Tag: #faithwalk

EPISODE 295 DEFINING MOMENTS

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The title of today’s episode: DEFINING MOMENTS

Life is full of defining moments. The moments we take our first steps or on our first day of school, graduation. Many other defining moments of our earthly life. We also have defining moments in our spiritual lives. The day we give our lives to Christ. Many things define who we are, but none more than how we handle adversity as children of God.

A situation arises in our lives and our first reaction is to allow our emotions to rule. The enemy will attack us with fear, anxiety, stress, worry and all the emotions to get us to fall apart. Our natural instincts about situations often go against us. If we belonged in the natural world then those instincts would probably be right. But this world is not our home, we are just passing through. We cannot allow fear and worry to overtake us.

Now is the time to make a conscious decision to stand and fight against the attacks of the enemy. God wins! Nowhere in the word does it say that satan will win. It says he has no power against God. He cannot win against the power of God.

I want to remind you that the Lord is on our side. It doesn’t matter the pain, fear and stress. The situations that seem impossible in our lives to cause us to worry, are no match for our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is when we have to hit our knees in order to stand on his promises. He has promised he will take care of us. We need to dig in and fight for what is right. In most of the stories we use for inspiration there comes one defining moment. Like the moment Esther pushed open the doors of the court and approached the king. Because of her courage, evil Haman was hanged on his own gallows. Our enemy will be caught and will be stopped by our King Jesus.

At another defining moment David threw down Saul’s armor and decided to go against Goliath without it. That seemed crazy to the natural mind. You are going to battle against someone twice your size and you have no protection. At least to the natural mind he seemed to not have any protection. But he went in the name of the Lord. And God showed up at just the right moment and guided his stone. Then the enemy’s weapon was used against him to cut off his head.

Genesis 50:19-21 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. 21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.

Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. He went through many things before the Pharaoh made him second in command in Egypt. Every elevation got him closer to God’s will. But he had to spend time in unpleasant situations. We have to walk through situations to elevate us to the place that God can use us.

What the enemy meant to destroy us; God will use to elevate us. But God is completely in control. He will not allow us to be destroyed. We may get a little uncomfortable when situations arise. But we have to remember that God will not allow us to be overtaken. Uncomfortable is a part of life, we are in a fight and warriors do not always have a comfortable life.

We can gain perspective by worship. Worship creates an atmosphere that gives us joy and strength. As the coming days play out, we need to stay strong and keep our focus on God through worship. He will see us through. We never face our giants alone. We are close to our defining moments. Will we stand, or will we allow the enemy to get the upper hand because we have lost heart? God will give us strength if we faint not; he will make sure that we have what we need to overcome in our defining moments.

One final thing to think about today, who do you want defining you? The enemy is never right when trying to define who we are, but God says we are blessed, chosen and his. If we depend on God, we will never fail. We will see our way clearly through those defining moments.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 294 FULLY TRUSTING GOD

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The title of today’s episode: FULLY TRUSTING GOD

Not everyone assigned to a task will find God’s will. Sometimes, our flesh can get in the way. Moses sent twelve spies into the promised land to check it out. God had already told them the land belonged to them. But ten men got into the flesh and allowed what they saw to cause them to fear. Walking in fear will always take us the wrong direction.

How often do we fall into fear? God says he will take care of us. He promises us that he is with us and will never leave us. He has given his angels charge over us to protect us. He promises that he will restore what the enemy has stolen. Yet we find ourselves bound up with worry and fear. Who’s report do we believe? God’s or our flesh that is being lied to by satan.

We need to have the strength of Joshua and Caleb. They saw everything the other ten saw. The difference was in their reaction. They decided not to allow fear to overtake them, they decided to get some grapes and bring them back to show the people. They had proof they actually went into the land. The other ten only brought words of fear and negativity.

When God promises us something, there is not time for negativity. If he brings us to it, he will make a way to get rid of the giant obstacles that are in the way of us getting to where he wants us to go. There is not a mountain too high or a giant too big that can intimidate our God. He is endless, boundless, everlasting the Almighty God that made everything.

Joshua and Caleb embraced God’s steadfast, unwavering promises. The rest were not trusting enough in God’s word. It is often when we are met with what seems to us to be insurmountable odds, that God’s hand really shines through with a mighty miracle.

