Tag: #hope

EPISODE 360 HOPE IN THE LORD

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The title of today’s episode: HOPE IN THE LORD

Psalm 31:24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.

In the world that we are living in, hope seems hard to find. The news is full of things that if you allowed your mind to dwell on them it could be depressing. From the way things appear on the news, we have no hope. But I want you to be encouraged, we cannot go by the news. God is on our side. He will give us strength.

Psalm 119:49-50 Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. 50 This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.

Quicken means to make alive or revive. It is often associated with the renewal of faith. We have to lean on our hope in the Lord. There is nowhere else we can look. He is our hope. He is able to quicken what needs to be revived in our lives.

Without him, we have no hope. When something is alive, it needs food. The more alive we are in Christ, the hungrier we will be for the word of God. The more we will desire his presence.

Being aware of God’s presence as we go about our day will keep us on the right path. He gave us His Spirit to be our guide, yet we often do not pay attention to His leading. Then, when we end up in a mess or find ourselves without hope, we wonder what has happened. The answer, we lost our God Focus. At this point, we must turn our attention back to God.

Oxford dictionary online defines hope as a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen:

How could we not live in a state of being hopeful? God has made so many promises to us. He has promised to lead us and guide us. Which means we will always be at the right place at the right time. If we follow him. He has promised to protect us from all evil. He sent angels to watch over us. And someday, he will take us home to be with him. For all of eternity, we will live and reign with him. We have this hope in the depths of our being. He has given us life beyond this life. He has proven to us in the past that we can rely on him.

To our natural man, things seem a little hopeless and worrisome, but God will give us hope through his Spirit that dwells within us.

Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

He is the God of hope. He will fill us with all joy and peace that we may abound in hope. How do we abound in hope? Through the power of the Holy Ghost. Which goes back to being led by the Spirit of God.

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.

With the promises of God like this verse, we should be filled with hope. He tells us to be strong and full of courage, that we have no reason to fear the enemy. God goes with us and will not fail or forsake us. How much more should we be filled with hope, knowing he has our backs?

We are not full of hope just for ourselves. We have hope in order to share and encourage those who have no hope. There is a great big world full of hopeless people that needs to meet Jesus. They need to know that there is a great big God who loves them and wants to watch over them, too.

Romans 5:3-4 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Even our trials are to strengthen our hope. When things come into our lives to burn them down. Our suffering produces strength and persistence, perseverance. As we build our character through faith we also build up our hope.

Do not allow the enemy to destroy your hope. If he can cause hopelessness, he can tear down your faith and cause fear. Hope comes from the Lord, because we know that it doesn’t matter how things appear, God can change circumstances in the blink of an eye.

Stay strong, be encouraged, hold on to your hope. Things may appear dark and scary, but that means we are on the edge of a breakthrough.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 329 MOUNTAINS OF HOPE

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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: MOUNTAINS OF HOPE

Our faith walk is often referred to as being on the mountain top or in the valley. Each strategic place has something to offer. It is in the transition times that we find life to be the most difficult. When we are climbing to the top and are no longer in the valley. Or when we are moving fast almost in a free fall to the valley. All is important for our journey. Mountains all through the bible are significant places of revelation, hope and spiritual growth.

We cannot be too down when we find ourselves in the valley. All stages of our walk are necessary. In the valley, there is a place of rest. Often God will isolate us from people to spend time with him. He is the lily of the valley. He goes with us through all the stages of our faith walk. In the valley, we can find peace and strength. We can get into the secret place with God and allow him to pour into us. He will strengthen our spirit and equip us for the next stage in life. He will strengthen us to climb up the mountain once again. He knows what we are facing and will prepare us to handle the climb.

Today, I want to focus on the mountains of hope. Some are in the word of God, others are in our path. When Noah’s Ark landed on Mt. Ararat. It was a sign of hope that God would take Noah’s family and replenish the earth. All was not lost in the flood.

Just as Abraham took his son up Mt Moriah to sacrifice, I am sure the climb was hard. But once on the mountain top, God provided a sacrifice to spare his son. Abraham called that place Jehovah Jireh meaning the Lord would provide. So this was another example of a mountain of hope.

Jehovah Jireh people use often to just mean financial. But he will provide whatever we need, encouragement, health, healing, strength, peace. He will not let us go without what ever our need may be. He sent ravens to feed Elijah during a famine. He will not let us down.

Although Golgotha is referred to as a hill, it may have been the most difficult to climb. Jesus climbed that hill, knowing that all that he was struggling through would be worth it to save mankind from sin.

Hebrews 12:2 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.

He endured the cross to give us all the greatest hope of all, a hope of eternal life and peace.

Another mountain of hope would have been Mt. Olivet or the mount of olives where Jesus often taught. The top of the mountain was also where he ascended into heaven.

I am sure the sadness of his departure was hard to walk through. It was with heavy hearts that his disciples followed him to the top. Knowing he would leave them; however, he promised that he would not leave them comfortless. He promised to send his Spirit to lead and guide them.

