Tag: #Jesus

EPISODE 212 OPPRESSION

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v5kosa5-god-focus-this-morning-ep212-oppression.html

The title of today’s episode: Oppression

Today I want to talk to you about oppression. Oppression means that a person is being controlled by prolonged unjust and cruel treatment. We think about communist countries and how their people are oppressed. We may think of the millions of people are being held against their will and are being forced into all sort of cruel treatment.

But I want to talk to you about spiritual oppression. It is possible for a child of God to be oppressed by the devil. If we are filled with God’s Spirit we cannot be possessed by the enemy, but we can be oppressed. Many things in life can open up opportunities for the enemy to come in and oppress us.

He sends spirits to try to distract us from our appointed duties. He will use fear, anxiety, depression, anger to control us. It is hard to sum up this subject in just a few minutes. I grew up in church, but we were never taught about how we can open portals to the enemy. Music, entertainment, the way we speak, doing things like yoga, astrology, psychic readings, and celebrating Halloween.

I know many think that yoga is just breathing and relaxing the muscles and the mind. But in doing this practice you are opening yourself up to being controlled by a spirit. Don’t take my word for it, research for yourself.

You may not think it’s a big deal to own a Buddha statue, or statues of wizards, dragons and witches. But spirits are often attached to these things. When you bring them into your home, you are opening your home to the enemy. You are giving him legal rights to torment you.

Halloween is an all-out holiday of real witches. I am not talking about the ones on television that are green with big warts on their noses. Ones with pointy hats and are afraid of water. There are people that practice the arts of darkness. They have opened their lives up to the evil things of the world. Satan is their god. The very ritual of dressing up as something that you are not is in its very nature deceptive. But many Christians every year allow themselves to be drawn into the enemy’s trap.

Let me say, I would never mistreat a child that came to my door dressed like their favorite cartoon or candy bar. As Christians, it is our responsibility to show kindness. Children don’t understand, to them, it is just dressing up and getting candy. It is all about the candy.

But we have to understand as Christians that Halloween is evil. The same people who don’t want to hear about the blood Jesus shed on the cross because it is too gruesome or graphic, are the first ones in line for the next horror movie. The people that make these movies are evil. They have real witches on set casting spells and then people willing to submit themselves to take it all into their spirit by watching.

Psalm 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

We are supposed to come out from among the evil and be set apart for the good of God. We are not supposed to allow our spirit to take in the evil of this world. There is nothing new under the sun. God’s people have always struggled with staying away from evil and keeping themselves pure. How many times did Israel go after false gods?

For many years, even as an adult Christian, I didn’t understand a lot of the things that I am starting to learn. Like for many years, I didn’t realize that all the false gods of the bible are backed by real spirits. Of course, they are all evil spirits, but I thought that these people just made up a religion and built a statue to have something that they could see.

When the word says we do not fight against flesh and blood, but spiritual wickedness in high places, it is referring to all the false gods of this world and the spirits behind them. In bible times they always built their altars to the false gods in high groves and high places.

It is time we walk closer to God. People always want to know how close they can walk to the world and still make it. That is the wrong question. We need to change our mindsets and ask How close can I walk to Jesus.

God will set us free from spiritual oppression if we ask him to, ask that he reveal places that you have opened to the enemy. They tell him you want the access to the enemy closed. Repent of allowing him in and ask for God to set you free. He will break the chains of oppression and set you free.

This was not my typical words of encouragement, but it was something that I felt needed to be said, many people are opening doors to things they are not equipped to deal with, then end up bound.

Prov 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

If we can keep our hearts right, the enemy will not be able to get a stronghold. He will not be able to oppress us if we can keep our minds on Jesus. I am completely convinced if we can keep our God Focus and not allow the things of this life to take control, we will prevail.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

LIKE SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ENCOURAGEMENT

EPISODE 211 WHO ARE YOU?

CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v5kjo91-god-focus-this-morning-ep211-who-are-you.html

WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: WHO ARE YOU?

