Water On Mars ? Of Course – It’s In The WORD!

Read article on CNN - Rover finds evidence of ancient water on Mars

When I read this article on CNN.com, I said to myself isn’t GOD GREAT!. Its just like HIM to allow the scientist to discover just how true his WORD is. I wasn’t surprised at all to learn they discoverd water on Mars. I expected it. Why ? Read the Creation Story in the Book of Genesis and note the following:

Genesis 1: 1-7
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 3 And God said , Let there be light: and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. 6 And God said , Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

In other words, God placed water below and above the “sky”. It’s in the WORD!.

Never Alone – Spiritual Journey from The Beginning To The End Of The Psalm ~ Psalm 13 ~

This is a splendid, impressive, awe-inspiring Psalm! It starts with a complaint, progressively takes you on an expedition of distress and at its conclusion you find hope & relief! What a marvelous spiritual journey! As David did quite often, know we too can earnestly cry out to the Lord at anytime! Here we can find comfort knowing that in even our darkest moments we can find respite and solace in the Lord! Whatever you may be going through you can rest assured that God is totally aware of whatsoever is happening! You are not alone! Although David complains at first he eventually launches into a powerful heartfelt prayer!

What is so beautiful about the Lord; you can just be who we are! If you are not in a good place ask Him to help you! We can’t fool God! He sees us from the inside out! We are ALL totally transparent to Him! Therefore it really is best for us to sincerely confess how we are feeling and what’s going down or happening in our life and then ask the Him to help us be where we need to be.

One of the fabulous wonders of life is; the ability to be able to grow spiritually is lifelong! Discovering who you are in the Lord can bring “Joy” for the journey! Joy is part of the Fruit of His Spirit! God is beyond able!

David goes through some tumultuous moments, days & years! No doubt there is a plethora of responsibilities and numerous challenges with him being the King, a father and “a man after God’s own heart!” I Samuel 13. He was the greatest king ever to rule over Israel! He was a man of great character and had steadfast trust and faith in the Lord! Yet it is clear with all that wisdom, and power he still needed the Lord! There were times of great distress and notable times he succumbed to his weaknesses… Yet he repented genuinely and pressed forward. His heartfelt confessions and accolades of praise inversely permeate throughout the duration of these Psalms!

Here he presents a question to the Lord! “How long?” We never know how long or short our test or trial will be but we can during the process; “Trust in the LORD with ALL our heart and lean not to your own understanding. In ALL your ways acknowledge Him and HE WILL make your path straight…” Proverbs 3. God will direct our path through whatever circumstance that presents itself! We however must position ourselves to hear Him and see clearly the narrow path. We can trust His Word!

There are many amazing and glorious stories of David’s plethora of experiences and turbulent times! However his good days outweigh them all! He was an exceptional king! Here in the Word of God we have a brilliant reliable record that the Lord brought him through each time! Therefore we can REJOICE knowing that this is the same God that we love and serve! Holy and Mighty is the LORD our GOD! He is the “GREAT I AM!” God truly is able!

~ PSALM 13~

Book of Praise Lesson Highlights

BOOK 1

“A Psalm of David.” The Prayer For God’s Answer – NOW!

Theme: Praying for relief from despair. We must continue to TRUST GOD even when He doesn’t answer us immediately.

Author: David

The 6th of seven “penitential” Psalms

Here David’s soul is in calamitous anguish! He vociferously cries out in the midst of his troubles! His heart is heavy laden and his mind is bothered! He heavily contemplates upon what will be the duration of his current dilemma that seems to be without end!

David desperately wants to hear from the Lord! He apparently is beginning to feel apprehensively anxious and impatient. So much so he asks the Lord if He has forgotten him? Here we get a glimpse of the close intimate relationship David has with the Lord! He candidly expresses the depth of his inner feelings! He is being beleaguered by his emotions! He wants some answers and is beginning to display much impatience… “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?”

David is so beside himself that his mind is heavy with thoughts! His confidence is diminishing and he feels that his persecutors appear to be winning triumphantly over him? Everyday his heart is burdened more and he is now simply anxious and weighed down with worry! Many lessons here for us to learn!

The Word of God is so vitally important! In the New Testament in Philippians, the Apostle Paul tells us; “DO NOT be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and petitions, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the PEACE of God which transcends understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4. When we are going through we must make a sincere effort to focus on the Lord and allow Him to lessen the load in His time. This of course can at times be easier said than done… Through Jesus Christ He has given us the gift of His Holy Spirit to be our Teacher & Comforter! When we remain focused on Him He can and will guard our hearts and minds! “How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and everyday have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?”

David feels so bad that he is pleading with the Lord to relieve him! The pain is so ghastly he fears death! The pressures of life are making Him feel so hopeless he is overcome with worry! He feels as though his enemies will overtake him and over power him and that they will soon celebrate his downfall. “Look on me and answer, O LORD my GOD. Give light to my eyes or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say; “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall.”

