Tag: #Jesus

EPISODE 65 — GOOD FRIDAY??

CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v4m4k5h-god-focus-this-morning-episode-65-good-friday-.html

The title of today’s episode is: “GOOD FRIDAY??”

When I was a child, I wondered why the day that Jesus was brutalized and nailed to a cross was called Good Friday. I didn’t think that what happened to Jesus was good at all. I remember asking my grandpa what made Jesus different from the other two on the cross with Him. What made him special?

He explained that the other two committed crimes and that was how the Romans punished criminals. Then he said, Jesus was perfect and without sin. Yet He chose to be punished to take away our punishment so that we could be saved. I remember being a little scared that they could have put us on a cross. Still not understanding why it was Good Friday. It still seemed like a bad Friday.

I am sure the disciples that ran and hid felt like it was a bad Friday. They were in shock and allowed fear to overtake them. Can you imagine how they felt? They had walked with Jesus and saw the miracles. They knew He had power. Yet they saw Him punished. Fear had to set in a little because it looked like the Romans had power over Jesus. But Jesus gave up his authority to become the lamb of the world. He surrendered to the process for each of us.

I cannot think of the crucifixion without Day Three by Lords Song going through my mind. But it says “Day One the hill ran crimson red with blood to cleans all sin. Day Two reminds us keep the faith when the doubt sets in, what a difference one day makes from death to victory. The cross became an empty grave on Day Three.”

Good Friday is good because that was the greatest day in history. It was the day we all were given the right to be set free. It looked dark on Friday. The enemy thought he had won. Day two, the disciples were down and feeling the pain of grief. But the good news is that He rose from the dead-on Day Three, full of power and victory over the enemy.

We cannot only find encouragement in the resurrection and how it gives us the right to be saved. But the story of the cross can give us encouragement for all of our situations. Things could not have looked darker than it did on that Friday. But Sunday came and freedom came with it.

Our situations may seem bad or look dark sometimes, but we can look at Good Friday and how dark it was and remember that the light will spring forth again. Sunday was the brightest day of hope.

When we are dealing with moments it looks like the enemy is winning. We may feel like we lack strength to go on but be encouraged and hang on because victory is just around the corner.

While Jesus was in the grave, he descended into hell and took away the keys of death, hell and the grave. When He rose, He had taken back the authority that Adam lost by eating of the tree that God told Him to not eat. Jesus destroyed the plans of the enemy.

He gave us the power to become the sons of God. But if it had not been for Good Friday, there would not have been the victory of Sunday morning. Without the dark times, we could not appreciate the light of victory.

As we walk through dark times, we have to hold on, victory is just around the corner. Remember the cross became an empty grave on day three. As your enemy closes in and you feel trapped, like the children of Israel at the Red Sea. Remember, God made a way and opened the sea. He turned a scary moment into ultimate freedom.

Do not be discouraged, He is waiting to turn our dark Fridays into victorious Sundays. Take time to thank God for His work on the cross and that He has given us the right to become the sons of God. Praise him for his precious blood cleanses all sin. His blood that gives us power over the powers of the enemy.

Day One, they found him guilty, and it turned dark. Day two was full of doubt, and the enemy thought he had the upper hand. He thought he had won. Until Jesus met him face to face and took the keys of hell from him and set free the captive. He came out of the grave on Day Three victorious over death, hell and the grave. This is why we celebrate Day Three, for we have nothing to fear. Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, has risen. It is time for us to rejoice in the freedom he has given us from bondage.

Have a wonderful resurrection weekend.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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EPISODE 42 – IT’S ALL IN THE PERSPECTIVE

Click here for the video version: https://youtu.be/pSS5eU-GQPM

Hello My Friends,

The title of today’s episode is: “It’s All In The Perspective”

1Cor 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

Most things in life come down to perspective. We judge things by our experience and comfort levels. I used to look at a guy I worked with and tell him he was crazy because he would ride a bicycle on a narrow, dangerous mountain path. I am talking this path is six inches wide in some spots on the top of a mountain. If he missed the path, he would fall hundreds of feet to the bottom. Because I am not comfortable doing it, I feel it is crazy. But if I was comfortable riding that trail, then I would think he was normal. I would call it an extreme sport or even fun. It is all in the perspective.

