someone know about the plot. The king was pondering the next morning about how to reward him.
When Haman arrived at the palace, the king asked him what he should do to honor someone. Haman with all his pride, thought the king meant him. He thought up his best scenario. He said this person should be placed on the kings horse with the kings robe and crown and paraded through the street with someone yelling this is the man whom the king desires to honor. Deep down Haman wanted to be the king.
Wouldn’t you love to have seen the look on Haman’s face when the king told him to go and do that to Mordecai. Evil Haman had to go through the street yelling this is the man that the king desires to honor. I am sure his blood was boiling.
While Haman plotted evil, God planned good things for his people. That night was Esther’s second banquet. When the trap sprung and Haman was exposed for his evil. He hung on his gallows for the whole city to see. God saved his people, through the boldness of Esther.
Haman went from being at the queen’s banquet to losing out completely. Just as quickly things looked bad for the Jews and Esther went boldly before the king and God saved the Jews.
Anytime we face the enemy and things look bad, we are sitting in a good position for things to turn around quickly. We just have to be strong and hold on until God gets things in position to tear down the enemy while he elevates us.
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Hold on my friends when things seem hard. Remember the stories in the word of God. There are many things that seemed hopeless, then God showed up. This is why we walk by faith and not by sight. Things look bad, but God will turn it around quickly. Once everything is in place. The old saying goes, it is always darkest before the dawn. So hold on, your miracle is on the way. God will never forsake his people.
Until next time,
BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS
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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING
The title of today’s episode: TIME TO ARISE FROM THE ASHES
There are several places in the word of God that speaks about sackcloth and ashes. I decided to look it up and see exactly what it was, it is a black cloth made of goat’s hair. They would put on this hot, itchy material and put wood ashes on them as an outward sign of the mourning inside. It was a sign of repentance and prayer for deliverance.
The people of Ninevah wore sackcloth and ashes as a sign of their repentance. This was normally done while praying and fasting. It was a sign of mourning both for their nation and personal.
Like Job when the lying witnesses told him that all he had was gone. Job sat in sackcloth and ashes. He believed the report of the enemy and it put him into a state of grief. Many things happened to Job, but he stood strong on his belief that God had a reason for everything he had allowed in his life. Even when those around him were miserable comfort.
David sat in sackcloth and ashes when he lost his first-born child. After a period of mourning, these people have to eventually arise and get on with their lives.
2 Sam 12:20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.
Mordecai in the book of Esther sat at the king’s gate in sackcloth and ashes, mourning for the Jewish people that were about to be killed because of a decree of an evil man that had tricked the king.
I started thinking about the story of Esther and how there could be some comparisons to the church of today. In her story is an evil man named Haman. He was determined to destroy a group of people because one man would not bow to him.
Mordecai refused to bow to him. I believe the reason that it bothered him so badly was because deep down he knew he didn’t deserve to be where he was as second in command.
Compare the church of today to Esther. The enemy has put out a plan to destroy us. We as the church have been sitting in the ashes of our mourning. Too long we have been grieving for what is behind. People say all the time, “Church is not like it used to be…” they get nostalgic for the things of the past. But God is getting ready to do a new thing. We have only a short time to gather the harvest. He is getting ready to pour out his Spirit in ways we cannot even imagine.
Esther 5:1 Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, over against the king’s house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.
We cannot be stuck sitting in our ashes of mourning. It is time we arise like Esther and put on our royal apparel and go before the king and petition for the change we want to see. Evil Haman ended up hanging on his own gallows he had built for Mordecai. It is time satan was put in his place. Although we cannot get him hung on his own gallows, we can pray and break his hold on the church. We have power through and by the blood of Jesus. He has given us power over the enemy. We just need to find some holy boldness.
Isaiah 61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.
It is time we gave our fears, worried, insecurities, past regrets, ideas about the way things need to be and embraced what God is going to do. It is time we traded all those old garments that we have been wearing for the one God is getting ready to give us. But we cannot praise him if we are in mourning. It is time to arise from our ashes and let God build a glorious church to gather the end time harvest.
Until next time,
BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS
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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING
The title of today’s episode: AVOIDING FALSE ASSUMPTIONS
Every division in the body of believers in Christ started somewhere. Two people didn’t see eye to eye, so they split and started their own thing. Now, we have too many denominations to count and too many translations of the Bible.
