Tag: God Focus

LEAVEN

Paul wrote letters to many different churches. The church in Galatia was one of them. Each church had its own issues. The church in Galatia was having problems with legalism and false teaching. Paul wrote that there is only one gospel.

Gal 1:6-9  I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:  7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.  8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.  9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

How do we know what is right? How would those followers have known?

Gal 1:11-12 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

There is only one gospel, one body, one Lord, one Faith and one baptism. Man has, through ignorance or blatant deception, twisted the gospel into what the church looks like today. For us to be effective, we will have to find unity in the Word.  If we would all sincerely ask for God to search our hearts and our theology, we may find that God would start removing some things from our ideas of what it means to serve Him.

I pray often, “Empty me of me and the ideas that I have which are not from you Lord. Fill me with the things I need to know. Guide me to do what you have created me to do.”

Gal 5:9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.  When baking bread from scratch, you need to make sure you have the right ingredients. There has to be yeast to get the bread to rise. Paul used this analogy to explain a little bit of false teaching can change the whole body of Christ.

In Mark 8:15 Jesus warned them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Hearod. In other words their false teachings and ideas.  Jesus came to change the world. Just as a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump of dough, what we would consider a tiny sin or little bit of false teaching can have an extensive influence.

If we walk in the Spirit, He will lead us into all truth. Then, we will be wise enough to not fall for false teachings. He went on to explain that we will reap what we sow. That is an entire study alone.  But in summary, if we sow good things and follow God’s word, we will reap good things.

It is up to each of us to study to know the word and understand our role as Christians. II Tim 2:15-Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

It is our responsibility to pray for guidance to walk in God’s love.  We are in times when lines are being drawn in the sand.  We need to be sure that we stand for the truth of God’s word. Do not allow the leaven of the world to ruin what we need to be for the cause of Christ.

God’s Desire

There are days when the words flow so quickly that I cannot type fast enough. God inspires me in the smallest ways.  Other days, like today, I stare at a blank page and ask God for revelation. I always depend on him to pour into me, something that will bring you encouragement.  Sometimes, I stare for a while, like today.  I have had random thoughts and do not see the connection. Nothing I read in the Word today inspired an article.  I sat with worship music in the background quietly.  It is a sweet melody. I recognize and think of the words in my head.

Jesus are you there? Are you going to give me inspiration? I feel him say not yet.  I ask why Lord, you know I am doing this all for you? He says, “Your fellowship right now is more important than what you do.”  So, I sat quietly in worship. “Open the floodgates of heaven…let it rain.”  His presence filled the room, and I was refreshed. He is never far away. But He wants our undivided attention. More than anything, we say or do for him.  He just wants us to love Him. To slow down and sit with Him. 

In the quiet, I was reminded how much he loves me and wants only good for me. He reminded me, as I often do you, to keep my God focus. I am a very goal-oriented, to-do list kind of person. It is hard for me to slow down and sit quietly. In the quiet, we realize how much we need His sweet presence. It is awesome to worship with our church family. But there is something special about the one-on-one time.

Matt 5:6-Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

If we hunger and thirst for righteousness, we are actually wanting God. Because He is righteous.

I Chr. 16:10-11  10 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. 11 Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.

Without God’s anointing, anything we attempt is just our ability. Any message, song, lesson, any type of ministry is just earthly understanding. But God can take our effort, add a little anointing and that same lesson, song etc. can change the world.

I heard a preacher say that when God fills your cup, it’s for you. But, when it overflows, it is for others. May the overflow of my quiet time today (that you will read tomorrow) fill your day with inspiration to sit quietly and listen.  He wants to tell you he loves you, too. I ask that you take today’s lesson of remembrance to heart and find quiet time to just love Him and listen for his thoughts concerning you. May we never get too busy to stop and have alone time with our Heavenly Father.

Until next time, BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

ARE YOU IN THE BOOK

Many of us have a treasure box of things from our past. Trophies from a contest or sporting event that we won. Grade cards and awards from school. Tiny things that were given to us by friends or a first love. A seashell we picked up on our first beach trip. More important than any of these treasures, we have friends and family that we can really truly rely on to be there in times of crisis. (If your family is not like that, I am truly sorry; I know some aren’t.) But the family of God should be that way. We are to treasure one another.

There is a treasure that far exceeds any memory or knowing how much you are loved by close friends and family. The biggest treasure is to be a child of God. Many say, “We are all God’s children.” Referring to mankind, but that is not true. We do not become his children until we are born again and have received His Spirit. The work He did on the cross gives us the right to be called the “children of God or sons of God.” But unless we accept what he did to redeem us. He will say, “I never knew you.”

It is nice to go to class reunions and relive our youth’s “glory” days. Looking through old photos and treasure boxes can be fun. Looking at our old yearbooks and seeing who all signed it is always bittersweet. But the best treasure is to know that our names are written in the “Lamb’s Book Of Life.”