To Christians, the preaching of the cross is life and strength. It is peace and salvation. It is healing for our souls and bodies. But to those who are lost, they look at us as if we are crazy. Because they do not understand. They do not understand from our perspective. They will not understand until they get out of their comfort zone and let Jesus open their understanding. He is the only one who can give them a new perspective.

We need God’s perspective on life. I want to look at a few scriptures that may give some a little perspective.

John 16:32-33 32 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. 33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Jesus spoke to his disciples of his upcoming arrest and crucifixion. Verse 33 is still true for today. We can have peace in Jesus. The world doesn’t understand how we can have peace when our lives appear from the outside to be burning to the ground. Everything could be going wrong and falling apart, but if we truly walk with Jesus, we will have peace. Because our focus is not on our lives burning down but on Jesus, who has the power to fix things and restore them.

When we do not walk with Jesus, it is said that we are in the world. If we do not have God’s leading, we will not have peace but tribulation. Christians are not immune from bad things happening. We still lose loved ones, we still lose jobs, and we still have things happen that most people feel are bad. The difference between a Christian and the world is that we have Jesus to help us cope with our situations. He will give us His perspective and His solution of how to deal with the issues.

Christians walk by faith, not by sight. The world doesn’t have this kind of faith, so they have no choice but to walk by sight. We have faith that God will see us through anything we face. So, when things happen that appear scary or bad, we can lean on our faith perspective, not our sight and emotions of the situation.

Our five physical senses can be deceived by past experiences. If we truly hear from God and allow His perspective, we cannot go wrong.

Deuteronomy 31:8 – The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

He is telling us not to be discouraged, which tells me we have some control over the situation. We can rise above the emotions of situations and look at them from God’s perspective. God goes before us and will be with us through all of our fears, tears, disappointments, failures, and times we feel depressed or defeated. It is not wrong to feel the emotions. I am not saying if you are a Christian, you will not feel the emotions. It is even ok to be in the emotion for a small length of time. Then, we have to gain control of the situation by giving up our control to God. He will lead us to the right perspective.

Don’t be discouraged if people don’t understand you. Some may even think you are crazy. But if we walk our lives out daily, being led by the Spirit of God within us. We will have the right perspective. Continue to walk in God’s love and show others the way to the cross. It is the only hope they have, even if they do not see it yet.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

EPISODE 37–OLD LANDMARK

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v4c3o2b-god-focus-this-morning-episode-37-old-landmarks.html

Hello my friends

The title of today’s episode is: “Old Landmarks”

Prov 22:28 Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.

The early church didn’t neglect prayer and fellowship. We need to be consistent in the word of God. We have been given a solid foundation. Standing firm on that foundation of the apostles is the old landmark that many churches have left in order to be more modern.

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

I recently heard it said that some mega-churches took the marketing approach to building their church. They did surveys about what people wanted in a church. This is why many are nothing more than social clubs, with their coffee bars and fog machines. Without sticking to the old paths, they have gotten away from what makes “THE CHURCH” different from the world.

In order to be effective, the ministry of “THE CHURCH” has to show people that they can walk the walk and not just talk the talk. People are craving a REAL move of God. They want to know him for themselves. All the marketing in the world will not replace prayer and knowing God. Really truly digging into the word. Putting it under a microscope and asking what does this really mean. Dig deep below the superficial surface of the word.

Psalm 17:5 Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.

This should be our prayer every day. Hold up my goings; in other words, support my sense of direction. Direct my way in your will. Because if you don’t, Lord, I might slip and fall.

Just like in the natural, if the wind blows strong enough it is impossible for a human to stand up. The winds of this life can spiritually knock us for a loop. Without Jesus to hold onto, it is possible that the storms of life will drown us. But he always keeps us settled and on the right path.

Let me repeat Prov 22:28 Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.