There is a lot of talk about identity. People are constantly questioning who they are and who they are meant to be in the future. They allow the world to define them by their looks, money and job title. We are also defined by our character and work ethics.

Many companies take advantage of people who are hungry to climb the corporate ladder. These people sacrifice twelve and fifteen hours a day on the alter of corporate greed. Each time a new project comes up they are promised a promotion, only to be passed up for someone who is a drinking buddy of the boss. Where do Christians fit in in this crazy rat race. We value time with family and to do ministry over devoting ourselves fully to the God of corporate greed.

We realize that our identity is not in our looks, money, job title or what kind of car we drive, but our identity is in the Lord. We lay our lives on the altar of doing God’s will. That will looks different each day. Sometimes we are called to serve, other times we are called to encourage. Listening for God’s leading is what is important.

This was prompted by a woman that I know. She said she felt like she didn’t do anything for God. When I questioned her further she brought up that her sister in law taught Sunday School to the children for many years. She had never done that so she was feeling like she had not ministers to anyone. I know for a fact that this woman and her husband have given not only tithes faithfully to the church but generous offerings. I know of many meals she has prepared and taken to people that just went through surgery or a loss of family. She writes notes of encouragement to people and many other things. All of this without wanting draw attention to herself. I reminded her of this fact. Not all of us are called to stand behind a pulpit, but we are all called to share the gospel. Not all are called to be Sunday School teachers, but like my friend, she taught her sons to love God.

We cannot allow the enemy to drag us down or tell us that we do not have an identity. He would love nothing more than to get us depressed about our status in life and our identity. If he can cause us to doubt who we are, then he can keep us from stepping into who God wants us to be in the next season of our lives.

There is no doubt the church is on the brink of some major changes. But they will be for the good. The line is being drawn and the fence is too high to straddle any longer, we have to pick a side. Will we be defined by the things of this life? Will we allow Satan to tear us down by telling us we are not a good enough Christian? Will we allow the politically correct of this world define us?

It is time we check the fence. Are we on the inside where God is? If not it is time we get inside the safety of God’s yard.

Psalm 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

There is a whole lesson on that one verse about being in the presence of the Lord. Being thankful gets you in the gate, but we have to go further to get to him, we need to enter his presence with praise. There is a difference in being thankful and worshipping from the heart. Worship makes that heart connection.

It is going to take us being 100% sold out to Jesus. Like those people who work those crazy hours for a promotion on the job. We need to be sold out to our job of furthering the cause of Christ. There is a big dying world that needs us to step up.

Our identity and all our hope should be in Jesus. If we know who we are in Him, we will not be confused about our identity. So, I ask again, Who Are You?

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

LIKE SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ENCOURAGEMENT

EPISODE 210 PSALM 27

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION : https://rumble.com/v5kex11-god-focus-this-morning-ep210-psalm-27.html

WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: PSALM 27

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? We have no reason to fear because the Lord is with us.

2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

David said that even though a large group come against him. He would not fear. We are in a battle for the soul of our nation. We are in the biggest battle of our lifetime. Far too long we have looked at what the enemy is doing. It is time we stop looking at what he is doing and start looking to Jesus the author of our stories.

4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. 5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

We all know the story of the one who build their house on a firm foundation. As long as we are on solid ground, God will protect us and our house will be solid. It is when we allow the cares of this life to chip away at our foundation that we risk falling into temptation and sin.

Keeping our focus on God will assure that we stay on that solid rock.

6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord. 7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.

Not everyone seeks God’s face, many seek his hand. But he desires that we seek his face.

9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. 11 Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

Lead me in the plain path. The simple path. The enemy will paint pretty pictures of the wrong path. It is paved with all sorts of shiny luring things to cause us to go the wrong way. It would be easy to be deceived, except we have the Lord to lead the way. He will lead us in all truth.

12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. 13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

It is easy to get battle weary and want to rush ahead of God’s will. If we can learn to wait on him and keep our faith, he will give us strength.

I want to encourage you to not look at how things appear, but how we believe God is going to make them. We walk by faith and light, not darkness and the deception of the enemy.

Stand strong and be courageous. We are in a battle, but we will win, as long as we are on the right side and that side is the side of the Lord.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

LIKE SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ENCOURAGEMENT

EPISODE 209 KNOWING GOD’S VOICE

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v5jw6nd-god-focus-this-morning-ep209-knowing-gods-voice.html

WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: KNOWING GOD’S VOICE

Today I want to talk about God’s voice. It is the most powerful thing in the universe. His voice spoke the world into existence. The word says if we are his sheep, we will know his voice. But we do not start out knowing God’s voice. It is a process of learning to follow the leading of His Spirit. Although God can speak in an audible voice like he did Moses from the burning bush, most of the time it is a gentle nudge in your spirit. It is a thought in your mind.

Learning to discern between our thoughts, the enemy’s noise and what God is speaking to us, is a process. God will tell us to do something, and the enemy will immediately start telling us why we shouldn’t. The more we ask for God to speak to us, the better we will learn his voice.

John 10:4-5 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

If we are his sheep we will know his voice, he goes before us and we follow him. We will not follow a stranger because we do not know his voice. In this life there are many voices competing for our attention. The enemy has many voices that try to sway us. But if we can learn to know God’s voice, we will never go astray. Sheep normally stay close to their shepherd.

When lambs are born, the shepherd makes sure to spend time talking to the sheep. That way they know his voice. In the long run, it will help when the sheep gets out in the field. There may be other voices, but he will always find his shepherd.

Jeremiah 33:3 – Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

God has promised to not only answer but that he will show us great things. When it comes to the things of God, a lot falls under the category of the miraculous. We have to be able to hear him when he answers us.

Romans 10:17 – So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

We can hear God through his word. The word reinforces our faith and our understanding of God. I am sure that most Christians have experienced the right verse at the right time. This is one way God speaks to us. The more we know his character the easier it becomes to discern the voices we hear. For example: We know that God’s word tells us to not lie. If we hear a voice telling us to lie, we can discern that is the enemy instead of God. But if we didn’t know the word of God said that we are not to lie, it may be harder to discern his voice.

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Part of knowing God’s voice is having quiet time to be still and listen for his voice. Because we never want to go where he doesn’t not lead, it is important that we learn to follow his voice. He will lead us into all truth and righteousness, but we have to be willing to follow his leading.

There is nothing we face that he will not see us through if we lean on him and allow him to lead the way.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

LIKE SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ENCOURAGEMENT

EPISODE 208 BEING REAL

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v5jrf71-god-focus-this-morning-ep208-being-real.html

WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: Being Real

What can I say to make a difference in your life? What small nugget of wisdom can I share that will make your day better? I can tell you that God is good. That he died to set us free. There is joy in service Jesus. But if I am not walking in that freedom, it may seem like a slogan. Only in seeing others free will the lost understand God’s freedom.

The same goes for every aspect of Christian life. We can tell people all we want to about Jesus, but most need to see it. They need to know that there are real people that are living and walking out their faith. Being real before God and man is our duty as Christians. When we tell others there is joy in serving Jesus, it better be showing on our faces.

Some Christians walk around downtrodden all the time. They are overburdened and never show any spark of Joy. These are the Christians that are in man’s bondage with legalism and religion. If you know someone for five years and they say they are a Christian and they never seems like there is any joy in their life they are bound by man’s religion and need set free. I am not saying as a Christian we will not have down times and sadness. But even in the worst grief and pain there is still God’s peace and his joy.

Now more than at any time before the world needs see us to being real. Not self-righteous, not religious, not someone who gives the gospel or Jesus lip service. We have to be sold out, all in, on fire, living and walking by faith. Everything we do and say should be to glorify God. Our lives are not our own.

I Cor 6:19-20 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? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

People can listen to sermons all day long, but it means nothing if it is not applied to their lives.