Have you ever thought about the name of the book, “Lamb’s Book Of Life.” It is a book that lists all those who are born into the kingdom, those who have passed from death of sin to life in Christ. That is one book to make sure our names appear, the book that the Lamb of God owns that lists all who are alive in Him.

Luke 10:19-20  Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

We need to be determined to see that the book doesn’t have any space left to write one more name. The harvest is ready. Jesus has the ink pen ready to write the names, all we have to do is go out and share his words.

BE BOLD. BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

RIGHT WORDS

It’s hard sometimes to sit back and watch people struggle with situations and problems when you have the answer. But we must be careful about how we deliver that answer. Yeah, Jesus is the answer to every problem. But, if it’s the wrong timing or said in the wrong way, we can do more harm than good. 

Prov 25:11 -A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. 

Which means that timing is everything. You can tell people the right thing and be right. It still could be wrong. What if you say it like you are a know-it-all all and you have the answer? What if your attitude is off by coming across as being self-righteous? People are going to be hurt or put off by the judgmental tone.

We must be loving with our words, even though we’re right and there’s nothing wrong with the sentiment. There’s nothing wrong with telling people that God is the answer. But it’s how we say it.  We can be compassionate, “I know you’re really struggling with the situation. I understand because I’ve been through similar things. Or I understand that you’re really bothered about this and you’re hurt by your situation. I’ve been through things in my life that have really hurt me. I’ve found that Christ is the answer.”

The people will become more accepting of what you’re saying. But still, if that’s not at the right time, it may plant a seed. It may open the door a little bit. I’m not telling you not to ever tell anybody Jesus is the answer unless you think it’s perfect timing. Because we are called to witness to others. It’s just all a matter of timing.

Praying for God’s guidance will help us to know the right timing of everything. Because God’s time is always perfect. Nothing is impossible and we need to be willing to step out and talk to people.

But again, we can’t be aristocratic about it like we know it all. We have to be humble. God wants us to be humble. We can say, “Let me help you out here. Let me give you some advice.” God will use that to make an impact in somebody’s life. And that’s why we’re here. We’re here to see the lost saved.

Someone witnessed us or we wouldn’t be where we are today. Someone stepped out of their comfort zone and taught us about Jesus, or we wouldn’t know anything about him.

 If we depend on the media, they are very anti-religious and very anti-God and most of them consider themselves atheist or agnostic. And many of them, it’s because they’ve been hurt by church people. They said there can’t be a God or I wouldn’t have got hurt like I did. The enemy uses offense. It’s one of his greatest tools. If he can cause us to be offended by something and take that to heart, he can use that hurt and grow it into all sorts of things. He could grow in anxiety, fear, and stress. The enemy will grow it into a hatred for a person or hatred for a church. He even turns it into hate for God himself, to the point that people say, “I don’t believe there is a God.” And it’s just because they’ve been hurt.

It is not enough to have the right answer. It is important that we share the answer in the right way at the right time. We will know about God’s timing because he will lead us to speak. We cannot be effective unless we are close enough to God to hear his voice.

Staying in the Word and praying for His guidance is important. If we do these things, we can be assured he will give us the right words at the right time. Don’t be afraid to share the good news; just be careful how you do it.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

GOD IS NOT SURPRISED

You know, sometimes we feel like that, we are one mistake away from God doing a facepalm and saying, “Uh, I’m so done with them. They just make too many mistakes. They fall down too many times. They’re just not what I thought.” Because that’s how we get with people sometimes.

People often test our limits and we’re like, “I just can’t deal with them anymore. Not one more thing can I deal with, when it comes to them.” Then we have a tendency to walk away from people that gets us to the point of being so exasperated that we just can’t take one more thing.

But God never feels that way about us. He sees the potential of what we can be. He sees our worth is far greater than we can see in ourselves. He never shakes his head and goes, “I just don’t know what I’m gonna do with them. I just can’t believe they did that.” Again, He’s not surprised by anything. He knows everything. He knows why we make the choices we make. It’s because of some trauma or experience in our past. Most of the time, we have a tendency to react instead of stopping and thinking about what we should do. It is easy to just react. But sometimes, we lack self-control when those situations arise. But God has never been surprised. Nothing we do shocks him. And you know He says, if we are His child, “I will never leave you, forsake you or fail you.”

 Deut 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

He will not fail or forsake us; He wants us to put on the whole armor of God. (Eph 6) Then, we are equipped to stand strong and be courageous. Fear is the opposite of how we should react to situations. The God who created everything is our Father and he will send angels to protect us.  He will move mountains for us if we just stand strong and believe.

Heb 13:5 6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

My encouraging words to you today are: Do not fear. Do not get hung up on the past; if you have repented, then move on. He doesn’t expect us to wallow in self-loathing and self-bashing. He has already blotted out your mistakes, sins and shortcomings. We can be encouraged because He is with us.