His ascension into heaven made Mt. Olivet the greatest mountain of hope. Because it was on this mountain that he promised to come again and receive his people into heaven with him.

If you find yourself in the valley, thank God. Praise him in the valley. Ask for his guidance and wisdom. It is in the valley that we gain strength for the climb. Remember, when climbing, we have an expert survival guide. The Holy Ghost lives within the believer. He will be our guide.

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

Our expert guide will lead us in the path we need to walk. He is our protector, comforter, teacher and will show us things to come. We can find hope in our Lord. He has promised to never leave us. Even in the lowest valley, the highest mountain or somewhere in between; we are safe. We know there is hope for the proper outcome. It doesn’t matter how big a mountain is in front of us. We can call it a mountain of hope, because God has already gone before us. We will never climb alone; we have security and hope. And our hope is always in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 311 THERE IS HOPE

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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: THERE IS HOPE

As I sit quietly in my office awaiting God’s inspiration for another day. I often pray for what you need to hear. How can I bring encouragement today? At times I feel like I keep saying the same things over and over, but some things need to be repeated.

Let me start by saying there is hope for every situation. God is our hope and we can depend on him to see us through whatever we have facing us. Grief is a powerful thing. Many get angry with God when they lose a loved one. But when I lost my husband of thiry-two years, I realized that he was God’s child too and for whatever reason God did what was best for him. He empowered me to walk through all the days since that awful day. But I still have hope in the Lord.

All around us people are suffering. I have had prayer requests this week about people trying to commit suicide. For those who do not know my story. I understand depression and suicidal thoughts from the enemy. I suffered from depression in my late twenties. Satan will come at us and get us to keep looking within, telling ourselves all the lies. I am miserable, I am worthless, no one would care if I wasn’t here. Nothing will ever get better. I am trapped and feel like the darkness is swallowing me up. The more we listen to that voice of the enemy the further down we spiral.

We were never meant to look within and analyze too much. We were not meant to isolate from others around us. God created us to be part of a community. He created us to connect with him and with others. Along with anxiety and depression the enemy has really amped up his fear game. Wanting people to be scared of everything.

All of this is contrary to the word of God.

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.

Fear is from the enemy. God will empower us if we can push past the darkness and ask for his help. Unless you have been in the deep pit of depression where no light and little air exists you would not understand. It is a place void of all hope. There is no peace there. All that you hear is all the negative things you tell yourself.

Soon you feel like there is no hope. Then we decide that only way out, the only way to make the total despair stop is suicide. That is a lie from the pit of hell. But God says there is a better way. He came that we could have life and have it more abundantly.

I fully believe if I had not had a good foundation of biblical teaching and a praying family I would not be here today. Once we hit rock bottom there is only three things to do. I had decided to not end it all. So I could wallow there the rest of my life in misery or I could start climbing out. It takes great strength to climb out. It is about changing our focus.

You may say, I am not strong enough. But you don’t have to have all the strength to do it all at once. Start with today, I am going to do something I didn’t do yesterday. Maybe it is getting out of bed. The next day maybe you take a shower and get dressed. Continue to build each day on your progress. Ask God for help. Do not isolate yourself from everyone. Especially those you know really care about you.

It is a long journey, but one worth the climb. I would have missed out on so much joy. I thank God everyday for my life. Do not feel like you are alone, email me and I will have my group of intercessors pray for you. Ask God for help. You have to fight and never give up.

It is all about changing your focus. God was always meant to be the center of our lives. When he is in his proper place everything else will fall into place. Do not be discouraged when the enemy throws things at you that appear to be bad. God is waiting to give you a breakthrough.

I John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

We know it is not God’s will that we suffer from depression. If we ask for help and do what we can to get out, he will empower us to be set free.

Lam 3:22-23 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

God gives us new mercies, new strength, new joy we can be renewed each day. We only need to find the strength for today and tomorrow will take care of itself. This is why I encourage you to keep your God focus. If I had kept my God focus, I would not have ended up in depression in the first place.

I am very grateful for my time in the pit of despair. It taught me a lot of valuable lessons and shaped me in ways that it took years to understand. God got me through that he can get me through anything. I have hope in Jesus.

Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

You can find strength and hope, so don’t give up. Stay strong. If you have someone suffering from depression in your life. Just love them, pray for them and encourage them when you can, but never tell them to just snap out of it. That is not helpful. If they could just snap out of it, they would. Jesus is our answer to every situation in life.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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KEEP HOPE ALIVE

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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: KEEP HOPE ALIVE

When times are difficult it is easy to lose hope. Looking at the circumstances or feeling the pain makes us want to give in and give up. We are in troubled times. It is impossible to turn on the news or look at social media without being saddened by the things going on around us.