James 1:22-27 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was, 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

The word tells us to be a doer and not just a hearer of the word. It must be applied to our lives or we will remain the same person we were before. God’s word has the power to transform lives, but we also have the power to resist God’s leading.

This says if we are a hearer and not a doer we are like a man that looks in a mirror. For a moment when we hear the word we see where we stand with God. In other words things become clear. But if the man walks away, he doesn’t remember what he looked like. The same can be said for those of us that do not allow the word to change us. If we are a hearer and not a doer we will never know what we could have become.

It comes down to this, are we going to make an effort to allow the word to change us. Will we let it penetrate to our hearts and make changes. When these changes happen others will take notice. It will make us better witnesses.

We want to be the kind of Christians people know they can count on to be prayer warriors when they need God to move. The kind of people that will tell them the truth, even if it is not what they want to hear. We need to be the type of Christian that makes a difference in the world.

Ask yourself today if you are a hearer or a doer. Does the world know you are the real deal? Do they know that you are Christian in name only?

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

LIKE SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ENCOURAGEMENT

EPISODE 207 BIRTHRIGHT

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v5jmwhx-god-focus-this-morning-ep207-birthright.html

WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: BIRTHRIGHT

Down through the ages, when the father would pass away, the firstborn son was in the position of being the head of the family. He would inherit most of the wealth of the family. He would be in charge of taking care of his widowed mother. Any unmarried sisters would have to have his permission to marry. It was his birthright. The sons who were born, second or after received property and other things, but didn’t have the authority as head of the family.

I was reading the story of Issac’s sons, Essau and Jacob. As I read the part of the story that said he sold his birthright for a bowl of beans. I thought about how crazy that was, he gave up long term wealth and security. He gave up being in a position of making a difference in the world for a moment of fulfilling his appetite.

As I pondered this, I started thinking about how we as children of God all have been given a birthright. All of us who are born again are on even ground. We are all going to inherit our father’s kingdom. Unless we give up our birthright and walk away from God.

Essau was hungry. That was an appetite of the flesh. He didn’t care what he had to give up, he just wanted that hunger satisfied. It is the same way with people today. Our flesh sometimes wants things that are sinful. The enemy has bombarded us for so long that sometimes in a moment of weakness, we yield to our flesh. In committing that sin, we are giving up our birthright, we are treating the cross like it is unimportant. Like Essau he was hungry for food again a few hours later. Giving up his birthright didn’t fix that hunger long term. Neither does giving into a sinful desire.

Essau couldn’t get his birthright back. We, however, can if we repent of our sins. Grace is not something to be treated like a get our of jail free card. In America we have heard the story of the cross so much that we have become desensitized to the horror that Christ suffered. If we truly love God, and are truly saved we will not want to walk in the flesh. We will not want to hurt Jesus by being nonchalant about sin. I am not saying that we are perfect, but we need to do all we can to walk fully aware of the enemy’s tactics. We do have power to resist the devil. The word says if we resist him, he has to flee. It all comes down to our willingness to walk like a child of God.

We cannot keep temptation from coming our way. We cannot keep the enemy from trying to find our weakness. But we can stay in the word and walk as close as possible to God. If we keep our mind on Jesus, the enemy has less of our attention to intrude upon.

Think about what Essau gave up, his grandfather Abraham was blessed and had great wealth. That wealth became Issac’s when Abraham was gone. Essau gave up land, cattle, sheep, servants and great wealth because he didn’t take seriously his position in life. He didn’t truly accept his place in the family.

I try to stay positive and encouraging. But this message has been heavy on me. I feel like someone is at that point of decision. Will you keep your place in the family, holding on to your birthright or are you going to give it up for a moment of sin. There may not be a chance to come back from it. Life can turn on a dime, we never know when our time is up. I would not be doing what God wants if I didn’t warn you to yield to God. Don’t give into the things of this world.

As I was studying this God said ask them where will they be when the music stops, will they have a seat at the table. I immediately thought of a game we played as children; musical chairs. There would be enough chairs for everyone in the group but one. When the music stopped the last one that didn’t get a seat was eliminated.

