Choosing The Straight Path

Date: Saturday, July 11, 2015
Chapters: Proverbs 4-6
Message Title: Choosing The Straight Path

Hello My Friend,

There are two paths in life, one is wide and broad, it's doing whatever and anything they can do to prosper, even if it means they have to forsake their morals to do so. People who choose this path see absolutely nothing wrong and seek no ones approval in what they are doing with their lives. Then there is the straight and narrow path, this one is following Jesus, and looking straight to Him to prosper, even if that means they forsake the comforts of the world to do so. People who choose this path seek God's approval in what they are doing with their lives. “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.” - Matthew 7:13,14,24,25.

The world has so much to offer, but it really is a dog eat dog world, full of immorality, greed, and corruption in an attempt to have a part of it. You know, if evolutionist believe that everything came to be as it is through natural selection, this could not be closer to the truth for a person trying to survive in the world. Christians might have to live in the world, but we are not to be of the world, in fact, the world knows we are not one of them. We are cautioned about walking in the path of the wicked. “Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.” - Proverbs 4:14-18,23-27.

The truth is there are just as many opportunities to prosper walking the straight path, people just don't want to do it God's way. Can I tell you that the world does not care about you, it will turn on you the second it can't get any more out of you. It might take a little bit longer to get what we want walking the straight path, and doing it God's way, but at least we will not lose our integrity doing so. “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” - 1 Corinthians 3:11-15.

The world is like a seductive woman, or even man, it has lots of things to tempt the flesh, no matter what it is that it lusts for, and is very good at what it does. However, once we fall into the temptation that's when her or his true colors are revealed, and they are not pretty. Solomon had over eight hundred wives, so, he knows something about the seductive woman, which is why he warns of the destruction caused by getting involved with them. “My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding: That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge. For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger? For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.” - Proverbs 5:1-5,20-22.

We have no one to blame for the consequences we face for falling into the temptations of the world. Yes, the world will answer to God for tempting His people with the things they lust for, but we have to answer to God also. Ignorance does not save us from being chastened, but we can seek His help to endure the chastening we rightfully deserve for not trusting Him in the first place. The majority of the time the reason faithful Christians fall is because they take their eyes off God, once you look to the right or left it's hard to go forward. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” - James 1:12-15.

Faithful Christians may fall into the temptations of the world, and sadly some will turn on God completely and suffer until the day they die. Those who are of the world never see the hand of God in anything, especially Him trying to get them to repent. “A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy. These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” - Proverbs 6:12-19.

While God's mercy does endure, it only goes so far until He has had enough, one way or another He will show Himself whether it's in His mercies or His judgment. “What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.” - Romans 9:14-18.

Today's Prayer: God, You give us a choice on which path to follow, and while some of us may take a detour once in a while, Your hand is always there to guide us back in the right direction. Thank You for giving us the free will to choose, and for making it obvious from the time I can remember that I was never a part of th world. Oh, I tried it on for a while, but it knew I belonged to You, and therefore I am glad it rejects me. Lord, lead us and guide us, put Your hedge of protection around us and shield us from the world. Keep our eyes looking straight toward Your Son, and not be tempted to look to the right or left. If we take a wrong turn, help us quickly get back on the path, for it truly is the only one that leads to prosperity here in earth and in Your Kingdom. In Jesus' name, Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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God's Wisdom Or Mans

Date: Friday, July 10, 2015
Chapters: Proverbs 1-3
Message Title: God's Wisdom Or Mans

Hello My Friend,

The Book of Proverbs is the twentieth book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains thirty-one chapters, most of the book is penned down by King Solomon, the timeline is about 990 to 995 BC. The book was first written to the Jews, but these truths are addressed to all believers. The purpose of the book is to teach wisdom, instruction, and correction to all of God's people. What we are to learn from it is that, it is God who teaches us wisdom, instruction, and correction so that we can live a prosperous life lead by Him. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” - Proverbs 3:5,6.

A proverb is a short sentence to explain an important truth, it is recorded in I Kings that King Solomon spoke three thousand proverbs under the inspiration of God. Now, Solomon did not always lead a godly life, in fact, with his many wives of different faiths, he got caught up in all sorts of religions. It was during the end of his life that he realized his mistakes and wrote the proverbs to give us a warning and some instruction. He tells us the difference between God's wisdom and that of man. “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;” - Proverbs 1:5-7,22-24.

God gives us every bit of knowledge we can ever learn, and His knowledge brings prosperity. Honestly, it takes the Holy Spirit in us to understand a proverb inspired by God, many people read the Bible and claim they know God. Unless they have the Holy Spirit in them they can never understand Him, they will continuously question His ways and make excuses for not believing that every word of God is pure and true. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.” - 1 Corinthians 2:9-11.

Knowledge led by the Holy Spirit is what teaches us that we are to know every word of God, He also teaches us to receive and obey every word. Through Solomon, God tells us that we are to receive His words and keep them with us always if we want to be wise. “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.” - Proverbs 2:1-6.

Wisdom, it's the most precious thing we can possess, we can know many things, but that does not make us wise. God's wisdom uses the knowledge that we have and makes it valuable, useful, and gives God the glory for every bit of success we have. “Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” - 1 Corinthians 2:6-10.

When we know the Holy Spirit, allow Him to direct and guide us, we become wise in the knowledge of God and even more than that. Those who seek God's wisdom not only receive respect and honor from God, but man as well. If you truly want to see things change and have the respect of those around you, trust God, learn and follow His commands, and you will see them change. “My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.” - Proverbs 3:1-6,24-26.

We are not always going to make wise decisions, if fact, many times we will get caught up in something and make rash decisions because we didn't think before we acted. God's mercy and truth will get us back on track, and even help us through those bad decisions. Remember, when we lean on our own understanding, we are only looking at the surface of things, and we will make bad decisions in doing so. When we look to God and lean on His, He will direct our path, and we will keep from saying or doing something that we will regret. “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” - James 1:2-8.

Today's Prayer: God, When our minds are constantly bombarded with all sorts of doubts, guilt, frustrations, grief, anger, or hate, we can lose sight of our judgment and make some rash decisions. Thankfully You are full of mercy and grace to not only help us when we make decisions on our own reasoning, but guide us on how to do things in Yours. Thank You for Your wisdom and showing us how to take the knowledge You gave us and use it for Your glory. We may not always understand it, but when we take the time to study Your Word, receive it, and obey it, You will make us wiser and respectable to those around us. Lord, Lead us and guide us, fill us with Your wisdom, give us the strength to not lean on our own understanding, but Yours. Direct our paths and show Yourself mighty in our lives for all to see. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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Praise Him Anyway

Date: Thursday, July 09, 2015
Chapters: Psalms 146-150
Message Title: Praise Him Anyway

Hello My Friend,

There are times in our lives, even when we are faithful to God, that we get grumpy and are not so pleased with what is going on. We tend to pray and even thank God for what He has blessed us with, but we still have a bad attitude. Can I tell you that not only does God see our attitude, so does everyone else, even if we are not being mean to anyone, our countenance is just not the same, and people notice. What do we do with our grumpy attitudes? We praise God. Praise Him when we are happy, praise Him when we are sad, praise Him when we are content, and praise Him when we are discontent. “Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.” - Psalms 150:1-3,6.

When you walk the Christian life you can truly see the hand of God in every part of your life, He really gets us through every challenge we face. However, when we seem to keep going around in circles or hitting obstacles every step we take we can become discontent with things, which brings the grumpy attitude. We cannot always control our emotions, but we can control how we handle them. When I get grumpy and start complaining about everyone and everything that I get near, God is faithful to remind me that He is not too happy with my attitude. “Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being. Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:” - Psalms 146:1-5.

People are going to let us down, things are not going to comfort us for too long, and eventually it's all going to crash on us if we do not get a handle on our attitude. Did you ever notice when you have a bad attitude how everything bothers you and you take it out on other people? Did you ever notice that you do not always make the right judgment on things either? We have to learn to be content where we are. No, God does not want us to stay the way we are, but if we do not find contentment in what we already have, why would God give us what we really want? When we learn to be content where we are, God will show up. “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” - Philippians 4:11-13.

I get it, walking with God you learn to depend on God, and when it seems like everything you are doing is not enough, and you are still not where you want to be, that's when we need to really praise Him. We do not realize what God is actually doing when He gives us a little glimpse of hope, then another challenge to face, He's preparing us and making us ready to receive what we have been longing for. “Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely. The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite. The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground. Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:” - Psalms 147:1-7.

The majority of the time, God makes us wait for things simply because our heart is not right. Whether we carry some bitterness or resentment from the past, or grief that we cannot let go of, God wants our heart right before He gives it to us. Think about it, when you heart is not right do you take joy in things that you are being blessed with already? If you are like me, sometimes we forget how blessed we are when all we think about is what we do not have. We have to mend our heart before God will give us what we desire, and the only one who can mend our heart is God. When we praise God with a broken heart, He will turn things around, and we will see things moving once again. “And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.” - 1 John 3:19-22.

We must realize that God loves us, He knows everything about us, our wants, our needs, our desires, after all He made us. I often ask God why He taught me something or gave me some gift if He didn't want me to use it. Now, God gives us all our skills and talents for His glory, so, if we are going to use them merely to satisfy the flesh we can be sure that He's not going to be happy with us using them. However, if God gets the glory, such as getting a great job or business going, a wonderful relationship, or the recognition you deserve you can be sure that He will let you use them. We are to praise Him when things are going our way, and when they are being challenged. “Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation. Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand;” - Psalms 149:1-6.

When we praise God in the midst of our challenges, it is likely that we not only change our grumpy attitude, we give hope to others as well. We are going to face lots of challenges to get the things we are after, as long as we keep praising Him, we have hope, as long as we have hope, we will get everything we need and desire. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” - Romans 5:1-5.

Today's Prayer: God, I know it's not healthy being grumpy, all it does is put hatred and doubt in our heads, and the more it accumulates the worse we get. I do not want to be grumpy, but life's challenges seem to make me that way. Then You remind me that my attitude is not acceptable and when I stop to think about things I have to laugh at how silly I was being. You know what's best for me, You are preparing great things for me while I endure these challenges, and You are expecting me to praise You right now. I praise You God, for all that You are, for mending my broken heart piece by piece, for You mercy and grace, and for Your love for me. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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Getting Back Down The Mountain Safely

Date: Wednesday, July 08, 2015
Chapters: Psalms 141-145
Message Title: Getting Back Down The Mountain Safely

Hello My Friend,

Life is often like climbing mountains, you see something, get up the nerve to take a step and start climbing to get it. Some mountains have nice, smooth paths, while others are rough and jagged, but once you reach the top you feel like you can do anything. It's coming down the mountain that often has the biggest challenges it seems easier to get back down. It's how we handle those challenges coming down, or rather who we have with us, that determines whether or not we truly have the victory. We may be able to climb a mountain on our own, but to truly get the victory we need Christ. “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” - Mark 11:23,24.

I have to say that this has been one of the most blessed years that God has given me in a long time, every year is a blessing, but some just flourish, and this is one of those for me. I have reached the mountain top with God, and let me tell you, it certainly has been a challenge coming back down. It is said that if you serve God you are always in a position to seek day by day His daily bread, and that could not be further from the truth. The devil is continuously throwing all kinds of obstacles in my path to keep me from getting off the mountain and telling the world what God has done. He's not stopping me, he has gotten me take a few steps back sometimes, and that's when God shows up. “LORD, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.” - Psalms 141:1-4.

When you choose Christ, the devil will throw all sorts of obstacles in your way to slow you down, things like people, opportunities, temptations, distractions, and afflictions. We must climb our mountains with God daily so that our heart does not get tangled in the deception of the devil. “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” - 1 Peter 5:6-9.

To be honest, we have the same mountains to climb up and down as those who reject Christ do. God is not a respecter of persons, good, bad, life, death, joys, and pains come from all walks of life whether we are saved or not. The difference between us and them, we have Christ, and while our flesh may get caught in the traps of the devil, Jesus has our soul, and he can't touch that. We can't always see God when we get caught in the devil's snares, but He will show up when we do all we can humanly do and just cry to God. “Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness. And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead. Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate. I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands. I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.” - Psalms 143:1-6.

Let's face it, no matter how strong our faith in God, we are going to mess up, and in the blink of an eye, we can plummet down the mountain. I will admit that I have made the wrong judgment on a few things in my life this year, and I started sliding. Thank God, He grabbed a hold of me and reminded me that I better stop before I do something really stupid. You know, God does let us fall sometimes, He allows it so we can be reminded that He never lets go. He may let us dangle on the edge of the mountain, and let us get a little bruised, but He's always there to pick us up and put us back in the right direction, after He cleans us up. “Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” - Hebrews 12:9-11.

Sometimes when we come down from the mountain and seem to face one challenge after another, it may well be that it is God putting the challenges before us. When we reach the top of our mountain, I mean actually get to see God answer a prayer that we have been waiting so long for, we can lose sight of God as we come down to enjoy the victory. Perhaps we unintentionally stop giving God the glory as we come down, or we stop asking Him for His help or maybe we stop giving Him first place over our victory. Whatever the reason why, God has decided to place an obstacle, sometimes many, on our way down to show us that He is still around and we need at all times. “The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.” - Psalms 145:8-12,17-20.

God loves His people, He never lets them go, and has an ample amount of mercy and grace to sustain them all. Are we always going to acknowledge Him and keep Him first in our lives? No, we are going to get so wrapped up in our mountain that we neglect Him. And when that happens we can expect some challenges, and really the challenges have nothing to do with our faith, I mean we know what God can do for us. It has everything to do with someone else seeing what God has done for us, and seeing that soul surrender to Christ. It's all about the glory of God and adding one more soul before Jesus returns to destroy all the wicked. “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” - James 5:19,20.

Today's Prayer: God, It truly is amazing how blessed I am, while I may complain that something is not going my way, You are quick to remind me of all that You have done for me this year and every year. It's so easy to neglect You when I am trying to come down the mountain, and I am sorry that I have been. I know that Your hand is in everything that I am going through, and I thank You for Your mercy and grace in helping me through the wrong judgments I have made. You got me to the mountain top and as I climb back down You know the challenges I am facing, You allowed them all. Lord, lead me and guide me, give me the wisdom to know how to handle each obstacle, the strength to endure the challenges, Your power to resist the devil, Your hedge of protection around me to get me down safely. And give me Your mercy, grace, and patience to get to the bottom and declare Your glory to all the world. In Your name, Jesus, Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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His Mercy Endures

Date: Tuesday, July 07, 2015
Chapters: Psalms 136-140
Message Title: His Mercy Endures

Hello My Friend,

God knows every single thing about us, our ups and downs, our quirks, habits, joys, and desires, we are not perfect, but we can look to the only perfect one, and allow Him to keep perfecting us. God's people are peculiar, different, perhaps seem a little weird to the rest of the world, but we are His, and day by day, as we look to our Perfect Savior, Jesus Christ, we become more like Him and less like the world. Praise God! While we may never fit in with the world, we are all members of the same club, and the sooner we realize that the better off we will be. ”But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:” - 1 Peter 2:9.

If the sun, moon, and stars obey God, why can't we? If the animals trust God to provide for them, why can't we? If we received Christ as our Saviour and are trusting in Him to keep you out of hell when we die, why can't we trust Him in everything? The word endure means to continue in the same state without perishing. God is always with His people, and while it may seem as though He is not where to be found at times, He is always with us, and His mercy endures, even when we do not always trust Him. “To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever: And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever. Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.” - Psalms 136:4-7,24-26.

At one time Jerusalem was beautiful, and very blessed because God truly dwelt in the city of David. All the people had to do to feel the presence of God was go into the city of David. All that changed when idolatry, immorality, and false gods were brought into the city, even the temple. While God no longer dwells in any building made by man He endures forever and lives inside of all who put their faith and trust in His Son. He redeems us and His mercy truly does endure. “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” - Ephesians 2:4,5.

Through what seems to be a time of God forsaking us is actually a time of Him perfecting us, amazingly you can try and try to overcome a situation and can feel like a failure. Can I tell you that you are not a failure, you are just in the will of God and through your struggles God is perfecting you and preparing you for great blessings through your faithfulness. “I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.” - Psalms 138:1-3,7,8.

God does not want us to try to fix every problem on our own or even deal with some chastening on our own, He wants us to trust Him, have faith in Him, and praise Him during our struggles. “Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” - James 5:11.

God reveals that at conception we become a person, a breathing soul that has a special personality and purpose to be used for His glory. Although, as an unborn infant, we are hidden from human view, as if buried in the earth, our bodies are no mystery to our Creator, He skillfully prepares us for our destiny while here on earth. “O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.” - Psalms 139:1-6,14-18.

Praising God before the struggles, the job, the hobbies, the games, the partying, the drinking, the drugs, keeps us from falling into sin in the first place. Yet, although we have faults, and mess up over and over again, God watches over us, revives us, strengthens us, and gives us new hope when we have faith in Him. “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.” - Hebrews 12:11-13.

Today's Prayer: God, Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings. Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence. Lord, give me Your power to look to You through the good, bad, and ugly times in life. Give me Your strength to endure as Your mercy endures, give me wisdom to make the right decisions, and keep me from the wicked one, who is always placing doubt in my head. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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A Place For God

Date: Monday, July 06, 2015
Chapters: Psalms 129-135
Message Title: A Place For God

Hello My Friend,

Some people spend their entire lives in one home, while others move so often that you cannot keep up with them. There is a saying, “Home is where the heart is.” And it could not be further from the truth, if our heart is not into what we are doing, we are going to feel lost. An amazing thing happens the second we ask Jesus Christ into our heart, the Holy Spirit moves in, that means we have twenty-four hour access to God no matter where we are. So why do we suffer so much? We do not let the Holy Spirit get settled into to His place, and call it home. “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” - Romans 8:11-13.

We are going to have seasons of great things and we are going to have seasons of no things, we must make everything count for the glory of God. If you are saved, let Jesus be more than Your personal Saviour, get into a King James Bible believing church, read His Word, pray, and never stop communicating with Him. The more we walk with Him the more He will be seen in us, through the feasts and the famines. When we open our hearts to Him and let Him get settled in, we will still have joy during the famines while we wait patiently for the feasts to arrive. “Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD. Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.” - Psalms 130:1-6.

God's mercy keeps us from getting the punishment we deserve, if our iniquities or sins were marked, no one would be saved. That's why our own righteousness can never save us, even if we try to do the right things, we still sin. No one is without sin, and if we are too proud to admit that we do have sin or have sinned, than Jesus cannot move in. The first part of fearing God and getting His forgiveness is knowing Jesus Christ. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;” - Romans 3:10-12,23-25.

David, a king, felt it necessary to make a permanent dwelling place for God in his life. Did he always follow God's commands? Of course not, he was a sinner just like everyone else that has received Christ, but knowing God was with him taught him the importance of having a place for God in his life, even through afflictions. “LORD, remember David, and all his afflictions: How he sware unto the LORD, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob; Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne. If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore. For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.” - Psalms 132:1-5,11-13.

Zion, the habitation of peace, also knows as Jerusalem, the one and only place where Jesus will reign when He returns. Until Jesus returns, the Hoy Spirit dwells in all who believe and accept Him as their Saviour. When He does return, and judgment begins, those who know Him will be swept up into the clouds while the battle begins, with the earth being destroyed. Once that happens, a new earth will be formed, one where His people will join Him and we will spend eternity with Him in New Jerusalem. “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.” - Revelation 3:10-12.

Throughout the Bible you will often read, “God is above all gods” or something similar. Of course, there is only One God, but thanks to false religion, rebellious people, and a society that hates God, there are other gods, man made gods that take place over Christ. In an instant a person who lives for Christ can forsake Him for their new god, but thanks to His mercy, we will endure and still be able to join Him in His new Kingdom. “Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the name of the LORD; praise him, O ye servants of the LORD. Ye that stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God, Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant. For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure. For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. For the LORD will judge his people, and he will repent himself concerning his servants.” - Psalms 135:1-5,14.

God has chosen all who believe in and accept His Son, Jesus Christ, to be His peculiar treasure. We are by far perfect, but we are God's, and He will bless us tremendously if we are committed to Him. We cannot expect God to give us the things we need and even desire if we are dwelling in the world. “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;” - 1 Peter 2:9-11.

Today's Prayer: Jesus, Thank You for the great sacrifice You made so that I could even have a place with You in God's Kingdom. Lord, I know I can never do anything to repay You for giving Your life for me, but I can show my love and thanks by allowing You to come into my life and letting You shine through me. Give me Your power and strength to hold on to You, I know You will never let go of me, but I never want to feel as though You are not with me. Lead me and guide me, draw me closer to You, and open my heart to let You dwell in every part of it. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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Man Made Gods

Date: Sunday, July 05, 2015
Chapters: Psalms 120-128
Message Title: Man Made Gods

Hello My Friend,

God may have chosen Israel to put His name out there as the one and only Living God that blesses those that trust in Him, but they were to be the example for the rest of the nations to follow. Whenever I see the name Israel in the Bible I put my own country there because just as Israel was blessed when they trusted God so is every other nation. Likewise, if the nation rejects God it gets judged, much of the wars, natural disasters, and chaos of the world today is God's judgment upon that nation. The more the nation pushes God out the more it is going to get judged, but there is an upside to all of this, God's people, those in Israel or any other nation who believe in and have received Christ will be saved from that judgment. “In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me. Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue. What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue? Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.” - Psalms 120:1-4.

Those coals of juniper are a shadow of what is to come of so called men of God, who are leading and deceiving billions of people with their lies. Willfully ignoring and ignorance to the truth does not save anyone, in fact, unbelief in the truth is just as bad as believing their lies, it all sends people straight to hell. “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” - Revelation 21:8.

Throughout the Bible you will often read that God is above all gods or something similar. There is only One God, who is alive, and the Creator of all things, any other god a man made god. People make gods out of everything, objects, statues, pictures, people, but their god will never save their soul. Only coming to the Living God can a soul be saved. “Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us. Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.” - Psalms 123.

A lot of saved Christians really do believe that they are serving the Living God, but sadly, they are serving a false god. Often man made gods are created when people want to live in sin, yet want God in their lives too, they justify their actions by creating a God that would be okay with their living in sin. Yet God's mercy still endures, even when we are not living the way God wants us to live. “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say; If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us: Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us: Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul: Then the proud waters had gone over our soul. Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.” - Psalms 124:1-6.

Believe it or not, anything can become a persons god, a love interest, a career, a hobby, money, possessions, anything that is worshiped more than God Himself becomes a man made god. How does this happen? The soul desires life and when it is feeling lifeless it will either look to the flesh or the Spirit (which is God) to find life. If one is seeking life through the things of the flesh than the soul thirsts for more to fulfill the flesh, and this is where so many faithful Christians turn from the Living God to a man made god, they still want God in their lives, but they also want to fulfill their flesh. “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” - Galatians 5:17.

We must remember that anything we do under the hand of God will prosper, if we do it on our own, it will not. “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” - Psalms 127:1-3.

People can trust in their false gods all they want, they can trust in their fame, fortune, talents, or success, but unless they know the Living God they will not be apart of His heritage. “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” - 1 Timothy 6:17-19.

The most important thing of all is knowing the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, He alone is the only way to reach the Living God. Without Jesus everything just exists, you might enjoy things for a season, but it will not last. True hope and faith only comes through Jesus Christ who gives us life through His death, burial, and resurrection. If you have been taught anything else you have been lied to and are trusting in a man made god. “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” - I John 5:11-13.

Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for sending Your Son to make it easier to have a relationship with You. While I do not always understand the things I go through, I know that with patience and faith You will give me the victory. Lord, lead me and guide me, let me learn to completely trust in You, the only living God, let me not make man made gods out of anything that seems to bring me comfort, but trust only what You can give me comfort in. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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