America is teetering on the edge; we are needing God’s mighty hand to restore and give us back what the enemy has stolen. Satan has tried to steal the next generations from God, by offering shiny, distractions. We know that not everything that glitters is not gold. Especially today, many glittering things are made from cheap plastic. We cannot fall for the temporary substitute of cheap peace. It is a trap of the enemy.

When only true peace is found in Jesus. He is the one with real joy and satisfaction. The enemy cannot match in any way. But people fall into legalism, feeling like they cannot serve God, because it is too hard. They listen to the enemy when he tells them that the things he offers are to make them happy. But once inside the trap, people realize it is a cheap substitute for God’s love and peace.

I know I want to be like Caleb and Joshua, I want the boldness of God to arise in me when faced with decisions like they were facing. I want to say, yes there are giants, but our God is still bigger than them. Have you seen the size of the grapes. There is much fruit to be had in the promises of God if we are willing to reach out in spite of our fears and gather it.

If the Spirit of God dwells within us, we will have the fruit. When faced with seemingly insurmountable odds we can be strong and allow what God has grown within us to give us the strength to face adversity.

Pause and think about God. Think about this sentence. “OUR GOD NEVER FAILS”. Why do we worry, why do we fear, if he has promised so much to us?

Allow the boldness of God and the fruit that is within you to give you strength to face down the giants. You will not go alone, God is with you. You can make it, it you believe.

Gal 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

I don’t see fear, doubt, negativity, being argumentative, being double-minded on the list of the fruit of the spirit. This is why we must walk in the boldness of God, keeping in mind his peace, joy, goodness and the rest of the fruit. It is our fruit that separates us from the nonbeliever.

We grow our faith by speaking God’s promises, not by speaking negativity. Allow God’s boldness to arise within you. Stand up and look the enemy in the eye and tell him he is under your feet. You are not listening to him anymore.

May the peace of God surround you today. May the Joy of the Lord give you strength. Hold on and stand strong, God has got us in the palm of his hand. He will keep his promises we can depend on his word.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 293 ARISE OUT OF SLEEP

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The title of today’s episode: ARISE OUT OF SLEEP

Being a servant of God is not always an easy road. Sometimes in the middle of the night you find yourself awakened by the needs of others. God will wake us up to pray. After an hour or so of intercession you feel the release to go back to sleep, only to be awakened in a couple of hours with an urgent thought running through your mind. By the time the computer boots up, the thought is gone. Then you sit with one eye open, trying to think about what you should be writing. (At least that is what happened to me last week.)

God will sometimes stretch us out of our comfort zones to make us more moldable clay. It is sort of like the process of getting out all the air bubbles. The potter beats the clay, not because he is angry or out of a twisted sense of revenge, but because if the air bubbles are not removed, the pottery will explode in the fire.

God is preparing us to be on fire for him. A great army of warriors that will be the ones to witness, persuade, encourage the final harvest of souls. It will not be a snap of the fingers, and we are done kind of task. Although God goes with us and will work on them to make their heart ready to hear the word. We will still have to speak the word.

Warriors endure great hardship for the sake of king and country. We need to think about our willingness to sacrifice when God asks us to step out of our comfort zone. How willing are we to push back our plates and fast a meal? How willing are we to spend an extra fifteen minutes sitting quietly waiting for God to speak to us? How willing are we to sacrifice to see a soul saved?

It is my prayer that God will find me a worthy vessel for his use and that I am strong enough to do his will.

Matt 26:40-41And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Our flesh is the enemy at times. This is why we must make it uncomfortable in order to carry out God’s plan. Because our mission is greater than we are.

Joshua 5:2 At that time the Lord said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.

All the men that came out of Egypt had died over the 40 years except Joshua and Caleb. God was getting ready to take them to the promised land. But first, they cut away the flesh in order to renew their covenant with God.

It is time the church got back to the business of truly being the church. It is time we cut away the flesh. I am not saying we need to cut ourselves with actual knives. But the Old Testament is the type and shadows of the new. It stands to reason that if they had to cut away the flesh to regain covenant that we would have to remove the desires of our flesh and cut away parts of the way things were done. It is time we strengthen our determination to follow Jesus.