There are only enough seats at the marriage supper of the lamb for those who are saved. We don’t want to lose our seat at the table because we have willfully and blatantly committed sin without repentance. I don’t want anyone’s blood required at my hand. So, I have to give you a warning today. Don’t wait too late to yield your lives fully to Jesus. He is faithful to forgive us if we repent.

Many think to repent means to say, I am sorry for the sin I have committed. But it has to be a heart felt sorry, not just lip service. Repent also means we will turn away from that sin and not look back. Repentance comes from deep within, when you realize you have broken God’s laws and his heart. It should break our heart and we should truly be sorry.

I often say, saying the sinner’s prayer is like a bunch of words to most people. It doesn’t cause true change, it is a temporary band aid, but soon they are right back to their sinful life. Because the words do not sink in, they do not cause real change. The example I use is this, when I was in elementary school, we started the day with the pledge of allegiance. But until I was a lot older, I didn’t understand what those words even meant. I feel the same goes for most people that say the sinners prayer. I am sure that there are a few that are the exception. That it was a start for them to learn to become a follower of Jesus. But at some point they have truly cried out from their heart for God to make changes in them and save them from their sins.

It comes down to this, I have learned over the years that being a Christian is less about the Chirstian things and rituals and more about connecting on a personal level with the creator of the universe. The one true and living God that died on a cross for me and for you. I don’t want to see anyone sell their birthright. The one that Jesus paid a high price to obtain for us. Not for something fleeting, a momentary satisfaction of sin. Idon’t want to see anyone not have a chair at the supper table when Jesus calls us to the marriage supper.

I ask, where will you be when the music stops? Or will you be when the trumpet sounds? Where will you be when you take your last breath? Will you have a place at Jesus’s table?

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

LIKE SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ENCOURAGMENT

EPISODE 206 NOT DRAWN AWAY

CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/hDbyc9Xgm7Y

WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: NOT DRAWN AWAY

There is an old phrase that says, “curiosity killed the cat” It originated before the end of the 1600’s. The meaning was a warning to not be nosy or too drawn to experimentation. It implies that being overly curious can lead to danger.

Human beings, especially young adults today are drawn to try all sort of things, from drugs and alcohol to all sorts of sinful experimentation. All too often when we become curious about the things of this life, we end up in a mess. Many people have lost their lives by trying drugs just once.

Sheep are curious and often want to see what is on the other side of the fence. They are not well established without a shepherd. If we are not well established in our faith, we will be easily drawn away. This is why we need to be rooted and grounded in Jesus Christ. So that curiosity about the things of this life will not draw us away.

The old saying the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence, means with every situation it is not always as pretty a picture as satan tries to paint it. God is the master painter. We can trust what he paints for our lives to be a masterpiece. He can paint the peace and joy that we really need in our lives.

James 1:14-15 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. This verse is referring to eternal death or spiritual death, but there are times that sin turns into physical death also.

It is not a sin to be tempted. Only when we are drawn away and that lust is carried out is it sin. Satan will constantly try to draw us away from God. Especially, if he knows we are serious about our faith walk. Satan will not bother those that are lukewarm or going through the motions. He wants to cause the ones in the spotlight, the one that are on fire to fall. Because he knows it will cause others to lose heart and fall.

We cannot put our faith in a preacher and worship leaders. We have to keep our eyes on the shepherd. Only he can truly lead. Don’t misunderstand me I am not saying we do not need church leadership and pastors. But we should only follow them as they follow Christ. Blindly following someone, just because they say they are a pastor, can be a scary thing to do. This is why we need to know the word and make sure the pastor is aligned with that word.

Sheep are easily distracted by insects, flies and storms. Christians can become easily distracted if we are not established in our faith. If we don’t stay close to the shepherd, we will be distracted by life. Luke 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

The word surfeiting means to indulge in one’s appetites excessively. We are to be careful not to indulge in sinful appetites or allow the cares of this life to distract us to the point we do not hear our shepherd.