Landmarks can be something unique so you know what city you are in, like the arch in St Louis. It can also be as simple as a stone, which lets you know you are on the edge of your property. It is something that gives you a sense of direction, in spiritual terms. The boundaries have been set long ago by God. His words are specific. The apostles and prophets of long ago set the guidelines as a landmark to keep us on the right path.

Our path is not as clearly marked as it once was, because the church has allowed weeds to grow up over the path. The road less traveled may not be as worn down. It may take a bit of looking to ensure we are going the right way. We need to find and stick to the old path. In it and in it alone we will find our way home.

Where are the children of God who are standing on the truth of God’s word? Even we can be road markers for people to let them know which way the need to go to find God. By being steady and strong in our faith, others will take notice and will want to know how we endure the things of life.

What makes us different than those who are lost?

What are some of the road signs along the way that we can use for our guide?

Prayer, honesty, study and knowing the word, loving others, abiding by what God’s word says we need to do. Put on the whole armor of God (Eph 6) Allow the Holy Ghost inside of us to produce fruit of the spirit in our lives (Gal 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law)

Be willing to reach down and lift another up when they have fallen.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 KJV Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

Take some time today to think about the old landmarks. Do whatever it takes to find them in your life.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

NEW SHOES- A NEW LEVEL OF YOUR FAITH WALK

CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/vIX-b_FSKmk

Hello My Friends,

The title of today’s episode is: “NEW SHOES, NEW LEVEL OF OUR FAITH WALK”

We often are told to not judge someone but to try walking a mile in their shoes. In other words, we do not understand how difficult things are until we are in the same situation. Often, the things we think we would not do under the same circumstances, we find ourselves doing when we end up walking the same road. This is why we are told to not judge one another only God knows all and is qualified to judge.

We are not meant to walk in anyone’s shoes but our own. Just like a child that goes through the house wearing their parent’s shoes. They scuff along, dragging the shoes that are obviously like giant shoes to their tiny feet. God designs our lives in many different seasons. Sometimes, the shoes we are wearing must change with the seasons. For example, we wouldn’t want to wear sandals in the middle of winter. They would not provide the protections we need. But they are much needed in the hot summer months to keep our feet from getting too hot.’We are not meant to walk in anyone’s shoes but our own. Just like a child that goes through the house wearing their parents shoes. They scuff along, dragging the shoes that are obviously like giant shoes to their tiny feet. God designs our lives in many different seasons. Sometimes, the shoes we are wearing must change with the seasons. For example, we wouldn’t want to wear sandals in the middle of winter. They would not provide the protections we need. But they are much needed in the hot summer months to keep our feet from getting too hot.

When we are born, we are given baby shoes to wear. Because we do not know how to walk, these often do not even get dirty on the bottoms. As we grow, we learn to walk and have outgrown the first shoes. The new shoes help us balance and take our first steps.

Then we grow from toddler to child, we get other shoes. During the course of childhood to adulthood, we will wear many shoes. Some are just regular shoes, some for athletics, maybe even tap or ballet. Dress shoes for the first school dance, our first set of high heels, or hunting boots.

Our spiritual lives can also come with lots of shoes for different seasons of life. I mentioned trying to walk in our parent’s shoes. God never meant for our experiences to be exactly like those of our parents, grandparents, brothers, or sisters. God has specific shoes made for us because of the path that he is taking us down. He has created us to have our own “faith” walk.

We often feel pressure when our parents have walked their “faith” walk well. We do not feel equipped to live up to their reputation. In some cases, their expectations. If we are not careful, we will run in the opposite direction from where we need to be because fear causes us to take the wrong path. Suddenly, satan is giving us shoes. He will take us to a place where the terrain is not made for us. We may end up on a rocky terrain in flip-flops. Walking in his shoes will cause cuts and painful blisters because the shoes don’t fit.

We cannot ever let other people’s opinions of where we need to be in life change what God is doing in our lives. No one else is wise enough to create just the perfect size shoes for the size of our current “faith” walk.

I want to share a little story with you. I call it tennis shoe wisdom. When I was a child, just learning to tie my shoes. Dad told me I couldn’t go to the store with him unless I tied my own shoes. I struggled with it for a little while then I did what any kid would do, I went to someone older and wiser. I asked my grandpa to tie my shoes. But if I had not let go of the strings, he could not have tied the shoes.