As soon as David expresses his doubts and fears his load is lifted to the point he is now rejoicing! His trust and confidence in the Lord takes the forefront! How appropriate because the Lord time after time has brought him through. David now feels the Lord will save him! Here we too can rejoice in this life lesson because; “The Lord is Faithful!” He will deliver us and keep us as well! We in turn must keep our focus on Him and not the situation! We too must learn to trust Him! Like David we can be confident in the Lord!

Behind ever dark cloud there is light! This is why we must go to the Lord and invite Him into the “messiness” that life sometimes hurls upon us! He will make our path straight! Yet we must position ourselves humbly into His hands in order to hear Him! Although David commences this Psalm complaining and feeling forsaken he does not camp there very long! He does not allow himself to be pulled into the pit of endless depression!

Life can certainly be overwhelming at times! It can appear as though you are all alone and everyone and just about everything is coming against you. But when you have the Lord it is important to know that you are never alone! “This too shall pass!” David shows us in this Psalm that there can be an immediate turn around in your situation. Or if not’ while going through you can acquire more patience! This is why we need a Savior! To save us from the power of sin reigning in our lives and keep us connected to the Lord!

Sin separates us from the Lord and doubt wants to make you worry and weaken your connectedness! When this happens it is the perfect time to seek the Lord’s presence! Invite Him to come even closer and see how He will reveal Himself to you! He can make a way out of no way! At the same time He can cultivate His Fruit within you! This is why while going through we must learn to focus on the many bountiful blessings and promises in His Word! We don’t have to stay in the “How Longs?”The Love of God is powerful! “But I TRUST in your unfailing LOVE; my heart REJOICES in Your SALVATION.” Thank God for Jesus Christ and His precious Holy Spirit! The Lord truly is GOOD! HE IS AWESOME!

This Psalm concludes by saying: “I will sing to the LORD, for He has been GOOD TO ME!”

Getting Your Joy Back

If you listen closely to the prophets in the Bible they often forewarn the people about things that are going to happen as well as proclaim God’s Word. The word prophet in Hebrew means; spokesperson. God’s people were quite deep into sin, disobedience, civic confusion and rebellion. Isaiah reminds us that our actions have consequences!

More often than not the people did not want to hear what God had to say. Right now in this 21st century things really are Not TOO much different from what was going on then!

Whenever I read Isaiah, I can feel the anguish and heart wrenching despair that intensively emits forth from his soul as the Prophet Isaiah speaks forth an oracle! Isaiah had a difficult mission. Quite often when you speak Truth you can expect to be labeled as “negative” or the bearer of “bad news.” Along with a lot of other flavorful words that I do not subscribe to. Isaiah was a visionary! He had the arduous task of speaking to a group of despondent people. Isaiah passionately shares of the purity of God, how powerful and loving God is and that God is a Holy God! Isaiah exalts God! He vehemently proclaims to the community at large the pitfalls of evil. Yet in return he is called everything but a child of God. He told them that the land was becoming a wasteland! He pleaded with them to turn Back to GOD!

Isaiah did not have some morbid desire to make anyone unhappy. He did not try to tell them anything just for the sake of making them feel bad! He was not a lunatic, neurotic, uncaring, self centered or mentally challenged in any way! It was because he was obedient to the call God had placed on his life. Although hurtful at times he did it to bring about good. To promote change and encourage the people to move towards God’s Way of life. Today our country is in a recession! Our government is knee deep in debt. Always on alert for terrorists both foreign and domestic, properties values have fallen drastically, homes have been lost, corporations have closed, careers lost, unemployment rates at an all time high, stock devalued, pensions lost, divorce at an all time high, families being pulled an torn apart, murder, crime you name it. I will not even begin to talk about the manipulation and underhanded, orchestrated schemes to undermine people’s integrity and misconstrue their character! The moral decline is unspeakable as well. Everybody knows it and no one wants to say it! GOD IS SPEAKING! You can only ignore Him as The Creator for so long! Lord Help us! Pandemonium and mayhem have really set in! But wait there is Hope! And yes there is Joy! “Those that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles….” Isaiah 40

This is Prime time for the Word of God to be shouted from the roof tops. It was never meant to be confined to a brick and mortar building anyway. Please don’t misinterpret what I am saying. There are some beautiful fabulous cathedrals, temples, worships centers and meeting places for the Church! But God never intended that they be full of people who are unhappy, hopeless and full of despair. He never intended for us to just go to church and go right back to another way of life! Nor did He want us to live legalistically unhappy! He intended for His Church to be an international universal family! Jesus came to fulfill the law. He sacrificed His life so we could be Free. FREE to WORSHIP HIM! “In Spirit and in TRUTH! ” To Praise Him through whatever trials, tests, obstacles or land mines the enemy tries to put in your path.

At some time we all are going to experience anxiety, conflict, grief or turmoil at some point in our lifetime. As followers of Jesus Christ we are going to have tribulations while in this world. Knowing this in advance will help you to prepare ahead. To acquire some preventative coping skills so you can be better prepared as you go through and not become stagnated and stay in. God has promised to be with us always!