Luke 9:23-24 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

When we take up our cross it will not always be pretty. Attending church service and enjoying ourselves. Sometimes it is driving for an hour and sitting with a friend that is at the hospital with a loved one that is dying. Sometimes it is loving and serving others. It means sacrificing our will to what God needs us to do in that moment.

How do we show we are the disciples of Christ?

John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

We could have love, for them and instead of praying or going to that hospital we go back to bed and pet our flesh. Then send a sorry I couldn’t be there card. When we know we should have sacrificed our time.

I could have a million dollars to give you, but if I never made effort to let you know or take it to you, you could starve to death. We have to show that love and give it to others.

I guess this is a long way of saying, it is time the church woke up and got outside the walls. No agenda, just people loving people with God’s help, encouragement and strength. Showing them God’s incredible love for us all.

It is time to leave religion in the desert and step into the new, just simply living a life sold out to Christ. Cutting away traditions of men and denominational boundaries set by men unable to reason together. It is time for the church to wake up.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EP291 SOMETIMES VICTORY IN THE SHOUT

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The title of today’s episode: SOMETIMES VICTORY IS IN THE SHOUT

There is no substitute for true praise. Worship is not always a person sitting quietly with their hands folded in their laps with their eyes shut. Sometimes it is shouts, tears and displays of emotion. God wants us to give him worship from our hearts and not lip service.

I was reading Luke 19 today and came across the account of Jesus riding a colt into Jerusalem.

Luke 19:33-38 And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt? 34 And they said, The Lord hath need of him. 35 And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. 36 And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way. 37 And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; 38 Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.

They were not quiet, they were singing, rejoicing and praising with a loud voice for all the mighty works. Sometimes God is so good that we cannot contain the praise. It is not undignified to be loud, if someone is doing it for attention then God knows that too. I don’t know where the church got the idea that everything had to be silent all the time. I can’t find it in the bible. When the church lost their shout, they also lost their praise, which led to the loss of joy and strength. Soon the churches became social clubs and not places of worship. It is time we lost our dignified ways and gave God exuberant praise from our hearts. If everyone was doing this no one would have time to look at one another with judgment.

Luke 19:39-40 And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. 40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

The religious people didn’t want them praising God in a manner that didn’t fit their theology. And of course, they didn’t believe that Jesus was the son of God. They didn’t think he should be praised. There are many Pharisees today in all walks of life.

Worship is not about candles, long robes and silence. These people have a form and a fashion but deny the power of God. Because when God shows up for church it will wreck your theology. It is about a heart connection to the one that saved our souls. If we really allowed that to sink in about where he has bought us from, we would remember the reason he deserves praise and worship.

I then think about Jerico. The Israelites marched for days around the city. They were quiet and didn’t provoke their enemy. It didn’t cause anything to happen. But on the last day God told them to shout, and the walls fell. The shout of triumph can make our enemy scared and bring down the walls the enemy has built.

Jesus would have walked past Bartemaeus, but he cried with a loud voice. The people around him tried to silence him, but he cried out anyway. When we want to receive something from God, sometimes it takes a shout. Jesus answered him and gave him his sight. Think about how close he came to missing his miracle. If he had listened to the crowd, he would have remained blind.

Many people are spiritually blind today. It is up to us to lead them to Jesus. We cannot stand in their way and tell them to be dignified and quiet. We need to tell them to cry out to Jesus for his soul cleansing, never ending, healing power. Time is short and we need to cry out and let our voices be heard. Many are needing to meet Jesus. We cannot let the Pharisees of today, those who wish for us to be silent, stop us from telling people about Jesus.

It is time we left our comfort zones. It is time we got serious about our witness to the world. I don’t want rocks crying out for me in praise or witness. I don’t want to come before God and him say, you should have told others about me. I want to hear him say, Well Done.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EP290 UNAPOLOGETIC WORSHIP

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The title of today’s episode: UNAPOLOGETIC WORSHIP

Today I want to talk to you about keeping your focus on Jesus. We need to worship him unapologetically. There is a story in the gospel of Luke of a woman that was determined to worship Jesus. This woman brought an alabaster box of expensive oils, and anointed Jesus.

The Pharisees sat in judgment.