Often, we try to do things on our own, struggling. Then we decide to take it to God to handle for us. But now comes the hard part, we must let go of the strings. He cannot tie our shoes and move us into the next phase of life if we are holding onto the strings. We must trust that He knows what He is doing and will take care of the problem.

Proverbs 16:9 – The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. God puts things on our hearts sometimes and we feel strongly that we need to step out in faith. We make our plans and start walking. But for those plans to be established, we have to commit them to the Lord and make sure they align with His plan for our lives.

In order to walk things out in faith, we have to trust His plan and His timing.

Proverbs 16:3 – Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

Eph 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

God has ordained our steps. What does ordain mean? To decree, command, order, fix or establish. This shows us that our lives are his craft, he has created with skill His plan. Workmanship is the sign of someone with skills to design or create something, a craftsman.

This verse is saying that we are his creation, created in Christ Jesus to do good works that he has skillfully planned and established. We need to put on our shoes, allow God to tie them and walk this “faith” walk with the courage to know that he has established our path.

It is my prayer for you that you find yourself growing in your “faith” walk and that God will decide that you need a new level in him. When He does, you will get new shoes.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

THE SCARIEST THING TO SAY TO GOD

CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/hBOFTH4v-Wg

I am about to share with you the scariest thing you will ever say to God. It is ok to be honest with God and tell him what is on our minds. He knows how we feel and what we think. There is nothing we can say to him that will shock Him.

In Isaiah Chapter 6, Isaiah saw a vision of the throne of God. It is a beautiful chapter to read. I suggest you go to it and just picture it as you are reading. The angels worship constantly, saying, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty! I want to draw attention to the fact that Isaiah was at an altar and confessed that he was simply a man. He said he was a man of unclean lips. An angel took a hot coal off of the altar and touched his lips, making them pure.

Once we have been before God and have had him to cleans us and burn out our impurities, we are ready to start walking out our faith walk.

Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

Once again, God is asking if we are brave enough to say the scariest thing ever to him, “Here am I; send me.” For a control freak like me, that is a scary thing to say. Here I am, I will go where you want me to, say what you want me to, my life is fully in your hands. In other words, Jesus take the wheel. I am going to let you drive.

We all know we can trust Him. We believe He is big enough to save our souls from hell. He is big enough to solve our problems. There is so much that we trust Him for, but that last step is a big one. It is not one to be taken lightly. But in order to reach the loss of this world, it is going to take all of us being 100% sold out to the cause of Christ. (As the generations before us would say, “Be on fire for God.”)

If we ask logically, would God send us somewhere we couldn’t handle. We would say no. If someone asked, Do you trust God? Then the answer would be, “Yes, of course.” In our minds, we trust Him. Our hearts and emotions are something completely different. We hold back a little part of ourselves from Him. Many think that the sin we struggle with is our biggest battle. I believe surrendering fully is the biggest battle we will ever have with our flesh.

The flesh throws a temper tantrum, wanting us not to take this faith walk too seriously. We don’t want to get burned out and lose our witness. Some may even have a fear of falling into sin again and being a bad light. All the fears we could come up with are not as scary as full surrender.

Isaiah 45:9-13 9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? 10 Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth? 11 Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me. 12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded. 13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the Lord of hosts.

The God of the universe, Our Lord Jesus Christ, is a master creator. He has everything intricately planned. He knew everything about us before we were ever conceived. His plan was put into place before the moment we drew our first breath. Nothing we do or fail to do surprises him.

Like Jonah, God knew he would run. I am sure God adjusted the schedule to deal with the delay so that Jonah was right on time for a great revival.

Potsherds in the bible were earthen vessels or broken pieces of pottery. So this is saying, who are we to be contending with God and trying to persuade the way he is making our lives. We are clay; He is the potter. He knows how to shape clay. How much water it will take and how much pressure to mold and shape it.

We can trust His hands; they were nail scared because He loved us so much. He will take care of us. We just need to dig deep and find some of that boldness that so many of the saints of old had within them. Ones who would say, I don’t care what you say, I don’t care what you do, I am going to do the will of my Father in heaven.

