Tag: #Jesus

EPISODE 296 KEEPING FOCUS ON GOD’S VOICE

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The title of today’s episode: KEEPING FOCUS ON THE VOICE OF GOD

I try to always come to you with positive and encouraging content. All day yesterday however, I kept feeling a warning in my spirit, a call to obedience. It is time that people quit trying to straddle the fence as we often say in Christian circles. It means you say with your mouth you are a Christian, but often your actions do not align with your words.

Then there are those whom God gives positions of authority. Sometimes, it is to test them and see if they will love power and status more than they love him. They have the potential to be mighty in the kingdom of God, but there is also potential for a big fall. It all depends on where their focus lies. Are they listening to what God is saying, or are they following their own path.

We can never let our position in the kingdom become our life. God is our life. Following his lead is crucial. Many in the fivefold ministry have been taken down by the enemy because they lost their focus on who was in control. They allowed the enemy to steal their anointing or God’s glory from their life. They became too caught up in the work or sometimes the world, to see that his anointing had lifted from their lives.

Like Sampson, he played with the devil too long and lost his strength. He didn’t even know it was gone until it was too late. His story should be a warning to us all not to play around with the enemy.

People in positions of authority in the church have an even greater responsibility to walk close and not give room to the enemy. Many are looking to them for guidance.

Eph 4:22-27 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil.

There is a lot in these few verses. We need to make sure to renew our mind that we do not read things into what is happening but allow God to lead us. We cannot open the door to the enemy and expect God to bless us.

Eli’s sons were wicked, he didn’t call them on it but allowed their wickedness to continue. They defiled the temple of the Lord. God will give everyone warnings and then after a space of time, to turn from their evil he will remove them from their positions of authority in the body.

Just like the ark of the covenant, in Israel’s hands, it went before them and God blessed them and gave them victories over their enemies. But that same ark when stolen by someone who is not permitted to have it, it became a curse to the Philistines.

We cannot treat God’s anointing and glory with carless attitudes. We do not want to lose out on what God has for us. We all have work to do for the Lord. We need to approach it as a privilege and try to honor God in everything we do.

Heb 10:22-23 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Hold fast to our faith without wavering; without being double -minded or unstable in the way we conduct our faith walk. We need to keep hold tight to our faith, not allowing the enemy to cause us to doubt. When we are faced with decisions, we need to pray for God’s voice to be the only one we hear. That the voice of truth will tell us the story, the way God wants it to play out in our lives. Pray that we do not allow our desires or our own understanding to cause us to falter. One verse even tells us to trust God and not our own understanding.

The choices we make may not even, on the surface, appear to be something sinful or prideful. It could be that we see a space and think God wants us to step in when it was something that was meant for someone else. The place that God was going to give them to shine.

We cannot be paralyzed by fear and not make any moves to step out and try to do something for God. But we need to know that it is his voice we hear. If we are willing to listen, he has promised to lead and guide us. We have to be willing to follow even if it is not what we think is best. Listen for the voice of truth, that still small voice that is God’s Spirit within, he is there to be our guide. He will help us walk in obedience.

I Sam. 15:3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

God told Saul to go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy every living thing. But Saul was disobedient for whatever reason. He allowed flesh to dictate his outcome. He said he feared the people. We cannot allow people to get in the way of our obedience to God.

I Sam 15:14-18 And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? 15 And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed. 16 Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on. 17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel? 18 And the Lord sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.

I Sam 15:19-20 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord? 20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

I Sam 15: 21-23 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal. 22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

I pray that I am not rebellious or stubborn when God tells me to do something. I do not want to fail in this way. We are human and God does give us grace. But expects us to walk in obedience.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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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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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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EP289 IS JESUS LORD?

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The title of today’s episode: Is Jesus Lord?

I am going to ask you a question I have been pondering about my life. This question is for you to think about today. Is Jesus Lord? Most would say yes immediately. Think about his place in your life. God wants to be first. People all around the world want to make Jesus their savior. They are willing to give up a few things to have someone tell them they are saved. But do they ever make him the Lord of their lives? It is one thing to say he is Lord, but it is another thing to live that way.

When he was born as a baby, he was named Jesus. He was flesh and grew up as we all do. When he started his ministry after John baptized him. The spirit of God came and rested on him like a dove. After this he was called Christ or Jesus Christ. Christ meaning the anointed one. But the account in Acts 2:36 is one of the earliest places that he is referred to as Lord.

Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

When Jesus came out of the grave victorious over death, hell and the grave and ascended into glory. His victory gave him the authority and made Lord of all.

Paul stood on the day the church was born and declared that Jesus was both Lord and Christ. He was letting them know that he was both Messiah and God Almighty, Lord overall.