Luke 7:36-38 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat. 37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, 38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

The Pharisee was uncomfortable with her open worship of Jesus. Because he didn’t believe Jesus deserved worship. He didn’t see him as anything more than maybe a prophet. The Pharisee questioned if he was even a prophet. He thought it was wrong of him to allow her to continue.

Luke 7:39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.

He questioned Jesus’ status by saying if he were a prophet, like he wasn’t even worthy to be a prophet. Then he judged the woman, saying she is a sinner. Like there was no hope for her.

Luke 7:40-43 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. 41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

Jesus understood the heart of the woman. He knew all about her circumstances and didn’t judge her for the past. She had lived a sinful life and needed much forgiveness, but she showed her gratitude toward Jesus by interrupting their dinner to sit at his feet and worship.

Luke 7:44-46 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.

Luke 7:47-50 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. 49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? 50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

No where does it say the woman defended her interaction with Jesus. She didn’t care that the religious leader (the Pharisee) was watching her. An account in another of the gospels says that the disciples said she could have sold the ointment and given the money to the poor. Like they thought it was a waste.

Anything we give to Jesus is never wasted. Our time, our praise, our tears, the substance of our finances. We could learn a lesson from this woman and continue to pour out our hearts in praise as the woman poured out the oil. She didn’t see anyone but Jesus, she was focused completely on him. She didn’t apologize that they were judging her for her behavior.

One of the biggest lessons we can take away is that true worship from the heart and a life lived fully sold out to Jesus will draw criticism from those who are not comfortable with that level of openness to the Lord.

I don’t care how perfect you walk as a Christian there will be those with a judgmental spirit that will criticize. Sometimes out of jealousy because they really want to be free enough to worship openly, showing their heart. But they are afraid of being judged.

We need to focus on our worship of Jesus and let them say whatever they want, their opinion doesn’t matter. Only the opinion of the one who died for us matters. Unapologetic worship allows us to connect with the heart of God. Get out of that comfort zone, ignore people and love openly our Lord Jesus Christ.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EP286 THIS SAME JESUS

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The title of today’s episode: THIS SAME JESUS

The great I AM our Lord Jesus Christ is the same, he never changes. I started to think about how he has proven himself to every generation. All through the bible the people would stray, and he would draw them back to him. What triggered this thought was the verse in the first chapter of Acts.

Let me create the setting for you. Jesus had walked for forty days with the disciples after he was raised from the dead. They went up to the mount and he was taken up in the clouds to heaven.

Acts 1:9-11 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

This same Jesus is the phrase I want to focus on. This same Jesus that walked on water. This same Jesus that raised the dead. This same Jesus that died for us. This same Jesus that went away is coming again.

God has always blessed and protected his people. This same Jesus we serve will be our comfort, our strength, our peace, our hope, our joy. This same Jesus will never fail us.

It is good to have people we know we can depend on when we need help. But even friends and family cannot or will not go with us as far as Jesus does and will go. This is why I encourage you to keep your focus on God. This is why I encourage you to dig into the word. The more we study the deeper our understanding.

There are many great mysteries in the word. Some of the prophets have written things that are hard to unravel. It will take God to reveal the meaning to us. Just because we do not understand everything, doesn’t mean we should give up. A lot of the bible is written like a story. Other parts, God will reveal when we need the understanding. Then there is Leviticus in a class all by itself. Every time, I have to read it or scribe it, I am so thankful for Jesus and his work on the cross. Because he fulfilled the law, I no longer have to keep up with my sin and how many animals I have to take to the priest to atone for them. This same Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice so that I could live.

God was referred to in the Old Testament as Jehovah, Yahweh, the Great I AM. This same God that rescued the children of Israel will rescue us from the Pharaohs of today. He will slay our giants and part the troubled waters. He will set us free and lead us to our promised land of heaven.

We can easily get sidetracked by all the “Christian things” and forget to just walk everyday the best we can, looking to our Lord and Savior to see us through whatever is facing us that day.

We only need enough of his grace and mercy for that one day, because his mercies are new each morning. We get a blank page to start fresh everyday to be all that we can be for the cause of Christ.

This same Jesus will open doors in walls that have no doors. He will do amazing things for us that love him. Learning to be obedient and trust him is some of mankind’s largest obstacles. Most of us feel we can do things on our own. That is when we find out the hard way that we cannot make it without him.