If you find yourself struggling with total surrender. You are not alone. The harvest is ready and needs many laborers. May we all find strength to say, Here am I; send me.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

OPENING DOORS TO A NEW SEASON

CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/9q1Bs5v_QF4

Yesterday, I talked about how we close doors on the enemy to prevent him from creating havoc in our lives. Today, I want to talk to you about opening doors that are shut. God opens doors during different times and seasons. Right now, the door of salvation is standing wide open. Everyone has an opportunity to be born again. This is a door that only God controls when it is open and shut. Just like the door to Noah’s Ark. Once God shut it, no one could get inside. If you don’t know Jesus as your savior, do not wait too long before entering the door of opportunity.

Some feel that all roads lead to heaven. But Jesus is the only way to receive salvation. He is the door to salvation. John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. This refers to the door of our heart. That is one door that we have the power to open or shut. God has given us free will. He wants us to accept Him and allow Him into our life. But we have to make the choice to open the door and invite him to come into our hearts.

There are also smaller doors that open during different seasons. God sometimes calls us to step out in faith and do a ministry. (Not all ministries are about standing behind a pulpit and speaking.) Many have ministries and never speak to a crowd. You may feel like God is calling you to gather blankets for the homeless or start a food pantry. But every time you think about how to do this thing you feel like you are called to do, something gets in the way. God often gives us a vision for something long before he opens the door for us to actually do it.

Many times, we have to do research and see how to go about doing what we are called to do. Like for the food pantry idea. Maybe you would want to visit a pantry, ask them how they determine who to help. Find out about how to collect food and store it so that nothing goes to waste. Do you have to have permits in your city? Once that is done you may still need to pray for the project. It will come together when it is God’s timing. He will open the doors to use the ministry to bless many.

Sometimes doors are open before us and we have to ask God, is this a door I am supposed to walk through. The enemy will often offer us a shortcut to where we want to go. But his shortcuts will lead us down the wrong road every time. It will take twice as long to get back on track and to find where we belong. The enemy’s main function, if he realizes he can’t stop us, is to distract us.

There are seasons when God opens a door for us. We dwell within that season. But there are times when he wants to elevate us to a new season of life. When this happens, he will open a new door and lead us to shut the old door. We cannot reach our potential if we stay stuck in the doorway of the completed work.

Matt 7:7-8 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: (8) For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

The best way to get doors to open is through prayer. If we seek direction, He will always guide us and open the right doors. We can trust him that he will lead us to the right one. I often pray for God to open the doors I need to walk through and to make sure to shut the doors that I don’t need to walk through. Seeking God’s direction is always the right move.

We need to always be encouraging of others when they are in transitional seasons. We can lift them up in prayer that God will guide them and open the right door. As I covered yesterday, we also need to pray for God to help us shut any door that will give the enemy a toehold and cause us to sin.

As you open the door to new beginnings, remember that anything worth doing requires hard work and sacrifice. Pray about the seasons in life and live each day with a servant’s heart, knowing that God is there to guide you.

Until next time, be bold, be brave and keep your God

EPISODE 29–CLOSING OPEN DOORS

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/E0-zmftqKFg

Hello My Friends

The title of today’s episode is “Closing Open Doors”

ASK YOURSELF, Do you have open doors?

The enemy will walk through doors that are left open. There are certain areas that we need to be mindful of in order to shut the doors on the enemy. We can have beliefs that are in opposition to the word of God. We reject the ideas or morals that are of God. When we reject the ideas of the word, we leave the door open to unbelief. Unbelief will give the enemy a foothold to cause us to sin. We cannot adopt the ideas and beliefs of the world. The world is always in opposition to God’s way.

How do we close this door? We need to study the word of God. We need to find out what God thinks. Then, pray for God to help our thoughts to align with God’s thoughts. Romans 12:2 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Only God can transform our thoughts and help them to align with what he finds acceptable. We renew our minds by prayer and studying God’s word. If we pray, he will help us to align to His thoughts.