Once the enemy knows and realizes that you “GET IT” that you are aware of his many entrapments, he will do all he can to harness and undermine your good intentions! He will use those who are weak but close to you, to try and pull you down! Remember he loves darkness. Therefore he slips around behind you in the dark lurking to undermine your sincere efforts to shed LIGHT to a world that is ignorant of his many devices. But get this; he can not do anymore than the Lord allows! HALLELUJAH!!! So if you are going through; You have to TRUST GOD! He may try to take everything that you have. But TRUST GOD! He may try to take your health or take the health of your love one, But TRUST GOD! He may try to divide your home, your marriage and your family, to uproot your children, But TRUST GOD! He may even try to take your life, But TRUST GOD! Always remember he can not do anymore than God allows! But know this when you are God’s child know that when its all said and done in the end WE WIN!

Think about this the enemy wants to steal your JOY! He will use any and everything to do just that! He wants to pull you down emotionally, physically and to lower your standard of living by compromising your principles! Your godly principles are the most INVALUABLE thing you possess! While going through you must open your spiritual eyes and ears!Those you have helped will often get selective amnesia. I often wondered where were all those people that Jesus helped when they crucified Him! It truly is much spiritual warfare about us. Our world and our country is in trouble! But our weapons are not carnal. Is your armor together? Know God intimately! Pray daily for His Precious Holy Spirit to fill you with His Presence. Then what ever comes your way as it gets too heavy. Do all you can do, then give it to Him and then STAND! TRUST GOD! Regardless of what happens the enemy can’t take your JOY! He will try so do not give it to him! When you know God intimately His Word becomes woven and deeply embedded into the fabric of who you are! “Your WORD have I hidden in my heart so I may not sin against YOU.” If you have let the shade be pulled down over your life and the enemy has inserted, regrets, depression, anxiety, stress, eating disorders, compulsive behaviors, addictions, manipulation, and anything else in as your daily companions that are not of Him. Let it or them go! You have the authority! Use it! Tell them they are not welcomed. Praise GOD!

God is the Ultimate Father, readily accessible to ALL who call upon Him sincerely, believe that His Son Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior, then begin implementing His principles in their life. His gift to you is His Precious Holy Spirit and His gift of Eternal life! No one or nobody can change that. Don’t try to be like someone else! Be the best you, you can be! Everywhere you are He is. So if you have let your JOY go because…. Take it back. “Though you have not seen Him, you LOVE Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious JOY, for you are receiving the goal of your FAITH, the SALVATION of your souls.” I PETER 1

One thing that you can always count on is God is everywhere you are. The question is do you invite His presence? Did you know that it really is “in Him we move and live and have our being.” To better understand this it is important to begin building an ongoing relationship with Him. Just think when something happens; don’t you prefer to talk to someone you know? God is not far away. He in fact is so close that you do not even have to say a Word for Him to hear you. He even knows your every thought! Our little finite minds cannot really conceive of God and all His fullness. But through FAITH we can develop our TRUST in Him.

When a trial comes you are still able to experience that Joy! As a matter of fact Isaiah says ; “God will keep you in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on HIM.” In order for this to be so you must learn to Trust Him. This trust grows as you develop an intimate personal relationship with Him! As you begin to think about God as the ultimate Father your possibilities are limitless. This is why it is so important to have the Lord in your life. As you focus on Him while going through God will then give you His peace to go through the conflict. God is a God of Peace and JOY!

There is a song that I want to share with you. If you are ever down and need a pick up! The Words are so profound and I am sure that wherever you are you will find the words helpful.This is one of the worship songs from the “Gospel Music Workshop of America”

I GOT MY JOY BACK

“I got my Joy back. I got a new lease on life. I got my Joy back, down in my soul. Since I let Him have full control. I’ll will let nothing separate me from His love again. He restored my Joy and revived my soul again! Just like the prodigal son. I found myself in the hog pen. Oh, you know how satan can dress up sin, satan will make wrong seem right. That’s why we’ve got to stay Prayed up, and Focused, and keep looking to the LIGHT

God has been so good to me. I thought I was exempted from trials and tests. From a little child I’ve been abundantly blessed. Every materialistic thing, I wanted, My Mother had it for me there. But I Thank God she NEVER forgot to lead me to the House of Prayer. But when my test came, I stumbled, but I did not fall, I had the Holy Ghost, embedded within me. In God I did REJOICE. That He would lead me, and guide me, when I couldn’t see my way. Yes, He restored my JOY, and He revived my soul again! ”

God can give you the “PEACE that surpasses understanding !” Patience is not a hallmark of our society! Sometimes we have to wait; Then Like an eagle we can soar high above the clouds! Its time to move towards getting your JOY BACK!