This is another reason I encourage you to keep your God focus. I am a firm believer, as long as we keep our focus fixed on God, the enemy doesn’t have a chance. It is when we allow our focus to waiver that we can get draw away into sin.

Phil 4: 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

This verse tells us what to keep our focus on and if you look at the adjectives they are all characteristics of God. He is honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report. The worship of our Lord takes our mind and focus off ourselves and our lusts. Worship gives us a better perspective of our relationship with God and keeps our minds set on the right thing, God.

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

Jesus was telling his disciples that they would be facing some hard things. He told them to take up their cross daily and follow him. The next verse could be taken two ways. First, we all know that many have lost their physical lives and been martyred for the gospel of Christ. This could also mean to lose the life that we have planned. Lose the focus we have on the things of this life and put our focus on the things of God. We can lose the life we were living when we die out to self and live a life fully devoted to Christ. He is our shepherd, we need to follow him and not allow our attention to be drawn away to things that have no purpose in the eternal.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

LIKE SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ENCOURAGEMENT

EPISODE 205 SEARCH YOUR HEART

CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v5j4amd-god-focus-this-morning-ep205-search-your-heart.html

WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: SEARCH YOUR HEART

I want to talk to you today about some spiritual maintenance. Every so often we need to stop and take an inventory of our lives. In doing this we can see where we stand with God. Are we still standing firm on the issues that matter to God? Are we still calling sin a sin, or have we let down our guard.

Prov 4:20-23 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. 22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. 23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

We have to make sure to keep our hearts right before God. The enemy will come in with some lie that is almost truth. He will even tell you ten truths in order to tell you one lie. We have to stop the lies when they hit our mind. They need to be reasoned out and compared to the word of God, to see if they are true.

Sometimes satan will find us in a state that our mind is tired. We may be fighting sickness, stress or some type of distraction that will allow something to get beyond our first line of defense. We will accept something as truth that is not. Then the lie the seed the enemy has planted will start to take root in our hearts. This doesn’t make us weak; it makes us human. But it is also the reason we have to search our hearts and compare our beliefs to the word of God.

The word “search” according to oxford dictionary online means – try to find something by looking or otherwise seeking carefully and thoroughly:

We have to seek carefully, trying to find the things that don’t belong in the heart of a child of God.

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

David often in the Psalms asked God to search his heart. I cannot tell you the times over the years that I have asked God to search me. I can not tell you how many times he came back with an answer. You need to work on this or that and point out something that had tried to take root. Things like jealousy, bitterness and more.

I’ve recently been on a journey that I didn’t consciously decide to take, but its been a good one. I was praying one day and ask God to remove anything in me that was not of Him. Over the course of the next two months, he brought three people into my life that had caused me hurt. They were what most would call a chance meeting. There were no big apology scenes or even a discussion. But God allowed me to let go of the hurt that had turned to bitterness. I was carrying, that I didn’t even realize. I won’t share all of them, but I will share one.

I was at a gathering and a friend. She had some friends that sat with us. A woman that had made me feel really small and useless years ago, came and sat with us. As I sat listening to her share her story from the past ten years, God filled me with compassion for her and removed my bitterness. He will dig deep and search out the things that he knows we are ready to deal with and let go of; all we have to do is ask Him.

Prov 4:26-27 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. 27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

I think when we take time to ponder the path of our feet and make sure we are established in our faith that is another way of searching our hearts. We have to stay on the straight and narrow. In other words, keep our focus on God and his plan for our lives. We cannot allow ourselves to lose focus and turn to the right or left. If we do, we can remove our foot from evil and make a course correction. This is why we search our lives, to make sure we are still on the right path.

God is faithful and just, he will lead us into all truth and righteousness, but we have to make the choice each day to follow. We must have a made-up mind to keep our focus on him and allow him to lead us.

Psalm 57:7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.