The second door that is left open is often things that came into our lives through willful sin. God had forgiven us, and then we opened that door to temptation. By willful sin, we allow Satan a stronghold that is hard to get away from, and that door is hard to shut. But we have the power to close that door and ask God to forgive us and close the door to that temptation. When we open that door, we allow ourselves to be shackled into slavery again to that thing that held us captive before.

To be set free and close the door to satan, we must speak out of our mouths a confession of sin. We need to renounce the hold it has on our lives. Being set free comes through repentance. Staying free comes from the resistance of the enemy.

James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Unforgiveness is another door that leaves room for the enemy. Matt 6:14-15 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. When we hold onto unforgiveness, we are holding onto grief and pain. We are hurting ourselves because we are keeping God from forgiving us. If we can learn to forgive others, we are not saying they didn’t do us wrong. We are not saying they didn’t cause us pain and loss.

We are saying, Because Jesus forgives our trespasses against Him, I can forgive this thing that was done to me. Sometimes, this takes prayer to overcome. Letting go of offense will close the door to the enemy to grow hatred and strife in our lives. Forgiving others sets us free, not our offender.

There is a door that is left open that we have had little to do with it. Our ancestors can leave doors open to generational curses. Alcoholism is one example. Many times, a parent who is bound by alcohol will have children bound by the same spirit. There are many things that can be generational curses in our lives and make us susceptible to attacks from the enemy.

We can close the door of generational curses through prayer. We need to renounce the covenants our ancestors have made with these spirits. God will set us free if we ask him for that freedom. Tell the enemy you are closing the door to the generational curses of your bloodline. Remind Satan that you are grafted into the family of God and that you have a heavenly bloodline that is stronger than your earthly bloodline. It is important that we close every door to the enemy. Do not give him even the smallest of cracks to get a toe-hold. Because toe holds turn to strongholds. The generational curses you break will not be passed on to your children, who will have to fight.

I know this was a little heavier message than most, but I felt like we needed to take a serious look at the doors that were open in our lives. Pray on this subject, Search your life, and ask yourself if you have left a door open to the enemy. Ask God to show you any open doors. Ask Him to close the doors to the enemy.

THANKS FOR WATCHING

UNTIL NEXT TIME BE BOLD BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

EPISODE 28 –IT IS ALL IN THE PACKAGING

CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v49zi2l-god-focus-this-morning-episode-28-its-all-in-the-packaging.html

Hello my friends

The title of today’s episode is: “IT IS ALL IN THE PACKAGING”

Psalm 27:11 Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

Think of the extravagance of Las Vegas; everywhere you look is bling and flashing lights. It is called Sin City, and it lives up to its name. Often, things have to be painted up, glitzed up, and made fancy to be more appealing to people. They never share the ugly side of sin.

The advertising industry is a multi-billion-dollar-a-year industry that paints up and glamorizes everything from dishwashing liquid to toothpaste. The better the packaging, the more they sell.

God’s way may not be packaged with glitz and glamor but it is truth. Truth doesn’t change with the trends. Often the truth is not what we want to hear because sometimes the truth hurts. But the plain path will lead to a place where the Lamb is the Light. A place where sin is no more. The plain path leads to truth and righteousness.

The enemy will always try to paint sin as something we can’t live without. Like all the “for a limited time” gadgets that make our lives better. After all, everyone needs all these things to make our lives better. But most of the time they are just more clutter.

The enemy comes at us with something that he knows is our weakness. He will try to get us tied up in knots. He custom-designs temptations for each of us. We have the power to walk away. We have, with God’s help, the strength to say, “Satan get behind me.”

The battle always starts in our minds. The thought will come to us to do something we know is a sin. If we reject and say get behind me, satan. We take authority over that sin. We will be strong enough to walk away. If we entertain the thought for a moment. The next thing we know, we are caught in satan’s trap. It is always easier to get into the trap than to get out of it. One example is the story of King David and Bathsheba.

A lack of integrity in one area of our life always carries over to another area of life.

2 Sam. 11:2-4 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

(3) And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

(4) And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.

Look at David, he saw Bathsheba, he could have turned away, resisting temptation. That would have been the end of his grief. No, he stood and allowed lust to take hold of him.

