Abundant Faith Prayer Conference: Recent Episodes
Arnette D. Owen
Women of faith from multiple faith disciplines joining together for Bible Study and Prayer. For prayer, dial 1-866-395-6873
The second coming of Jesus is the most anticipated event in human history, and Jesus is soon to come! However, millions have been deceived on this topic. The return of Jesus to earth is the blessed hope of all Christians. It captivates the imagination and warms the heart. As we study this week about the events after Jesus returns, did you know that God will present the history of humanity and reveal the ultimate destiny of every person who has ever lived? Did you know during the 1,000 years, the saints will “judge” wicked angels and all unsaved humans? Well, this week's study will provide clear biblical evidence of these facts and so many other relevant scriptural references about the "Events After Jesus Returns"!
As we have seen already, the Scriptures foretell a devastating event that will shake the entire globe. On the day when Jesus returns…Earthquakes will rock the planet; the world will experience great disasters and upheavals; millions of angelic beings will appear in the heavens with Jesus; and every eye will see the King of the universe approaching in the sky.Let's see what else happens when Jesus returns!
In Part 1 of our lesson from last week, we ended that lesson talking about the saved or the righteous people going through the Great Tribulation with Christ.
For clarity, please let me take a moment to define “The Great Tribulation”. This is a great time of trouble for God’s people at the end of time spoken of by Daniel, in Daniel 12:1, Jesus, in Matthew 24:21, and the apostle John, in Revelation 7:14. You can be assured that the Lord will carry His faithful believers through this difficult time as revealed in Revelation 3:10. It occurs just before the second coming of Jesus. Let's wrap-up this lesson on what the Bible says about a secret rapture.
As we revealed in our lessons during the two last weeks, the Bible is clear that when Jesus comes back, His feet will not touch the ground. It says the righteous will be caught up to meet Jesus in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). That is why Jesus emphatically warned us in, “Matthew 24:26-27, "Whereforeif they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth; behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
Satan cannot replicate a worldwide, devastating event of the magnitude of the real second coming. However, if he can seduce the world into believing false theories such as the secret rapture, he won’t need to. It is important to know and understand what Jesus says about the rapture and His second coming! Will there be a rapture when Jesus returns? YES! Will the rapture be secret? NO!
When the door closed on Noah’s ark, the probation to those who stood on the outside closed along with it. They had misused their last opportunity to enter the ark and be saved. Yet for another seven days, they danced and played around the ark, while nature continued as it had from the beginning. Nothing in the world around them so much as hinted that doomsday was just around the corner. Not until the lightning began to flash, the thunder began to roll, and the rain began to fall, did they realize anything was wrong.
That will not be the case the next time God destroys the earth. Christ’s coming in the cloud will interrupt a world that is partying with severe trauma. Prior to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the entire planet will be engulfed in disaster more severe than anything the world has ever known. The Bible calls it “a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation.” (Daniel 12:1).
Are you prepared for the second coming of Jesus Christ or will you be deceived? Stay tuned and Jesus will speak to you through His Word! This lesson will reveal how you can keep from being misled or deceived about the manner in which Christ will return.
The Bible is filled with signs of Jesus' soon return to take all true believers who have trusted, obeyed, and endured to the end to our eternal homes with Him. Based on these contemporary signs of the end of time along with other signs as recorded throughout the Bible, but especially in the book of Matthew, lead to the conviction that the time of the end has just about reached its conclusion and that Jesus will soon come. Will you be ready?
The Bible accurately recorded history in advance since the time of Babylon – prophecy affirmed by any history book. We can trust it will also be right about the second coming of Jesus Christ.
In a sweeping, comprehensive review of world history, a prophecy found in the Bible in the book Daniel, chapter two, revealed the rise and fall of nations in advance – all culminating with the second coming. More than 2,600 years ago, an ancient Babylonian king who had conquered the nation of Israel had a mysterious, confusing dream. When his wise men and astrologers couldn’t decipher his dream, a Hebrew captive stepped forward and, through God’s help, unraveled the king’s dream, which provided a stunning overview of time down to the end of the world. This lesson completes the preliminary study on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;" Titus 2:13 (KJV)
Are you looking forward to the blessed hope - "The Second Coming of Jesus Christ!!!"
Nothing in the history of humanity could compare to the colossal significance of the second coming of Jesus Christ. The Second Coming of Jesus Christ marks the end of the world as we know it. The return of Jesus is the climactic conclusion of our age. The Bible predicts that all things will come to a screeching halt at the Second Coming, but that God’s people will cross a threshold marking the entrance to eternity.
We must discipline ourselves to stay awake. We must be alert to the signs of the times and not fall asleep spiritually so that we will be ready when Jesus returns.
God will keep us safe, and He will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Stop allowing fear, doubt, and disobedience to keep you from receiving everything God desires to give you or to bless others through you! Just give your burdens, cares, concerns, troubled mind, and sin to the Lord and He will keep you from evil and see you through. In this evil world, God says, “I Will Keep You Safe!”
Many of us are walking with a limp – a limp of brokenness, fear, defeat, ripped hearts, heaviness, sickness, confusion, or flawed lives. Praise be to God, Jesus is near telling us “This Is The Way”, walk ye in it. As we walk in the way He directs, we shall walk in the will of God and experience unimaginable blessings, peace, joy, and happiness. “This Is The Way!”
I am clothed in Christ’s righteousness, so Satan can’t penetrate my armor. I am an overcomer armored up and battle-ready! No longer can Satan intimidate me. I am more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ; I can change the spiritual atmosphere and use His power to heal, lead, and speak the truth into the atmosphere. I am powerful, resilient, anointed, and a threat to the Devil! The New Me!
The pain and suffering we have inflicted on ourselves and others; the evil deeds and wickedness we have done can all be forgiven and our sins, as well as iniquities, forgotten. That’s right, pardon and forgotten! For Real? Yes, we can rest in Jesus without the stain and guilty of sin. We can be free with our debts paid in full, forgiven, and forgotten! For Real?
As I look at Your great creation, I realize that Your love is unbelievable! Only love could have made such a magnificent world. Your love is unbelievable; Your love is so amazing and unconditional. Your love has changed my whole world. I now see the beauty of Your love. Your love is so wonderful and flows like a waterfall filling my heart with “an unbelievable love”!
It is a certainty that we will have difficult times. Being a Christian does not mean that we won’t have challenging times. There are challenges and difficult moments in our lives, but Jesus will see us through these times. In those moments we do things to provoke God’s anger, praise God, His anger only lasts for a moment, and we have His assurance that His favor is life! Whenever we experience weeping seasons, we can shout during the night because “Joy Is Coming" in the morning!
Today’s focus scriptures outline the keys to learning and gaining blessings from the Chastening of God. Truly there are great benefits and ensuing blessings in God’s chastening. The first thing to learn is to be happy that God corrects us. The next thing we must learn as children of God is not to despise the chastening of the Almighty. The last thing we can learn from the chastening of God is He wounds, but He faithfully binds up. He may injure, but He abundantly heals. “The Chastening of God!”
Today’s focus scripture assures that if we are planted, we shall flourish in God. First, we must be planted in the house of the Lord. Secondly, we shall still bring forth fruit in old age. Thirdly, we shall be fat and flourishing. In our ups and downs, we shall be fruitful to the end of our lives and produce good fruit in the Lord. Planted In God’s House!
It is God's will and purpose for us to be saved and not lost. We must trust God's purpose for our lives so that His will can be manifested in our daily walk. When we allow God to fulfill His purpose in our lives, all things will together for our good! His counsel shall always stand! His purpose fulfilled!
Jesus manifests His presence in a special way when two or more of His children touch and agree in the Spirit. But before we can tap into this power, there must be an agreement between the two of us trusting and believing in the Will of God. This lets us know there is power in united prayers. As we blend our faith together, we grow to respect, appreciate, and understand one another with our uniqueness. More importantly, we trust, respect, and appreciate Jesus as we plug into His power! Agreeing In The Spirit!
There is no greater love than the love of God as manifested by Him giving His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. We become joint-heirs with Christ. It is so wonderful to become a part of God’s family! Many children are born into families all over the world who will never receive an inheritance. Many Christians don’t know about their inheritance in Christ. We are no longer slaves, but sons and daughters, of God, with benefits. Tap into your benefits today! God’s Benefits!
Our Heavenly Father wants to give us His most precious gift, but we need to come to God and ask Him for this priceless gift. We have the assurance that if we asked, God will give us the Holy Spirit. There is no doubt that the gift of the Holy Spirit is a great gift, but if we don’t value this gift, then we won’t even ask our Heavenly Father for this gift. Just like our earthly fathers have given us many blessings, our Heavenly Father gives us countless blessings including His most treasured gift, the Holy Spirit. Once we receive this most cherished gift, we welcome His presence and submit to the influence and leading of the Holy Spirit, the Most Precious Gift!
In today’s focus scripture, the psalmist remembered that the LORD was the only One who could lift his head up and give him the comfort he needed to keep pressing forward. We too must come realize that when we are experiencing our darkest hour; and troubles keep on mounting, God is our only source of strength and encouragement to lift our heads. It is during those times our faith and trust in God will make the difference because our strength comes from God! He’s A Lifter!
As God's children, we are confident that He loves us, watches, protects, and defends us. God is a strong tower, a place of defense for His children, so we can find true security in God. Many people go through life without enjoying this type of security. People pay a lot of money for security, but only God can make us secure and make us feel free from fear and anxiety. We find security in knowing we belong to God. We are married to God, so we don’t walk alone. He is with us, and He is for us. He uses His divine power to provide all the security we need in life. Through Christ Jesus, we have everything we need, we are safe in His arms in His true Security!
I encourage you to take God at His word and praise Him for keeping it. So, trust God, and don’t be afraid, because no one can harm us when God is with us. I vow to trust, obey, and serve You O Lord. I am thankful for everything You have already done and the things You are doing right now for me. God has rescued me from my enemies times and times and kept my feet on the path of righteousness. As long as I am alive, I am committed to walking in the light from God’s throne. Don’t Be Afraid!
I pray that you can feel God’s love and how important you are to Him. Although we don’t think a lot about a strand of hair, but this little thing is a complicated process maintained by God. Nothing goes unnoticed by God. God knows everything! He knows the beginning and the ending. God knows what you are feeling; He knows the pain or joy in your heart; he knows your concerns, fears, needs, and sin. I am inspired by this knowledge to bring all of my concerns and cares to the Lord. We don’t have to fear because God knows everything. He knows what is going to happen before it occurs, but more importantly, God has already planned for the unexpected and all troubles waiting to engulf us. “God Knows Everything!”
With a mighty hand and outstretched arms, God protects me. God is always near and ready to deliver. From the rising and setting of the sun, I can count on God. The Lord is Great, and He is worthy to be praised! I don’t just praise You Lord for what You are doing and the blessings flowing over my life, but because You are God, Redeemer, Maker, Savior, and Everlasting King. You are worthy of Forever Praise!
As I reflect on my life, I can’t help but thank the Lord for bringing me through the storm, rain, and the midnight tears. God has been so good to me and I want the Lord to know that I thank Him. I thank the Lord for saving my soul, filling me with His Holy Spirit, blessing me with an amazing family, a loving church family, and all the wonderful people He has placed in my life. The good days certainly outweigh the bad. I thank the Lord for His grace and mercy that endures forever and ever. I praise the Lord, and give thanks unto Him for He is good and loves me with an everlasting love! Oh “Give Thanks!”
Whatever the Lord says, it is right, true, and worthy of absolute belief. The fact that God says a thing is the highest proof it is true. All of His works are done in truth and faithfulness. All that He does is executed faithfully with righteousness at its core! No matter what we face or go through, we can trust the Lord to deliver us out of all our troubles. Though the road may be rough and the going tough, I’m trusting In the Lord to see me through! God is always near when our hearts are broken. God is our strength, refuge, and comfort!
So often we fail to clap our hands or shout unto the Lord who is King over all the earth, but we clap our hands and shout for our sports, musical, political, or spiritual superstars. The Lord is awesome; for He is the great King over all the earth! The Lord, who is the greatest King, gives us victory over our attackers. He puts our enemies under our feet. Come on, let’s clap our hands and shout unto Him for He is good and loves us with an everlasting love. He’s a wonder! Don’t you know, we are the apple of His eye and His prized possession, and He has an inheritance waiting for us! He Is The King!
Although personal afflictions will come, but we are overcomers sealed with the seal of the living God, as His elect. We can take heart and have peace even though we are living in a world plagued with trouble on every hand. Perhaps you might find yourself feeling defeated, stop right now believing that lie. Remember, we are more than a conqueror because Jesus abides in us, and He has already defeated Satan, and overcame the world, so we are overcomers. As children of God, we must refuse to allow the circumstances of life to cause us to think we are not overcomers. We must fight until the battle is won! We are Overcomers!
We should not worry because there is nothing - no challenge, problem, trouble, pain, affliction, or hardship - too big or too hard for God to handle! There is no one too powerful or cruel that we will ever face greater than God. There is nothing we will ever need that God cannot provide from His endless storehouse. As long as we trust, obey and faithfully follow God, we are walking in harmony with God in His fulness to supply all of our needs and to protect us from all harm, danger, and all destructive forces. "Don't Worry!"
I can personally testify that God is the true and living God, who is all-powerful, with an unlimited storehouse, hears and answers our prayers when we call upon him. But we must believe that God will hear and answer our petition according to His divine wisdom and riches in heaven. There is no challenge, problem, or trouble that God cannot handle. God is the only one who has total control over the world. He owns everything, so He can use His power, divine wisdom and knowledge, and His unlimited resources to answer our prayers. “Who Do You Call?”
Many of us are like David who tasted sorrow, but today God wants to clothe us with His joy. God is ready to step in and turn our mourning into dancing! Let’s celebrate the transformation of suffering and mourning into God’s victory and gladness through dancing! Dance with all of your might in the presence of the Lord! Are you dancing? Stop looking upon your circumstances but look up to Jesus! He is ready to turn your mourning into dancing!
We must understand that we are not dealing with an enemy here on earth that we can see or touch with our hands, but with the darkness of spiritual beings who were once in heaven and are now using their authority and power to try to rule the world. That’s why we must put on the whole armor of God and stand, not giving an inch of ground so when the fighting is over, we are still standing. No matter how vicious the attacks and the schemes thrown against us, we shall stand and be victorious, if we are “Dressed To Stand”
God’s love is perfect! As we respond to God’s perfect love with love, we reverence God for His awesomeness. As we grow in our knowledge of God, so does our love for God grow. The more our love grows the less we fear. As the Holy Spirit perfectly develops our love and frees us from all traces of self, all craving fear is gone. God's love never dies! Nothing is lacking in God’s love! Whatever we need in every aspect of our lives can be found in God’s love. God loves us even when we don’t love Him. No matter what we do or how bad we hurt Him, God still loves us! God cares deeply for us and desires the best for us. He has a perfect plan to bring happiness, peace, love, and joy to our lives. That's "perfect love"!
As the pressure of the world and evil forces press against us, our "strength of Joy" is marked by our faith in the presence of our Heavenly Father, in His power, and His hedge of protection surrounding us. Internal joy and contentment fill our hearts as we rest in God’s presence, His divine wisdom, and perfect timing. We gain "strength in joy" from God's Word as we trust, obey, and depend on the Lord!
As God’s law is written in our hearts, our love for God burns deep within moving us to trust and obey His Word. Then His Word that’s written in our heart along with our faith becomes the guiding force in our lives. Our love for God and His Word, along with our faith in God increases, thereby making us stronger and courageous to do God's will with joy and happiness. His love, righteousness, and His law are written in my heart!
You have a plan to prosper and not to harm us, but to give us a future and hope of a new life in Christ. You have given Your Word that You will finish the work You started in us (Philippians 1:6). We know You do not halfway do anything. You started the work in us, and You will be sure to complete it. Rejoice, my sisters and brothers, whatever you are going through right now, just know that God is not finished, so the best is yet to come! Every one of your needs, He will supply! While you are waiting, He will give His perfect peace. His peace of protection will guard your heart and keep your mind in Christ Jesus. “Your Word!”
Lord, when our world keeps shaking and we are breaking, help us to be patient and wait on You to renew our strength. Lord, we need Your strength when the rain won’t stop pouring all over us. Through every heartbreak, every setback, and every battle, help us to be patient. Help us not to turn back, but preserve, and do thy Will, so we will receive everything You have promised. Patience!!!
Far too long we have lived in a society where justice is based upon those who have money and power and those who do not. Harsh laws, unjust political powers, poverty, and unrighteous decisions by those in leadership and the judicial system or by the pride and power of wicked people have influenced what is justice! God is not silent about His intentions and views regarding justice. God said do not pervert justice by showing favoritism to the rich or partiality to the poor. Judge every case honestly and fairly, Leviticus 19:15 (KJV). For those who won’t, the Lord will execute righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed! (Psalms 103:6)
Today's focus scripture reminds us that “No weapon” that is formed against us shall prevail and every tongue shall be condemned. It might seem as if evil is winning, but we get to declare victory because God's power is at work. We are on the winning team! We are invincible when God is the force working in and through us!
Today’s focus scripture reminds us that when we walk through deep waters, God will be with us! When we walk through the fire, we will not get burned because God is with us. As we walk with God, in faith, there is no need to fear because God is holding our hand and leading us into His perfect will. We are more than conquerors because God is fighting our battles and ordering our steps. “I Will Be With You!”
As children of God sharing His covenant, God reveals His secret to us. No, He doesn’t reveal all secret things, but the things He reveals belong to those who trust and obey Him. God reveals everything we need to know to be saved and to follow Him in obedience. God pardons our iniquity as we repent of our sins. We who honor and worship Him, God will share His secrets.
When we find ourselves down, discouraged, rejected, and we just don’t know what to do, “Call On Jesus”, and He will hear and answer our call. To call on Jesus simply means to pray and seek His help. Although we are limited in knowledge and lack the wisdom to know and understand many things in life, God knows all things; He knows the end before they begin – Isaiah 46:10. When we “Call On Jesus", we are assured in Isaiah 65:24, that before we call, He will answer; and while we are yet speaking, He will hear. When we call on Jesus, He will not only answer, but He will tell us things we couldn’t possibly know according to Jeremiah 33:3. Only God has the power to answer us and show us “great and mighty things.
As we stand firm in our faith in Jesus, we will not be shaken. No matter how deep, how serious, or even hopeless things might seem, we don’t have to be afraid! As we draw near to the throne of grace with confidence, Christ will help us in time of need. As we turn to Christ, He will strengthen us to endure and overcome the forces coming against us. We “stand firm” by holding on to Jesus’ promises. Now, we have His power to “stand firm”!
We have all sinned and made mistakes. Most likely, every one of us has done something wrong. Perhaps, we have made a bad decision or walked down the wrong path. If you ever feel like your record is spotty with sins and there is no way out, please be assured that there is a way out! There is freedom in Jesus! Jesus is ready and willing to purge all your sins from your record and to set you free. Free!!!!
Hallelujah, we have been set free! We are free in Jesus! We are liberated and released from the shackles of sins and brokenness. God’s divine grace and love have swept us off our feet. Sanctified! God’s plan for our lives is perfect! We can live boldly knowing that we are God’s precious masterpiece crafted intentionally for His divine purpose! Sanctified! No more shame! No more fear! No more walking in defeat because we are God’s masterpiece! We are sanctified through truth! We are sanctified through the blood of Jesus Christ. Praise God, we are changed and set apart! “Sanctified!”
God's lovingkindness is “Better Than Life” because, in the deepest sense, it is the source of the life that satisfies the soul. Nothing can satisfy our deep longing for love and happiness like God’s love. God’s lovingkindness can transform our misery, sadness, and unfulfilled lives into pure joy and happiness. God’s love and inward peace fill our hearts with joy, comfort, contentment, and happiness as we take His hand in love.
We certainly praise the Lord for the beauty of the world our awesome God created for us! When we think about the blessings, we experience day in and day out from God, can anyone doubt His goodness toward us? We also know that the Lord loves us, so we can’t help but, to worship Him with thanksgiving and praises because of His love and mercy toward all humans. Indeed the Lord Is Good!
If you don’t believe in Jesus Christ and His righteousness, then this promise is not for you. This promise is only for those who believe in Jesus Christ. This promise is God’s execution of eternal life to everyone who is saved and endured until the end. Hallelujah, God will give us everlasting life with no end in His awesome presence forever. Living eternally in heaven! “The Promise!”
God has a greater perspective of life’s events, so His perspective, plans, and schedules are perfect and holy. Today’s scripture gives us such promises and excitement! Just think how you feel when you know that something very special is planned for you. You know that is coming, but you don’t know what it is. You have spent time thinking and imagining what it is, but you don’t know. What you do know is that your excitement is growing, and your heart is filled with joy as you wait. Just like you trust the person or persons who are planning these wonderful things for you, we too can trust God with His plans for us. He has unthinkable things for those who love Him!
Did you hear that? If we hear and do what the Spirit is saying, we won’t die the second death, and God will feed us with heavenly manna; He will also give us the white stone of acquittal with our new name on it. We will sit with Jesus on His throne. Are you hearing what the Spirit is saying?
What would you say or do, if you were told that God has given you the capacity to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven? To unlock the secret to eternal life, or release the secret thoughts, plans, privileges, and power of God, or the ability to talk directly to God and hear Him talking to you are hidden mysteries. Are you willing to invest in unlocking these mysteries? Listen to this Devotion to get started.
This world can never satisfy the longing that is deep in my soul. I am thirsty for the Lord. I am desperate for His love, His power, His anointing, and His blessings. I feel a deep burning in my soul. I am thirsty for His presence. Only the Lord can satisfy my hunger and my thirst. Lord fill my heart with Your love and sweep me up in Your arms. Draw me near and wrap Your arms of protection all around me. I am thirty to do thy will. I am thirsty to abide in thy presence. I am thirsty to be healed, sealed, and used by You. Only You Jesus can quench my thirst! “Are You Thirsty?”
If we believe God, no matter how dark the night is, morning is coming and so is joy. You might be weeping now, but joy is coming! Despite the troubles, trials, and affliction in your night season, hold on, joy is coming! Give God the praise because we know with a certainty that morning is coming and so is joy! We can shout and praise God when the sun is not shinning; we can shout when it is yet dark. Go ahead, weep now, but joy is coming! Your joy, your morning, your victory, your deliverance is coming, go ahead and shout now, joy is coming!
He knows what we need, and He knows how to best satisfy our needs. He knows everything we are going through; He knows our feeling, our despairs, fears, doubts, bitterness, anxieties, suffering, and even our loneliness during the pandemic. No matter what we are facing, we can call upon Him for help because He knows everything. There is no secret hidden from Him. There is no problem too big or too complex for Him to handle. He Knows Our Needs!
God is pouring out an abundance of blessings for those who obey and keep God’s commands and trust His divine wisdom. He is raining down an overflow of blessings over our families, our children, our health, our finances, our land, properties, and business. God is pouring out an overflow of blessings in our homes, communities, our states, in the nation, and throughout the world.
Anyone who gives to the poor is making an investment doubling its returns. We have a guarantee from the Lord that He is going to repay us, and we are amassing wealth for eternity – a refined character in the Lord, union with Jesus Christ, and fruit of the Spirit manifested in our lives. Those of us who give to the poor are considered blessed because the Word says that it is more blessed to give than to receive. God will definitely repay us with interest and blessings.
God will never forget the good work and the love we give to others. Praise God, our good work springs forth from faith in Jesus and God’s goodness. Love motivates us to do every good work that is done in His name through His Spirit and power; love also inspires us to support and minister unto others. God will never forget how we demonstrate our love to Him by showing mercy to the poor, doing good, obeying Him, and faithfully doing His will. “He Will Not Forget!”
As God’s truth is imparted in us, we gain peace with God, with one another, and peace in our minds. There is an unspeakable joy as we rest in the Lord's truth and trust Him to lead, guide and direct us. As the Lord is imparting His truth, we are advancing to higher levels in life where there are boundless prospects and possibilities. As we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, focus on heaven, and obey Him we can enjoy His endless joy and rewards.
The Lord is our Protector, refuge, and stronghold in the day of distress. As swift as things are changing, we are safe in the will of the Lord. We can trust the Protector to keep us from falling into the traps set by the wicked and the hands of our enemies. Although they band together against the righteous and seek to harm us, the Lord is the rock of our protection.
God gives us so many gifts, but the most cherished and special gift He wants to give us is the gift of eternal life as citizens of His kingdom! God’s kingdom is great and everlasting. He desires to give His little flock the “kingdom of His power”, the “kingdom of His grace” and the “kingdom of glory”. Have you accepted your gift?
Today’s focus scripture assures us that "we are covered" in our mother’s wombs. No matter what we face in life, we are covered. God has already designed a perfect plan to cover us in every situation and all circumstances, so we don’t have to fear.
No one loves us more than God. No one will ever know us as God does. We are incredibly and wonderfully made in His image. We are amazingly different and unique in our special way. No one is more for us than God. No one knows what is best for us at all times, in all situations under all conditions. So, no matter what we face, God knows how to deliver and rescue us. God is ready and willing to perform His work in and through us to conform us into His image and character. God Knows Us!
In today’s focus scripture, God is willing to show the heirs of promise His intention to keep His promise, so He confirmed His promise by an oath. God’s promise rest on two unchangeable facts: One is that it’s impossible for God to lie and the other is that He confirmed what He said by an oath. He keeps His promises! God cannot lie! “The One Thing Impossible For God To Do!”
When the enemy comes in like a flood, it’s singing time. When we are pressed on every side, it’s singing time. When our backs are against the wall, or our friends have walked away, it’s singing time. When death has come in and taken one of our loved ones, it’s singing time. When sickness has invaded our bodies and the doctors have walked away, it’s singing time. When we are troubled in our minds, and fear is flowing all over us, it’s singing time. As we take hold of faith, in Jesus, and seek His face, darkness turns into light; sadness into happiness; winter goes away and summer comes; sickness and pain turn into health and strength, and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. “It’s Singing Time!”
There are a lot of things in life that need to be terminated because we are better of if we let them go. Holding onto some things can rob us of our joy and happiness, and ultimately can result in eternal damnation and destruction when Jesus comes to take us, the Redeemed, back to our heavenly homes. Today’s focus scripture assures us that in the future many things we are struggling with now will be terminated. As we stand on the threshold of eternity, God will terminate death; sorrow; crying, and all pain. All conflict will be over, and all tribulation and strife will end. A song of victory will fill heaven as the redeemed stand before the throne of God. All sin, evil, and wickedness will be “Terminated!”
In today’s scripture, Jesus told the people that there were a lot of other things He could tell them, but they had have heard enough because they were not ready for any more. So often, people may say they want the truth, but when the truth is told, they reject it. There are many reasons why the truth is rejected, but we need the truth. We can trust the Holy Spirit to always give us the truth and reveal things to come. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, we can consistently tell the truth and live by these truths. Tell the truth!
In today’s focus scripture, Jesus is assuring all who seek the Kingdom of God, not to be anxious--about our needs or our wants. Why? Because God will take care of these things if we seek the kingdom of God, first. As children of God, we all have a duty of depending on the providence of God for the things which we need. Lack Nothing requires faith and obedience to the Will of God! Seek the Kingdom of God, and all other things shall be added unto us, as God sees fit and declares them to be blessings for us. “Lack Nothing!”
We have the assurance that if we abide in Christ, and study, believe, and obey His Word, then we can ask the Father to give us what we need to be wise, faithful, and bold servants of the Lord. My Sisters and Brothers, you can have confidence in asking the Father for "wisdom" or whatever you ask in harmony with His will. We know He is listening, so He will give us whatever is best! “Ask God!”
Today, James gives us good news! God has chosen the poor of this world to become rich in faith. Regardless of our financial status, we can be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom of God! We may be “Poor” by the world’s standards, “but Rich” in faith and love for God, so God has reserved an inheritance for us. Poor, But Rich gives us great benefits and blessings from God!
Paul reminds us in our focus scripture that we are to show the same kindness, fidelity, and respect for each other. God sees everything we say, do or fail to do. We all will answer to God for our deeds, thoughts, and wrongdoings. We all win when we are respectable, kind, just, and affectionate toward one another. Let us seek to always show respect, and enjoy God’s presence, His approval, and “Respect”!
Just like the angels of the Lord encamp around us, Satan and his angels also surround us, but we are protected by the Lord. Abiding in God’s protective will, assures us that we are covered and carried safely on the Lord’s shoulders. God is all-powerful, so nothing or no one can take us off His shoulders. We can walk this Christian journey with confidence and full assurance that we are safe in the will of God. The will of God will never take us anywhere that we are not safe and “protected”!
As we move forward in 2021, God is ready to pour out His blessings on those who are willing and ready to receive His blessings on His terms and conditions. Those Who Are Blessed are no longer trying to figure things out on their own. We now turn to the Lord who knows all things and already got everything figured out before the problem even surface. As we study, pray, and meditate on God’s word, the world’s attitudes, ways of thinking, and influences are replaced with God’s will and His divine plans in our lives. Those Who Are Blessed roots are deep in God’s Word. When dry seasons come upon those who are blessed, they will continue to bear God’s fruit and enjoy God’s overflowing blessings, and bless others.
When we trust, obey, love, and walk faithfully with the Lord, He will save and protect us. When we call on the Lord, He will hear and answer our call. We have God’s assurance that He will be with us when we are in trouble; He will rescue, honor, and satisfy our needs because He is our defender and refuge. Walking and abiding in the will of God makes us “Safe At Home”!
So many people today are like Nicodemus need and desire to be a "part of the family" by having a genuine relationship with God. Yet, they fail to be saved and become a part of the family of God because they don’t believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and they don’t accept Jesus’ death on the cross as full payment for their sins and transgressions. My Sisters and Brothers, you no longer have to be alone because you can be part of the family. Stop trying to fill the void that only Jesus can fill and become a part of the family of God! Embrace the Father’s goodness, and accept Jesus, who will never let us down, as a “Part of the Family”!
As we walk and commune with God, He will shield, protect, guide, provide, watch over us, build us up, and plant us perfectly in His divine will. He will bring us back to the land of blessings, He will not pull us down nor pluck up that which He has planted in us! The Things God Will Do!
Today, many of us are struggling with evil forces to sit in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. These forces are constantly at work. Far too often we find ourselves struggling and fighting against one another with no regard for the evil forces at work behind the scenes. Praise God, He raised us out of the tomb of spiritual death and crowned us with Christ to sit next to Him in heavenly places. “Sitting with Him”!
Through Christ, we are reconciled with God in the forgiveness of sins. Now God has erased the certificate of debt that was given to us because of our sins. God expects no repayment because Christ paid it in full on the cross. Only Christ alone was able to fulfill the demands of the law! The debt we owe can be canceled by accepting the free “gift of salvation” through Jesus Christ. We are complete, whole, forgiven, and released from the bondage of guilt, shame, and the penalty of sin. Now, today, we can enjoy the same freedom and completeness enjoyed by the Colossians. But we must repent of our sins, believe in Him, call on Him and have faith in Jesus Christ, then, our Debt Is Canceled!
As we focus more and more on Jesus, we become “Like Him” by losing ourselves in His will! Now that we are following Jesus, His Spirit of obedience, sacrificial love, and longsuffering are conforming us into His image. Through His divine power and His leading, we are maturing in wisdom, knowledge, faith, mercy, grace, and love. Right now, today, at this very moment, God works in us to reflect His glory and thereby transforms us into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which makes us “Like Him!”
We have a husband and maker, the Lord, (Isaiah 54:5), who is always perfect in every way, at all times. With deep love, compassion, and a protective Spirit, He will always be there for us! He is our Creator who knows everything about us. He fully understands and loves us unconditionally! There is no one like the Lord, “the Perfect Husband”. There is no one equal to Him. When we cry out to Him for help, He hears and answers our cry. No matter how far we stray away from Him, He will always love us. He is our redeemer, the only One who can turn our captivity and set us free from sin and its effects. No matter what we face or the forces that may come against us, we don’t have to fear, worry or feel alone because we have the Perfect Husband who will always take care of us! He is compassionate, trustworthy, faithful, loving, dependable, all-knowing, all-wise, and true. He is “the Perfect Husband”!
No matter what we are facing, or how confusing life might seem, the Potter is constantly molding, shaping, and aligning the clay in harmony with His divine will. When the clay is spinning around on the wheel, it is never out of contact with the Potter’s hand, so when our lives are spinning out of control, the Potter is reshaping and molding our lives into His masterpiece. No matter how fast the wheels of life are spinning, we can be assured that the Potter will never remove His hand and leave us, the clay, to be overtaken by satan and his evil forces. "The Potter and Clay!"
When we accept God's Word as the final authority on any given matter, we have the joy and confidence of knowing that the problem is already settled before the enemy is allowed to present their evidence. This knowledge is invigorating and satisfying. We find joy, peace, and contentment in knowing that God’s Word is settled and His promises are true no matter what we face or how strong the evil forces press against us! We can trust God to always do what is best for us and to always be on time. Although we live in an unsettled world, God’s Word is firmly fixed and settled in heaven. Hallelujah, nothing that happens on earth can change God’s Word in heaven. “It Is Settled”.
The LORD is trustworthy in all He promises and faithful in all He does. We can take comfort in God’s promises, at all times, because He always keeps His promise. He is gracious in all He does. Soon and very soon, Jesus Christ will return to establish “An Everlasting Kingdom” at His second coming. At last, He will destroy death and bring real peace to His children who will receive eternal life as we enter into His Everlasting Kingdom. We, the children of God, will then reign with Jesus Christ forever in “An Everlasting Kingdom!”
We all desire assurances at some point in our lives. Assurance in a relationship is not just what a person says, but what a person actually does counts and gives value to the relationship. Just like we desire assurances from one another, we can have these assurances along with other assurances from God. We can definitely trust God to be faithful, dependable, truthful, to love us, to give us happiness, to show compassion towards us, and to value us as well as never give up on us and never stop caring for us and seeking to provide, protect and being there for us whenever we need Him. God's Assurances!
It won’t be long before the Son of God, Jesus Christ our Savior, comes in all His glory, with His Father and the angels. He will come as Judge and King, everyone on earth will gather before Him and He will separate those who are genuinely His from those who are not, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats during shearing time. Jesus says "Come and be Blessed!
Jesus’ sacrifice is a token worn upon His hands in heaven right now. As Jesus stands in the presence of His Father and the holy angels, He lifts His wounded hands before them saying “I know them by name, I have graven them on the palms of My hands.” We who accept His sacrifice as a gift of salvation through faith will keep His laws and obey His commands. Just like death couldn’t keep Jesus in the grave, it won’t keep us when Jesus returns to take the saints who endure to the end to our heavenly homes prepared specifically for us by Jesus Himself. We are engraved upon the palms of His hands!
Not only does being humble consist of trusting God and following His will, but it is also the recognition of the magnificent power of God and His love for us. It is impossible to truly humble ourselves if we don’t have faith that God knows what is best and trust Him to always lead us in the best way including what to avoid in temptation. Our faith, respect, and love for God enable us to humble ourselves and trust His understanding, His wisdom, and His divinity. Humble Yourself!
The life Jesus has for us is abundant and good! But we must desire this life, then trust His wisdom, and surrender control to Him. Once we let go and allow Jesus to have His way, He will give us an abundant life that is All-Good according to His purpose! Trusting God means that we are willing to accept His decisions and plans for our lives. We are also willing to follow His plan for greatness in us as His purpose is fulfilled. Everything He does It’s All Good!
As we surrender our heart, mind, body, and soul to the Lord, Jesus gives us His divine power! We then become partakers of His divine nature dispelling the dark shadows satan casts across our path. Now we are walking in the sunlight of His glory shining in our hearts. Our soul is anchored through faith in Jesus and the sureness of His righteousness, power, and His love. We can overtake the evil forces coming against us. We have the power to rebuke satan and he will flee! We are no longer perplexed, afraid, or dismayed by satan and those under his control because we are partakers of Jesus’ divine power, enjoying His holiness and the fulness of His joy found in His presence. Now that’s Extraordinary Power!
As instruments of His righteousness and His amazing power, those around us recognize that God is alive and that Jesus is our Rock of Defense. He saves! He heals! He comforts! He loves! He fights our battles! He gives us the victory! He puts our enemies under our feet. Hallelujah, Praise Be To God, He exalts those who trust Him, above those who hate Him! Jesus, the Rock of Salvation, defends, delivers, and shields us from danger and the hands of evil people seeking to destroy us as we walk the Perfect Pathway!
As we dwell in the Most-High God’s secret place, we learn to give up our will and way to Him. We are safe, protected, loved, and blessed as we dwell in the secret place of the Most-High. As we abide under the shadow of the Almighty, we can find rest in Him as we enjoy His presence, protection, divine counsel and wisdom, as well as God’s overflowing blessings, breakthroughs, deliverance, and restoration. We are safe in the Most-High’s secret place! Come on in and enjoy God’s Guaranteed Safety!
God understands from your perspective, things can be confusing and even complicated, but trust God He won’t lead you wrong, and He certainly won’t fail you. God is the master teacher, who sees perfectly what’s ahead and what you need to advance to the next stage in your life. He will instruct and teach you in the way which you are to go. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else. No two people are exactly the same, God has a personalized lesson plan for you. There is nothing God doesn’t know! He knows just how to teach you so that you can learn what you need to know, how, when, and what you need to do to be successful, happy, and satisfied. God Will Teach You!
We can’t let the evil other people do cause us to become overwhelmed, discouraged, or lose hope in the promises of God. No matter what life throws at us, we must be resolved that God is all-powerful and a promise-keeper – He will never leave nor forsake us! He is too wise to make a mistake or be outmaneuvered! He is too powerful to be overtaken by forces! The most powerful rainstorms and fires of life are no match for God, so be ye resolved! God is always with us when we trust Him and walk by faith, be "Resolved", we will win in the end!
God is interested in every part of our lives. He cares about our feelings, desires, needs, concerns, troubles, fears, and our well-being. We can rejoice because God sees all of our sorrows, disappointments, adversities, and suffering. He is not indifferent to our feelings, needs, plight, and our troubled-mind. There is no one who can fully understand our soul in adversities, but God. In fact, God is the only one who can meet every one of our true needs. No matter what comes against us, because we genuinely trust God, we can "Rejoice!"
Even though we might feel unprotected, defenseless, broken, and weak, we can always take shelter in the Lord. Yes, our hearts might be overwhelmed, but if we lift our hearts unto the Lord, through faith, we can take shelter in His love, His power, His wisdom, and His promises. Just like David, we might find ourselves taking shelter with prayers and tears but ending with praise and a victory dance as we come boldly before the Lord! He will protect and see us through the battles of life. "Take Shelter" in the Lord!
No matter what we are facing, the Lord of peace wants to give us His peace! He is Lord over all situations! With a childlike faith and trust in the Lord of peace, we can have His peace – safeguarding our minds against confusion, evil, corruption, jealousy, hatred, fear, anxiety, and all other sins. The Lord of peace desires to give His peace at all times in every situation. The closer we draw to the Lord of peace, the more of His peace we can experience. Now, do you want peace?
Can you imagine someone who will love you unconditionally, knowing absolutely everything about you, and still want you; someone who will always be truthful, honest, do what is right, and constantly protecting you while providing for your needs; someone who will always be there for you at all times – day or night. Well, you can trust the Lord to be that someone and even more!
A simple glance in God’s direction is not enough! We must keep our eyes fixed on Him as we daily commune with Him through prayer, studying, meditating, and obeying His Word. We are guided by His eye along safe paths in life! We are also guided by His eye as He carefully instructs, teaches, and gives us understanding through His Word. And then the Holy Spirit brings forth conviction, as we enjoy obeying and serving Him. Oh, Heavenly Father, we praise and worship You Lord because You never take Your eye off of us. “Guided by His Eye!”
All sin is against God. Sin hides the loving face of God just like a dense, dark cloud hides the sun and fills the air with gloom. Sin makes our lives dark, evil, sad, and gloomy. Even Though our transgressions and sins might be dark and evil as a thick cloud, if we repent and turn to the Lord, God’s redeeming love pardons and vanishes them away. Just as the wind drives away a thick cloud so that the sky is clear and peaceful, God’s forgiveness drives our sins away. All of our transgressions and sins are blotted out!
Hallelujah, we are reconciled through Christ’s redeeming blood when we repent and turn away from our sin! We see things differently because we are transformed into the likeness of Christ. Thank You, Jesus, we have been reconciled through Your sacrifice on the cross. Now that we are reconciled, Christ presents us before His Father as holy, blameless, and without blemish. We are now free to enter into the glorious state of holiness, harmony, and joy through Christ’s redeeming blood.
Satan has a suffocating grip on the world that is destroying our moral, political, and cultural values at a rapid pace. The only way to break free of this grip is to turn to the Lord. As we surrender our lives unto the Lord, He will send His Spirit to guide us into truth. Even though all flesh is as grass and it will wither and fade away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever. So, when we study the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit will give us a proper understanding of God’s Word. As we eat and obey this Word, and then grow in our faith, the Spirit of God prepares us to live “Forever!”
Jesus’ touch liberates the “untouchable”. One-touch by Jesus transforms the untouchable. We are changed! Our eyes and hearts are opened by Jesus’ divine touch. As we submit to His divine power, we become untouchable by sin. The shame, suffering, cruelty, the glory, the life, the death, the justice, and mercy all met at the cross through Christ’s redeeming love. Jesus’ resurrection power and His blood purify and render us, as children of God, untouchable by anything that is impure and unrighteous!
As we grow in our love, faith, and obedience, we trust the Lord with all of our heart, and we don’t depend on our understanding or power. God knows that we are trustworthy therefore He entrusts His treasures to us so that we may advance His cause and glorify His name. Our love for God constrains us so that we won’t use the entrusted treasures to exalt and glorify ourselves or to gain power and oppress the poor. God knows we will give Him first of everything! After all, “It’s All His!”
Death entered the human race because of sin. We know that our earthly bodies will die, but if we die in Christ, then we have the assurance that we have a divinely hand-crafted body waiting for us that is not shaped in a womb, but an immortal body crafted by the hand of God. Praise God, our resurrected bodies will resemble that of our resurrected Savior, Jesus Christ. Paul makes it clear in 2 Corinthians 5:1 that through God’s divine craftsmanship, in our resurrected bodies, we will live eternally in our heavenly homes.
Now that our minds are sanctified by the Holy Spirit, we are transformed into Christ’s likeness. Our souls are sanctified to do the Will of God and our bodies become fit instruments sanctified to serve God. We are “Preserved”!
Genuine love is a strong motivator in making sacrifices without regrets, complaints, or grudges. It is a delight to sacrifice for the good of someone we genuinely love. There is great joy when we are allowed to make someone happy even if that requires sacrifices. Jesus is our role model because He made “The excellent sacrifice” for humanity. He gave His life so that we might be saved if we accept His gift of salvation. There is nothing more amazing than giving up sin and all its evils to gain "The excellent sacrifice". It is impossible to receive this excellent sacrifice without faith in Jesus Christ!
We can ask with confidence because we trust God to do what He knows is best. We can ask anything with confidence knowing that God not only hears, but He will grant our petitions according to His will. Our heavenly Father hears whatever we ask Him, then He uses His divine wisdom, grace, power, and love to provide what we need when we need it.
As we turn to the Lord, His Spirit is released in our lives setting us free, making us new creatures in Christ Jesus. We are now reflecting the image of God as new creatures in Christ. Through the indwelling of the Spirit of the Lord, He is purifying our hearts and setting us free from all shackles. The shackles are gone, and now we are free to enjoy every good and perfect gift from God in His fullness of joy!
Psalm 147:3 gives us a wonderful promise even if most of us have had our hearts broken! To be hurt by a loved one or hurt by someone you trusted and depended on is not a happy experience. A broken heart can leave emotional scars. We can let our broken hearts control us and sideline our future, or we can accept God’s love and rescue plan. Because of God’s love and Christ’s sacrifice, Jesus said, “He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted” (Luke 4:18). By doing this, Jesus fulfills the wonderful promise of Psalm 147:3. He Heals the Broken Hearts!
Christ, our Saviour, will not permit us to be overtaken by satan’s power as long as we trust and obey Him. As we take hold of the strength of Jesus, He will dispatch His angels to walk with us and protect us from all attacks of satan and his imps. “No one can take us out!” Yes, we might be brought into great trials and distress, but as long as we trust, believe, and obey God’s Word, no one can take us out!
Because the Lord is our shepherd, we do not lack anything! He satisfies our needs. Jesus wants us to be independently dependent upon Him, to need Him alone. As we put our complete trust in Him, the Lord will fulfill all of our needs and give us total satisfaction. Absolutely nothing will be lacking. The Lord, our good Shepherd, protects and lifts up above our circumstances and situations. No matter what comes against us, our Shepherd, the Lord, leads us into safety and provides all our needs!
Today, we must walk the dark, dirty roads of life filled with sin, evil, and wickedness. As we are walking on the pathway of life, we never know what or who we might encounter, but we don’t have to fear. Jesus is a shelter from the rain of trouble, the storm of persecution, the floods of Satanic temptation, the strong hands of injustice and poverty, the heat of hatred, racism and xenophobia, the plight of sickness and suffering, the blast of death and the towers of sin and wickedness that are being erected throughout the land. We can find safety, peace, love, hope, and blessings in God’s shelter.
As we turn our attention from the confusion and perplexity around us and focus on God, He will hear and answer our calls! God is with us when we are in trouble. In fact, He has already worked out a rescue plan before we call Him. When we call, He will not only deliver us, but He will also honor us with His presence and glory. God’s blessings and deliverance will show the world how highly we are prized in His eyes. God Hears!
Although we are living in tough, and turbulent times, God wants us to have, “peace at all times and in every way”! There is probably nothing more sought after in this world, than peace. We can hear the cry “Give Me Peace” from every corner of the globe! O Lord, “Give Me Peace” from sin! “Give Me Peace” in my soul - inner peace, a perfect peace - a peace that is beyond my understanding. Oh Jesus, “Give Me Peace” to guard my heart - a peace that brings comfort and rest, refreshment, and hope in the midst of confusion, wickedness, and evil. “Give Me Peace”, Your perfect peace to rule my heart at all times!
Trust the Lord in the dark seasons of our lives, especially during the hard times when we have prayed and cried out to Him, but all we seem to hear from the Lord is silence. Trust the Lord when our dreams and plans are destroyed before our very eyes bringing us to our knees in despair. Don't you know, the Lord is devising His provision for us in ways, places and with people, we can’t imagine! Trust the Lord!
If you are tired of worrying about all the "what ifs" in your life, follow God! If you are weary and exhausted from being confused, perplexed and even fearful about life’s choices or what pathway to take to arrive at your expected destination, then accept God’s invitation. God has offered to guide us! We have God’s assurance that He will guide us, but we must stay focused and keep our eyes on God. Just a simple glance in God’s direction is not enough. God knows us better than anyone. God knows what things will bring us peace and happiness, but we must follow Him. Of course, we can only follow God when we know and recognize Him! Once we trust ourselves to Him, He will guide us safely through life.
Just imagine being forgiven for all, not most, but all of your sins and transgressions and every mistake you have ever made in your life! Nothing is being held over your head or against you! You now have a clean slate to start all over again with a new life. You are “Redeemed”, free to be yourself with a brand-new heart! How incredible it is to know that the moment we place our faith in Jesus and give Him our messed-up lives, we receive complete forgiveness for all that would otherwise separate us from having a saving relationship with our Heavenly Father, through His Son, Jesus Christ. It’s a done deal, sealed by the Holy Spirit. We are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ!
Conflicts always cause stress and anxiety. Too many of us today are in conflict with someone or something; perhaps someone in our families, in our churches, our neighborhoods or communities, on the job, in politics, or life in general - even with ourselves. When the barrier that caused the hostility is removed, there’s a sense of joy and release. It’s wonderful when we have reconciled our differences. Although many people don’t realize it, they’re at odds with the worst enemy imaginable: the true and living God! Although we were dead in trespasses and sins, Jesus’ love moved Him to reconcile us back into a saving relationship. Hallelujah, His love was so great, He took on human nature and willingly gave His life to present us holy, without blemish, and free from all blame to His Father. That’s amazing! By accepting this gift of reconciliation, Christ removed the hostility that existed in us toward God because of our wicked ways. We are "Back Together"!
It is God’s pleasure to free us from a life dominated by sin. God finds pleasure in freeing us from the mindset that we can save ourselves; when we surrender our hearts completely to Him. It is God’s pleasure to save us and to make us a part of His family by the infilling of the Holy Spirit! God will do what pleases Him and His plans will not fail! We can trust those things that please God to be good for us! It is God’s pleasure to bless His people. It is God’s pleasure to rejoice over us with singing! God is pleased to equip us with everything we need to do His will. It’s God’s pleasure to make us perfect in every good work! It's All About His Pleasure!
We can have total confidence in the Lord, He’s In Charge. God sees the ending from the beginning. Although He is full of mercy and compassion, gracious and kind, and overflowing with love and forgiveness, but He will not clear the guilty and unrepentant sinner. They might think they are getting away, but please be assured that one day we all will be held accountable for everything we have done. There is a day of reckoning! Those who have done evil will be destroyed by their wickedness. But, Hallelujah, those who have done right, will receive eternal life and live with Jesus forevermore! Hold on, don’t give up or become disheartened, but rejoice we going to make it. Hallelujah, we are coming out! He's In Charge!!!
When life gets hard, and it will, we may sometimes wonder if God is blind to all we’re facing. But, I can assure you that God is not blind, He sees and He knows all things, even the things you are facing right now. God is all-knowing, an ever-present Help who is continually aware of every detail of our lives. Not only is God aware, but He is looking right now at everything you are experiencing. He is ready to strengthen and deliver you if you are willing to wholeheartedly place your trust in Him. Don’t let fear cause you to distrust God. He is faithful, and if you were to look back over your life, you will discover God’s faithfulness. So, let go and trust God! He won’t fail you! God Sees and He Knows!
So many of us find ourselves wrestling in life, going through seasons of trials, tribulations, testing, and purging. Far too often, we are wrestling with fear, insecurity, or even seeking validation from others. We have misplaced our trust in people, things, opportunities, and dreams, only to discover that they were not dependable, void, and even harmful, in some cases. Too many of us have been wrestling with God, both night and day, asking for a fresh vision of His calling on our lives! Even begged God to give us clarity and peace in our spirits. It is time to stop crying and seeking God’s face, but start listening to God, He is speaking! When we listen and believe, God will reveal Himself to us, then we can walk forward in confidence knowing that God is in control, so we are not alone, nor defeated. He is willing and ready to help you! Won't you let Him! He Helped Me!
He’s got your back in the battle of life when everything is upside down. He’s got your back when you don’t have anyone to turn to! He’s got your back when wrong seems to be winning and everyone has counted you out! No matter what it looks like even when life seems to be spiraling out of control, the Lord got your back. It is through our struggles we learn to lean and to depend on God. It is during these times when we must embrace God’s promises and trust Him to have our backs. He’s got your back when you are facing frustrating situations or setbacks! In the face of difficulties and opposition, He’s got your back! Don't worry or be dismayed, when our enemies come in like a flood, He’s got our backs.
Many people are trying to walk uprightly without God’s grace and glory because they desire to walk in darkness. Anyone walking without God is walking in darkness because God is the source of pure light. Once we accept His gift of salvation, God’s grace pardons, purifies, and saves our souls from sin. We can joyfully walk uprightly in the light of God’s love and His holiness! Whenever we accept God as Lord over our lives, He becomes our sun and shield. God protects and defends us. God illuminates, invigorates, and warms our hearts as we walk uprightly. We reverence God and enjoy walking upright with Him in obedience! Now that we are walking upright with the Lord, we walk in peace, because we are guided by integrity, and we avoid crooked paths. Walking upright as God’s elect, we will inherit the earth, but the wicked will ultimately be destroyed.
Jesus invites us to cast all of our cares upon Him for He cares deeply for us. We just have to admit that we are unable to do it alone and accept His help. Cast our burdens on the Lord and He will sustain us. Whenever we feel afraid or confused, we just need to remember to turn all of our fears and confusion over to the Lord. Placing our troubles on Jesus’ shoulders means we don’t have to worry or stress about anything or everything. We can allow Jesus to lift the weight up and off our shoulders so that we can walk freely in His forgiveness and grace.
We are at a crossroad in our nation, evil is flowing throughout the country like a wildfire. We are all impacted by evil either directly and indirectly. Racism, injustice, malice, greed, lies, dishonesty and wickedness are all akin to evil. God's love is transformative! Once we personally experience this transformative love, we no longer willingly engage in evil with a pleasure and single-mindedness. As we grow in our love for the Lord, our hatred toward evil intensifies, so we can trust God for deliverance! There is deliverance in the will of God! Are you ready for your deliverance today?
God makes it plain in Jeremiah 29:13 that He can do nothing for us unless we seek for Him with our whole heart! "With our whole heart" means we are seeking God with a sincerity of purpose, and we are not holding back anything. We are putting everything into knowing and understanding who God is! Knowing His love, His passion, His grace, knowing His plan and will for our lives. We are diligently seeking to abide in Christ by yielding our thoughts, emotions, deeds, gifts, talents, and resources into the hands of God. Then trust God to have complete control over our entire lives. We can truly know God, but we must diligently seek to know Him with our whole heart.
God is with us and He will assist and protect us no matter how strong and powerful the evil forces are that rise up against our government and the people of God! Therefore, our faith is not shaken by bad news because our hearts are fixed on God and we trust all things to the Lord. Hallelujah, God's Word is a source of tremendous strength and comfort to us as we trust in His might and power to protect and deliver us from our enemies! There is no need to be afraid!
Embracing the "truth" is not just hearing the truth, but we must respond correctly to the truth that we know. By embracing the truth, we believe God's Word is true over our emotions, opinions and what others think. As true followers of Christ, we embrace what Jesus teaches as truth and applies it as we live by the truth.
We must keep praying and trusting God as we continue to study, believe and obey His Holy Word, then our prevailing faith will triumph over prevailing evil! Yes, trials, setbacks, disappointments, hardships and suffering will come, but as we trust God to give us His strength to endure them, our prevailing faith matures! It is then that our prevailing faith stands out starkly as a backdrop over prevailing evil and the sins of this world!
Although most of us don't handle waiting very well because many of us are impatient, there are times in our lives when we are forced to wait for the things we want or even need. We don't like to wait! Waiting is often a part of God's plan rather than just a pause in our plan. God tells us in Isaiah 40:31, those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. Those who wait on the Lord, He gives "New Strength" to soar high into His anointing with profound strength and His glory!
As genuine Christians, we are not be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! We are not only proclaiming the Word of God without shame, but we are applying it to our lives and showing we believe these truths through precepts, deeds, conversations, and a consecrated life honoring God. Our lives testify that God lives in us and His love is radiating through us to everyone in our sphere of influence and they can see that we are walking with Jesus! I am not "Ashamed!"
Ignorance is the lack of knowledge or understanding. Ignorant people are either unaware or uninformed. Sometimes we are Ignorant because we just didn't know we needed to know something. Other times, we are Ignorant because we have chosen not to understand or to see something we needed to know. Willfully rejecting knowledge that God has readily made available is sinful Ignorance. Recently America has experienced a vicious attack on our U.S. Congress, the Nation's Capitol and our Constitutional process because of Trafic Ignorance!
There's a lot of anxiety, fear and concerns after the insurrection by a vicious mob attacks on the nation's capitol last week. There is growing concern and fear about the potential of future attacks on state capitols throughout the country in the next week or so, but we don't have to be worried! Jesus promises to give us His peace if we delight in Him and keep our minds on Him! Jesus doesn't want us to be weighed down with cares, anxiety and fear! He wants us to give it all to Him and He will do what is best to fix these things!
Just like the Lord warned Jerusalem through His servant, Ezekiel, in chapter 21:19-23, God is warning America. America is at "A Fork In The Road". We have to decide which road to take to move our country forward together or further divide the country! We all must decide to either be a part of the solution or a part of the problem. The choice is yours, what will you decide?
It is clear that Jesus expects us to treat others in the same way we desire to be treated. This belief is known as the "Golden Rule". Today our democracy was attacked and put on full display to the world. Every culture has its own mores and social customs. Part of treating others as we wish to be treated is to honor those customs so as not to offend, infringe upon the rights of others, to harm or disrespect others in the process. If we ask God for help, He will certainly help us to forgive and not hold grudges when we have been wronged or hurt by others. Let's practice the "Golden Rule"!
As we embark upon this new year, there is joy, excitement, apprehensiveness, uncertainty and even fear! Yes, many people are fearful as they approach the unknown in the new year! Fear is real, but God is also real! God is bigger than fear! Fear can paralyze! It can be a powerful force in our lives. No matter what we are facing, God remains in control! He sees and knows all things! He also knows what is best for us, so we can trust Him without fear!
Many of you have been experiencing ruthless attacks on your finances, health, peace of mind, your ministry, your goals, or in your relationships! But "don't abort the mission" because of the problems, difficulties, troubles, or hardships you are facing! Don't be surprised at the painful trials your are suffering right now for righteousness sake! Be glad to suffer for Christ! Count it all joy that God trusted you enough to handle "The Mission"! Don't Abort the Mission!
As we approach the end of another year, God is calling out to His people, to "Come Out!" It is most fitting that as we prepare to wind down another year, we take time to clean up or dispose of those things that are not aligning with the will of God as we go forth into the new year! The principle in Revelation 18:4 concerns separation from evil by God's people! God is calling His people to "Come Out" from her, the sins of mystical Babylon!
Surviving the stress is obtainable only in Jesus Christ! Jesus is encouraging us not to become weighed down with the basic concerns of this world because we have a Father who cares! Unfortunately, in many instances when we encounter hardships, tribulations, pain and suffering, we succumb to stress rather than viewing these experiences as means by which God can strengthen our faith and mold our character! Having a saving relationship with God makes coping with stress attainable and less fearful!
Those who have "ears to hear" allow the Word to bear fruit to the glory of God! It is up to the hearer to decide whether to take the Word seriously and pursue understanding. Only a few are willing and the rest have ears, but they do not have "ears to hear"! Whenever Jesus says, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear," He is calling for people to pay careful attention and to take heed! We today must have ears to hear God's voice speaking to us and a willingness to take heed!!!!
Did you know that in Jesus' final prayer, He prayed that His disciples would experience the full measure of His joy - now! As we build a faith-filled relationship with God, we find joy in the pursuit of His divine Will and our faithful service! As our faith grows, we find true joy by resting in the love of Christ, His victories, His unselfish service, His divine wisdom and His faithfulness! Trusting, obeying and following God, we find joy in the journey of life no matter what we encounter because Jesus is walking with us!
We've all been there! Letting go is one of the hardest things to do! Letting go can even be painful! It's so easy to try to hold on to things, but we must trust that the Lord has something better, let go. Faith in God and His Holy Word provides us with the courage and wisdom to let go of whatever God didn't send or ordained. It is time to let go, so that we can move closer to the Lord and receive what God desires to give us! It is time to live the way the Lord has instructed us to live!
We must cultivate a closeness with God through prayer and Bible study. This prepares us for serving, trusting and obeying God's commands and His lordship faithfully! We must not give in to bullies, but surrender to the Spirit of the Lord and remain prayerful. God will give us His wisdom, His Holy Spirit, His strength and fortify our faith to prevail over bullies and evil! After all, we are the head, royalty and a chosen priesthood called by God to overcome evil with good and righteousness!
Please click on the link below to listen to today's Devotion! Thanks!
We must let our prevailing faith move us into a life of obedience and surrendered living in the will of God! Through our prevailing faith, we destroy the power of the enemy who seeks to stop God's people from attaining what God has ordained us to do! Although Satan may be using giants of troubles and obstacles against us right now, through our prevailing faith, we shall prevail and experience God's overflowing blessings and unspeakable joy!
With so much pain, suffering, sadness and distress in the world, there's good news! We can have a glad heart and real joy in our souls!!! When we place our confidence in God alone, and know with certainty that He is our Protector, Savior, Friend and Provider, then we will have "A Glad Heart" and rejoice in the goodness of the Lord and His divine wisdom, timing and provisions! Now, my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoices as I am secure in the blessed hope and the assurance in Jesus Christ, His love and His righteousness!
Have life's experiences and circumstances suffocated your joy? Have the storms of life caused you to take your focus off the Lord? Have the turbulent waters raging all around you shifted your focus causing you to sink when the stormy winds strike? Have the pains, suffering and brokenness eroded your faith and caused you to doubt and even distrust God in the storms? Well today's Devotion will help you refocus your attention on the Lord and enjoy His restorative power in the midst of life's storms.
We are encouraged in the Psalms to bless, to give thanks and praises to God! Far too often, the people of God are complaining rather than blessing, thanking and praising God. Being thankful is not optional for a Christian! In blessing God, we are simply acknowledging Him as the dispenser of all blessings and beneficial gifts! In thanking God, we are expressing our deepest desire to dedicate our lives in service to Him as Lord and redeemer! It is our love for God that inspires us to bless Him, to thank Him and to give Him praise day-by-day!