He will often let us try our wings because we ask him to, he knows we cannot fly but will applaud our efforts. And just like a mama bird, he will not let us hit the ground but will swoop down and catch us in just the nick of time.

This same Jesus has not lost any power. He can still heal the sick and raise the dead. The issue is that the church; his disciples today are not the same. It is time we returned our hearts to the dedication of our ancestors. People will say they don’t have time to pray and read their Bibles. I get it, I was one of those people. But we can watch three or four hours of TV in the evenings or scroll social media for hours. We make time for the important things. This same Jesus that went away wants to walk with us and talk with us. He wants to share every aspect of our lives. This same Jesus that went away, is coming back soon. Make sure you are ready to see him.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EP285 SHELTERED SAFE IN THE ARMS OF GOD

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The title of today’s episode: SHELTERED SAFE IN THE ARMS OF GOD

For several days the words to an old hymn have been running through my mind. “Sheltered In The Arms of God” is a song written by Dottie Rambo in 1969. She was walking along a beach in Florida after a storm. Weaving her way along amont the drift wood and sea weed that had washed up on shore. Dottie wrote the words to this beautiful song. She was talking to the Lord about some storms in her own life, a betrayal of a good friend. Out of that storm came inspiration that would encourage people for decades. God doesn’t waste our storms, but he will not allow them to over take us either.

As I thought about what it means to be sheltered in his arms. My thoughts immediately went to Psalm 91 since I read and declare it over my home almost every night before bed.

Psalm 91 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

This is the first key to unlocking the door to breakthrough. We have to learn how to dwell in the secret place of the most High. Finding that place to have quiet alone time with him is critical to our faith walk. Then we must abide or stay in his presence to be under the shadow of the Almighty. Think about a shadow, the only way to be in someone’s shadow is if we are close to them.

We can depend on him to be our refuge and place of safety even in the most fierce storms imaginable. He is our safe place. We can trust him. But we have to get into that secret place before the storm hits. It is a lot harder to get into his presence when life is falling apart.

Psalm 91:2-4 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

The song goes, “Let the storms rage high, the dark clouds rise, they won’t worry me, for I’m sheltered safe within the arms of God. He walks with me and none of earth shall harm me.”

This was her way of saying, I am under the shadow of his wings, he is my covering and I will be safe. It doesn’t matter how dark the clouds, how much the wind howls, how many trees are falling. We will be safe under the shadow of his wings.

If we draw close to God and use the keys, he has given us in his word we will have nothing to fear. Fear is caused when we get into a weak moment and listen to the enemy. He is all too ready to spread fear.

Psalm 91:5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

The whole chapter of Psalm 91 is an awesome chapter to commit to memory. It is a Psalm for dangerous times. And we are in dangerous times if we look at the storm. But if we keep ourselves in the secret place of the almighty, we will only see him and not the storms of life.

We sometimes come up against something in life and the harder we try to make sense of it the more complicated it gets, until we get frustrated. Some doors are not meant for us to walk through because God has other doors, better ones. If we try to move in our understanding, we often make things worse.

But waiting on the Lord, we shall be strengthened when we find that place of rest under his wings. We are sheltered and protected from the fiery darts of the enemy. When we wait upon God to unlock the door, then we will know he has checked things out and it is safe for us to enter.

Psalm 91:9-10 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; 10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

If we spend time in the shadow of his wings, sheltered safe, because he is our habitation. The word habitation means to occupy, reside, a place we live like a home.

We can pray against sickness coming near our dwelling. As the world spins out of control with all the talk of viruses and disease today, we can ask for God’s protection from these harmful things that are being unleashed. If we stay within his shadow, sheltered in his arms he will send his angels to protect us.

Psalm 91:11 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.

As we go forward, we have to remember that it doesn’t matter what the enemy tries to do to us. It doesn’t matter how scary the storm sounds; we can make the choice to be sheltered safe within the arms of God.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EP284 DRAWING CLOSER TO GOD

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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

I want to apologize for missing a couple of post. We had a storm blow through and I didn’t have any internet. Pray for the people in the path of this storm, there is flooding and damage all over the place. Some even died in Kentucky and around. So pray for those families.