Still, he could have resisted temptation. When he found out that she was someone’s wife. He should have maintained his integrity and walked away. But he decided he didn’t care, he wanted her and that was all that mattered. He allowed his lust to draw him into an adulterous relationship with the woman he saw.

That sin led him to try to pass his child off as her husband’s child. But Uriah, her husband, refused to go home and see her. He did not think it would be fair to his soldiers since they could not go home. David sent him to the front lines, hoping and knowing he would be killed.

One step led to something worse: to hide the first thing. This is how the enemy lures us in, one step at a time. He went from an accidental glance at a naked woman to practically committing murder.

That is why we need to be vigilant and avoid the first sign of temptation. The enemy will paint pretty pictures of the things we want, but it is all an illusion.

All that glitters is not gold. Many fish have been caught on shiny lures that are not real. The instinct of the fish is to look for food. It allows the shiny lure to fool it into thinking it is a smaller fish or minnow. Then, the hook is set, and it ends up in a frying pan.

Many things have been suffered by people because they allowed Satan to make sin look shiny and pretty. No doubt Bathsheba was the most beautiful woman David had ever laid his eyes on; he should have walked away. Every step he took dug him in deeper and deeper.

We cannot leave the tiniest crack in the door to our thoughts, or the enemy will take advantage. He will stick a toe in, then a foot, and before we know it, he will use our thoughts to create a stronghold.

Not only will he have a place of constant intrusion at this point, but he will attack our conscience for ever sinning in the first place. Doubling our misery and pain.

Never think you cannot get out of the trap. All it takes is to turn from evil and ask God for his help and forgiveness. He will break the chains that have us bound and will set us free. But we have to want to escape. We cannot be like Sampson and play with the enemy. We have to walk away.

Think about what the enemy is trying to sell you? Think about how he is packaging it, I can guarantee it will only bring pain.

UNTIL NEXT TIME,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

EPISODE 27–WHY FOCUS ON GOD?

CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO VERSION: https://rumble.com/v49xvkf-god-focus-this-morning-episode-27-why-focus-on-god.html

Hello my friends:

The title of this episode is: WHY FOCUS ON GOD?

This morning, as I sat pondering the goodness of God. I was thinking about the name of my blog and my videos. God is a general term, but make no mistake, when I say God, I mean the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only true and living God. With a capital G., all of the gods of this world are not even worth mentioning unless it is to point out in a story how they were defeated by our God. When writing, we use a Capital letter because our God is the superior and only real God. All the others are little g’s. Because they cannot hold a candle to Jesus.

There is a doctrine that has deceived many, and I am sure this episode will not make some of them happy, but I have to speak the truth of God’s word. All roads do not lead to heaven. It is the biggest lie ever told by satan.

This is a universal idea created by people who do not want us to know our identity in Christ. They do not want us to understand that we have power over the enemy. They want us to be weak-minded, so we will blindly follow and not question anything. My God gave us a sound mind and the power to reason. He also will help us discern and understand things that are happening around us.

None of the little g’s, the gods of this world, died for me. They didn’t deliver me from my sins and from the pit of depression. That was Jesus, to him I owe all praise and glory.

John 14:5-7 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Back up to verse 6, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Jesus came and died on the cross so that we could have a right to be born again. So that we could become children of God. None of the little gods of this world ever died for us. Even if they were a person at one point, they just died, and they will be judged along with everyone else. Many of the little gods of this world and their followers shed blood for them in sacrifice rituals. Jesus is the only one who shed blood for us. His blood was pure and it will redeem us from all sin.

I had a hard time finding a name for my blog and my channel that wasn’t already taken, I started to think about what I wanted to accomplish with the ministry that I had been given. I realized I wanted to encourage people to keep their focus and not be distracted by the things of the world. To keep their God Focus. If we can focus on him, everything will work out.

Col 3:1-2 3 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

The word affection means to be fond of or liking. The act or process of affecting. Affecting means touching the emotions and moving. In other words, this verse is telling us that we need to worship God, talk to Him, and build a relationship with him. In doing so we will move God’s heart.

I Pet 5:6-7 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

This verse is often used to cheer people up when they are struggling. Saying we can give him our burdens and worries because he cares for us. Although that is true, it could also mean we need to cast our affections on him. We humble ourselves and show him how much we care for Him by showing him trust and worship.

We are in scary times if we look at things around us. That is why I always end with Be bold and be brave. God is needing warriors to arise and be brave, boldly declaring the truth of the Bible. If we are bold and brave, we will not walk in fear no matter how bad things look around us.

If we keep our focus on Jesus, we will walk by faith and not by how bad things look around us. I want to encourage you today to stand strong in your faith. Knowing that Jesus is the only way.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

EPISODE 26 — GENERATIONAL BLESSINGS

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/IwaETEn2Y1A

Hello my friends

TODAY’S EPISODE IS TITLED “GENERATIONAL BLESSINGS”

Prov 20:7 The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.

This is a message for parents: if you love your children, you want them to have a good start in life. The best thing you can do is to love God first. Get yourself right with God. Because the things you do will train your children to do the same.

Have you ever watched a little boy sitting on the couch with his dad? The dad may be reading the paper and so the little boy picks up a piece of the newspaper and pretends to read. If the dad crosses his legs the little boy crosses his leg. They learn early on to imitate their parents. They may be watching a football game and the dad yells that his team got a touchdown. The little boy will jump up and down in excitement, even if he doesn’t even understand what a touchdown is in context.

Just as Issac and Jacob were blessed because of Abraham, we, too, are blessed if our parents serve the Lord. But that doesn’t give anyone a free pass. God doesn’t have grandchildren. We all must serve the Lord for ourselves. Issac and Jacob had to learn to live for God themselves. But it was easier to make that transition because Abraham had equipped Issac, and Issac did Jacob.

Good or bad, children often end up living like their parents. This is a good thing if they serve the Lord. But if they spent their whole lives not wanting anything to do with Jesus, that would make it harder for their children to follow him. But not impossible. We all must learn to love and serve the Lord for ourselves. We must teach the next generation to love and serve the Lord. If we don’t, the world will teach them to deny He even exists.

There are generational curses that stay with families, as well as generational blessings. For example, Many people end up being alcoholics because they watched their parents run to a bottle of liquor every time something went wrong and every time they needed to celebrate. Although alcoholism is a spirit, few get free from its grip unless they give it to God; it is not impossible to be set free.

Sin is not the only generational curse. Judgmental attitudes and self-righteous religion can be as harmful as any sin. The spirit of religion can also stay with families. Jesus didn’t come to start a religion. He came to save the lost, the broken and the sinner. If a parent is overly religious, it can go one of two ways. The child will grow up to be just like them, religious and full of rules. Judging others for their mistakes when their judgment is just as harmful as any sin. Their children will be miserable in their own self-righteousness. Or they will run because the judgmental attitudes they grew up with will give them the lesson that they cannot ever do enough to please God. They will see him as an overlord waiting to zap them when they step out of line. They will feel like there is not a reason to try, so they run to the world. They run toward satan because he seems like the only option. They feel it is too hard for anyone to be a Christian.

I have not always walked perfectly, but I have had a blessed life because of my great-grandparents, grandparents, and parents. Has everything always been perfect? No. I have had hard circumstances, but I have learned by example that we walk by faith and not by sight. The things I know is because I was given a solid foundation.

If you were not blessed to have that foundation, you could be the first person to start it in your bloodline. Your children and future generations will be blessed because of the choices you make today.

2 Tim 1:4-5 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; 5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.

Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy that the unfeigned faith he had was because of his mother and grandmother. Don’t let the enemy keep the next generation bound. Teach them about the God of the Bible, the one true God, and how much he loves each and every one of us.

Today is a new day, a blank page in your story. If you are not fully dedicated to following Jesus. Let today be the day you choose to step out on faith and receive all he has for you. Accept your generational blessings or be the generation that starts generational blessings in your family. Being a Christian is not a bunch of legalistic rules. It is about a relationship with Jesus Christ. Be blessed all of your days.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS