LIVING WORD

God's word is used to teach us the difference between right and wrong! God's word is all powerful and alive, it is there for us to go to when in need of strength, encouragement and answers. Life brings multiple challenges and problems in our lives, but we can see our way through these obstacles if we go to the word of God!
Anxiety
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
Brokenhearted
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:18
Confusion
For God is not the author of confusion but of peace ...
1 Corinthians 14:33
Defeat
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair ...
2 Corinthians 4:8 (NIV)
Disappointment
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Romans 8:28
Doubt
I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.
Matthew 17:20
Failure
The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.
Proverbs 24:16ew 17:20
Fear
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7
Grief
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4
Hunger
Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Matthew 4:4
Impatience
Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
Psalm 27:14
Impossibilities
Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
Luke 18:27
Inability
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:8
Inadequadequecy
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13
Lacking Direction
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Lacking Intelligence
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
James 1:5
Lacking Wisdom
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
1 Corinthians 1:30
Loneliness
... the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:6
Mourning
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Matthew 5:4
Poverty
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19
Rejection
No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:39
Sorrow
I will turn their mourning into joy and will comfort them and give them joy for their sorrow.
Jeremiah 31:13
Temptation
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
1 Corinthians 10:13
Tiredness
... but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31
Unforgiveness
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9
Unloved
See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!
1 John 3:1
Weakness
My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
2 Corinthians 12:9
Weariness
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30
Worry
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
1 Peter 5:7

BOLDNESS IN PRAYER!

"In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him." (Ephesians 3:12)

"Have mercy on me, Lord, son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon" (Matthew 15:21). A Canaanite woman who seen Jesus and had heard that He was the Messiah asked Him to deliver her daughter who was possessed. The woman shouted BOLDLY and was crying to Jesus asking Him to heal her daughter. Jesus did not answer her immediately. She continued to follow Him and again boldly called out unto Him for help. She knew she needed God and His help! This woman was not a follower of God, she lived a life of a heathen. But even the heathen knows at what time to cry out to God. The disciples that were walking along with Him begged Him to send her away. The Bible tells us in Matthew 15:24-28, "He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 25But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." 26And he answered, "It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs." 27She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table." 28Then Jesus answered her, "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed instantly."
So often today we are hindered when going to God boldly in prayer! Why is that so hard to do? If the Canaanite woman had not been so bold in asking for God's help, her daughter may have never been healed! How different would our lives be if we boldly went to God in prayer with our problems. Believing with confidence that God would boldly and even instantly answer in return for boldness and faith in prayer. The Greek word for boldness is confidence. 1 John 5:14-15 "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him." If we boldly cry out to Him, pouring our heart out to Christ, talking to Him and seeking Him for answers, we will see great things happen in our lives. We WILL develop a closer walk with God, gaining strength and understanding along the way. Her boldness did not make her a weak woman in His eyes. God viewed the woman as a woman of great faith because she wasn't afraid of what others would think of her for boldly protesting her need for God. She was desperate and needed God's help and wouldn't let anything stop her from talking to Him. We should not be ashamed to go to God about anything, He knows all and sees all. Let's boldly seek Him and praise Him in advance for our blessings to come! We are children of God who should be seen and heard!

SING UNTO THE LORD!

And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD. Psalm 27:6

The Bible tells us to sing unto the Lord a new song! Doesn't serving the Lord make you feel like singing. It's the joy of His presence that gives us a song in our hearts. When we think of His grace and goodness it makes us want to lift up our heads and sing praises to Him. Psalm 27:6 "And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD." The Bible also tells us to acknowledge Him in all our ways! What a great way to acknowledge the Lord throughout our day! We must not forget we are children of the most high, the king of kings! We are a blessed people because of who we serve. He is our deliverer, strength, joy, and peace. He is our heavenly Father who we love with all our heart, soul and mind. As much as we love Him, His love for us is far greater than any other love we've ever known. He loves us in spite of our imperfections, His love is endless and unfailing. Praise and bless the Lord with a song, giving thanks for all He has saved you from and brought you through. Praise Him for His mercy and praise Him in advance for what blessings are to come!

"In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:6

"My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed." Psalm 71:23

"Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day." Psalm 96:2

"O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory." Psalm 98:1

"Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise."
Psalm 98:4

"Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness." Psalm 30:4

"To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever." Psalm 30:12

JESUS CHRIST, THE LIGHT FOUND IN DARKNESS

Close your eyes for a brief moment and imagine you are lost in a place of darkness. You try as hard as you can but you can not see your way out. Then imagine you are also hungry, lonely, desperate, ashamed, hopeless, and confused. This is how sin makes us feel. When we sin against God, those sins bring all these feelings rushing back to us and leaving us in a state of hopelessness. God is our one true hope and in order to obtain a life of precious promises given by Him, we must give our lives completely to Him. Living as He would have us to live, building godly characteristics that will give us a personality that reflects God instead of the world. The Bible tells us in 2 Peter 1:3-10; "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 10Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:". Sin has brought people to places in their lives that have brought them much heartache, pain and shame.
Jesus Christ can mend the broken hearted and heal ALL pain. He will bring comfort to the comfortless and a light into their darkness so they can find their way! Salvation comes through the truth and the truth is found in the word of God. The Bible tells us in Matthew 18:11,"For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost." 2 Corinthians 4:3 "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:" 2Peter 1:19-21 "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; where unto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:" 20"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation." 21"For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."
Acts 26:18
"To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."
2 Peter 2:4
"For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;"
Now lets imagine ourselves finding a distant glimpse of light in the darkness. As we draw nearer to it the brighter the light becomes and the more clear our surroundings become. We are able to find our way out of the darkness. We feel the awesome presence of God and He is lighting our path as we walk closer to Him. We feel unspeakable joy and hope they we never felt while in darkness. There is peace that passes over us giving us a huge sense of relief. We are no longer afraid but we feel comforted and loved because we know we are no longer alone!
This is what the power of God can do for all of us! As long as we put Him first and live our lives according to His unfailing word, He will give us direction and strength. He will never let us fall!

LIVING LIFE THROUGH PRAYER AND PURPOSE!

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1

Psalm 91:3-5 "Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, Lord," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors."
1 Kings 1:5 "Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat."
1 Kings 19:6-8 "He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you. So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God."

Jesus knew that Elijah would need strength in order to fulfill the plan and purpose He had for him. Without that God given strength, Elijah could have died in that desert. There was still work that needed to be done by Elijah. God sent an angel to Elijah in one of his weakest and most hopeless moments. Why did God come to him under that broom tree? God came to him because Elijah first came to God. Elijah prayed intensely for God to take him, he was in such a state of hopelessness that he felt the only way he could escape was if God would take him. Even in that state of mind, Elijah found hope in God and the way he reached God was through prayer. There is power in prayer! Elijah had a deep relationship with God. He talked with God and knew God was with him. Many have not prayed a prayer of desperation like Elijah prayed. God loved Elijah the same way He loves us and He desires for us to pray and talk to Him throughout our days as well. He took Elijah in a unique and awesome way, 2 Kings 2:1 "When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal." "the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective"(James 5:16). Through all the trials Elijah faced while standing against the wickedness of Israel, he prayed! He earnestly, whole heartily, intensely prayed with purpose! That is exactly how we should go to the Lord! He is anxiously waiting for us to come to Him. It is His up most desire! We should pray expecting God to deliver us, and answer our prayers. We need to know He is with us every step we take throughout our lives. He never leaves us or forsakes us. He longs to draw closer to us and us to Him. He desires for us to think on Him when we awake in the morning and when we lay down to rest at night. We can have absolute trust and confidence in Him, knowing that He works according to what is best for us in our lives. We can't for tell the future, but we know who holds the future! The Bible tells us "all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."(Romans 8:28)

Psalm 91:11-16 "For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands,so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble,I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

LET'S TAKE A WALK

"Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee." Psalm 143:8
The word of the Lord tells us to not fear storms and trials that come up in our lives. To trust in His infinite wisdom and power through whatever comes our way. "If we live in the Spirit let us walk in the Spirit." Galatians 5:25
We can securely and boldly go where ever the Lord leads us knowing God's faithfulness will never fail us. He is our own personal GPS system, directing us and keeping us headed in the right direction. I am so thankful for His unfailing love and guidance in my life.
"And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8
God is merciful and faithful. His Spirit lives within us, and together we can go where ever He leads us on this endless walk with Him!
"I have called you by your name; you are Mine." Isaiah 43:1

LET EVERYTHING BUILD ON FAITH!

What is faith? The Bible tells us in Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Our relationship with God builds on the foundation of our faith in Him. "One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all"(Ephesians 4:5-6). This verse again confirms baptism should be under no other name expect JESUS CHRIST. Every time an instance or circumstance arises, we depend on Him for the answers and Him for change. We ask Him and believe with confidence, knowing that He will never fail us and He delights in answering our prayers. Believing with absoluteness that God is in control of all and we are powerless without Him. There is nothing He can not do or change. He is the only hope for change with any of us! As soon as we are faced with a problem, we should be prayerful over that problem, asking God for help to sustain, lift, and even carry us through it! HE WILL! "We cannot please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6), and whatever is not of faith is sin" (Romans 14:23). With faith comes miraculous power, the Bible says if we have as much faith as a mustard seed than we can move mountains! That is powerful! Our problems can sometimes seem like mountains. Immovable, unshakable and to BIG to get over or around! Praise God, with a little faith and His power, those mountains will move and we will make it through any obstacle that comes our way. Because WE ARE IMMOVABLE, UNSHAKABLE, AND TOO POWERFUL THROUGH THE SPIRIT OF THE HOLY GHOST! There is no satan ridden hindrance that can come against us and prevail. We are children of the most High and even satan himself fears God and His children. He recognizes the power of God and trembles with fear because of it. After all, even satan knows where he came from. Satan was once a man made by God, but he turned against God and thought He could take the place of God. At that moment he was thrown into the pit of hell where he belongs. It was power that motivated satan then and power motivates him today. He can only gain power over the soul through the mind. If he can convince one to have a made up mind to sin he can posses their soul. Satan is out to kill, steal and destroy lives. The enemy does not want us to prosper or experience love, joy or peace in our lives. When we are at our weakest moment is when we feel the most threatened by satan, but if we keep our eyes, and minds and hearts on God, He will protect us! HE will give us the power to be conquerors and He will sustain us. We don't have to fear what the future holds because we know who holds our future! There is no sickness, physical or emotional hurt that can keep us bound. Through the God given power of our faith in Him, we can cast out or move these afflictions out of our lives! (Mark 16:16) "He who believed and was baptised shall be saved;"
(Acts 15:11) ) "for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.(Philippians 2:12) "Who are being kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."
(1 Peter 1:9) "Receiving at the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls."
God gives us "a measure of faith". (Romans 12:3)
If we don't use it, we will loose it!