Eph 3:14-15 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

This verse says that the whole family in heaven and earth are named after the Lord Jesus Christ. He is more than a savior that died on a cross. Although that is a major part of what he has done. He is so much more, he is Lord above all, over all and hopefully in us all.

We often say when someone repents that they made Jesus the Lord of their life. We really mean that they have made a good start toward that goal. But it takes a period of time to learn to surrender fully to his leading. To give up our control and put him in his place in our lives, which is the first place, in charge, and in control.

Most of us, and I did say us including me, want to do what we choose until we hit an obstacle then we wonder why God is not moving. Because we never gave him the situation to control. We didn’t follow his leading and ended up somewhere he didn’t mean for us to go. There are many reasons things happen but sometimes it is because we have not given the proper place in our lives to God Almighty our Lord.

Wikipedia says the word Lord means – “Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler.”

The word appellation is defined by Miriam Webster Dictionary online – as an identifying name or title: designation. For example: not everyone can be called doctor, only those who have graduated medical school.

When we say Lord, we are giving him the proper respect. Not everyone can be Lord, it takes certain credentials. He died for our sins; he is the one who has the right to be in control. He is Lord.

Since he is Lord, he gave us power to become the sons of God. We cannot say he is Lord until we have been born into his family, we have no right to call him Lord.

I Cor 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

We could never begin to put him in his proper place in our lives without the power of His Spirit that lives within us. Like I’ve said before, we are not born knowing how to love God. We are born in this flesh. It is a process that takes a lifetime to grow into; all he wants is for us to try to give up our control and let him be who he was created to be to us. He is more than our savior, he wants to be our Lord and Savior. Again, I ask the question, Is Jesus Lord? Have you given him the proper place in your life? Something to think about as you go about your day. I know I have been pondering it.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 288 REST IN THE YOKE

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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: REST IN THE YOKE

In the fast-paced world in which we live there are times I am envious of people in the late 1800’s. Except for electricity and indoor plumbing they had the perfect life. People back then valued friendship and family above material things and having the latest gadgets.

Now we rush about, pulling long hours at a job that is not our dream, just to survive. We live for the weekend. Then when it comes it is so full of activities that we do not get rest. If we are lucky, we will get two weeks a year of vacation. We plan trips and it takes us until Mid-day Wednesday to get unwound enough to enjoy our time, we blink, and it is right back to the rat race.

Jesus says there is a better way. In him we can find rest for our weary soul. Having God’s peace inside of us will give us a better attitude and perspective on our lives. He can give us hope and help us to figure out what is really important to us.

Matt 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Jesus is with us to help us carry our burdens. If we take his yoke upon us, it means we are working in tandem with him to carry the situations of life. A yoke was traditionally a piece of wood with straps or rope that the animals were tied to, they then would be given encouragement to walk and pull the burden together. When both pulled it made the load move smoothly forward.

To be yoked with Christ means that we too are connected with a piece of wood. The old rugged cross. When Christ died for us on that cross, he made a way for us to shun the heavy weight of sin. Our hearts and souls can find rest in him from the burden of sin.

If we are yoked to the world, we are the ones carrying the weight. Not only is it hard to pull that weight, but it keeps getting heavier and heavier. Because we are yoked to satan and he will not carry any of the weight once he has you hitched to the yoke. Up until that time he paints a pretty picture and carries all the weight. When we agree to put on the harness and he says, Now I can drop it. The full weight of sin falls on us, and it falls hard.

When training a young ox, it is often yoked with a larger more experienced one. It will resist but gets encouragement from the older ox as he often is pulling more than his share. The yoke is not always level in this case. The mature ox is carrying three quarters of the load. But the young one will soon learn how to be yoked and then it will carry more of the burden.

The young ox needs to learn not to try to run ahead of his partner. He cannot lag behind either. Falling in line with the pace of the one leading makes for the smoothest, easiest journey. We too cannot run ahead of God, or we will make a mess of what he wants to in our lives. We do not want to fall behind and feel like we are being dragged to our destiny either. Because God will not force us. He expects our willingness to go the distance.

Exodus 33:14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

When we get a made-up mind to follow Jesus and not try to do our own thing. We will find rest and peace for our weary heart. It doesn’t mean that there will not be storms and steep rocky places. But he will see us through them all as long as we look to him and make sure to let him carry the heaviest part of the burden.

Just as I sometimes wonder about a simpler time, I am reminded of the old paths and how we are supposed to look for them.

Jer 6:16 Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

In the old paths we can find the deep meaning of living a Christian life, fully devoted to the path God has for our feet. In that path we will find peace and rest for our weary souls.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EP286 THIS SAME JESUS

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v6ne8ax-god-focus-this-morning-ep286-this-same-jesus.html

WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

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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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

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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