The title of today’s episode: DRAWING CLOSER

Ask any Christian if they think they need to draw closer to God and most will tell you yes. Now is the time that God is drawing his people to him. For us to be effective as the body of Christ we have to be in a position to hear God’s voice.

James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

The body of Christ is needed in this day and age to be a light. We cannot be a light if we are not close enough to God to reflect His light. It is time the church, caught on fire.

We are to present our bodies a living sacrifice to God. We cannot have the stench of sin in our lives. We have to keep our sins under the blood. In drawing closer to Christ, the more we will be a sweet savor to God.

Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

We are to present our bodies a living sacrifice. Which means we kill the desires we have and only have the desires God wants for us. We put aside the things of this life and take up our cross and follow Jesus. By doing this we will draw closer to God and be in a position He can use us.

The objective of God is to save as many people as possible. He didn’t design hell for mankind. But if we do not use our free will to choose him then that will be our destination. But we cannot simply repent and be saved.

I Cor 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Every day we have a choice, do we do what we want to do, or do we follow Christ? By choosing to die out to ourselves, we accept what God’s plan is for us, for that day. We have to ask him daily to forgive us of our choices that we make that are sinful.

God is getting ready to set the church on fire. He will have a body of believers. We have to make sure that we are part of that body of believers. People who are willing to stand for the truth even if it costs us our lives. That used to cause fear in me when I thought about having to die for the gospel. I wondered if I would be strong enough. But I now know that if it came to that, the Spirit of God within me would rise up and give me strength. As long as I walk every day as close as I can to his presence.

I have walked through some things I never thought I would have to walk through. But with each hard thing that came my way God was there to see me through it. He was there to show me how to take one breath at a time. He will show you too.

John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

The word abide means to dwell, remain, stay, or continue in a state or relationship. We cannot wait until the moment that our world is falling apart to pray and expect that God will always move. We must create an atmosphere where God’s presence is welcome around us. Then when the trials of life come to burn us to the ground, we will be on fire for God and it will be a controlled burn.

Just like firefighters will often set smaller fires to stop a bigger one. They want to use up all the fuel so the large fire will not have anything to burn. We too have to have God’s holy fire in our lives to get rid of anything that the enemy could use as fuel to burn down our lives.

We get this fire, by drawing closer to God. Everyday this should be our prayer, Dear Lord, draw me closer to you. Breathe in me your breath of life and make me more like you.

I am sure some are probably tired of me saying read the word. Don’t just carry it around with you. Read it. It is life and strength to our spirit man. Talk with God, ask him what he wants for your life. He will answer, because he only wants what is best for his children. He wants us to draw closer to him, so that our relationship can be full and blossoming.

Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

The kingdom of God is not in carnal things, but in righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. We gain, peace, joy and righteousness by drawing closer to God. By living a life dedicated to what God want for us, not what we desire.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EP280 TIME TO CLEAN THE JUNK OUT

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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: TIME TO CLEAN THE JUNK OUT

I’ve been doing some decluttering and early spring cleaning. When I came to my junk drawer. Before you sit in judgment of me, almost everyone has a catch-all drawer or closet. Unfortunately, I have both.

As I went through the junk drawer, I came across a box and immediately knew what was in it. Every time I clean out that drawer, I have kept it until this time. It was a bunch of keys left by the previous owners of the house. As soon as we moved in, we changed the locks on the doors, not knowing who else had a key. But there were a lot of keys that we didn’t know what they were for, so just in case, I kept them for thirteen years. Crazy hun?

Our heart is a filter for everything we experience. Every emotion gets turned into memories in our brains, but still, when we are reminded of things, we feel the emotion. If we have been hurt by people, often we bury that hurt deep in our hearts. We try to push aside the memories.

Sooner or late,r they all accumulate like the stuff in our junk drawer. For all the things we don’t know how to deal with or think we may need later, we hold on to them. Offense is one of the biggest tools in satan’s arsenal against the body of Christ.

Then satan will constantly remind us of the offense. Like he was sitting beside us, poking us with his finger. If he can get us to feel offense, we will avoid others. This isolation can lead us to not be able to be a light to others. It is easier to hide in our offense. Which could make room for him to use fear, anxiety, and depression against us.

Unity and real reform in the body of Christ cannot happen until we can learn to let go of offense. Jesus is there waiting for us to give it to him. He will take care of it.