Praise God, we do not have to live in fear! Christ is with us, so the enemy never has the final word. We are secure in God's hands! No matter what we face or how vicious the enemy might come against us, we can stand firm in God's power and might! God is always fighting for us as He is constantly at work on our behalf - shielding, protecting, strengthening, exposing deeds of darkness, bringing to light whatever needs to be revealed, and covering us from the cruel, malicious and violent attacks we face even when we are unaware! Stand Firm!
We are a diverse nation with different beliefs, different lifestyles and backgrounds, different cultures, different financial statuses, and different crosses to bear. We are a nation that is bruised and wounded in spirit. But there is good news, Christ died for all of us, and by doing so, He brought peace between the race and nationalities! Jesus came into the world to tear down the walls of hostility, to give us peace and to deliver us from sin! He wants to help us break down the dividing walls!
Nothing compares to the Word of God! God's Word is like a sharp, double-edged sword. It cuts deep into a person's soul and spirit. God's Word is so powerful, it lays open to us our true spiritual conditions and exposes our thoughts and intentions of our hearts! God's Word allows us to see our wrong motives and then help us change them. God's Word brings our thoughts, actions and our plans into alignment with His truth! Enjoy God's Word right now!
There is power in prayer, so if we are devoted to prayer and open to the Holy Spirit to direct our prayers, aligning our desires with those of God, we will experience the overwhelming benefits of answered prayers! As we are continually dependent on God, He will supply all of our needs! Knowing and trusting in the power of prayer, we are more committed to continue in prayer as we face every situation in life. As we remain prayerful and sensitive to God's voice, our prayers will keep us focused on Christ's soon return. Then we will live a lifestyle reflective of His soon coming!
Jesus prayed that His disciples as well as us today might be sanctified through the truth! We, as the children of God, must manifest a high regard and respect for truth as well as the Word of God! It is extremely important that we make preparation to receive God's Word, to obey His Word and then to be sanctified by the purity of His Word. God's Word is true! Its authentication, its affirmation and its authority are verified by the Holy Scriptures, archeologists, prophecy, science, history and nature. Sanctify Them through thy truth!
God tells us in the last days, many false prophets will come, so we must test what is being said by the Word of God! Just like Jeremiah, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, and the prophecy is according to God's Word, then we will know that it is a sure word from God! We can trust God and His revealed will through His servant, the prophet or prophetess! Did God Say That?
Even though much of life is like a puzzle, we must not allow ourselves to focus only on bits and pieces of life and fail to look toward the end result! God is still in control and He alone holds all of the pieces, and at just the right time, God can and will put them in place. He can and will make a beautiful picture out of even the most difficult and trying situations! Rest in the peace and assurance that one day God will slip that last piece in place and the picture of life will be complete, then the end shall come!
To often we blame God for the trouble, tribulations, evil, pain and suffering that come upon us! From our perception God seems to be far away, but in reality, sin has hung a veil of separation between us and God! In our focus scripture, the Lord speaks to us today with certainty that fault lies not with Him, but with us. God is still strong and good, His arm is still powerful, and His ear is still attentive to our cries! Let's turn from evil deeds, sin and wickedness and call for justice and speak truth!
God invites everyone who is thirsty to come to the waters and eat! Praise God, He invites all of us to partake freely of His grace and accept the gift of salvation. It will cost us nothing to come because Jesus has already paid the price! If we fail to partake of salvation and its spiritual blessings God has so freely provided, we will suffer spiritual anemia; and become dimly aware of a hidden hunger in our souls that can only be satisfied by communing with God! Jesus says come!
In spite of the circumstances we face, the uncertainties in life, the evil and the injustice, we don't have to fear! God said, don't be afraid of the words which we hear! And when God says we do not have to fear, we do not have to fear! We have Jesus' assurance that as long as we abide in Him and His Words abide in us, we can ask what we will, and it shall be done! Stop fearing and start asking God in faith what we need, then trust and believe Him to do it!
Prayer is a powerful tool God has given us! Far too often we fail to maximize its power and suffer unnecessarily. There is indeed power in prayer mixed with faith in God. We must develop a passion for prayer and make it a priority in our daily walk just like Jesus. As we learn to consistently pray the prayer of faith and trust God, we will tap into the amazing power of prayer and see God move mightily! There's nothing like spending time alone with God in prayer. Prayer fortifies, delivers and opens doors to blessings, healing and restoration! Prayer Works!
We too often quit or give up before we have had time to progress and advance in the work of God! When the first difficulty or hard work or setback come before us, many of us decide to quit and walk away, or look for other things to fulfill that burning passion deep in our hearts. Such course of action is not wise. We will never do well and mature spiritually in the work if we keep quitting whenever something comes up that we don't like or understand or challenging! Don't Quit!!!
Actions have consequences! Realistically considering the consequences of our actions can help us make the right choices. God has given us an operational manual called the Holy Bible. When we pray, study and obey God's Word, He gives us the power to break free from the power of sin! We walk in victory and experience the joy of God's strength, deliverance and righteousness when we trust and obey God!
We all make mistakes and screw up. Some of us mess up a lot! Sometimes when we mess up, we also have to deal with the fact that we swore to God that we wouldn't mess up again the last time we gave into temptation. Sorrow hits us dead in the face, there is no denying of our wrong doing, so we are left feeling hopeless and far from God! But God is merciful and long-suffering! He doesn't punish us like we deserve to be punished. God loves us unconditionally! God's Mercy!
Knowing God's Will is knowing and following God! We get to know God by studying, believing, trusting and obeying God's Word! If we believe in God, He gives us power to become His sons and daughters. If we continue to follow the Lord in our daily walk, we will learn the Will of God. Following God day-by-day requires that our will and desires are set on doing God's Will! Through our obedience to God, He reveals His will. Knowing God's Will!
Whenever our lives are upset by unexpected trials, tribulations and storms, we should sanctify a fast and cry out to the Lord! As we cry unto the Lord with sincerity and humility, God will hear and answer our cry according to His divine will. As we lift our voices to the Lord, in faith, with a new level of intercession for the land, we will see significant signs of God moving throughout the land and in the people of God by His indwelling Holy Spirit. Cry out unto the Lord!
Jesus compares His followers to salt! Salt has always been a thing of great value. Salt preserves from corruption. Therefore, we, as genuine Christians, will exert a preserving and purifying influence in the world of sin, evil and corruption. We, as God's people add good flavors to our society. We are the salt!
Satan is brilliantly clever at taking age-old lies, disguising them, and gradually introducing them to even leaders and whole congregations who insist that they believe in the infallible authority of the Bible. Lies are a way of assaulting reality and truth as a means of achieving unlimited power. People from all walks of life are beings deceived by these lies. Jesus warned us and so has the Holy Spirit explicitly told us that in the last days people shall be deceived. Don't Be Deceived!
The wicked will gain temporary victories, but if we trust God we, the righteous, will gain eternal victory and live with Jesus for eternity! We might have to suffer now, but if we trust God, He will sustain us through our suffering, the injustice and the evil forces fighting against us! In Christ, we are more than conquerors! If we hold on, we will have the testimony that we pleased God and He will reward us with new, glorified bodies and eternal life in heaven!
Many times our problems seem too great for us. We must not fall into the trap of thinking we are helpless and there is no way out. Although the clouds may hang heavy, but we must not allow our hearts to become discouraged and walk in despair. We must trust in God's divine wisdom, His love and power! We can't give up, but seek God for divine help!
Evil breeds evil, it intoxicates and causes others to sin and do evil in the sight of the Lord. Evil acts lead to more and more evil. The Bible speaks of evil and clearly holds those who do evil accountable. In fact, the Bible says those who sin will die (Ezekiel 18:20), and evil is a sin. Unfortunately, we still have evil leaders ruling over us, intoxicating and causing others to do evil, wicked, perverse and sinful deeds. We must stand united against these evil rulers!
Based on the Word of God our lives are changed dramatically! Jesus sets us free from our chains and transforms our lives. We are no longer roaming around the tombs, mountains and wilderness of life shackled in sins! We are now clothed in Christ's righteousness as redeemed children of God walking in the light and His glory!
God is the Solid Rock upon which we built our lives as individuals and as a nation! In order for our nation to become strong, vibrant, and united we must return back to God and His Word! We must return to governing at every level on godly principles in the fear of God!
Too often we focus on our situations and circumstances, rather than focusing on God who has proven Himself over and over again! Just like Moses, we too must pray and ask God for guidance and directions! Moses obeyed God's instructions, and God transformed the bitter water! God is ready to transform our bitterness into sweetness and overflowing blessings!
Just like David, sometimes we are compelled to flee for safety. There are certainly times when we go through severe trials, as well as adversity and hardships. It is then that we must manifest an unwavering trust and faith in God. Even in the midst of trails, troubles, pain and suffering, God hears our calls! We can call on the Lord at all times!
When we are touched by God, we are committed to following the King and Christ becomes Lord of our lives! We band together under the leadership of God and we enjoy fellowshipping, worshipping and working together for God! We resemble God in our character, we act upright, and walk in harmony with God in holiness with humble, submissive hearts to Jesus!
As we look upon our world today, we are not to become discouraged, troubled, disturbed or give up in despair because God is faithful and true to His promises! We can trust God to carry us through our valley experiences in Life! When we do our part, we can always trust God to do everything He said He will do!!! Keep the charge of the Lord!
A wise person fears and departs from evil! However, a fool rages and is confident in their own wisdom. A fool is hot-tempered, lashes out at others and reckless! They are quick to blame others and make excuses for their failures. A fool refuses to be accountable for their actions, but we can count on a wise person to seek God for discernment, strength to do right and to take responsibility for their actions!
There have been no indictments for the murder of Breonna Taylor, but there is definitely an Indictment by God against many of our leaders today. The evil denounced by God, in our focus scripture, is one of which many of our leaders and government officials are guilty. God had issued indictments for the evil and wickedness committed against His people! Surrendering everything to God, turning away from sin, trusting and obeying God will help us escape the "Indictment By God "!
The Lord is calling His people to be faithful witnesses who are committed to pleasing God and obeying Him! As faithful witnesses we always tell the truth and saves lives! A false witness will utter lies and sow discourse to deceive and manipulate.
Afflictions can come from many different directions, with great intensity and extend across a wide spectrum of our lives! Many of us today may even be suffering afflictions right now, but know that God will deliver us from all of our afflictions! They are designed by God to refine us and to prepare us for a greater work and blessings! Afflictions are never without a good purpose! Just know that God will remove the afflictions sooner or later. Trust God He will deliver!
Life is full of choices. God has set before us, a choice - Life or death! This is the ultimate choice we must all decide! Choices made correctly may result in godly blessings and everlasting life with Jesus. However, incorrect choices can be, and most likely will become blessing-blockers and may even result in eternal damnation! God desires us to have a real knowledge of the choices; He also wants us to be aware of the consequences of our choices! Choose life and watch Jesus transforms your life!
Too often, we the people of God, have been deceived to believe a lie! The devil deceived Eve with a lie. She really believed the serpent, but it was a lie! We cannot rely completely upon outward appearance and cunning words to make the right decision. We must ask God for guidance, also clarity and understanding before we make a decision. Deceit and disobedience will lead us to make a bad decision without consulting God!
As genuine Christians, we strongly desire to honor God by doing His will and walking in obedience to His word! But, obeying God is not always easy! We can be certain that we are following God's directions, but we can and most likely will come upon a Jordan. So often when we are faced with challenges in obeying the will of God, we give up too easy! Although Israel faced these challenges, they still moved forward in obedience. We too must boldly move forward in obedience to the will of God!
In this Christian race, we will face troubles and we certainly will experience some unforeseen setbacks, disappointments and evil along the pathway of life! During the darkest hours or in the midst of our saddest situations, God is able to use our severest tests and trials to pour into us the greatest blessings! We urge everyone to look to God for encouragement during our battles in life!
Life is filled with choices and uncertainty! Life is compared to running a race. Running is not easy, but running with God gives us spiritual endurance, hope and focus! Running side-by-side with Jesus assures us sustaining power, victory and eternal life!
As we look upon the world, and all of its evil, wickedness and sin, we might be tempted to ask, "Is God Displeased" with us as a nation? Does our lack of love displease You Lord? Do our lies, deception and dishonesty displease You Lord? Does our disobedience displease You, Lord? Does our hypocrisy displease You Lord? Does our greed, selfishness and hatred displease You Lord? Let's surrender everything to the Lord, so that "God Is Not Displeased"!
Today, we are seeking a President who will unite our country, provide strong leadership to protect our nation, defend us from outside interference, help everyone to prosperous in our health, our finances and our soul as he leads in a just and inclusive manner with integrity. There is a leader coming very soon with a strong hand who will rule in righteousness! He will feed us and satisfy our thirst and purify our hearts so that we can live in peace, joy, happiness and righteousness, now that's "Good News"!
Every day we face choices! Do we trust God? Are we willing to surrender all to Jesus? Are we willing to submit to His will? Do we trust Him enough to walk in obedience to Jesus' commands? Our honest responses to these daily choices mark the path we take and determine our ultimate destination - heaven or hell!
When we shout in faith, God will strike our enemies and deliver them into our hands! Our victory is rooted in our shout of steadfast faith in God's Word! As we shout in faith, trusting, believing and obeying God, the walls shall fall down. Whatever walls are blocking your progress or deliverance, shout and they shall fall down!
God is indeed the God of love, but there are certain things God hates! God's hatred is motivated by love, whereas people's hatred is motivated by fear and evil. God holds us accountable for those things that He hates. We don't have to go far to find racism. There are 939 active hate groups in the United States. There are six things God hates and seven are an abomination unto Him. Don't be hated by God!
Only by repentance and a genuine change in character, along with a submission to the divine will of God, can we enjoy God's work of grace and His abiding peace in our lives. Sin, evil, immorality, injustice and wickedness are so offensive in the sight of God! As sinners, we insult and wrong God, so it is only through repentance our hearts are softened and our characters are transformed into the likeness of Jesus! Through repentance, Jesus invites us to receive a "new heart"!
A person with God's love inside cannot turn away from the desperate need of a fellow human being! God expects us to lend a helping hand to the poor, no matter what their race or nationality might be; if there's a need, God requires us to help rather than being self-centered and refused to help those in need! Sharing with others is God's plan for us! Hebrews 13:16, tells us that God is pleased when we do good and share!
We all know that people can be cruel and don't care about others sometimes! No matter how hard we try, or how nice we are to others, at some point someone will be mean to us! Sometimes people are unkind to us because we are kind to other and we love Jesus. But God commands us to love others, especially our enemies! As we grow in our relationship with God, His love overflow in our hearts enabling us to love those who aren't kind, considerate, or loving and even our enemies!
We are to let truth bind us together in peace as we worship the true and living God! God hates discord and quarreling among His children! Jesus prayed for our unity, so we know it is God's will for His children! We are to do everything within our power to love and foster unity in the body of Christ. Let us walk and work together in unity for God!
We are truly living in evil days! But we must walk circumspectly as children of light in these dark and evil days! We are admonished to redeem the time because of these evil days. We must seize the time to live for God and yield ourselves to God as instruments of righteousness for Him to accomplish His divine purposes in and through us! Walking circumspectfully in these evil days means we are watchful, prudent and cautious as we walk day-by-day on this Christian journey!
We are admonished to find in hope rejoicing, in tribulation enduring and in prayer persevering because God is with His people! This hope enables the Christians to look beyond the darkness and trouble of the present moment to the things that are unseen and eternal! Our faith gives us the strength to endure with patience as we are going through just like Jesus endured the cross! We must go through in order to get our blessings, deliverance and restoration!
Sin is deeply entrenched in the daily affairs of our nation until what once was considered wrong, a heinous sin, is now the new norm. Although sin is dressed up and made to look attractive, one day we will triumph over sin and its effects! When Jesus returns we will have victory over death, victory over the grave, and victory over sin! This is great news! Are you prepared for your victory?
So often on this Christian journey, God's children experience grief, hardships, disappointments, heartaches, pain and satanic attacks. Lord, let Your Spirit overflow in our lives and comfort us with Your love and abiding peace. Lord, let Your Spirit guide us in the way to go and instruct us in the things we are to do according to Your divine will! Then Lord, help us to follow and to obey You!
In order to really listen to what God says, we must hear and know God's voice. We must have a genuine willingness to hear, trust and to obey God! We absolutely must spend time with God through prayer, studying and meditating in order to really know Him! Knowing God has to be intentional and a priority. We recognize God's voice because we personally know Him. So when we hear God's voice, we are certain that we are hearing God's voice.
The Lord is our protector and Righteous King who will not withhold any good thing from those who do right! As we put our complete trust in God, we can be confident that God will not hold back those awesome blessings He has specifically designed just for us! No matter what comes against us, God has already evaluated the matter and deposited in us everything we need to have the strength, power, knowledge, endurance and faith to be victorious and blessed!
There's nothing sweeter than resting in God's promises! He is indeed a promise-keeper! God promises to give us joy that the world can't take away. He also promises to give a peace in our hearts that nothing in this world can destroy. We are led by peace when we walk with God! In the midst life's fierce storms, despair, troubles, vexation, fear and even hopelessness, we go out with joy because we are led by God's peace! The mountains and the hills break forth singing, and all the trees clapping their hands while we are singing from the Mountains!
God's Word is a gift to the world, but we must open our hearts to receive this most precious gift! As the Word of God is rained in our hearts, we are refreshed and empowered to stand in His truths that are planted deep in our souls! Now we are consumed by this Word glowing brighter day-by-day as we behold the beauty of these precious truths engrained in God's Word! God's Word is true, powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword and it shall not return void, but it shall accomplish its divine purpose!
God's ways are not our ways! Since God doesn't necessarily do things in the way we would, we try to put God in a box to force Him to do things in our ways on our timeframe. But by God's divine thinking, using His divine ways, He brings us through with amazing blessings to His expected end at the right time!
We are invited to "seek the Lord while He may be found!" God is near and ready to remedy our problems, but we must seek Him now while aligning our lives with His divine will. We seek the Lord by spending time with Him in prayer and meditation. Prayer mixed with fasting is like putting our prayers on steroids! As we seek the Lord, God will empower us and change our powerless situation into a mighty deliverance and overflowing blessings! Finding Hope through faith and obedience!
God is inviting everyone who is thirsty to come to the waters! If we are thirsty and broke, we can come to the waters and receive exactly what we need, even though we can't pay for it. That's good news! We can come to God and receive a new beginning, nourishment and sustaining power. We can come and receive joy and everlasting life!
We are known by the fruit produced in our lives. A person bearing good fruit mouth speaks the truth in love and goodness overflows from the heart. A good person's heart will overflow with good things and an evil person's heart will overflow with evil things. A good tree cannot produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bear good fruit.
During the storms of life or in the midst of darkness, we must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus! We can't allow Satan to distract us by causing us to start looking at other things. It is dangerous to turn our eyes away from Jesus, even for a moment! So we must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, at all times! As we fix our eyes on Jesus, we will maintain a righteous relationship with Jesus who will give us the victory over our problems, life's challenges and the battles Satan is waging against us!
Just like Jesus died and rose again, those who die believing in Jesus will be raised from the grave to life by God just like Jesus was! This is great news! We have the blessed assurance of "the Glorious Hope of the Resurrection" of our daughter, Monica, who died believing in Jesus, will be resurrected and we who are still alive believing, trusting, obeying and serving Jesus Christ, we all will be caught up in the sky to meet Jesus and the heavenly host!
As we delight in the Lord, our hearts are at peace even though evil, wickedness and sin are surrounding us on every hand! We don't fret because of evildoers, we trust God to cut them down! Rejoice in doing good and trust God to bless our good by giving us the desires of our hearts!
We are indeed blessed when we trust in the Lord for our hope is the Lord! We must not allow fear to constrain us or to encase us in an imaginary prison. No matter how big or evil the forces might be that are coming against us, we must trust in the Lord! God is still in control for He is all-powerful and He sees all things! We can trust God to protect, to provide for our needs and to deliver us from the enemy!
Prevailing prayer has power or influence with God because we don't give up until the Lords blesses, just like Jacob didn't until he was blessed! As the people of God we pray too little! Let us stir up the slumbering gift of prevailing prayer that is lying unused and tap into the power of prevailing prayer!
As Children of God, we must walk with a steadfastness in faith with our faces like a flint holding up the Standards of God. We must live holy and righteous lives in God with a great resolve to never turn back to sin! We shall not be confounded or ashamed because we have set our faces like a flint on God and we have chosen to cheerfully follow Jesus!
God has a plan, a way, and an allotted time for everything to unfold, so we, the people of God, are to believe and trust God even when there are extraordinary difficulties coming against the hands of justice and righteousness! We are to "Stand Still and See the Salvation of the Lord" because it will be well as we continue to follow the voice of God and abide in Jesus' arms!
God can't lie! He has promised to never leave nor to forsake us, so we can trust God's promises! No matter what troubles we face or how huge the problems might be, God won't let us down and He definitely won't forsake us! God will send His Spirit of deliverance and restoration wherever we trust and obey Him!
We don't have to fear because God is near. We, the people of God, can't give up in despair as if there is no end to the troubles of this world! God is still in control, so "Why Are We Mourning?"
The Lord is calling heaven's attention to the practices of His people! Heaven is appalled and shivers with horror at what they are witnessing on earth among the people of God! The Lord says that His people have committed to very great sins! They have forsaken Him, the Spring of Living Water, and have dug their own cisterns that are broken and can't hold water. What water are you drinking?
"God's Election" sets us aside separate from the world. As God's elect, we put on His attributes and follow Jesus Christ who clothes us with His righteousness and fills us with His Holy Spirit power! We are more concerned about our reputation with God than our reputation with the world. We are holy because God is holy, and we walk with God in holiness!
When God harvests the world, the last will be first, and the first will be last. Many people who we expect to be in heaven won't be there; and others we wouldn't expect to be there will be. God will settle and reverse all things once and for all to determine the final fate of all people in "A Great Harvest"! What will be your fate!
Effectual prayer avails much! There are always reasons and purposes for entering into our secret private prayer closets. Morning prayer is very important! We all need a place to be alone with God! Jesus got up early in the morning to spend time in prayer, so we too need to have private prayer early in the morning to kick off our day!
Anger is hard to hide! God is saying "Do you have a right to be angry because I forgive people who repent?" Are we pouting because God didn't do what we thought He should have done? We must trust the Holy Spirit to safeguard our hearts against evil spirits seeking to gain dominion. Our Anger and God's Compassion - your choice!
God knows the measure of our power and endurance, so He regulates our temptations! God specifically permits temptations to come as means of accelerating our spiritual growth in grace. As we see and follow His way of escape we will not be overtaken by temptations.
We Give Our Hearts To You, Oh God, and it is our desire to give You the best of everything we have to offer! Let Your love overflow in every single piece of our hearts!
Jesus is the Rock of salvation! We can go to the Rock to get the power to defeat the enemy and strength to live a victorious life. As we go to the Rock, the Holy Spirit gives us the strength, fortitude, perseverance and prevailing faith to withstand the evil forces in life and power to tear down the strongholds of the devil!
We can always "Follow the Cloud", who is the Lord, to lead us precisely along the route we are to followed in this life to arrive at God's ordained destination at the precise time and season! The cloud is present in the darkest night of misery and disappointment as well as the brightest days of gladness and success!
God is ready to restore what the enemy has taken from us! As people of God, we can rejoice in the Lord because He has sent the early rain to water the seeds and the latter rain to ripen the harvest of everything promised and ordained by God! Walking in the Rain today enables us to reap the bountiful harvest and take back everything the enemy has stolen! We can take it all back by Walking in the Rain!
We, as Christians, must commemorate the very day we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we were liberated from satan's control and sin! Just like the 4th of July is celebrated as the birth of American independence, we must never cease to celebrate our birth as children of God and heirs to the kingdom of God through our spiritual birth! Happy Independence Day in Christ!
Life for the people of God can become a spiritual seesaw! Blessings can lead to a danger in becoming comfortable in having more than enough and denying God. On the other hand, poverty can lead to stealing. The closer we come to God, then our prayer to the Lord will be don't give us Your riches nor poverty, but to give us "just enough" to satisfy our needs!
As the "Rain of Change" downpours on the wilderness of racism and the wilderness of white supremacy, grounds are softening as the rain penetrates the institutions and social practices designed to create advantages for and protect white Americans! God is aligning His angels and His people to uncover the practices of making Black and Brown People vulnerable to exploitation, domination and violence to experience a rain of change! Let's explore this rain of change as the Holy Spirit prepares our hearts for these changes.
As we cry out to God for mercy, He will hear and answer our cry! We must be obedient to God's commands to experience the full fulfillment of God's blessings, deliverance and restoration power! Are we giving God praise for what He has done and for what He is doing even now? Or are we ignoring God's goodness and showing no respect or appreciation for what He is doing for us?
Jesus is extending an invitation to us today! He is inviting us to go over to the other side of the sea. The other side represents the choice to either follow Jesus and be blessed or to fulfill the lusts of the flesh. We all have to make a decision because there is no neutral ground! Let's go over to the other side!
The more we keep our mind on God and fully trust Him, the more we will experience of the joy and peace of walking in the Overflow in God's presence, protection and His provision. We will no longer struggle to hear God's voice, but we will see the sweet evidence of God's wonder at work in, through us and all around us!
We are more than conquerors by "Waiting On God "! We are now walking in the overflow as blessed, anointed and overcomers in Christ Jesus! We are protected as we patiently wait on God to fulfill His divine purpose in us and through us!
We must prepare for the testing of our faith so that we will be able to draw from the reserves, just like the five wise virgins did when met with unexpected emergencies! We must not only be able to start the journey like the five foolish virgins, but we must endure to the end!
Knowing, trusting and obeying God guarantee us to all of God's Benefits! With grateful hearts for all of God's abundant benefits and His indwelling Spirit we are moved in our hearts to obey and submit to God in all areas of our lives! With a total commitment to live godly in Christ Jesus, the Spirit of God helps us not to forget all of God's benefits! Enjoy God's presence and His numerous benefits!
"A Father After God's Own Heart" is a man of faith and loyal to God. He is a man of joy who is righteous and willing to serve. Such a father is honest, loving, respectful, patient and trustworthy. Please join me in Today's Devotion as we discover the attributes of "A Father After God's Own Heart"!
"Running with God" assures that we will have His strength, protection and wisdom to survive the Jordan floods of life! As we go forth in life by "Running with God", He will fortify, strengthen, guide and sustain us in the midst of life's trials! Join me in this Devotion as we examine the different aspects of "Running with God "!
We cannot walk in fellowship with God without the Holy Spirit living in us! Now that the Holy Spirit lives in us, we become Holy as He controls, leads, guides, directs and influences our thoughts, motives, beliefs and deeds. Walking in Fellowship with God means that we are enjoying a constant connection with God while walking in holiness. Walking also means exercise, so please me as we exercise the members of our bodies to gain spiritual strength and vitality!
During our calvary and pentecostal journey on the Christians pathway, we must undergo "An Altered Attitude" about Jesus, His righteousness and His love. We think, feel and talk about sin from "An Altered Attitude" through the mind of Jesus Christ! Our perception, perspective, personality, desires and behaviors are altered, so we no longer have to see to believe and trust God - "An Altered Attitude"!
No one can truthfully say that God is unfair because He works for the salvation of all people! God cannot, nor will He, force anyone to accept His gift of Salvation. It is freely given, and it must be freely accepted! God uses His people to warn the wicked of their wickedness and their wicked ways! If we, the people of God, don't warn the wicked and they die in their iniquity, the we are quilty of the "Sin of Being Silent" and their blood is on our hands! People of God, we can no longer hold our voices against the great sins of our nation!
It is time to Rise Up and Walk into equality, justice and healing - financial, emotional, socially and spiritually! This is our season to stop feeling tired, battered, and discouraged, but Rise Up and Walk to disrupt the systematic racial bias and injustice flowing throughout our nation! We must use our faith in God's righteousness, His strength and love to unite our forces, passion, and sacrifice to change our nation into a society that respect all people's undeniable rights for justice and equality!
Christians must embrace the pain our nation, especially the Black race, is feeling so that people will trust us with their souls as we seek to draw them into a saving, loving and trusting relationship with God! The people of God must "Become the Bridge" to reflect the true character of God to the world and stand for righteousness! As Christians acknowledge that racism, inequality, injustice and bigotry, are evil and wrong, then we will "Become the Bridge" to all people of faith and the rest of the world. A good tree bears good fruit, so Christians must bear the fruits of righteousness, honesty, and love!
As Christians, we must be able to embrace the pain our nation is feeling so that we can "Become the Bridge" to advocate diversity, equality and inclusion! For too long America has allowed the pain of injustice, race, inequality, hatred, suffering and greed to foster as if they didn't exist. It is time for the people of God to "Become the Bridge " to unearth the pain so that the nation can dismantle the root causes and create a society where "all" people are treated justly under the law!
Do you find yourself wandering in the wilderness? Tears flowing, the pressures weighing you down, and temptations, "Go to the Rock" who is perfect, just and all-powerful so He will shield us! As the enemy comes against us, we can "Go to the Rock" for refuge, safety, protection and deliverance! Jesus is the "Rock"! He is firm, solid, immovable, sturdy, strong, and unbreakable! We cast everything on the "Rock", He won't fail!
Acceptance is absolutely fundamental to us! We change or hide who we really are all in hope's that we will be accepted. Before God created this world, He determined that all who believe on His Son, Jesus Christ, should be saved. We have been accepted by God! We no longer have to walk around with our heads down or feeling rejected because we are accepted!
There's good news, the rubble that is building up against us will never overtake us as long as we take cover in the Mighty Name of the Lord who is our rock and fortress! Join me in this Devotion as we find refuge in the Rock, Jesus Christ, who will shield us from the falling rubble!
We all are facing strongholds, oppression and burdens, but deliverance is available! Do you want God to flush out all inherited satanic deposits in your life and those you love or care about, well God is ready and willing to send His Spirit of Deliverance! Join me in this Devotion as we move into position for deliverance!
The call has gone forth to stand for righteousness and against the wickedness, injustice and destruction moving throughout the the land! Who we are will be determined how we respond as a nation, as a Christian and as an individual to this injustice, destructive forces and unrighteousness prevalent in our nation! Please join me as we examine our character from all these three aspects! Enjoy God's presence and trust Him!
We, too, must take a stand against this injustice and stop hiding behind the cliche, that Christians are not to get angry, get involved in politics or to speak out against those in leadership! Jesus has taught us how to stand up against sin, injustice and wrongdoings, so we must fight like Jesus and trust Him to take revenge on the wrongdoers! Join me in this Devotion as we examine Jesus' stand in regards to injustice!
We know that the mouth speaks what is in the heart and this is what defiles a person. What is in our hearts determine where we will spend eternity. Join me in this Devotion as we examine what is in our hearts!
Since God knows all things, there is nothing He doesn't know; so if we need knowledge, we can pray to God and He will send His Spirit of Knowledge upon us. Please join me in this Devotion and pray this prayer and tnen watch God send His Spirit of knowledge upon you!
We must love without judging and embrace God's love day-by-day! As we love without judging we are fear from being judged and condemned! Enjoy God's unconditional love and bless others with that love radiating through you!
What do you see when you look around? Do you see all the evil, wickedness, injustice, afflictions, hardships and despair in the world or do you see God using life's circumstances to perfect His character in you? Please join me as we behold life through God's eyes!
Life is hard, tiring, unfair and difficult, but praise God He is always ready and willing to "Revive Us"! We can gain His strength and insight into God's thoughts by spending time with Him, so join me in this Devotion as God "Revives Us" and we enjoy His presence!
Waiting on God is difficult, but waiting with the heart will help us to empty ourselves so that God can fill our hearts to trust Him to intervene in our affairs to bless us!
Walking with God is staying in sync with God, moving in harmony with His divine will and trusting God in the process! It is essential that we, as Christians, develop a lifestyle of walking with God! Please join me in this Devotion as we walk with God!
As Christians we need God to search our hearts to help us to know the truth about ourselves including the deeply buried sins, thoughts, deeds, mistakes and guilt! Only God can help us to walk in His way day-by-day with confidence and boldness! Join me in this Devotion and enjoy God's presence as you hear God speaks!
Jesus allows Satan to test us! Although we experience different tests in life, we can pass each test and gain the victory as we enjoy the blessings of life. There is an absolute surety that we will be victorious if we connect with the power source. Enjoy God's presence as you join me in this Devotion! God bless you!
Sometimes we struggle in knowing and obeying God's call on our lives. Please join me in this Devotion as we seek to walk in our calls, without taking from God that which He hasn't given! Enjoy God's presence as we walk in our calls!
Life is filled with disappointments, heartaches, pain, suffering, evil, injustice and sin, but there's also love as well as joy, happiness and a saving relationship with God! Jesus is real and a life with Jesus is real! Please join me as we enjoy God's presence!
God still answers prayers, and He is only a prayer away! So if you are in need, reach out to God through prayer. This Devotion is simply a prayer for increase. You are encouraged to pray this prayer or one similar and then watch God pour out the blessings of increase in your life.
Often on this journey called "life", we get confused, disoriented and lose direction. But praise God, the Spirit of God is ready to lead, guide, direct and protect us along our life's journey! This Devotion will help you to stay on course and safely reach your final destination!
Worship God In The Spirit. God is a Spirit. And they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth!
God speaks to us through His Word, but we can speak to God through prayer! Prayer is the oxygen that brings life into our relationship with God. A Steadfast praying relationship seals our connection to the divine power source and give us the victory, deliverance, restoration, salvation and sustaining power to walk in His confidence and strength day-by-day!
We need God's guidance, wisdom, protection and Spirit in our daily life. As we trust and seek to obey Him, God will send His Spirit to walk with us. There is no joy greater than walking in the Spirit day-by-day. Join me now to experience this joy today!
Words are powerful, so our words have the power to soften or harden a person's heart. Words seasoned with pure salt, by the Spirit of God, can edify and heal. Let your words speak life into a dead heart and restore life, dreams, hope and encouragement!
As we go through life, we need Jesus' abiding presence operating in every area of our lives. God's abiding presence gives us His peace, safety, and joy. Through His abiding presence and His Word, we build our faith to gain the victory as we receive His anointing power moving in our lives.
Life is full of seasons. All seasons have allotted time and a purpose. We must seek to know the season we are experiencing and understand its purpose to survive the season and gain the blessings, breakthroughs and deliverance!
Trust is a two-way relationship, but many people struggle to trust! Trust is critical for a healthy relationship and a happy life, so this Devotion will help you to assess your Trustworthiness. Enjoy God's presence and your time with Him through this Devotion. God bless you and your family!
God loves and cares so much for us! God knows everything about us, yet He desires a saving relationship with us. No matter where we have been and no matter what we have done, God loves us! We can trust God to forgive us even when we can't forgive ourselves! Accept His love and experience His peace, joy and happiness!
During those times in our lives when we go astray because we depart from God's way and sometimes even forsake His guidance, we can count on God to redirect or teach us how to get back to Him. God will safely guide, protect and lead us along life's pathways!
It is comforting to know that in the midst of our messy lives and times of challenging and uncertainty, God wants us to learn to rely on Him more than ourselves and others. This Conference is designed to help learn how to find comfort through obedience to God's Word as we trust the Holy Spirit to strengthen, empower and enable us to totally depend on Jesus Christ for deliverance and His blessings.
Intercessory Prayer gives power to both the petitioner and recipients! This Devotion will help us to unpack this power source and gain access to God's presence through prayer! Enjoy God's presence and tap into His visit!
Life is a journey, so is faith! This Devotion will help you enjoy your journey of Faith and experience overflowing blessings! Enjoy God's presence as you journey through life!
We are mandated, as Christians, to show compassion, concern, sympathy, empathy and love for one another, especially those in need or suffering. This Devotion will encourage and uplift your spirit. Enjoy God's presence and embrace His love!
This Devotion helps us to trust God through pain, suffering and adversity. Despite our outward circumstances knowing and believing that God is still good and is in control gives us His peace and brings us into God's presence.
We are in this together. One is not greater than the other! When one hurts, we all hurt! We all must meet at the cross of Jesus!
Even though it is difficult to not give up, but with God, we can make it through, so hold fast! Help is on the way!
This is a Bible Study and Prayer Conference comprised of Women of Faith from many faith disciplines. Times of disaster bring uncertainty and fear, such times can test our faith and strengthen our courage, love, hope and resilience beyond our own limits of possibility. The Word of God can bring encouragement, reassurance and hope for the days ahead. This conference meets every Monday evening. The host is Pastor Arnette Owen, Turning Point Mission Center Church, Jackson, Mississippi. For prayer, please call 1-866-395-6873.