Spiritual Eating Disorders

Anorexia and Bulimia are very serious eating disorders that occur when one does not properly relate to food. Eating disorders are serious. They can and do result in physical and emotional turmoil. There are a lot of control issues related to eating disorders. An unbalanced spiritual diet will result in a spiritual eating disorder. If you go without spiritual food; you will lack the proper skills to navigate through the spiritual maze of life. Jesus came to this world to redeem us from the penalty of sin. He overcame sin in the flesh for us. He came so that the world would not be condemned but saved. It is through His love we have obtained grace. To find out more about your purpose and the plan God has for your life it is important that you explore God’s Word. The Word of God is food for the soul. Have you ever thought about the side effects of a Spiritual eating disorder? When you do not have a consistent healthy spiritual diet it is difficult to comprehend spiritual things. Did you know that you can actually forever be in a learning mode and still not comprehend the spiritual things of God? In fact you will have a tendency to be misled. It is vitally important that you regularly read, study, digest and apply God’s Word in your daily life. You do not want to develop a spiritual eating disorder. It will result in serious spiritual consequences.

In order to grow properly one must consume a nutritious balanced daily diet. It is often said “we are what we eat.” Eating is a natural normal everyday occurrence. Without a proper daily diet one can become malnourished. It is a well known fact that in many third world countries thousands literally starve to death daily due to a lack of a proper balanced diet. It is difficult to reach your full potential when your body does not have its proper nutrients. Food for your body is what gas is to a car. Think about it? How far will your car go without gas? How can you make the journey? Food is fuel for the body. God created a marvelous thing when He created man. We are created in His image. We are body, mind and soul. God has also provided the necessary resources for us to live healthy lives. In order to grow physically we need food. In order to grow intellectually we need to study and stimulate our brain cells. When we study we assist the building of dendrites. Okay what are dendrites? They are nerve cells that send impulses to the body. Intellectual growth without spiritual development is futile. You will never fully understand life and its true meaning without knowing God. Remember He created us with a soul. Our soul also has needs. We need to spiritually feed our mind and soul with the Word of God. The Word of God is spiritual “bread from heaven”. It is essential to our spiritual growth and development.

Did you know that the Scriptures are considered “The bread of life?” They are essential for the proper growth and spiritual development for the believer. Just as food is necessary for the body; so is God’s Word for our soul. A proper spiritual diet is required if you truly desire to grow spiritually. A constant diet of religious junk food is unhealthy. Yes, it is possible to grow without God’s Word. But, you will not grow spiritually. You will grow carnally. It is even possible to grow religiously. This will cause you to be misled as well. You will be tossed to and fro by the various doctrines of man. Please know growing religiously is not the same thing as growing spiritually. Many people talk right and walk left. Remember Jim Jones and his followers? If one does not regularly participate in studying and applying the principles of God’s Word to life’s circumstances it is also possible to become stagnated. The Bible clearly tells us that God is a Spirit of Truth. When you know the Truth the Truth will set you free. This type of freedom leads you to be free to become who God wants you to be. It will give you a new lease on life.

Tasting the indescribable fruits of God’s Word is like putting on 3 D glasses. Meaning you will see things on a deeper level. God really is awesome! Spiritual warfare is at hand. Despite everything that goes on there is nothing that happens He is not aware of. Just think about that for a moment. That is really deep. Look around you and see all the things that are going on. The further we move away from God’s principles the worst things get. Many choose to live a life of misery and despair. Life presents many challenges. God intended for His Church to carry on His Son’s mission. He Loved, trained, developed, nurtured and became a living example to His disciples. He even died and rose from the grave so they would see the scriptures being fulfilled. This was the ultimate demonstration of love. Did you know that He and His disciples were persecuted, misunderstood, lied on and mistreated by those He came to help? They even plotted secretly to discredit Jesus in spite of all the good He had done. The Bible tells us there were places He went that due to unbelief His power was not manifested. These are a few of the important facts you will discover when you study the scriptures.

Today we have the Word of God in Book form. His Word is our source of spiritual food. Did you know that there is nothing written in the Bible that is less than 1800 years old? That fact is awesome in itself. The Bible’s Truth will forever be alive. It will and has stood the test of time. In Jesus’ time they did not have the Bible like we do. It had not been compiled into the Biblia 66 books as we have today. God really does supply all our needs. He did not leave us Comfortless. He left us His precious Holy Spirit as our internal Guide that we receive on the profession of our faith. We must daily ask for His infilling presence. We need His Holy Spirit to help us understand His Word. God does not want us to be spiritual anorexics. He wants you to know Him through His Word. How is your spiritual diet? How much time do you spend acknowledging God in your daily life? Do you ask Him to give you your daily bread?