Prov 18:19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.

Holding on to offense makes us unapproachable. The more pain, envy, anger, bitterness and offense we hold onto the less room in our lives for the good things that God wants to give to us. Just as that junk drawer has only so much space, so does our heart.

It is not easy to let go of painful things. Just like those keys, we often hold on to it way too long when we could have used that space for something productive.

If we ask God, he will help us to be able to let go of the pain of what others have done to us. This is why it is a good idea to ask God to search our hearts and see if we are carrying hurt and offense. Ask for his help to forgive and he will help us to let it go.

Col 3:12-14 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

If we put of charity, which means love it is the bond of perfectness. Walking in love is how we share Jesus with the world.

Walking in love means asking for forgiveness if we have hurt someone. We have be mature enough to admit when we are wrong. It is the only way God can use us, if we cleanse our hands of causing others pain.

Col 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

There is no room for peace and painful offense to dwell together in our hearts. One will be dominant, and one will be shoved back in the corner. We want peace to prevail. Because God gives peace that goes beyond our ability to comprehend. Ask Jesus to search your heart and see if there is something in a forgotten corner that you can let go of, to make room for more of God’s love.

It is time, as the body of Christ, that we clean out our pulpits. They have accumulated all sorts of junk. It is time we get rid of the immoral actors who are pretending to be ministers of the gospel. Get rid of the light shows that lull us into a false sense of peace. If Christians would take a stand and find a church with a real minister of the gospel and leave these fake social clubs, then the body would be effective in the world. We will see the miracles, signs and wonders of the early church. We will see people whole, delivered, and set free from satan’s grasp. Once again, I say it is time we got rid of the junk from the church.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 278 IN HIS PRESENCE

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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: IN HIS PRESENCE

The enemy will do anything he can to keep us from being present in God’s presence. God is always there, he is always present. But often we do not acknowledge that presence. If satan can keep us distracted with the things of this life he will accomplish keeping us out of God’s presence in the spiritual sense of the word.

Psalm 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

In God’s presence is fullness of Joy. The word says that the joy of the Lord is our strength. So to be in his presence we will find strength to face even what seems impossible.

If we walk in the path of life we will be in God’s presence. How do we know we are walking in the path of life? We are given a choice to choose life, which means to live our lives in Christ as his children. To be in His presence for eternity is life. To be in his presence is joy forevermore.

If we do not choose life, we will be on a path to spiritual death and an eternity in hell.

Deut 30: 19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

The choices that we make not only affect our own lives but future generations. I know I am blessed to have been raised in a Christian home. Because I didn’t have to deal with a lot of things that my friends did growing up. If God’s presence was not in their homes, they were more likely to end up choosing a life of sin and death.

Do not be discouraged if you were not raised in a Christian home, you can still choose life for yourself and show future generations what it means to be in God’s presence.

Prov 3: 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Jesus is the path to eternal life. If we acknowledge him or make others aware of God’s presence we can be a light to help them find the peace of his presence. Acknowledging God in all things will help us to keep our perspective.

For example, when everything is going wrong, we sometimes feel like God is not there. We feel he is far from us. But it could be that he has allowed the things you are walking through to draw you closer to him. Maybe there is a lesson someone close to you needs to see in you. God could be teaching you to trust in him more. He knows the path your life will take and what skills you need to get you to the finish line. That is why he allows things in our lives; these fiery trials only make us stronger.

We could also take things in a different direction. Say everything you touch goes the way you want. You are prospering, and everything is picture-perfect. He may withdraw them from us if we do not acknowledge God’s presence in our blessings. If everything is perfect, we could allow pride to enter our hearts. We never want to be prideful and feel like we are better than anyone else. By acknowledging God we can keep our perspective correct. When we know he is responsible for our success, then we have a heart of gratitude toward God.

Which will bring us full circle to needing to acknowledge his presence in our lives. We do this with prayer. Talking to God and sharing our hearts, hopes and dreams, as well as our problems. Then we need to sit and listen for that still small voice that brings his guidance, peace and joy.

We acknowledge his presence by telling others and studying his word. It is his love letter to the world. Think about how much God loved us and wanted to fellowship with us. He wanted us to be forever in his presence, so much so that Jesus came and died so that we could choose the path to his presence.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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