The enemy appears to be winning the battle. It is hard to imagine us winning the war. Unless we can remember our secret weapons Faith, Hope and Love operated by our Trust of the One True God that can turn it around. Now is the time to look at all the turnaround moments in the Bible. Many of those who have gone before us have had to dig deep and find their ability to Trust and walk by faith.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith means seeing the outcome with spiritual eyes, when we do not see the result with our physical eyes. If we can stay in a place of prayer and faith, we will not find ourselves without hope. It doesn’t matter how scary things appear, our hope is in Jesus. Our hope will be secure.

I cannot tell you how strongly I feel, about where we are at, in this moment of time. Sadness tries to overwhelm me to think of how our citizens are suffering with very little help. I am saddened by all the children who are being harmed by evil people. If we allowed it to, it would overtake us in just a few minutes. We feel helpless to do anything about any of it.

Do not allow it to discourage you. There is something we can do…fight…fight…fight on our knees. Ask God to move quickly to help those that are in need. Help those volunteers to get to the victims of the hurricane. Ask God to set the children free who are victims of trafficking. Evil will not prevail.

Psalms 37:1-3 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. 3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

God is getting ready to cut off the evil ones that have tried to destroy His Bride. We cannot allow ourselves to fall into fear. We have to stand strong in our faith. We have got to praise our way through the trouble.

Psalm 34:1-4 I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. 3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

We can rely on our Lord to deliver us from ALL fears. Not some, not only on a random Tuesday, but all of our fears. In other words, we have no reason to fear.

Psalm34:5-6 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

Our burdens are lightened when we look to Him. Not only does He deliver us from our fears, when we allow them to creep in, but He saves us out of ALL of our troubles. It doesn’t matter how bad things look. We have to trust that Our God is Big enough to solve our problems, Big enough to pick us up when we fall.

We cannot look to the right or the left. We cannot look to man to fix our issues in this country. It is going to take God’s people looking to him to remove all the evil ones and give us victory.

People will look at us as crazy when we say God will remove the evil ones. Because they have never seen it done. But just as he wiped out Pharaoh and his army, God can take out our enemy with just a flick of his finger.

Our job is to keep hope alive. Keep the faith and be strong in that faith. Because there is truly nothing that My God and your God cannot do. Only believe, all things are possible when we believe.

As the battle intensifies it is easy to get battle weary. But as the old quote says, “It is always darkest before the dawn. We have to stand strong the darker things appear because, at daybreak, we will have a bright new day. Have you ever thought about midnight, that is the zero mark before the new day starts. Add one second to midnight and it is the new day. Do not be discouraged by the darkness, Jesus is our light, the bright and morning star, our beacon of hope. We just have to keep the faith and hope alive until the daybreak.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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FAITH

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith is seeing light with our hearts when our eyes see only darkness. Often, situations look bad in this life, so it looks dark. But if we believe that God will work it out for our good, then there is hope. Hope creates a small pinpoint of light. God takes that small pinpoint and starts chipping away at the darkness until it disappears. Having faith is knowing he will see us through any situation.

We don’t have to see things with our eyes to know that God is going to move in our situations. This is what it means to walk by faith. Believing that God will take care of our situations even when they seem impossible. It is about having hope that God will deliver on his promises even when we don’t see it.

God wants us to have pure faith, not mixed with any doubt.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

JUST A CLOSER WALK

“Just a closer walk with thee….Grant it, Jesus is my plea…Daily walking close to thee…let it be, dear Lord, let it be.” The old hymn has a sentiment that many Christians share. Our desire is a closer walk with God. On one hand, I would say we can’t get any closer, he is inside us.

But I understand the sentiment of the feeling. I often feel I could do more to build my relationship with Him. He wants time with us. I often get busy doing all the Christian things and must remind myself to slow down, sit quietly, and wait for Him to fill my cup back up.

As we go out and try to be Jesus to the world, we often pour out and pour out until we have nothing left to pour. Sitting quietly and meditating on His Word is a good way to refill our cup. As we meditate on Him and the Word, He will pour into the emptiness of our vessel.

When we ask to be stronger and have a closer walk, we are really telling Him to allow trials and tribulations in our lives. How else will we draw closer to Him? How else will we become spiritually stronger? How else can our lives be a testimony unless we are tested?

It is kind of like praying for patience. It seems like if you ask for patience, the whole world is determined to do things that irritate you beyond belief.

James 1:2-3 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

Romans 5:3-5 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

The trying of our faith helps us to be patient. Being patient builds experience that gives us hope. In the darkest times of life, we need hope that things will get better. Hope helps us to have faith that God will see us through whatever we face. It doesn’t matter how big the mountain or deep the valley is; we never walk alone. That is the greatest comfort we have as children of God. That we are never alone. We also have the comfort of knowing that God will take care of it all. We have no reason to fear.

Isaiah 43:1-2 But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. 2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

As we face our Red Sea, our lion’s den or fiery furnace, we have comfort knowing God can handle it. We will not drown, be torn apart or even smell like smoke from the fire. God has it all planned out and will lead and guide us every step of the way. He will deliver his people; we have this hope in the depths of our souls that he is with us. If we walk with Him and pray, “Just a closer walk with thee.”

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS