Tag: #Jesus

EPISODE 19 — MY FAILURE /GOD’S FAILURE

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO VERSION : https://youtu.be/UOnGliUObaI

Hello my friends

The title of today’s episode is: “MY FAILURE / GOD’S FAILURE”

By the title, I am sure some of you wonder if I have lost my sense of direction. If you have been serving God for any amount of time, you will have heard that God cannot fail. He is the God of the impossible and will do what he has promised. This is true, so we have established that God cannot fail. If there is any failure, it is on our part.

Deuteronomy 31:8 And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

If we attempt something and fail, we often get down on ourselves. Other’s opinions make us not want to try again. What will they think? They will make fun of me. Pushing past other people’s opinions is one of the biggest obstacles to getting to your destiny.

Sometimes, we fail because God steps in and intervenes. Failure often comes because if we were successful in what we chose to do, we would get stuck there. It would be like settling for Ishmael and never seeing our Issac.

Failure often happens when God has something better. But we want to hold onto our Ishmael. Failure doesn’t define us. It is just something that happens to us. However, when we try to create success ahead of God’s plan, we end up with an Ishmael and not the Issac he had planned for us. In studying this story, we need to take away from it to be patient with the Lord, and he will bring success. He will fulfill his promises.

Often, what we call failure is just God closing a door to force us to move on. Most of the time, it is just the push we need to step into our new season. Fear of failure can keep us frozen. But God doesn’t give us fear. He gives us the power to overcome our fears.

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

There is a quote that says if you are not making mistakes, you are not doing anything. I see a lot of truth in this statement. It is almost impossible to start something new and be perfect at it. It takes time to build up experience and to become comfortable with doing something new.

Failure is the opportunity to begin again with an idea of what not to do. We can never underestimate our abilities to be determined to try again.

I feel one of the biggest failures of Peter and so many of us is that we let fear cause us to deny Christ. Most of us, at some point, have allowed people to influence our walk with Christ. But God took Peter’s failure and turned him into a mighty man of God. Who boldly proclaimed the gospel for many years. But Peter didn’t allow his moment of failure to define him. We cannot either.

Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

I encourage you today to step out of your failures and insecurities and be bold enough to try again. God is there to help guide you.

Thanks for starting your day with me.

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

EPISODE 18 — WHERE IS JESUS?

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO VERSION OF THIS BLOG: https://youtu.be/86zlExW01Bs

Hello my friends

The title of today’s episode is: “Where is Jesus?”

Psalm 10:1 Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? Why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?

David felt like we often do. When things in life get rough, we sometimes feel all alone. He felt like God was far away from him. He felt like he was all alone in his time of trouble. Others have felt that way too or the author would not have written the poem, “Footprints in the sand.” In the troubled times when we only see one set of footprints, Jesus did not leave us, He was carrying us.

God often carries us at our worst moments when we feel all alone. Other times, we have walked away from Him. Not completely or intentionally in an I am done trying to be a Christian, kind of way. But we sometimes start looking within to figure out things that are troubling us and we neglect our bible study and prayer time. Before long, we find ourselves asking, “Where are you, God? Why are you so far away from me?”

When we come to a place where we feel like God is far away. We need to pray and worship. Ask him to draw close to us. It is up to us to return to where we left him. Look at the story when Jesus was a child. Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem for Passover. When it was over, they started traveling. They assumed that Jesus was traveling with the rest of their group.

They went on a day’s journey before they realized they couldn’t find him. They turned around and went back to the last place they had seen him, Jerusalem. It took them three days to find him in the temple. He was sitting with the scholars and was asking questions that showed them He was special. He was teaching them things about the Word because He was the Word made flesh.

Mary and Joseph found him right where they left him. We can, too. If God feels far away while we are in a season of trouble. We need to turn around and look for Him. He will be found right where we left Him. He has said he would never leave us.

Hebrews 13: 5-6 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee

Life can sometimes cause us to be wary. Troubles and trials can be distractions in our lives. The distractions do not have to be temptations and sin. It can just be a large to-do list or a time of walking through a trial of sickness or other issues. It doesn’t take long to realize that we have been neglectful with our time and have not given Jesus the attention he deserves. We suddenly feel like we are in a dry place.

Psa 63:1 A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; Psa 63:2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Psa 63:3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

We have all walked through spiritual deserts in which we feel like we are alone. We feel like God is not there. Being in the desert gave David a good perspective. Our bodies desire water; we cannot function without it. But just as our flesh needs water, our soul needs God’s living water.

I want to take time to remind those who feel like they are in a spiritual desert that God is there and will not leave you. He has promised he will never leave us or forsake us. Just when we think we cannot go one more step, he sends a refreshing to our soul. O Lord, how our souls thirst for your presence. Fill us up Lord. God is with us, even if we cannot feel his presence.

Thanks for watching today.

If you have a prayer request, it can be sent to my email angela@godfocus.net

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

EPISODE 17–FEEL GOOD QUOTES THAT ARE NOT BIBLICAL

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/Lm_HptTBRhM

Hello my friends:

The title of today’s episode is: “FEEL GOOD QUOTES THAT ARE NOT BIBLICAL”

Our society has a variety of sayings that are on t-shirts, notebooks, mugs etc. People say them all the time. We often say things without thinking about them.

(1)

The first one is “Follow your heart.” At first, this sounds like good advice. Often, when making a decision, we need to know how we feel about it. But more importantly, we need to know what God feels about it. God doesn’t say follow your heart. He says, follow me. If we follow him, we will never go wrong. He has promised to lead and guide us.

The word says, Jer. 17:9-10 (9) The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (10) I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

The word says the heart is deceitful. We don’t want to follow our hearts for this reason.

Matt 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

Now, knowing the things that come from the heart, do we really want to follow our heart? Every one of those things will lead us down a bad road to troubles and destruction in this life and the life to come.

(2)

The second one is, “If you believe its true then its true for you.” This is one of the worst attitudes that has been planted into our society. What makes it worse is it has taken root in some congregations across America. Have we forgotten the meaning of the word truth or true. The definition of truth is “that which is true or in accordance with fact or reality, actual fact.” The statement “If you believe it’s true then it’s true for you.” doesn’t really make sense. Things are fact or they are fiction. What I think about it doesn’t change it to fact if it is not a fact. On the other hand, if it is a fact, my thinking about it, what I feel will not make it fiction.

A friend of mine recently met a guy with this attitude. He said Satan wasn’t real because he didn’t believe it; it wasn’t part of his truth. I pray he changes his mind and makes things right with God or he will find out the hard way that the devil is real.

(3) The third quote is a new-age thing that has worked its way into our culture, “Karma will come around and bite you.” Karma is the way the new age explains the good and bad that happens in our lives. There is not a thing in the universe that controls the good and bad. God’s word, however, says, “We reap what we sow.” God makes the rain fall on the just and the unjust.

(4) “God will not put more on you than you can bear.” How many times have you hear Christian’s say this: This is man made scripture that worked it’s way into the church culture. The verse says, 1 Cor 10:13 13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. It says God will not allow us to be tempted above what we can stand. He will make a way for us to escape.

(5) “You Only Live Once.” This buys into a you may as well do what you want and enjoy your life, even if it is sinful. Because you only live once. But this is not true; we only have one life to walk in this flesh. But after it comes the judgment and eternity in one of two places: heaven or hell. Where you go depends on how you use the life you are given. So don’t buy into the You only live once attitude.

I want to change the meaning of this one and say you only live once, so you have to get it right. Only a life lived for Jesus Christ is a life worth living.

The words we speak have power in our lives. Think about what you are saying, are you speaking life and positivity or are you speaking negatively? We will have to do an in-depth study about the power of our words. Are your statements popular quotes or are they truth?

Take time to watch what you say,

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

EPISODE 16–THINGS ARE NOT AS THEY APPEAR

Episode 16 Check out the video version of this blog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9ek7gVcYpg

The title of today’s episode is, “THINGS ARE NOT AS THEY APPEAR” Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. The flood that destroyed the wicked elevated the ark. We often feel like the enemy has the upper hand when really God is just waiting on the right time to bring the flood. During that flood, he will elevate us above the destruction and destroy the enemy. Even though they were rained on just as hard as the rest of the world, they were safe inside the ark. God gave people plenty of time to do the right thing, but they just mocked and laughed at the preacher who was building a boat on dry land. God was patient, but once he sealed the door, it was too late.

God always has a plan. He always protects his people. Like during all the plagues of Egypt. God’s people didn’t suffer any of the plagues. They were safe in the place where they dwelled. Things escalated to the meeting at the Red Sea. That divine moment destroyed their enemy while delivering them safely to the other side. We can dwell in safety. He will never allow us to be overtaken by the enemy, as long as we dwell in the secret place with Him. We dwell under the shadow of His wings.

God told Jehoshaphat to go to battle. He had three different armies that were against him. That sounds like a recipe for disaster. To the natural mind, what Jehosophat did may seem silly, but God knew what needed to be done. He led him into the battle to see that God would take care of his people.

These are just a few examples of how God used different people to destroy the enemy. Each one took faith and walked in God’s promise that he would deliver. Can you imagine loading all those animals on a boat and getting inside, not knowing what was going to happen. It took faith to get inside with a bunch of wild animals. Under normal circumstances, they would have ended up ripped to shreds by claws and fangs. But God made the animals to even be peaceable.

Imagine how scary it was being trapped by a body of water and the enemy closing in fast. God used that moment to show the Israelites that he was their God, their provider and protector. He turned that moment of fear into joy as they saw God destroy the enemy.

Imagine you are a worshipper in Jehosophat’s army, he says, “God said you will go before the army.” To the natural mind that is a scary place to be, you would be the first one to see the enemy. You would be the first one attacked. As you march along praising God, you are also the first one to see that the enemies have destroyed each other.

The Jewish people in the book of Esther were going to be destroyed. Haman the evil advisor to the king we determined to kill them all and had a special hatred for Moredcai. (Esther’s cousin) But after calling a fast Esther boldly went before the king. At that moment, God started turning the situation around. Before that moment, the evil Haman had built a gallows to hang Mordecai. But because they prayed and trusted God, the Jewish people were saved from being slaughtered, and the evil Haman ended up hanging on his own gallows. Him and his sons. God even destroyed his bloodline.

These examples lead me to believe that as long as we trust Him, even when it seems to the natural mind that it is a crazy or bad idea, we will experience amazing things. We are about to experience what may appear scary to the natural mind. We live in uncertain times. But we know through reading the bible that there is nothing we face that we have to face alone. This is where we have to fully put our trust in him. He will keep us safe and will show us amazing things. He will allow what the enemy meant to destroy us to be our salvation. If we can only trust in Him. Take time to think about your life and your situation. Remember, things are not always as they appear. God may be allowing something that looks scary to launch you into your destiny. Hold tight to him. He will deliver you from the enemy as long as you look to Jesus.

Thanks for watching,

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

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EPISODE 15–TREASURES

Hello my friends

The title of today’s episode is: “TREASURES

Matt 6:21 –“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Show me what people spend their money and time on, and I will show you what they treasure. Treasures are the things we value the most.

This verse made me think about what a lot of people treasure in this life. Many people will automatically think of a pirate chest full of jewels and gold worth a lot of money. Some people treasure their money and all the extravagance it can buy for them.

Then my thoughts turned to myself: what do I treasure? I was raised to value things like friendships and gifts made from the heart. I have never been a materialistic person.

Let me ask you a question? What if I told you that your house was going to blow up and nothing would be left, your family is safe and your pets are safe. I will even allow you a freebie of getting all your important papers that are in your fireproof safe.

The family is safe and your pets and paperwork, now I tell you that you can go inside and safely get five things before it explodes. What would you get? What would be the five things that mean the most to you? It doesn’t matter how big or small the items are, just that they are important to you.

I spent a lot of time pondering this question myself. I never want to ask you a question that I don’t ask myself first. I wish that I could say that my first thought was my bible. I would like to be so spiritual that it was my first thought, but it wasn’t.

I thought about a wooden shelf that my grandfather made me when I was six. It is not fancy, and neither is it made from some expensive wood. It was made from plywood. But my family was moving into our new house, and I told him I needed a shelf in my room. A couple of days later, he gave me this shelf. I treasure it because he made it for me. He has made me many nice pieces of furniture and shelves since, but that one means the most to me.

I finally completed my list, including my Bible, after I was reading my prayer journal from many years ago, and I came across an entry that had me in tears. I worked for a car dealership and used to work as a fill-in operator at lunch at my job. Every day, I would take my bible and a notebook to the switchboard with me. I would make notes for the next issue of my newsletter or daily devotionals.

One day, I was sitting there answering the phone when this lady approached me. I am not sure what nationality she was; she looked oriental. I assumed maybe Chinese. She was looking for the service department. Her eyes lit up as she looked down at my Bible and said, “OH, Is that a Bible? You are reading it out here?”

I said, “Yes, I try to read it every day while I am out here waiting for the phone to ring.”

She responded, “I have seen them a few times. Our church had one.” Our church had…One. Something tugged on my heart when she said it, “Our church had one.”

I looked at her and said, “You do not have a bible?” She sadly said no. I immediately dumped out all my pieces of paper that had notes on them and that I was using for bookmarks and said, “Here, you can have this one.”

She took a step backward away from me and said, “Oh no, no, I could never take such a treasure from you.”

I said it’s okay. I have another one at home.” It wasn’t even a fancy study bible. It did not have a thumb index or chain reference. It was one of the Sunday school award bibles I bought for like ten bucks. Just to keep at work.

She looked surprised and timidly asked, “You have two?” I said yes. Really, it’s okay; you can have it. She said ok, and she took that bible and clutched it to her chest like I had given her a million dollars. It made me feel like I didn’t treasure the word of God enough. I felt very spoiled and puny as a Christian not to treasure my bible.

Anyone who needs a bible I try to provide one or them. It is our lifeline, our road map. It is strength and life, it is God written out on a page that we may understand him better. It is our salvation, healing, and our manual for life.

There is another verse, Psalm 119:16-Thy word have I hid in mine heart, That I might not sin against thee.

If we can take our bible and treasure it like that little woman did, we will read it and study it until we live and breathe it. No one will be able to remove it from our hearts. There could come a day when the government may come and steal the paper books from us. But if we have God’s word in us, they can’t take away such a treasure.

This is why it is important to study the word and hide it in our hearts. Many times I will be facing something and a verse will come to mind. God will bring it to our remembrance when we need it. But it must be hidden in our hearts first.

I encourage you to challenge yourself. Find a verse that encourages you. Memorize it. Think if you learned one verse a week. At the end of the year, you would know fifty-two verses. Now multiply that by five years, ten years. How long would it take before you were a walking concordance like my grandfather? More than the shelf he made me or anything he did for me, he was the one who pointed me to Jesus.

What do you treasure? Silver and gold, a big screen TV the newest smart phone? Or do you treasure that word, that has the power to transform, encourage, deliver, heal and save. Then next time you don’t want to read or study your bible think about the little woman I met, think about how excited she was to just have a bible in her hands that was her very own, because where she was from, her church had one.

The treasure chest of our spiritual life is our heart. If it is in our hearts, it will show on the outside in our lives. Our Christian walk is all about having a good heart. We need to pour good things into our lives, and it will show. When the heart is full of God’s word, we will have something encouraging to say to anyone who needs a little kindness.

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Thanks for spending a little time with me. Think about your treasures and choose wisely. Check out my blog at http://www.godfocus.net. Until next time, Be bold, Be brave and keep your God Focus.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

EPISODE 14–WARMING BY GOD’S FIRE

Hello my friends

The title of today’s episode is: “WARMING BY GOD’S FIRE”

Fire is necessary for our survival. When the weather is freezing outside, there is no better feeling than to come inside from the cold and snuggle by a fire. God can take the cold, cruel world and wrap us in the warmth of his Love.

The enemy knows when you are not on fire for God. He knows it is God’s fire inside of us that keeps us pure. Like fire burns all the dirt and impurities from Gold. The Holy Ghost fire, within us, burns away sin and impurities in our lives.

There are times we can step outside of God’s will. We grow cold and start following Jesus from a little farther away than we should. Fear and other things get between us and him.

Look at Peter. After Jesus was taken to be delivered up for punishment, Peter followed a far-off. For us, we would be going through the motions. We still attend service but do not participate. If we do, it is half-heartedly, more out of obligation than desire, until we grow cold. We start allowing the world to creep in and make us cold.

The word says our God is a consuming fire. The Holy Ghost is often referred to as a fire. It stands to reason that if we drift away from God, we will get cold. Sometimes, we are so cold that even the enemy’s fire can warm us up.

Why did Peter deny Christ? The two main reasons were weakness and fear. He was afraid of the enemy that had taken Christ into custody. He didn’t trust that God would deliver him.

Once Jesus was taken into custody, those who had taken him built a fire. Peter sat down with the enemy and warmed himself. As he sat there, someone said he was one of those with Jesus. Peter denied it. You can be sure if you spend any time with Jesus, the enemy will know it.

Even though Peter was not doing what he was supposed to do, Jesus knew what Peter would become in the future. When Peter denied Jesus the third time and the cock crowed, Jesus turned and looked at him.

I like to think that Peter, at that moment, realized where he was, warming himself by the enemy’s fire. He removed himself from that situation; the word says he wept bitterly. We have to remove ourselves from situations and people sometimes, before we can repent and get back on track by following Jesus close.

This moment in Peter’s life, I believe, was his turnaround moment. I believe the beginning of his getting enough boldness to stand for the gospel. He stood boldly on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost was sent to the church and declared, “This is that which was prophesied by Joel.” The world needs people today to stand boldly and declare the gospel. We will not be able to do that if we are warming ourselves by the enemy’s fire.

It was a shock to me when I first grasped the concept that those who crucified Jesus were the very ones who were the religious leaders of their day. They claimed to be looking for the Messiah. They were so corrupt and money-hungry that they didn’t even know him when he was standing in front of them.

This is where we are in the world today. Many say they believe in Jesus. They say they want a move of God. But really, they are so stuck in their feel-good, all is right with the world message. They miss Jesus, and they will miss the move of God because they follow him afar off.

They worship him with their lips, but their hearts are far away from him. They are warming themselves by the enemy’s fire. They have gotten comfortable by that fire so much that they no longer see Jesus looking at them to let them know they are denying him. They are happy at the enemy’s fire. Some have gone so far as to adopt the all-roads lead to god because god is known by many names’ messages. This is the biggest lie the enemy ever told.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but by me.

Proverbs 14:12 says There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

None of the Greek gods, Baal, Buddha, Muhammed, or any other, suffered in agony many, many hours from being beaten beyond recognition to crucifixion to pay the price for my sins and yours.

We cannot allow the philosophies of this world or those that are confused to make us question our place. Which is not warming ourselves by the enemy’s fire. The way we keep from being deceived is to stay close to Jesus. Allowing his fire within to keep all the impurities burned out of our lives.

Who’s fire is keeping you warm? Often, we talk about the Holy Ghost being like fire and God is a consuming fire. God’s fire refines us and makes us better and stronger Christians. But, sometimes, we get out of God’s will. We allow the things of the world to creep in our way. We allow fear to get in our way and become bigger to us than God is in our lives.

Are you saying, Lord, fill me with your Holy Ghost? Keep me on fire for you so that I can grow and be what I need to be. Or are you living a way that you’re putting some distance between you and God because of people or situations in your life? Are you to the point that you’re denying him? When I ask, are you denying him, I’m not asking if you know God, but maybe denying him your time, your fellowship. Maybe you’re you’re denying God space in your life.

The further we get away from God, the colder we get. When we grow cold, we will look for warmth. We may end up warming by the enemy’s fire. So take time to Think about it. Remember, our God is a consuming fire. He’ll consume us without burning us up. It is something to ponder over the next few days. Who’s fire are you warming by? I pray it’s the right one.

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Thanks for spending a little time with me. I encourage you to devote time this week to getting closer to Jesus. Make sure you are warming by His Fire. Thanks for watching,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

EPISODE 13–LIGHT OF LIFE

Hello my friends

The title of today’s episode is: “LIGHT OF LIFE”

The world is in darkness, and moral decay is on the rise. The only answer is Jesus. We are called to be a light. It is our duty to show others the way to Jesus. Light and Darkness cannot exist in the same place; light will drive out the darkness. However, if we hide our light, it will seem smaller and smaller. The darkness will press in on all sides.

The word shining means to give out or reflect a bright light. We are to give out the light that God has given us. We need to reflect on the God inside of us.

John 8:12—Then spake Jesus again unto them saying, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Focus on that phrase for a moment, “the light of life.” Our life will have light once we have accepted Jesus and decided to follow him. It comes into us when we receive Jesus into our hearts. We are then called to share this light we have with others. It is the only way they will be able to see their way through the darkness of this world.

It is the job of the enemy to keep people blinded by sin and temptations. It is only in the darkness of sin that Satan can keep us bound. But that darkness cannot hold us when the light of God’s love is shared. Sometimes it takes a little time for people to see, but love wins every time. We just have to see our way through and keep consistently shining our light.

Have you ever been in a room when the electricity has gone off, and it is pitch black? A simple match will light up the corner where it is found. Many matches together will light an entire room. As we show more people the truth of God’s love for us, they will accept Christ and receive their own light. “The light of LIFE” The more light we shine into the darkness, the less threatening it becomes.

Have you ever stood on a hilltop and looked down on a city below? It is not one large light. Its beauty comes from many small lights together. Being a Christian means that we share our light and combine it with others to encourage them to do the same.

Without the darkness, how would we recognize the light? Or we could reverse that statement. Without our light, how could others see that they were in darkness? Just as our eyes adjust to the amount of light there is out there, sinners adjust to the darkness. They are so used to stumbling around in the dark they don’t realize there is a better way.

I used to pray for God to make me a big bright light. In my mind, a big light would be better. My heart was in the right place. I figured a big bright light would reach more people. Like a lighthouse beacon. One day I was praying and I said, “Make me a big bright light” and God said, “Why, a big light is blinding.”

Then I got it, too much light and it is a reflex to close your eyes against the brightness. A little light, will help you to see. It is better to let our light shine in many small ways every day, instead of doing one big thing.

We need to spend alone time with God. He will fill our hearts with his love daily. Then, we can take that love and light our world. It really all boils down to a relationship with him. We need to be authentic; the world will see through fake Christianity. That is why it is so important to walk in integrity and do the right thing even when no one is watching. We will never be a good light unless we can focus our lives on walking with integrity.

God doesn’t tell us to share our light just to have something to do. Being a Christian is not about a list of rules. God tells us to avoid things for our own good, not because he doesn’t want us to enjoy our life. He wants us to have an abundant life.

I think about a dream I had a few years ago. I was on a platform off to one side; Jesus was standing in the middle. I could see his back from the shoulders down and he had his arms full of bread. There were many kinds of bread. Some were rolls, and some were loaves. In front of me was people as far as I could see. All colors, nationalities, shapes and sizes. Then God said, “The people are hungry.”

It was up to me to give them the bread that was in Jesus’ arms. As Christian’s it is our responsibility to find those starving for the light of the gospel. Then we need to share that light.

There are so many people that are starving for the word, starving for a fresh start. They are depressed and starving for anything that can give them some peace. They are burned out and tired of life as it is, they need a turnaround. It is my prayer we reach them before it is too late.

There was a guy who worked in a convenience store. He was a new Christian and was trying to be a light. So, for certain customers, he would say God Bless you as he gave them their change. One day there was a guy who came through his line, instead of the usual comments he felt like telling him that God loved him. The customer left and the clerk finished his shift, not giving it a thought.

Two weeks later the customer returned and asked if the guy remembered him. The clerk apologized and said he didn’t remember him. The customer then said, “I have something I need to tell you.”

The clerk responded with an “Ok”

The guy then said, “I don’t know if you remember or not but the other day, you told me that God loves me. What you didn’t know was that I was on my way home to commit suicide, that evening, I had already made my plans. I had my note written; it was a done deal all but pulling the trigger. But when you told me that God loved me, I got to thinking about it. I decided to wait a couple of weeks. I started researching about God. Because of you, I was around long enough to find someone who could lead me to Christ. I am a Christian because of you.

We never know how a little thing to us can be magnified by God and reach someone else before it is too late. God values courage and asks us to be brave.

I am going to leave you with that thought until next time.

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Thanks for spending a little time with me. I encourage you to go out and let your light shine into the darkness. Until next time, Be bold, Be brave and keep your God Focus.

EPISODE 12 –HIS MERCY IS NEW

Hello my friends

The title of today’s episode is: “His mercy is new”

Some of us, like myself, have been Christians for many years. I will be the first to tell you that during my journey, I have fallen down a few times. I have sinned and begged for forgiveness. I have been unkind and spiteful and had to turn around and repent.

It is not a shame to be human and fall. It is, however, a shame to stay down. Many of us have the problem of forgiving ourselves and moving on. Once we have learned how to forgive and move on, then the healing can be completed. God has already forgiven us and we are still wallowing in self-loathing. I am not saying we should not feel bad about sinning. I am talking about asking for forgiveness, then six months later, we are still regretting and beating ourselves up.

Breaking that cycle takes understanding and prayer. Understanding that God has forgiven us, then who are we to continue the punishment. This is just a trick of the enemy to keep us tied up in knots. If we are worried about the past, we cannot be effective in the present, where God is wanting to use us. Forgive yourself and let it go.

Now that we have a new start, what do we do with it? I suggest praying for God to give us direction. He created us all for a purpose; we often fall down when we are running from that purpose. I was called to teach and would do it in small ways. Maybe fill in for a lesson or two in Sunday school. Once, I actually spoke at a women’s conference. I remember when it was over, feeling like I was doing exactly what I should be doing. It also scared me, and I ran.

God is now giving me another chance to do what he made me to do. People’s opinions really swayed me; now I pray for God’s opinion to be the only one I hear. His opinion is the only one that truly matters in the end. God is getting ready to do great things in our country and around this world. We are going through labor pains right now because God is trying to birth something new in each of us.

What does God want you to do? What is he wanting to bring forth in you? You were made for a purpose. Many are afraid; I understand that fear. The enemy sits on your shoulder and whispers, who do you think you are doing this thing? What qualifies you to be a teacher, minister of song, a preacher or a prophet, a prayer warrior? As long as God calls you to the job, he will see you through it. He qualifies those he calls. He does not use perfect people; he uses flawed people. If we were able to do things in our own strength, we would not need God.

If you choose to watch my channel and look for the fault, you will find it. But if you listen with your spiritual ears, God may use it to strengthen you. We are not the sum of our failures or successes but the sum of our moments that we fully TRUST IN HIM. He will never abandon us, but we often are like Peter we deny him.

Now is not the time to be denying Christ and his will. Now is the time to stand strong and lean on him. Let the weak say I am strong. In Christ, I can do all things. It is scary to step out in faith. But we will never reach our potential if we do not take the chance and step out in faith. Peter stepped out of the boat and he walked on water for a moment. Many say yes but he sank. In other words, he fell. But he had the experience of Jesus lifting him up when he fell.

The others in the boat did not get that same lesson. They had to learn of God’s faithfulness in other ways. Never criticize someone else for their sinking, at least they are trying to walk on the water with Jesus. It is time to get out of the safety of the boat and live life out loud. Taking a walk with Jesus. This is our time to shine our light. The world needs now more than ever for us to be the light we were called to be.

As I watch people struggle through all sorts of things in this life, I am reminded that life is not something that wraps up neatly with a bow. Life is messy, and it is painful. Anyone who paints it as a pretty picture of unicorns and rainbows is trying to sell something.

But life is still a blessing from God. Even though we go through times of struggle and pain, there are lessons to be learned every day. Even when we do not see it or feel it, God is with us and his mercies are new every day.

We have been given a great gift that we often take for granted. The gift of salvation. It is the ultimate new beginning. But each day we are given a new opportunity to begin again. Every morning is a blank slate. What are we going to do with the 24 hours in front of us? Will we pray for his direction and instruction? Will we rush ahead, doing our own will?

Lam 3:22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

Lam 3:23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Lam 3:24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

Lam 3:25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

Our hope is in the Lord. Without Him, we can do nothing, but with Him, we can do all things.

We all have “go to” verses that we cling to in times of need. One of mine is:

2Cor. 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

When we are standing on the edge of a new beginning, what is facing us may seem scary. Many things could cause us to fear, if we walk in that fear, we will never reach our destiny. This is why it is important to have faith and walk in what we know to be true. God is faithful and will help us to do the tasks he has asked of us, if we TRUST and walk by faith.

Fear is from the enemy; it is one of Satan’s most used tools. The Bible is full of verses that tell us to not fear.

Perfect love casts out fear. God is love. Therefore, it is easy to conclude if we have God, we have no reason to fear. So be bold, step out of the boat, and walk on the water. Jesus is right there to help you stay afloat. Think about what God created you to do, then go do it.

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Thanks for spending a little time with me.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

EPISODE 11–CRAZY FAITH

Hello my friends

The title of today’s episode is: “Crazy Faith”

People thought Noah was crazy for building a boat. He preached and warned the people for years. He warned them of something that was supposed to take place that the world had never seen before: rain. He knew someone they did not know. Noah knew a God who was his friend and his deliverer. Noah took his crazy faith and put it into action. Noah never let people get in his way of doing what God told him to do and his faith saved his family from destruction.

Daniel prayed to the one true God, against the king’s command. He was bold about it. He did not get in the corner of his bedroom and quietly whispered. He opened his windows and prayed loudly to his God three times a day. He showed he had boldness. Many would consider that crazy faith. When it came to being thrown into a lion’s den, he trusted God to deliver him. God honors the bold and the brave. He uses them in ways that bring deliverance to others.

It sounded impossible that a man of God could bless a meal barrel and a pot of oil for a widow, and it would not run dry until the famine was over. But the widow took all she had and fed the man of God. To many people, that would sound crazy; why would she give him her last meal? But her crazy faith saved her and her son. God blessed her sacrifice and sustained her through the famine.

We are in a day and age when the world needs to see devoted people. They need to see the miracles and signs that our God is awesome. We need to be bold enough to step out and even look a little crazy if necessary, walking in that crazy faith.

A friend of mine recently asked if my grandfather had ever cast out devils. Deliverance ministry is on the rise in our country, as God shows his strength and power. I told her he had but I did not experience it. Then I remembered when I was a twenty-two-year-old, newly married woman. My husband went to visit some friends. He came home and told me to call my family to pray that he was going back to cast a demon out of our friend. In shock I said, “Can you do that?” I didn’t feel equipped myself, he said, “The bible says I can” and out the door he went. He returned an hour or so later and shared that our friend was fine.

He was so full of faith, he had what the world would call crazy faith. In order for us to fight the enemy in the times we are living, we need to ask God for a dose of crazy faith.

I Cor 1:26-27 (26) For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

(27) But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

Sometimes, God asks us to do things that the world may think are crazy. But I would rather look crazy to the world than miss what God wants me to do or say. Pleasing Him is all that matters.

Many things to the natural mind look crazy or seem impossible. The Bible is full of people who were brave enough to step out of their comfort zone and use their faith. God honors the bold and the brave. What is He wanting you to do that some may think is crazy?

1Cor 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Sometimes, I wake up with a song on my heart. God often uses them to set the tone for my day. Other times I wake with a to do list running through my mind. But I want to focus on Jesus this morning. There is nothing he cannot do. Some people hear that phrase and think we are all crazy. Because they prayed with all their heart for something to happen and when it didn’t (when God said no) they lost faith.

One of the most important things we can hold on to is faith that all things work out for our good. Even when it seems like all hope is lost. Even when our hearts are breaking, holding steadfast to our faith is very important.

Where would all the inspirational stories in the bible be if those people lost faith? What if Moses had stood at the Red Sea and curled up in a ball crying, “We’re gonna die!!!” But he held on to his faith and God provided a way of escape. He had been through enough with the Lord to know he could trust him.

Many of the saint that have gone before us had a dose of crazy faith. It is going to take that over the top, “God says I can, type of faith to win the next generations. So be encouraged, hold on to your faith, God is with us.

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Thanks for spending a little time with me. Check out my blog at http://www.godfocus.net. Email me at angela@godfocus.net. Until next time, Be bold, Be brave and keep your God Focus.

EPISODE 10–FISHING GOD’S WAY

Hello my friends

The title of today’s episode is: “Fishing God’s Way ”

Matthew 4:18-20 18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

I can remember going fishing with my dad and grandpa as a young girl. It was always fun to cast the bait out and immediately catch a fish. But it got boring just waiting for a fish to bite. Fishing requires patience and skill. It requires experience to know where the fish like to hang out, like near downed trees and under rock ledges. It was always frustrating when one stole your bait. We used all sorts of things for bait, from minnows to a Velveeta cheese and garlic mixture my dad made. Sometimes, we used artificial bait with shiny spinners and spoons. It all depended on what kind of fish we wanted to catch.

Satan uses all sorts of shiny things to catch us and get us to sin. He knows just what will tempt us. He custom makes traps for each of us to cause us to sin. As Christians, we are not above falling into a trap if we do not listen to the voice of God. Especially if you are new to your Christian walk. But if we listen, God will make a way for us to escape falling into the trap in the first place.

When dealing with the lost, we have to understand that they have been trapped by the enemy. We must never go to them with a superior attitude or one of condemnation. They need to see God’s compassion and love in us. We will never reach the lost without God’s love in our hearts. We will not reach them if we only pray for our lost family and friends.

In order to complete the great commission, we have to have a burden for the lost. It is up to each of us to try to bring souls into the kingdom. I went fishing almost every time my dad went until he told me I was old enough to bait my own hook and take off my own fish. Well, that was the end of my fishing days. I didn’t want to get slimy, and I had seen people get cut badly with fish that bit or finned them. I wanted to protect myself.

We sometimes want to leave the hard jobs to someone else. We don’t want to get our hands dirty. We want to protect ourselves from people lashing out at us. When people are hurting or scared, they sometimes say harsh things. It’s easier to just stop fishing for those souls.

Thinking of people as being fish, some are tough, some are clown fish, and some are hiding and need different bait. We each may have different bait in our tackle box because of what we have experienced. Someone that I can reach you may not be able to even get close to witnessing to and vice versa.

There are plenty of lost to go around. It’s time for us to gather the tools necessary into our tackle box and go fishing.

What do we put in our tackle box? The word of God. Compassion, non-judgmental attitude, God’s love, peace and strength. Before leaving the house, we need to pray that the master of the sea will lead us to the right fishing spot. Ask for His Spirit to give us the right words to say to help heal the brokenhearted.

Many people have been hurt by so-called Christians and are afraid to be vulnerable again. They blame God and QUOTE “church people”. I don’t ever want to be known as “Church People.” I want people to look at me and see a Christian. Not someone bound by an organized religious denomination. I recently shared a story on my blog of a woman at a restaurant that I talk to a lot. She told me that some of the “church people” got upset on Easter Sunday because they were closing at noon to spend the day with their families. I explained to her there was a difference between a Christian and a “church people.” Church people are all about the church; they are judgmental and rude. They feel like they know everything and that no one is as good as a Christian as they are. Christians are loving people who attend church. But they are kind. Be kind to your servers, generous with your tips, and above all, help them see the difference between “church people and Christians. It may even lead to catching a fish or two. We can reach the lost if we walk in love.

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