What if I told you that a group of evil people paid pastors to cause confusion. They didn’t want God’s people to stand strong. They created a church culture that allowed people to have an eased conscience without having to sacrifice. They created versions of the word that sounded good but left out the true meaning of the gospel.
I was raised in church. Saved at the age of fifteen. I spent some time in the world doing things I shouldn’t have done. I then returned to the church and tried to do what I thought was expected of me. But when I really got serious about my faith walk. I decided to question everything I had ever been taught. It bothered me that there were all these different denominations of Christians. But the word said we were one body. I questioned how we could be one body with all the different ideas. Many would die for their denomination before they would die for Christ. It is so ingrained in them that they are right that their minds are closed to the revelation of what God’s word actually says.
I didn’t want to be narrow-minded, but knew that the grand philosophy of all roads lead to heaven was way too open minded. There has to be a balance between the two. When two people do not agree, they both cannot be right. But they both can be wrong. They are both wrong if the discussion becomes about who is right and not what is right, even if one of them has the correct answer. I am all for open discussion and an exchange of ideas, this is how we learn. But when it turns into an argument, then it is wrong.
That being said, I want to encourage you to sit down and pray for God to reveal his word to you. He will not withhold the truth from someone who seeks it. We cannot be so arrogant to assume we know it all. The more I learn the more I realize I don’t know everything. My grandfather after studying the bible for more than seventy years, would say he didn’t know it all either. He also would smile and say, it is what you learn after you know it all that counts. In other words when we get to the end of ourselves and learn what God is trying to say, that is what counts.
Are you knocking on the door of understanding and revelation? Are you seeking God’s wisdom and truth? Or are you blindly following a preacher because he is a good speaker and has a nice smile?
God has promised to give us wisdom. If we ask for it.
James 1:5-8 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.
We need to ask and God will not withhold it from us. If we ask in faith and are not wishy washy about it. We cannot be double minded, because we will not have a solid foundation if we are double minded.
He has promised if we seek, we will find.
Matt 7:7-8 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
God knows the sincerity of our hearts. If we seek answers and pray for his wisdom he will open it to us. He also warns us not to throw our pearls before swine. In other words, do not argue about doctrine, if someone just wants to argue for the sake of argument. It is a waste of time.
I want to warn you that today there are many that their whole purpose is to deceive God’s people. They will come with a bible and a smile, but be careful. The word says by their fruit you will know them. Many false prophets and teachers know the scriptures better than a lot of saints. Pray about everything.
2 Tim 3:10-12 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, 11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
2 Tim 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
It is important to know the life of the person that is ministering to you. Do they walk the walk or just talk the talk on TV and live a wicked life the rest of the time?
2Tim 3:15-17 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
We have our bibles to make sure that we have the correct ideas about God, life, love and salvation. That we may be perfect and thoroughly equipped to do the good works of God.
I want to encourage you to ask God, Seek God, Pray for wisdom, Pray for understanding. He will never let you down. He will not allow us to be deceived if we depend on him.
Until next time,
BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS
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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING
The title of today’s episode: REGAINING FOCUS
In the world we are living in there are many things that are going on that the average person doesn’t know about. The truth is slowly coming out and some of the stories are hard to wrap our minds around. The cruelty done to innocent children is beyond the scope of imagination.
I heard one such story today, it shattered my heart into a million pieces. It grieved my Spirit; it took me several hours to pray my way through it. As a child of God, it would be impossible to not be moved by all of the things going on, but I was reminded that we cannot dwell on the evil. We cannot do anything about it except pray and let God deal with it.
He is the God of justice; he is the God that will punish those who are evil and refuse to repent. His word says Vengeance is mine, I will repay. God is in control; I had to change my focus. I started thinking on God and his amazing grace.
I realized that I had allowed my God focus to become unfocused. I had to pray for an adjustment to my lenses. For God to help me focus on what I could control and let him handle everything in his scope of control. We have to be ever-vigilant to keep our minds focused on Jesus.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
As we lean into the vastness and glory of our God, it will give us a sense of peace. It helps us to realize even though we are small and in many ways weak, we are still mighty through the power of his Spirit that lives within us.
Phil 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Our God is an awesome God. He has got the entire universe in his hand. Focusing on him will always give us peace. In a world where peace is hard to find outside of God. It may not even exist outside of God. But we can sit in his presence and feel surrounded by a calm tranquility that can only come from him. As he ministers to our souls.
Being in his presence and gaining our focus on him will lighten the heaviness that comes from knowing the evil that exists in the world. Some of it is closer than we ever thought possible.
Isaiah 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.
We are human and it is easy to allow our focus to be swayed to things other than our God. But he is there to remind us as soon as life gets to be overwhelming. He is the same God that delivered a nation from Egypt. He is the same God that delivered the three Hebrew men from the fiery furnace. The one that caused the walls of Jerico to fall, giving his people access to take the city. He is the same God that sent his son to die for our sins. He created each of us with a purpose. But we will never fulfill our purpose until we get our focus on him and allow him to move in our lives.
When you find yourself discouraged or see something that breaks your heart, he is there to pick you up and give you peace. It all comes down to our ability to keep our God focus and allow him to do a work in us.
Until next time,
BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS
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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING
The title of today’s episode: KEEPING FOCUS ON THE VOICE OF GOD
I try to always come to you with positive and encouraging content. All day yesterday however, I kept feeling a warning in my spirit, a call to obedience. It is time that people quit trying to straddle the fence as we often say in Christian circles. It means you say with your mouth you are a Christian, but often your actions do not align with your words.
Then there are those whom God gives positions of authority. Sometimes, it is to test them and see if they will love power and status more than they love him. They have the potential to be mighty in the kingdom of God, but there is also potential for a big fall. It all depends on where their focus lies. Are they listening to what God is saying, or are they following their own path.
We can never let our position in the kingdom become our life. God is our life. Following his lead is crucial. Many in the fivefold ministry have been taken down by the enemy because they lost their focus on who was in control. They allowed the enemy to steal their anointing or God’s glory from their life. They became too caught up in the work or sometimes the world, to see that his anointing had lifted from their lives.
Like Sampson, he played with the devil too long and lost his strength. He didn’t even know it was gone until it was too late. His story should be a warning to us all not to play around with the enemy.
People in positions of authority in the church have an even greater responsibility to walk close and not give room to the enemy. Many are looking to them for guidance.
Eph 4:22-27 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil.
There is a lot in these few verses. We need to make sure to renew our mind that we do not read things into what is happening but allow God to lead us. We cannot open the door to the enemy and expect God to bless us.
Eli’s sons were wicked, he didn’t call them on it but allowed their wickedness to continue. They defiled the temple of the Lord. God will give everyone warnings and then after a space of time, to turn from their evil he will remove them from their positions of authority in the body.
Just like the ark of the covenant, in Israel’s hands, it went before them and God blessed them and gave them victories over their enemies. But that same ark when stolen by someone who is not permitted to have it, it became a curse to the Philistines.
We cannot treat God’s anointing and glory with carless attitudes. We do not want to lose out on what God has for us. We all have work to do for the Lord. We need to approach it as a privilege and try to honor God in everything we do.
Heb 10:22-23 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Hold fast to our faith without wavering; without being double -minded or unstable in the way we conduct our faith walk. We need to keep hold tight to our faith, not allowing the enemy to cause us to doubt. When we are faced with decisions, we need to pray for God’s voice to be the only one we hear. That the voice of truth will tell us the story, the way God wants it to play out in our lives. Pray that we do not allow our desires or our own understanding to cause us to falter. One verse even tells us to trust God and not our own understanding.
The choices we make may not even, on the surface, appear to be something sinful or prideful. It could be that we see a space and think God wants us to step in when it was something that was meant for someone else. The place that God was going to give them to shine.
We cannot be paralyzed by fear and not make any moves to step out and try to do something for God. But we need to know that it is his voice we hear. If we are willing to listen, he has promised to lead and guide us. We have to be willing to follow even if it is not what we think is best. Listen for the voice of truth, that still small voice that is God’s Spirit within, he is there to be our guide. He will help us walk in obedience.
I Sam. 15:3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
God told Saul to go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy every living thing. But Saul was disobedient for whatever reason. He allowed flesh to dictate his outcome. He said he feared the people. We cannot allow people to get in the way of our obedience to God.
I Sam 15:14-18 And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? 15 And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed. 16 Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on. 17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel? 18 And the Lord sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.
I Sam 15:19-20 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord? 20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
I Sam 15: 21-23 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal. 22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
I pray that I am not rebellious or stubborn when God tells me to do something. I do not want to fail in this way. We are human and God does give us grace. But expects us to walk in obedience.
Until next time,
BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS
LIKE SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ENCOURAGEMENT
GOD FOCUS--Psalm 34:3 O magnify the Lord with me.... 