He didn’t come to punish us or make us feel bad. Jesus died to set us free. He took all of our punishment because we were not able to bear it. Instead of repenting over and over for the same thing, we are already forgiven. Try thanking Him for what he did on the cross to set us free. Then, BE FREE from the past. Remember, Jesus loves you.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

GET RID OF THE EMPTY

All of my life, I have heard the phrase, being filled with God.  Having a life full of God’s presence.  To be filled with God’s Spirit. If you walk in the Spirit, you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. This morning, I woke up with thoughts of what it means to be filled. If we take a water bottle and run water into it under a tap until there is only water inside, we say it is full. I had an incredible thought this morning.  To be filled means to get rid of all the empty space.  Before the water went into the bottle, it was full of air, but we considered the vessel to be empty.

I pray, God fill all the emptiness.  Don’t leave one small portion without him.  I used to pray, “Empty me of me and fill me with more of you.” God is going to do amazing things. We all walk through seasons when we feel that God is far away.  We feel empty.  It is in this time that we must trust. Learning to wait for him to show us the next step can be a lonely place. If we wait on Him, He will speak and guide us.

When we are filled with God’s Spirit, we will be full. As Christians, we must be so full of God that others can feel his presence. They should be able to see Christ in us without us saying, “I am a Christian or I believe in Jesus.” They should know, even if we are not wearing our Christian t-shirts and ballcaps. (Not that I have an issue with t-shirts; I own several.)

 I Cor. 3:16 16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If God’s Spirit dwells within us, we will be filled. It will take over all the empty spaces within us.

When Moses had been in the presence of God, he glowed.  How many people do you know that glow with God’s presence? I pray that God helps us to not just let our light shine but that we will glow with his presence and love.  Gal 5:16 16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. We have to have his Spirit in order to walk in the Spirit. (Let our light shine)

Most Christians I know are dealing with serious things at this time. I am not saying we should wear a fake smile and pretend all is fine. It is ok to be who we are and allow those closest to us to know our struggles. The word says to confess our faults to one another. I also think that can be true of our struggles, pain, and the battles we are fighting.  But be careful who you share those things with; not everyone who acts concerned will do the right thing and pray. Some are waiting to gossip and tear you down. Now more than ever, we need to have discernment about the events in the world and other people. God will show us who is not going to have our back, but who will shove a knife into it. These people know the right things to say. But they are not full of God, they will not have God’s glow.

Being full means there is no lack. Everything we need we already have in our hands. I have said this before; if our Lord Jesus Christ dwells within you, you have everything you will ever need.  When we need something, it will rise to the surface. If we need strength, it will rise up.  If we need encouragement, it will rise up. If we need his healing power, it too, will rise up within us to bring deliverance.

Healing sometimes comes in miraculous ways; instantaneously. But other times, healing comes in stages. God knows what is best for us. Sometimes, when he works in those instant right now kind of ways, it is to increase our faith or show someone around us that he is God. Other times, when we have to walk out our healing, it is to teach us to lean on Jesus.

Christians are not exempt from troubles, we have the same trials of life that sinners do. But we have someone who is with us and will help us. I pray, Lord never let any type of pain or disappointment be for no reason. Help me learn from it, so that I can help others to be encouraged.

MAKE IT PERSONAL

Many years ago, I attended a church that I can barely remember, even though I was in my twenties. I, however, do remember two things that have stuck with me for at least thirty years. One testimony and one sermon. We often feel like we don’t have anything to say, but what if your one testimony or one sermon was the one that changed someone’s life? We need to step out in faith when God puts something in our hearts to share.

At the time of the testimony, I was bound by worry, fear and anxiety.  There was an elderly preacher who attended our services.  One morning, he got up to testify and he said, “I thank God for all that he is…and Worry is not faith.”  That was the entire testimony. It hit me full force. Here I was, trying to be a Christian and walk by faith. Yet I worried about everything to the point of anxiety.

The other thing that stuck with me was a sermon on David.  It was preached from the Psalms.  The preacher said we need to make the Psalms personal. Then he read a verse that said, “Thou art my God” but when he got to the word “MY” he stressed it. He read several verses and encouraged us to read the Psalms in that same way.  It makes the word come alive and makes it personal. 

Still, to this day, when I read the Psalms and any verse says, “Thou art MY” I can remember that sermon. Because it really is all about a relationship.  It is about our one-on-one time with HIM. People can attend church from the time they are born until the time they die, but if they do not have a relationship with Him, he will say, “Depart from me.”

Today, I want to encourage you to make the Psalms personal and remember that worry is not faith.  We don’t have to worry about anything if we can be comfortable enough to lean on Jesus.  Both things are all about the relationship. His desire is for us to sit quietly in his presence and talk with him.  His desire is for us to worship him and study his word. Why do we study the Bible? It should be because we are hungry for a deeper relationship with Him.  Studying the Bible shows us His character and how much He loves each of us.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

SAUL TO PAUL

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS.

BUILDING A HOUSE

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

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

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

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

The church is not called to conform to the world. We are called to change it. If people’s lives were in good, solid shape they would not need God to remodel them like an old house. Eph 2:19-22    19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;   20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;  21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:   22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

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

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

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

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

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

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

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

DON’T BACK UP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS