Getting Rid Of Inner Demons

Date: Saturday, June 20, 2015
Chapters: Psalms 64-67
Message Title: Getting Rid Of Inner Demons

Hello My Friend,

As Christians, we are often taught how to handle affliction coming from others, but what about the affliction we bring upon ourselves. I am not talking about affliction caused by sin, but of that caused by the inner demons, the guilt and shame we live with over our past. We have all done things that we are not proud of, but sometimes it can take a toll on us, so much so that we devalue ourselves as nothing. God wants us to know that even though we are sinners, we are His, He made us, He loves us dearly, and we are of value to Him. “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!” - Psalms 139:14-17.

Perhaps the biggest enemy we have sometimes is ourselves, the devil is good at making us feel like our past can never be forgotten. And although we never completely forget our past we can learn to use it as a testimony of just how merciful and graceful God was to us, even though we didn't deserve it. When the only one defeating us is us, that is when we need to seek God's help in setting us free from ourselves. “Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy. Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity: Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words: But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded. So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away. And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing. The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.” - Psalms 64:1-3,7-10.

Depression, anxiety, and panic attacks are all arrows pointed at ourselves, and they will destroy us. I have been there and still have issues today, but God gives us the will and strength we need to overcome those demons in our heads. We need to trust Him and let Him mend our broken hearts, minds, and spirits. “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” - James 4:8-10.

The key to overcoming ourselves is getting close to God and trusting Him, we cannot overcome ourselves by ourselves, we need the hand of God in this. As we draw closer to God, He will remove those demons in our heads. “Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed. O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come. Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away. Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple. By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea:” - Psalms 65:1-5.

We can put our confidence in God to set us free from the burdens that are deep within us. Let's face it, there are times in our lives when we have no confidence in ourselves, let alone God, but the more we praise Him even when we do not feel like it, the more confidence we have in Him. Not all of our burdens can disappear from our past, but we can learn to enjoy life through all of them. “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.

The burdens we face, even self afflicted, do not have to control us, and by the way, we can endure them, and we can see them come to pass. We must remember that we if we have accepted the Lord, Jesus Christ as our Saviour we are saved to the uttermost. That means, nothing we do, past, present, or future will take away our salvation. Unfortunately, knowing we are saved does not get rid of those demons inside us, but it can if we keep reminding ourselves that there is an expected end to all this. “O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved. For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.” - Psalms 66:8-11,16-20.

The truth is, as long as we keep beating ourselves up and living in a depressed state of worthlessness, God is not going to hear our pleas to overcome ourselves. Let me tell you, once we receive Christ, we are forgiven of all that we have done, past, present, and future. Of course, when we sin in the present, God wants us to confess it so we can move on from it, but when we keep dwelling on the past sins it angers Him. We only do ourselves a disservice by holding on to them, God has already forgotten them, it's time we do too. “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.” - Hebrews 6:4-6,9.

Today's Prayer: God, It is a constant struggle to keep trusting You and putting my confidence in You when I have these demons from my past haunting me. You are the only one who can give me the will and strength to not only defeat them, but put them away for good. Lord, give me Your power to overcome these demons, give me Your strength to praise You and remain faithful to You even when I want to give up on myself. Remind me that You have fearfully and wonderfully made me exactly the way You want me and I can be a help and hope that others need who are struggling. I love You and ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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Sticking With Jesus

Date: Friday, June 19, 2015
Chapters: Psalms 59-63
Message Title: Sticking With Jesus

Hello My Friend,

Every morning is seems I am waking up to see yet another tragic event involving someone shooting at or killing people in numbers. We do not have to worry about the wars in other countries because there is a war in our very own. People are lost, confused, and corrupted by lies passed down through media, society, and even our own government. It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better, and no one can blame God for this because they are doing it to themselves. While we cannot control society, we can control what we do, and we can make sure that the lost, confused, and corrupted hear the truth from us before it's too late. “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” - Matthew 24:6-8,13.

David was a man of war, in fact, the majority of his reign as king and even before he became king he was out there fighting for his country. Perhaps his most constant and never ending war was the one that Saul made with him. It wasn't uncommon for him to go to God with his problems, in fact, he often asks God to just get rid of them. “Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear? But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision. Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence. The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies. Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield. For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak. Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.” - Psalms 59:7-13.

We must face the fact that because we are Christians we are going to be stuck in the middle of all this war. We may have heaven and the Kingdom of God to look forward to, but we still have to deal with things until God brings us home or Jesus returns. It's important that we tell the truth about Jesus, and yes, we are going to be persecuted for our faith, but we have God to help us through it, just as David did. “Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.” - Psalms 61:1-4.

There is something comforting about knowing that God is with you when you are just overwhelmed with burdens. We cannot always avoid problems that come, but we can find shelter in the wings of God. “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” - Isaiah 40:31.

David might not have known Jesus during his time, but he did know that Jesus would come and that He would come in the flesh from his very own seed. He knew that salvation alone came from Him and that He would deliver him from all evil. “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah. Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity. Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them. God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.” - Psalms 62:5-11.

We cannot trust in riches or wealth, we cannot worry about oppression or poverty, why God allows any of His people to live in poverty is His choice and we are not to question why. Jesus Himself lived in poverty while He was here, He didn't do it to mock us or make us feel less of a person than the rich. He did it to prove to all that God does not look at our wealth to determine how rich we are, He looks at our heart. “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” - Matthew 6:19-21.

God has put in in a position the last few years to where I literally have to ask Him daily for my bread. I do not know why or how long I have to go through this trial, but what I do know is that He never stops supplying me with what I need. Of course, He loves to take me to the point that it's always at the last minute, but that is when He gets the most glory. Let me tell you, while He has no problem filling us with riches of the world, He's gonna make sure that He gets the glory if He does. To see God do some amazing things in our lives we must give Him the glory for everything, even the food and water we got to consume this morning. “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.” - Psalms 63:1-4,7.

As Christians, the hardest part of our journey is the affliction we face simply for being a Christian. It's not going to change until Jesus returns, we are going to be tempted, tried, afflicted, and persecuted for loving and trusting Him. We must never give up the fight because we have much more than those who try us will ever have, we have Jesus. And who knows, we may just get one of them converted, which is God's purpose for allowing us to go through all this in the first place. “And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.” - Mark 4:11,12.

Today's Prayer: God, It seems the more time goes by the closer it is to Your Son returning to claim all of us before the destruction of the world and in the midst of this crazy world our only refuge is You. Lord, lead us and guide us, keep us safe from those who want to hurt us and give us the strength to endure anything that comes our way. You are our power, our strength, and our protection when everything in this world is falling apart. Thank You for not leaving us nor forsaking us no matter what we go through, and for giving us true treasures to look forward to. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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Fighting Off The Devil

Date: Thursday, June 18, 2015
Chapters: Psalms 54-58
Message Title: Fighting Off The Devil

Hello My Friend,

Since God created man, and angles for that matter, there has been a battle going on, a spiritual battle, one in which we as Christians must deal with every day of our lives. It's not always easy to deal with these battles, but thank God we do not have to deal with them alone, we have Christ with us. “Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.” - Psalms 57:1-3.

David knew all too well about the spiritual battles he faced the second Samuel anointed his head with oil and told him that he would be the next king of Israel chosen by God Himself. Many of the Psalms he wrote were during the times when he was running from Saul, who was set on killing him. He did not always understand, but he did understand one thing, God would help him through it. “Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength. Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth. For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah. Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.” - Psalms 54:1-4.

We may not realize it, but the devil will use anyone to try and get us away from trusting God, family, friends, and even people we do not know. If he can take the least bit of doubt and use it against us, he will, and he won't stop until he sees our faith in God increase. “Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” - James 4:5-7.

Of course, David got discouraged sometimes, especially when it seemed he never got any relief from those set out to get him. And he was sure to let God know that he was discouraged. “Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication. Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise; Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me. My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them. As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me. Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” - Psalms 55:1-4,15-18,22.

God wants to hear our complaints, He wants to know how we feel all the time. Of course, He already knows, but He wants to hear us speaking to Him directly. We truly cannot have peace in our souls until we walk daily with Him and talk to Him all day long. There is something about telling Him how we feel that takes a huge weight off our backs, and believe it or not, helps us cope with what is going on. The best way to defeat the devil is to talk to God all day long, He will give us the strength and wisdom we need to handle them. “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.” - Romans 16:17-20.

When it seems like everyone is against us, we must remember one thing, it's God they have the problem with not us. When we walk with Christ daily, we change, and believe it or not, people see their sins in themselves as His light shines through us, and we do not even have to mention Him. Unfortunately, since they have no one else to pick on, they turn to us, but we do not have to live in fear of them, God is with us. “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me. Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil. They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul. When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me. In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word. In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.” - Psalms 56:3-6,9-11.

Since Christ came to earth there has been a battle for the devil to destroy every person who professes their faith in Christ. The truth is, until Christ returns, God's people will always be in danger of losing their lives for their faith, but we cannot live in fear of them, God will take care of us, even if that means He brings us home sooner than we would like. We must realize that the life these people were living was no life that God would want them to live, they were in pain well before their untimely death. God's judgment will be upon them all, He is saving His people from being in the middle of it all. We must never let those who are led by the devil to defeat us, no matter who he uses, God is always with us and will protect us one way or another. Trust in God and He will deliver us from all evil. “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” - 2 Corinthians 5:6-10.

Today's Prayer: God, Whenever things start to become chaotic and even the people in my life start giving me a hard time I stop to think who it really is, the devil. I know that You allow him to afflict me just enough to keep me faithful to You, but sometimes my faith is not so strong and he defeats me. Lord, give me Your power and strength to fight off the devil, put Your hedge of protection around me, and let me not be able to jump it. Help me to endure the struggles I face so that I can be victorious in You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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Life After Salvation

Date: Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Chapters: Psalms 48-53
Message Title: Life After Salvation

Hello My Friend,

There is something life altering when we accept the Lord, Jesus Christ as our Saviour, more than just knowing that our souls have been redeemed from hell. When we allow Christ to live in and through us after our salvation that is what is life altering, and let me tell you, people know because you really not the same person you were before you got saved or dedicated your life to include Christ. Salvation does not guarantee that life will be easy, and that is where many people fall away from Him, but it does guarantee that through the us and downs, Christ is always with us. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one.” - John 10:27-30.

David came from being a shepherd boy himself to king, and it wasn't an easy transition either, he knew the importance of walking with God during good and bad times. Did he always do well? Nope. He had just as many flaws as the rest of us, but he knew one thing, rich or poor, without God, there is no life after death. “They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:) That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption. For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others. Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling. But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah. Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.” - Psalms 49:6-10,14-17.

We cannot take anything with us when we die, except for one thing, Jesus, He alone redeems our sin laden bodies and gives us salvation from hell and a second death. The only way we can take Him with us when we die is by knowing Him as our Saviour. What did He do to redeem us? He died for us. A sinless, the only sinless man on earth, the Son of God Himself, took all our sins to the cross and died a horrible, painful death in order to redeem us. He only redeems those who believe in Him, those who do not, will utterly see corruption like no other. “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” - John 3:17,18.

We all must stand before Jesus one day and give an account for all that we have done, those who are saved get judged on what they have done after they were saved, those who are not saved on their rejecting Him. If you study the Word of God, eventually you will see that whether we were here before Jesus came to earth or after, He is the same, and we all need to know Him. David explains this himself.

“Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah. Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God. I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me. Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” - Psalms 50:3-8,14,15.

Once you start walking with Christ and getting in the Word of God you discover some amazing things, things that you enjoyed doing were not so good for you, how truly merciful and graceful God is, and just how patient He is with us. We cannot always have the perfect will of God, but we can get right with the perfect God, no matter how many times we mess up. “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” - Titus 2:11-14.

We can get right with God anytime, we just need to admit our sin, and turn away from it. If there is something that you are struggling with, seek God's help in breaking you free from it. David sinned many times, he knew that it was God that he sinned against and not only asked for forgiveness, but sought His help in restoring his soul. “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.” - Psalms 51:6-13.

The more you walk with Christ the more you understand that when you sin you sin against God. Before He came the Holy Spirit came and went in a person, but now He lives permanently in every soul who receives Christ as their Saviour. No amount of faith can keep us from falling, if we take our eyes off God for a second, that is long enough for us ti fall. When we do get caught up in sin it can feel as though the Holy Spirit has walked away, but He is not, and in fact, works on us daily to get us to come to God for forgiveness. Guess what? God has already forgiven us, He did that when we accepted His Son. Yes, we do need to confess our sins to make it right with Him, but we are already forgiven and nothing we do can change that. “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.” - 1 John 4:15-17.

Today's Prayer: God, I know that I am a sinner saved by Your grace, through may belief and acceptance of Your Son as my Saviour. I know that I mess up every day, it seems the more I try or the closer I get to You the more I am tempted to follow my own will rather than Yours. I know I'm not always in Your will, but I can get better as I walk with Your Son daily. Lord, lead me and guide me, give me Your power to learn of and walk with Your Son guiding me. And thank You Jesus for taking my place on the cross and redeeming me from the fiery pit of hell and the life I was living before I dedicated my life to You. I know I do not always thank You enough, and I am sorry for that, I do want You will me everywhere I go. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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Listening For God

Date: Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Chapters: Psalms 43-47
Message Title: Listening For God

Hello My Friend,

When was the last time you honestly just sat still and listened to all the things that are around you? It is amazing what you hear when all is quiet, birds chirping, rain dropping, the wind, the air conditioning coming on, a fan whistling. Whether they are peaceful or annoying, it does not take long before you get use to them and do not notice them as much. Now, think back to the time when you first received Christ as your Saviour, or realized that it was time to have Him in your life, you were scared, excited, and eager, you heard God speaking to you and listened to every word He said. Just like that noise that becomes something we do not notice after some time, God's voice can become something we do not notice as well. We can hear His voice again, we just have to be still and listen. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” - Revelation 3:20.

As Christians, we all have times in our lives when we really feel the presence of God, and yet other times, often times of struggle, we find ourselves wondering where He is. It's times like these when we need to remember that God is always with us, He's not forsaken us, He's just standing back to see how we are going to handle all this. We can handle times of struggle when we do not see God by praising Him. “Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man. For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” - Psalms 43.

It's easy to praise God when things are going good, but wait, is it really? How often do we praise Him when things are going our way? We might be surprised at how little we do. God wants our praise when things are going well and when they are not. Sadly, but not intentionally, we do forget to praise God when things are going well, and if it happens too often we can be sure that affliction will come since it's the only way He gets our attention sometimes. “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” - 1 Peter 1:6,7,13-16.

Whether we realize it or not, it is much easier to hear God's voice when we are in the midst of struggles. Why? When things are going well we can become confident that we can handle everything on our own and do not need God's help. God wants to be in every part of our lives, He never wants us to get to the point that we think that do not need Him. When struggles come, that is when we need to stop and think if we have neglected God in any way. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” - Psalms 46:1-5,10.

While we do not intend to forget that God is with us even when things are going well, it happens more often that we realize. However, God does know our heart and if it takes affliction to get us to be still and listen to Him, that is what He will do. “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.” - 1 Peter 4:12-14.

God truly is our refuge during our affliction, He will give us hope and encouragement even through the darkest times. I do not know how I made it through twenty-five years of my life without hearing God, but I do know that He was watching over me the entire time waiting for me to be still and listen to Him. I admit it was in the midst of a severe struggle that I finally heard Him. “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” - 1 Peter 5:10.

God speaks to us in many ways, most of all through His Word, without His Word we would still be trying to make it through this journey on earth without going insane, which incidentally many have and survived. David faced a lot of struggles, but he knew he could not get through them without God. “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge. As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah. We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple. According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness. For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.” - Psalms 48:1-3,8-10,14.

Yes, even upon death, God is our guide, we will either be directed to heaven or hell, no amount of money, serving God, or power we have here on earth will save us from hell, we must have received Jesus Christ as our Saviour before we die or we will be sent straight to hell upon our death. God is speaking to you in some way, be still and listen for Him, He will give you what you need.“If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.” - Mark 4:23-25.

Today's Prayer: God, In the midst of my struggles I admit that I do not always hear You speaking to me. I try so hard, but cannot hear You through all the noise in my head telling me to just give up. Lord, break through the voices in my head and all the distractions of the day and let me hear You. Help me to be still and listen for You among all the chaos, lead me and guide me in Your will, and help me to trust You through my struggles, I know I can endure them through You. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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Get Healed From Every Sin

Date: Monday, June 15, 2015
Chapters: Psalms 38-42
Message Title: Get Healed From Every Sin

Hello My Friend,

Sin, it is truly a disease, all it takes is one little spot to form and it spreads through your entire body, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Oh, joy comes for a moment, but after it is done all the guilt and shame come crashing in. To get over the pain more sin is committed, then more guilt, it is a vicious, self destructive cycle that no one intends to happen, but it can happen to anyone, even the strongest Christian. How can we be healed from this disease? Jesus. He will help us heal, the first step is coming to Him. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:8,9.

David knew all too well the importance of seeking God to be healed from the affliction he faced for his sins. There were numerous times in which David would realize the affliction he faced was sin related, in which he would go to God in prayer. “O LORD, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore. There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin. For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee. My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me. My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off. For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.” - Psalms 38:1-4,9-11,15.

God knows all too well the real pain from sin is not in committing the actual act, but in the guilt and shame from sinning against God Himself. The world does not see sin as we do, to the Christian, we see it as something we did against God, and that alone makes us ashamed to even come to God for forgiveness. No matter what we need never to be ashamed to come to Jesus, He will even help us through the pain it caused. Just because we are saved that does not mean that we know Jesus, we need to come to Him to be healed. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30.

Going to Jesus does something to us, it literally makes us think twice about doing something and if we do sin, the Holy Spirit is sure to bring it to our attention so we acknowledge it. Perhaps the one thing that gets more Christians in trouble is their mouth, and David knew this all too well also. He seeks the strength of God to watch what he says. “I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred. My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue, LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee. Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish. I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it.” - Psalms 39:1-4,7-9.

To make haste means to hurry, the second we go to God in prayer, whether it is to seek forgiveness of sins, a need, or a healing, God gets right on it. Now, it may seem as though He is not doing anything, but part of getting things right with God is having patience to endure the affliction as He is working. David knew this and while he did not always understand why he had to wait so long, he did understand that God had done some wonderful things in his life. “I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.” - Psalms 40:1-4.

So, you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour and have made the choice to live your life for Him, but something happened, you fell into sin and away from God. Now, you are guilt ridden and want to get out of the mess you are in, but do not know how. What do you do? Pray. “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” - James 5:16.

Do you think David did not get a little down at times? He asked God numerous times, “Where are you, God?” For about 10 years he remained in exile, constantly on the move from Saul who was trying to kill him. One thing David learned while in exile was that he must continually praise and glorify God, even through his affliction. “I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God? Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” - Psalms 42:9-11.

The soul is center of everything we do, it feeds off our desires, if we are walking in the Spirit, it desires the things of the Spirit, likewise, if we are walking in the flesh it desires the things of the flesh. However, if you have been walking in the Spirit you can be sure that your soul will not take walking back in the flesh too well. You feel pain that you never felt before because your soul does not feel God in it. The truth is God is still there, we just need to awaken His Spirit by renewing ours. How? Sing praises to God and get in His Word. We will find hope and healing when we get to God in the way that He wants us to. “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” - Romans 15:4,13.

Today's Prayer: God, As much as I love You and want to live my life in Your will, I know that all it would take is for me to take my eyes off you for a second to turn me into a self destructive mess. Lord, I know I am going to mess up sometimes, but do not let me forget all that You have done for me and what You have waiting for me as I patiently wait for You to work Your work in me. Give me Your power to have patience, help me to endure all my affliction, let me not be tempted to walk in my flesh, and give me Your grace to keep going when I want to give up. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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When Trouble Comes

Date: Sunday, June 14, 2015
Chapters: Psalms 35-37
Message Title: When Trouble Comes

Hello My Friend,

Trouble, we really do not want it, yet much too often we find ourselves getting into it. Whether it is something we walk into ourselves or seem to have inherited from someone else, we cannot escape it. We can get out of it and we can do things to avoid it as much as possible, but we can't do it alone, we need someone stronger than us to see it through. “Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.” - Psalms 37:37-40.

People, we are all different shapes, colors, and sizes, and all with different personalities too. Some people are humble and meek, but most are proud and arrogant. While we can all be proud and arrogant sometimes, some are down right consumed with themselves, which is the very reason why they reject God or worse, pretend that they know Him, but are deceptive. Trouble comes when we listen to these people and allow them to influence us. However, we can overcome this, but the only way we can is by getting closer to God. “False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not. They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul. But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom. This thou hast seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me. Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord. Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.” - Psalms 35:11-13,22-24.

Our only defense against false witnesses is walking with Jesus and living our lives in the Word of God. We can learn about and avoid troublemakers by knowing God's Word and making it a part of our daily routine. “For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” - Titus 1:10,11,15,16.

The majority of the time trouble comes when allow ungodly people to come into our lives. We cannot always avoid people, especially when they are family, but can know how to handle them. God is our strength to handle every person who causes trouble in our lives. “The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart. Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.” - Psalms 36:1,7-11.

The fountain of life, there is no pleasure in this world that can give us life, or make us feel alive, and I am not talking about temporary pleasures to liven up the flesh. I am talking about permanent pleasures that liven up the soul and spirit. True pleasure comes from having a relationship with Christ, it goes well beyond any pleasure that we can get from our flesh. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” - Galatians 5:22-25.

If we are in a position where we are facing trouble because of troublemakers, the best thing we can do is work on our relationship with God. We need not worry about them because God will handle them, if we seek the things of God He will show us how to overcome all of our troubles. “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.” - Psalms 37:1-7.

To fret means to get angry or agitated by those who cause trouble in the first place. We cannot do anything about their behavior, they must change that on their own, but we can do something about our, do not get angry with them or become so agitated that we retaliate. God will handle it, and the best way we can move on and get out of the trouble, or even avoid more trouble is to hand it all over to God. “Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” - Romans 12:17-21.

Today's Prayer: God, We know when trouble is coming, Your Holy Spirit inside of us warns us of that, yet quite often we fall right into when it does. Lord, help us through all of our troubles, give us Your power to overcome every person or obstacle that makes trouble for us. Lead us and guide us, give us the wisdom to handle trouble when it comes and keep us under Your wings so that we do not get deceived or fall with those who are trouble. Help us to trust You in every situation, to not seek vengeance on our own, to wait patiently for You to handle the situation, and to keep walking with Your Son so that we can bring them all to pass. In Jesus' name, Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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