This column is for you if you are reading this. Just take a personal inventory and see if you are really ingesting a balanced spiritual diet. You know and God knows. You should feed yourself spiritually in addition to being fed physically. When you attend a worship service it is the time for you to become spiritually nourished and energized as well. To praise God from whom all blessing flow. God has given many gifts to the Church. The gifts were given to spiritually mature the body of Christ. (See Ephesians.) When junk food is served in lieu of the Word of God; many become spiritually codependent. This often makes it difficult for them to deal with life’s everyday challenges. When you attend service the pastor, preacher, evangelist, teacher, minister or appointee, are all charged to deliver a message from the Word of God. When one truly lays aside their own agenda this is possible. It is also very good when the messenger let’s the listeners know when they are using illustrations to make a point. This is helpful for those who are not as familiar with scriptures. This time should be consecrated; instead of used to personally say something to someone you do not have enough courage to confront. Only after praying and sincerely meditating on God’s Word this is possible. Some even see this as an opportunity to get someone else to say, what they can not say themselves to someone. What happens when you eat junk food? The proper delivery of a spiritual message will feed your soul. It will enlighten, convict as well as encourage you to grow spiritually. The Word is like a two edged sword it cuts both ways. There is something for the messenger or deliverer as well as the recipient. God has left no stone unturned to see that His children receive proper spiritual nourishment.

It is an arduous task to deliver God’s Word. But how will you know if something is from God? Good question. This is why you need to study. You need to be like the Bereans in the book of Acts, they knew the Word of God for themselves. This is why it is important that we too develop our personal relationship with Him. A healthy Spiritual diet is one of the most important assets you can acquire. As a Christian it should be a necessary priority. How important did I say spiritual food was? Life can be difficult. A proper balanced spiritual diet will help you weather the tempestuous storms of life. It will give you keen insight. When everyone is saying it’s alright when you know its all wrong, let His Word guide you. God never tells us to support something that is not right. A proper spiritual diet will help you to stand for what’s right when the majority falls for what’s wrong. A proper spiritual diet will allow the Fruit of God’s Spirit to flourish in your life when spiritual warfare is about you. God keeps His promises. He said He will never leave you nor forsake you. I can bear witness to this He won’t! He said He will supply all of our needs? He will! (This does not mean just getting or having what you want) He said He will be peace in the midst of a storm. He will! His Word tells us that “God is Love” He truly is! Love is a wonderful thing. Having someone to love and knowing others truly love you is a wonderful thing. Many really do not know what Love really is. Love really is a beautiful ever unfolding gift from God. In the midst of trials, tests and wickedness God’s love will be an anchor. But you must always remember that spiritual nourishment is essential. His Word tells us that, “God is Love.”

When you read, study, deliver or share God’s Word please be prayerful. There are so many that have gone shipwrecked. So many casualties due to an unbalanced spiritual diet. Much too much junk food and not enough substance. If I tell you to come to my house for dinner you are expecting a balanced nutritious meal, right? What if I give you a plate of raw carrots? That’s okay if you are a rabbit. You might even think its funny, but, when you get home how do you think you would feel? My point is. As human beings we need more that just carrots. Some foods are a little hard to digest. We need both balanced spiritual and rich nutritious diets for our spiritual and physical growth. God wants us to continuously grow spiritually. “Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus.” What does that mean? We must learn to embrace the Truth of God’s Word. God wants to be in every area of our everyday lives. He wants us to have a rich full spiritual diet, healthy marriages and sincere loving families.

I want to encourage you to make it a priority to spend some time with God. Really digest His Word. I assure you whatever is going on in your life He already knows. God wants you to live out the promises of His Word. God can and will make a way out of no way. He heals and He delivers according to His Will. Did you know Jesus also used very unconventional methods? The religious establishment was quite often opposed to His methods. What are you saying? God will supply the road, direction, vehicle, people and resources when and if necessary for you to accomplish whatever He wants you to do. All you must do is step out on faith! Do not be surprised when someone does not understand you. Always keep in mind that what matters is that God knows and sees everything. Nothing can come our way unless He allows it. This is why He tells us to do whatever we do as you do it for Him. Remember His Church is supposed to be the pillar of Truth. The enemy is the father of lies. God is awesome. God is a “rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” He is truly worthy of our praise. Remember it is more important what God knows rather than what others think. Why do you think Jesus spent so much time getting away and spending time with His Father? Jesus remained constantly spiritual nourished. Did you ever think about the fact Jesus could have just said everyone be healed. He could have completely done away with poverty and famines. He had the power to do so. But that was not the plan. He was faithfully obedient. It is important to know that Jesus was terribly misunderstood, called evil and blacklisted too. God also has a remedy in any case. God tells us to be happy when persecuted for righteousness. God really does have everything under His control. Knowing His Word is vitally important for your well being. Jesus really is coming back for His true Church. Some things will just not be understood on this side of Heaven. God will never lead you to do anything that goes against His principles. Really get to know God for yourself. You do intend to spend eternity with Him? This will prevent you from developing a spiritual eating disorder. Allow His Word to be “bread from heaven.” Let Him truly be your Shepherd. His Word has a bountiful table of blessings prepared for our spiritual nourishment. God will move or take you over any mountains or through the rough terrains of life when and if necessary. Begin to feast on the delicacies of His Blessed Word. This will result in you experiencing the fruit of His Spirit. Just remember you need a balanced spiritual diet to make the journey.