When I was younger, I thought this verse meant that God had healed our brokenness. David was saying his heart was now fixed or healed. Because Jesus can heal the brokenness of our lives. He delivers us out of the place that we are walking around shattered in pieces and makes us whole.

But I believe that David was saying his heart was fixed like a point on a map. It was no longer going to be swayed by the enemy but was set on God. His life was on course and his heart was steady. The place his heart was, could be used as a reference point. In other words, he had a made-up mind and heart to keep his God focus.

It is amazing how fast this week has flown by, I want to encourage you to stay strong, keep looking up, and make sure you are on the right path. We are facing some scary things, but God will see us through them if we put our trust in Him and walk by faith. We know that things are not always as they appear to be at first glance. The enemy loves to try to deceive us, by making things look worse than they are at first glance. Be smart and don’t fall for his deception. Be ever vigilant about guarding your heart and mind.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

LIKE SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ENCOURAGEMENT

EPISODE 204

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/3ozwA-exDLk

WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: GOOD BYE GOOD ENOUGH

I want to talk to you about rising above good enough to a place of excellency. We read the inspirational stories in the Bible about all the miracles of God. It is easy to lose the awe and wonder of it all. But the same God that flattened the walls of Jerico, guided David’s rock against Goliath, delivered the Israelites at the Red Sea, is the same God that turned water into wine, walked on water and raised Lazarus from the dead. That same God lives in you and me.

We need to find our awe and wonder when it comes to God. Like a little child we need to come to him with an expectation of the unexpected. We need to learn to believe in miracles again.

Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

If God has not changed, then it stands to reason that the church has changed. We are desensitized to the word of God. We have settled down into a routine of complacency. Look at the lives of the apostles. Their lives were anything but routine. The early church sacrificed much, but they also received much from God.

We are not hungry enough for the things of God. Complacency has become our friend. It is easy to go through the motions and not get into the emotions. Worship is a connection, an emotional thing. We allow our spirit to connect to God. Over the years we have become dignified. We don’t want someone to see us cry or lift our hands in praise. What will someone think? If their opinion is standing in your way, you have made them an idol. Because their opinion is more important than God’s opinion.

God longs for us to connect with him and put him first in our lives. When we get our lives aligned with God and have that connection again, we will see miracles, signs and wonders.

I want to hear the preachers that most people hide from, those who tap dance on my toes. Yes, it hurts, but it makes me want to live better. Eventually, the pain of them on our toes lessens, because we have grown. They will help us find our faith.

Romans 8:15-17 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

There is nothing we go through in this life that if we approach it with the right attitude cannot be a stepping stone to growth. Situations arise and we have to walk through them the way Jesus would have chosen to deal with them. If people reject us because of Jesus, that rejection is not ours alone but one we share with Jesus.

Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

If we can endure the suffering of being a Christian, we will gain far more spiritually. God will allow us to grow and gain a level in him. He will know he can trust us with more and more responsibility. We will have more faith to stand against the enemy.

In order to reach a level of maturity in Christ we have to set aside childish things. We have to set aside the petty things of the judgmental and self-righteous. We can walk in maturity of faith by honoring God.

My calling is more important than my comfort level. Your calling is more important than your comfort level. Doing the right thing is not always comfortable. It’s like the old quote that says the truth hurts. Sometimes it does, but better a true friend that hurts you in love than someone who lies to you. With the truth there is room for growth and understanding. With a lie we get to live in the false world we made, one where it seems everything is fine. In reality, it is just a complacent house of cards waiting for the wind to blow. We all know what happens when the wind blows on a house of cards. It all comes crashing down. That also hurts.

The hurt that accompanies the truth is one that will allow cleansing of wrong and cause actual healing.

Eph 5:6-11 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them. 8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

We are children of the light, it is time we walk like we are enlightened. It is time that we set aside the heavy weights of complacency and conformity. It is time to be who God created each of us to be, a shining beacon to the lost. Search your heart today, as I will be searching mine. Ask God to reveal any areas of complacency. It is impossible to win the race if we are jogging along like we are not even in the race. We can win the battle if we stand for Jesus and let go of things that cause us fear.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

LIKE SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ENCOURAGEMENT

EPISODE 203 THE RIGHT PLACE

CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/fNhIEtn8f0s

WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING

The title of today’s episode: THE RIGHT PLACE

Many people struggle with finding their place in the world. People in their teens and twenties especially are trying to figure out who they were meant to be. But you do not have to be a teenager to struggle with the identity question. Who am I meant to be in this season of life. Many things can change that will push us from one season to the next.

I talked to you yesterday about being in the right place or the secret place in God. When we find ourselves asking questions of God he will give us the answers to our new seasons of life.

I came across a Hebrew word in my studies. It is Anavah (Ah-na-va) which means bring down. It is translated into the English word humble or humility. We often think of humility as having a modest view or low view of our own importance. We may approach God with this point of view. God’s ways are always higher than our own. We are lower than he is because he is God and we are his creation.

However, this word doesn’t mean humility in the same way we think about it today. When the bible was written the word anavah was used and its meaning was to take up the space God gave you. Being aware of and occupying the territory that God created for you. Today, we would be considered humble if we backed off and gave the spotlight to someone else. However, there are times that God has given you that particular place to occupy. The hard part is knowing where your place is, God doesn’t want us to overestimate our territory. But he doesn’t want us to underestimate it either.

He wants us to walk confidently in the place he has put us; with conviction that we are where he wants us to be right now, for this season. But not to be overbearing like we have all the answers.

When we walk in humility, we are walking in the God given space, if we can do that, we will be an influence to those around us. Because we will be perfectly aligned with the will of God.

Think about it, have you ever had a moment that you knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that you were right where you needed to be; perfectly aligned with God. In that moment he used you to make a huge difference. Like the time God rerouted my day to put me at the falls to keep a woman from committing suicide. What if I had missed that moment?

Evil people often overestimate their place in the world. In the book of Esther; look at Haman, he had been made second in command of the kingdom. One step below the king, yet he was angered because a lowly man named Mordecai would not bow to him. He was trying to overreach his place in the world. When we are evil like he was, our overreach is always our downfall. He wanted to kill God’s people. Not something that was in his original design from God. He ended up hanging on the gallows he built for Mordecai.

Mordecai however, walked in the place God had for him. He would not bow to Haman, because he said he only bowed to his God; Jehovah. Mordecai did what he knew God wanted from him, to stand strong on his faith. God blessed Mordecai for his faithfulness.

It is easy to walk in the flesh and allow the enemy to mess with our thinking. If we can learn to walk in humbleness before God, he will help us. Underestimating our abilities is not humbleness, it is false humility. God doesn’t want us to walk in that either.

The enemy is out to destroy our identity. He wants us to feel like we cannot step into the calling God has for us. He makes us feel like we could never fill the space God has for us to occupy. In truth, we cannot on our own, but allowing ourselves to be meek enough to let God lead, we can do anything he has called us to do.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

He knows what he is doing, he created each of us with a plan and a purpose. It is up to us to get in that secret place with him and let him tell us who we are and what he created us to do.

Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Our Christian Walk is all about balance; not too much or too little. Like those who are legalistic they are on the one side too far. They make up rules to make sure to keep people in line. (They think too highly of themselves) Then you have those who have a nonchalant attitude that because God gives us grace that we can do whatever and it’s ok. (They think too little of their real place in God and in his blood) Somewhere in the middle is the Christian that wants to please God. They want to do HIS will. They don’t care about man’s legalisms, even though they are persecuted by the overly religious. They try to keep God’s commandments and do the right thing, even though there are those who are Christian’s in name only that try to sway them the other way. This little thing won’t matter. In the middle of it all is God and his plan for our lives the anavah.

Think about where God wants for you to be, ask him to point you that direction. I pray that you will learn to be right where you need to be at all times. That is my prayer for me, that I am always occupying the right space, in Him and for Him.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

LIKE SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ENCOURAGEMENT