Spending Time With God

Spending time with God is one of the most important things you can do. If you read the Scriptures you will find that even Jesus often took time alone to spend with the FATHER! Spending time with God will help you how to respond properly or not to respond at all to others. Spending time with Him yields patience and understanding. The wonderful thing about God is that He has provided so many ways to continually enhance our personal relationship with Him. He has given us His Holy Spirit to lead and guide us to all truth! He has given us His Holy Word to teach us and equip us to do whatever He has planned for our lives. He has even provided spiritual armor to protect us from evil. To even tell us when we are right or wrong! His Word also gives us directions as to what not to do! His Word teaches us how and when to stand in the midst of spiritual warfare! The scripture tell us “trust in the Lord will all thine heart and lean not to your own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct our paths.” He has given us His precious Son Jesus, who will be your personal Savior once you truly invite Him into your heart. It is in Him you will always find victory!

The book of Galatians clearly tells us; “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” Christ lived a sinless life! Christ became flesh! He conquered sin in the flesh so He could be our example! He died for us! He did not die for us to continue to make excuses for our shortcomings. When we accept Him as Lord and Savior we are able to rely on Him to “save us from the power of sin in our life”. A truly dedicated life to God will result in an increased ability to exercise self-control! Spending time with God will help you to discern between good and evil. To be as “wise as a serpent and as harmless as a dove!” God is aware of everything. He is omniscient! It does not matter how things appear or seem. Neither does it matter when everyone else pretends everything is okay when something is terribly wrong! God knows how things really are! In the midst of a declining world you can still enjoy a wholesome clean life. Spending time with God will also teach and direct you how to be a good steward of the things and people He entrusts to your care! His Word also tells us “He will supply all of your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus! God is a Spirit of TRUTH!

Paul also warns us of false teachings. Spending time with God will help you recognize those who pervert the Gospel of Christ! He even goes so far to tell us that they use it for a license of licentiousness. Which merely means to excuse their loose behavior? He tells us to not receive the message regardless of the person or position. I encourage you to study God’s Word. Listen closely when some one says they have a message from God. Allow the Holy Spirit to sift its contents and validate its Truth. Just ask yourself how often did Jesus talk about how many horses or chariots someone had? How many suits of clothing did Joseph, Priscilla and Aquilla or anyone else for that matter possess? How much money it took to feed the multitudes? I don’t think that Jesus told the woman at the well that He “loved her and all of her faults”. He told her “TO GO AND SIN NO MORE!” Furthermore are you spiritually enriched by the message? Have you been provoked to good works or spiritual growth? Or do you just continue to feel content in disobedience?

Jesus said “If you abide in My Word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and truth shall make you free.” Jesus also tells us in His Word; “whoever commits sin is a slave to sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free you shall be free indeed.” The point that I am trying to make is Christ died to make us free! Spending time with God will give you freedom! We must commence embracing a Christ centered life! Christ took back the power the enemy stole! God’s Word really is “a lamp unto our feet and a light unto out path.” Paul goes further to say “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let Him be accursed.” There is much spiritual warfare about us! This is really not a game! We are living in the perilous times that the bible talks about! Please do not settle for a life that pleases man. Commence to really put God first in your life! Man’s approval is not necessary to accomplish God’s will in your life. He will and can make your path straight! God is the source of everything you possibly need to accomplish whatever He has for you to do.

Spending time with God will yield much peace. It will also consecrate your heart and your conscious! God will teach you how to guard your heart! You see God is a Spirit of Truth! I am thankful for His presence in my life! The devil is the father of lies! Deception and trickery are not a part of God’s fruit. Many are greatly deceived. I encourage you to spend some time reading Exodus. It is fear-provoking to know how much time they spent consecrating themselves for worship. They had reverence and deep respect for God. Worshipping God was sacred! Today it is not necessary for many. Many see worship as a time for them to “stand up for their gifts.” In times past God’s presence was earnestly welcomed. God is all knowing! God is truly Holy! God said that the true worshippers “worship Him in Spirit and in TRUTH!” I thank Him that I can freely lift my hands to thank and praise Him for the freedom He has given me.

Spending time with God will teach you how to properly navigate through this world of sin! Spending time with Jesus allows you to be calm in the midst of spiritual warfare. Jesus quite often did not respond to His accusers! You see many times just enough detail was omitted to prohibit the real truth from coming out. They sought to discredit His sincerity. More often than not a one sided story was and is embraced as truth! God is Light in Him is no darkness. “Perfect Love casts out all fear!” Just know it is more important what God knows rather than what others think! We must stand for the TRUTH! Jude tells us to contend for the faith! We must measure what is being taught against the Word of God. There are many false teachers who are misleading those who really need to hear the Gospel! He tells us “ these are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts, and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. But you beloved remember the words which were spoken before the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; how they told you that their would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons who cause division, not having the Spirit.” Jude ends telling us “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding JOY!”

It is very easy to become attached to a spiritual leader. When one has helped you it is natural to feel loyalty. Especially when you have confided in them. Paul warns us against having such pride in our favorite leaders that causes divisions in the church. The Corinthian Church for an example was a very carnal church. It continually indulged in the immorality that was practiced culturally. The culture of that day embraced a temple of prostitution. The Corinthians needed specific instructions because of their immoral standards. Paul tells us “the body is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” It was because of their carnality that Paul continuously warned them! It is spiritually dangerous to create an environment that embraces sin and labels it unconditional love. That really worships God in flesh and half truths!

Paul encourages us to imitate Christ because He himself spent time with God and walked closely with Him. I would like to encourage you to commit to spend at least 10 minutes of time alone with God each day! Just you and God with no distractions! Learn how to “ Be still and Know”. Start your personal devotion with prayer & Thanksgiving to give you the proper focus. Then just quietly discipline yourself to listen. To be still. Watch how someone or something tries to distract you. Please do not give up. (You see the enemy is so clever at distracting you.) Remember the idea is to exercise discipline. Increase your time gradually with God. This will also enhance your personal Bible Study time. I assure you any burden you might have will begin to lift. You see God really is a burden bearer. Honoring God by spending time with Him will give you direction. You cannot change anything that has happened but you can begin to really “walk in the light.” End your time Thanking Him for all He has done. Remember when you pray you must obey. To Love God is to obey Him! God’s Word is true!

We too must stand on the Word of God even when we are called anything but a child of God! Spending time with God and obeying His commandments will free you from sinful strongholds! I am thankful that God has provided us with many gifted men and women of God who are committed to spreading the true Gospel! They take seriously their responsibility to present Biblical Truth. A true spiritual leader is a representative of Christ. and has nothing to offer that God has not already given him or her! Loyalty should not cause strife, or slander. The truth can disable slander! God really is a Spirit of Truth! Our deepest loyalties should be to Christ and not to human agents! Those who spend more time debating the importance of church leadership than declaring Christ’s message don’t have Christ as their first priority. God’s Word clearly tells us “that we should not go beyond what is written. Spending time with God will cause you to attach yourself to God, rather than a spiritual leader. Commence to spend time with God “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding in all thy ways acknowledge HIM and HE shall direct your path”. When you spend time with God you shall know the TRUTH, and the TRUTH shall make you free!

Good News !

Good News! Good News! Did you know that before you were knitted together in your Mother’s womb that God knew who you were? Did you know that there is absolutely nothing that God does not know? When you know who you are in Christ you will experience much joy! When your faith and trust are in the Lord He will give you an inexpressible inner peace. The joy and peace God provides is not contingent on your circumstance. God does not want you to live your life as a yoyo experience. You cannot change anything that has already happened in your life. But you can start by reaching out to Him right now, anywhere and anytime! God is, can be, and wants to be your constant companion. Don’t wait until something unpleasant happens. Begin today to really get to know God. God wants you to walk with Him. He has left us His Comforter, His precious Holy Spirit to teach, lead, guide and direct us. Begin if you don’t already to take time each day to thank and praise God for who He is. He is worthy of our praise! We really do have a reason to be thankful!

When ever life presents a test or a trial, it is an excellent opportunity for you to strengthen your relationship with the Lord. To be still and know! God wants to be a part of all of your life. God is able to keep you from falling! I Peter says the trials that we experience in life are to test our faith? God wants to refine you. Your faith will be tested in the fire. Fire purifies gold. Gold is refined under fire. A prospector who discovers a rock that bears gold will send it to an assayer for evaluation. The fire will melt the impurities away and eventually yield pure gold. Our faith in God is far more precious than gold. I Peter even tells us that our faith will bring us honor on the day of Jesus Christ return. Trusting in God will bring Salvation to your soul. The power of Jesus’ Christ resurrection is Good News! It has been preached to us by the power of His heaven sent Holy Spirit. We can even look forward soberly and patiently to more of God’s kindness when Jesus returns.

Good News! Good News! Many people all over the world are still waiting for the Messiah to come. We as Christians know that He has already come. We know through faith that Jesus comes in and sets up residence in our hearts when you truly accept Him as your personal Savior. Matthew traces Jesus roots all the way back to Abraham. Abraham was the first to receive the promise. Matthew goes on to record the story of Jesus life on earth. He tells how His Mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph. Many unexplainable things took place surrounding Jesus’ birth. There was a lot of spiritual warfare on the horizon. Before they were even able to come together as husband and wife Mary was found to be with child through the power of the Holy Spirit. God allowed an angel to appear to Joseph who assured Him that he was not to be afraid. He was told that she would give birth to a Son and to name Him Jesus and that this child Jesus would save the world from their sins. Imagine the faith and trust this took. Please take time to read this entire historical event again. Mary and Joseph were obedient to God. We now all benefit from their obedience.

As a child of God He wants us to obey Him as well. He does not want you to slip back and forth into your old ways. God has called us to Holiness. Jesus paved the way back to Him! Holiness is not wearing no makeup, dresses to your ankles, running all over the place and falling out, wearing white or……… Now do not go there. There is nothing wrong with wearing white. I happen to really like white. Yes, and certainly there is nothing wrong with shouting and praising God. We certainly have many reasons to praise Him! The point is spiritual purity goes much deeper than the surface. Yes, white is symbolic of purity. But remember the KKK wore white too. They also ran around and shouted. (A bit of humor is always good) They just wore white to cover up who they really were. God knows who His children really are. He knows everything. The story of Jesus birth is an excellent example that displays just that! God’s Word is so powerful!

Did you know that your body is the temple of God? It was designed as a place for His Holy Spirit to reside. It is as my granddaughter says; an earth suit. Jesus actually lived in His Mother Mary’s body. He came from heaven and humbled Himself to our existence and bore a body of flesh. He lived a sinless life. He conquered sin in the flesh for us! The scriptures tells us that His earthly body did not decay. Jesus restored to us what Adam and Eve relinquished because of their disobedience. God has created a marvelous wonderful thing when He created mankind. We are His workmanship. But we are responsible for what we do with our lives and our bodies. This is why we need a Savior. God wants us to walk in the light of His Word. His Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. The Apostle John wrote to people who were already Christians. He wanted to remind them of how one’s faith affects a person’s life. God wants us to walk in the Light not in darkness. Notice how he says if we claim to be……. Well, there should be a difference in your life when you claim to walk with the Lord. Have you ever thought about some of the things you say and do? Have you ever heard the song “Walk in the Light? God knows when and if you are walking with Him!

Although John was thought to be somewhere between 80 and 90 when He wrote the epistles bearing His name, he was still vigorously urging the Church to walk in the light of God’s Word. To have true fellowship with Him. You can have banquets and shake hands all day long. But in order to have true fellowship with Him you must walk in the light! I enjoy taking a relaxing bubble bath each day. But, looking at a tub of bubbles will not clean you. God’s true Church is supposed to be a pillar of Truth. Guess what? When everything but the Truth is allowed to prevail God knows. Living for God is serious business. You must really get into God’s Word. So His Word can really get in you. Getting into His Word will cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Guess what your faith will also be strengthened. The Word of God can and will convict you of any wrongdoing. It will bring any impurities to the surface and allow you to truly repent. Let’s not get repeating confused with repentance. Remember that purifying process I talked about?

The Good News is God is the reason for not only the season. But for life! Jesus Christ is the only atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only our sins but the sins of the world. Jesus is the Light of the world. God has given us so much. “Our lives are a gift from Him. What we do with our lives is our gift to Him.” Are you happy with your life? Do you need to give more of your life to Him? Let’s make it personal. Are you really obedient to Him? True fellowship is having a relationship with God. God is the ultimate Father. He gave His only Begotten Son to redeem us! The Good News is there is power in the name Jesus. He has given us the precious gift of eternal life. God is not only there for you; He is everywhere! There is freedom in Christ. Please, remember as I said earlier that your trials come to purify you and make you strong. God is not a surface God. God is really and truly deep. He wants to take us to deeper depths and higher heights. Jesus paid a ransom to save us from the broad road that leads to destruction. This narrow road leads to heaven. The Good News is He paid for our lives and sins with the precious life and blood of His sinless life. It is because of this our trust can be in God who raised Christ from the dead! Now our faith, trust and hope can rest in Him alone.

The Word of God tells us that, “All honor belongs to God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: for it is His boundless mercy that has given us the privilege of being born again, so that we are now members of God’s own family. The good News is we live in eternal hope because we know without a doubt that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. And God Himself has reserved for His children the priceless gift of eternal life. Hallelujah! It is kept in heaven for us, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. Now do you see how very important it is to know who Jesus is! How very important to know what God has done for us! God is powerful. He will and can make sure that whenever that time comes that we will safely get to heaven to receive and continue on in His precious gift of eternal life.

It is very important that you get to know God for who He is and not for just who people say He is. Get to know Him for yourself! Then you will not be tossed to and fro by every different kind of doctrine. Remember that inexpressible joy and peace I talked about? Always remember even when the going gets tuff down here for a while or season; God is always there. All you need to do is keep your focus on the Lord! After all He is the author and finisher of your faith. When you make it a goal in your life to please God you will not have to have a yoyo experience. God can keep you in perfect peace if your mind is stayed on Him! Delight yourself in God’s Word! He will not only give you the desires of your heart but, He will also give you a sound mind! You can be like that tree in Psalms that is planted by the rivers of water. This type of tree roots goes deep! Far beyond what the human eye can see. When your faith is in God He will see to it that any fruit is brought forth in His time. All the Glory belongs to Him. Remember God. is always just a prayer away. Remember that without faith it is impossible to please God.

Good News! Good News! This is the time of the year we set aside to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Joy to the world the Lord has come! Let earth receive her King! Let every heart prepare Him room and heaven and nature sing! We give gifts to our love ones, friends and neighbors. Let’s remember that every good and perfect Gift comes from God! Let’s remember each and everyday that God gave us the Greatest Gift of all! Let’s remember now and throughout the year to praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above thee heavenly hosts. Praise, Father Son and Holy Ghost!

We’ve Come To Bow Down And Worship HIM!