Thoughts ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZONPRTOFF dateof comment Look Inside Data Conditions:Order: 1|2|3| Dateof Comment 05/05/2024 We are entering into a time when prayer is needed more than ever. I talked about it some in February 2023 but prayer is big topic. Prayer is only between God and the individual and God and his body. God is required to make the equation work. Even the Holy Spirit talks to God through prayer. Make sure your prayers please our King: 1 John 5:14-15 NLT And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. Matthew 6:5-7 New Living Translation Teaching about Prayer and Fasting 5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. 7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Matthew 7:7 Effective Prayer “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. Some things in life can only be conquered by prayer: Mark 9:29 Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer.” Paul says that we need to be persistent in our prayers. The Holy Spirit can lift things up to God that we may forget: Ephesians 6:18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Colossians 4:2 An Encouragement for Prayer Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Notice that staying alert is mentioned in both verses. The human filter can block the hearing or seeing from God. We need to concentrate on what we are praying and be ready when he answers. Colossians 1:3 Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Praying in an audible voice when you are by yourself praying works: Hebrews 5:7 While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. Jesus knew what we would do when he quoted his prayer Matthew 6:9-13. 1st he knew that God could become a routine. He wanted us to keep his name fresh and always have reverent fear for Yahweh. 2nd he wanted to see what Joel 2:28 predicted to save as many people as possible. 3rd he knew the importance of surrender to the will of God. 4th God Loves the thankful heart. God wants to hear it from your mouth. 5th He also knew that our sin nature requires asking for forgiveness. But why should God forgive us if we are not willing to forgive others. 6th In order to win in a spiritual battle, we have the power to bind the enemy, but we must declare it in the name of Jesus. The easiest way to get away from the enemy is when he is bound. Matthew 6:9-13 New Living Translation 9 Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today the food we need,[a] 12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. 13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,[b] but rescue us from the evil one. I am not good at fasting, but I do know that if you want to supercharge your prayers, you will see a radical performance increase when fasting is included. 04/23/2024 We all know that the primary reason Jesus came was to replace the old system of animal blood sacrifice with his. Jesus paid the final price for us. Isaiah 53:5-6 (New International Version) But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 NLT O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. Galatians 2:20 (New Living Translation) My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT 8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Jesus does so much more than just cover our sins. He has a lot of titles besides being our high priest: 1 Timothy 2:5-6 (NIV) For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. What is a mediator? The definition is: noun a person who attempts to make people involved in a conflict come to an agreement; a go-between. What is interesting are the synonyms: arbitrator, arbiter, negotiator, conciliator, go-between, middleman, intermediary, moderator, intervenor, interceder, intercessor, reconciler, broker, honest broker, liaison officer, peacemaker, umpire, referee, adjudicator, judge. Jesus does all of these things for us. Now we need to do this for him: Philippians 1:29 (New Living Translation) For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. This is the pattern to know how to follow Jesus: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 GNT 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, 17 so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed. 04/13/2024 Why God are you letting me get screwed like this? Have you ever asked this question to yourself before? This sums things up in one paragraph: Faith doesn't always take you out of the problem, Faith takes you through the problem. Faith doesn't always take away the pain, Faith gives you the ability to handle the pain. Faith doesn't always take you out of the storm, Faith calms you in the midst of the storm. Ask the Holy Spirit for greater faith: 1 Corinthians 12:9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. Continue to let Love live: 1 Corinthians 13:7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Paul wants everyone to encourage each other to finish their own battle: 2 Corinthians 1:24 But that does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice. We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm. Make sure your faith is God based: James 1:6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. When we go through storms: 1 Peter 1:7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. Pay special attention to this part of the verse: "So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world." You are not alone ever: 1 Peter 5:9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are. There are even supplements you can take for faith: 2 Peter 1:5-7 NLT 5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. For others who are in extreme difficulty: Jude 1:22 And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. The purpose of faith: Hebrews 11:6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. 04/03/2024 Why is it when God tell us things that we have to butcher, add or twist things around. The tree of knowledge is a good One: Genesis 2:15 NLT 15 The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. 16 But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— 17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” Genesis 3:2 NLT 2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’” Eve said we will die if we touch it. That is not what God said and if it was true he would not have left that tip out. This is one they like to take the word "love" out of: 1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. This is one they always drop verse 2 so they do not have to stand against evil. Judgement is required in order to determine if someone is sinning: Matthew 7:1 NLT Do Not Judge Others “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Matthew 7:2 NLT For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. This will definitely blow the bubble on the anti-judgers: 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 NLT 12 It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. 13 God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.” It is your responsibility to judge people in the church. Even though our constitution is not God's word, but I do know that a lot of praying went on when the document was being produced. This means the document is inspired by God. "Separation of church and state" is not actual written in the document as quoted but it says that government has no control or say in what occurs in the church. This was created by weak people who wanted no conflict in their life and created this crutch. If these people would read the OLD TESTEMANT they would understand that godly leaders bring blessing to the country. Demonic leaders bring curses to the country. It is an insult to God to accuse him of writing a provision in the constitution to keep the church apart from our leaders who also need Jesus Christ. Just remember this: if every man, woman and child become Christians and we continue putting demonic people in place to run our nation, we will be cursed. The key is getting godly people running the country. The rest will follow. On the final note, learn what things say in God's word and prevent the modifications. 03/09/2024 When you read scriptures, it is interesting how God has references to special numbers. The ones that we see in our ministry are three, seven and seventeen. Three is the coolest number because it represents the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We should call them the Magnificent 3. There was an old Western that I liked to watch that was called the Magnificent 7. Even back then the number seven refers to completion. That was enough to get the job done back then. But we all know that the magnificent three will do much more for us than those guys ever did in that movie. The magnificent three are eternal and stick around even after the job is done. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit definitely have a significant meaning in our ministry. What I thought of being cool is much more to our King then just cool. This is something our King always wanted to do. When we started the ghetto ministry, I was giving $140 per family. Nothing real special about fourteen. As inflation kept going, I stepped it up to a $150. I said to myself, 'You know 17 is one of God's cool numbers. Of course, $17 didn't buy many groceries so the decimal was moved one place. This is where I envisioned the three $50's to represent the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, but I had $20 left over. It did not take long to define the $20. So, it became "Here is another $20 for inflation." The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as you lay the fifties down bring tears of joy and the laying of the twenty brings laughter. I am beginning to realize the power of "in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit" over the money. If you do a search the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are mentioned only in: Matthew 28:19 NLT Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. This goes for all of us. It is not on a wish list but a command. One thing that happened right after we started anointing the money and laying it in their hands "in name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit" is family worship. The blessed families came together for the first time at the King Sooper to worship and glorify the name of our King. They continue to do that today. I know that John 14 talks a lot about the Holy Spirit. Read slowly verse 17 and especially 18: John 14:17-18 New Living Translation 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. The God's children in the ghetto know and understand the Holy Spirit. Even though it looks like you are coming close to be thrown out in the street, verse 18 says, "No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you." God knows what we are thinking when we are in financial hardship that is beyond our control. That is why he starts out by saying "No". This is to remove that thought from your head. The rest is the plan he has for your life. Now this is encouraging, and it definitely will build your faith as it does those in the ghetto. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit is going to change this community to the point where the enemy will want to go somewhere else where the Holy Spirit is less prevalent. As for me I am going to honor the Magnificent 3 until the ghetto is a community who only serves Jesus Christ. There are beautiful people who live there who only want to serve Jesus Christ. God also sees beautiful people there who want to serve him and that is why he sent me to help build his children's faith. Let the Magnificent 3 work power in your life! 03/02/2024 We can be dedicated to standing against evil and serving our Lord, but we should never lose our enthusiasm for loving each other and for Jesus Christ who laid it all down for us. Revelations talks about when we just go through motions like a machine. Revelation 2:2-6 NLT 2 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. 3 You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. 4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! 5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. 6 But this is in your favor: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do. How can we prevent this from happening to us? 1st and probably the most important thing is to develop a relationship with Jesus like you would with your children our spouse. A good relationship with Jesus is energizing to the soul and strengthens your love for him and people. 2nd thing is to get together with other believers and talk about things God is doing. When you hear about the amazing things God is doing it will help you get on track. 3rd thing is that God has a ministry for all of us. That ministry can not only develop our love for people but develop the love of others. Before God had us go into the ghetto, there was not a real lot going on and it was so dangerous that everyone had to be inside before dark. Because of the presence of God, you now see people out after dark. The people whom God has blessed are meeting every Saturday morning giving Glory to God. I believe they love God more now than they ever did in the past. This is the way we should all be. The biggest drag on our enthusiasm is the cares and distractions of the world. The enemy has planned to use this against us, and we need to be aware of it. My buddy has told me how God's ministry has affected the lives of everyone we are around. I feel most everyone loves the Lord more today because of the witness they see in ministry God gave us. We can all change the world for Jesus Christ and keep our enthusiasm for him. 02/10/2024 When you come across evil, how does it make you feel? David had something to say about it: Psalm 97:10 (New International Version) Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. What does hate mean? The dictionary defines hate as: verb (used with object) to dislike intensely or passionately; feel extreme aversion for or extreme hostility toward; detest: verb (used without object) to feel intense dislike, or extreme aversion or hostility. noun intense dislike; extreme aversion or hostility. Hostility is mentioned in the definition many times. What is the definition of hostility? hostility noun opposition or resistance to an idea, plan, project, etc. acts of warfare. David says that if we love the Lord that evil should be lighting a fire under us to the point where we should be standing against those things that disrespect our King. Burning down abortion clinics is not what he means. We still have the right in America to voice our opinions against evil. If we continue to sit still, we will lose our ability to stand against evil. That same verse also says that our God is not bound by men, and he plans to defend us against the wicked. I am ready for God to take out the evil people right now. Sometimes we feel that God is too slow at vindicating us. Peter explains why this happens: 2 Peter 3:9 New Living Translation 9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. Micah describes what Peter wrote more: Micah 7:18 New Living Translation 18 Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love This is still more proof on how much God loves us. 02/06/2024 When we are born our minds are basically empty. God knows this and so does the devil. It is a race to see who gets to fill our minds first. This is why God asks us to bring up our children teaching his ways. The devil has no honor and can deceive us to go his way with a variety of tricks. God only can use the truth which has one path. Psalm 33:4-5 (New International Version) For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. King Solomon was the wisest and richest man who ever lived. He discovered this to be true: Proverbs 21:21 (New Living Translation) Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor. Jesus had the wisdom of the Holy Spirit in his time and also figured it out: Matthew 6:33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Solomon definitely saw this principle come true: 1 Kings 3:7-14 NLT 7 “Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around. 8 And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! 9 Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?” 10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. 11 So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies— 12 I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have! 13 And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life! 14 And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.” Remember that we serve the same God as Solomon did. You may never see the great wealth that Solomon experienced but you will be much better off living for God. Never forget that God does not desire us to be poor. There are things in his word that ask us to take care of widows and people in need. You cannot do any of those things if you are broke. What can bring more Glory to our King than a "wise and understanding heart"? Watch out! God may even honor you before men like he did King Solomon. 01/20/2024 We all know that we are supposed to model our lives after Jesus Christ. But what if we don't? When David came back to his senses, he repented and asked God not to forget him. He really shared everything on his heart that was bothering him. I would not be surprised that some of us may have experienced what David had before we came to give our hearts to Jesus: Psalm 38 NLT A psalm of David, asking God to remember him. 1 O Lord, don’t rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your rage! 2 Your arrows have struck deep, and your blows are crushing me. 3 Because of your anger, my whole body is sick; my health is broken because of my sins. 4 My guilt overwhelms me— it is a burden too heavy to bear. 5 My wounds fester and stink because of my foolish sins. 6 I am bent over and racked with pain. All day long I walk around filled with grief. 7 A raging fever burns within me, and my health is broken. 8 I am exhausted and completely crushed. My groans come from an anguished heart. 9 You know what I long for, Lord; you hear my every sigh. 10 My heart beats wildly, my strength fails, and I am going blind. 11 My loved ones and friends stay away, fearing my disease. Even my own family stands at a distance. 12 Meanwhile, my enemies lay traps to kill me. Those who wish me harm make plans to ruin me. All day long they plan their treachery. 13 But I am deaf to all their threats. I am silent before them as one who cannot speak. 14 I choose to hear nothing, and I make no reply. 15 For I am waiting for you, O Lord. You must answer for me, O Lord my God. 16 I prayed, “Don’t let my enemies gloat over me or rejoice at my downfall.” 17 I am on the verge of collapse, facing constant pain. 18 But I confess my sins; I am deeply sorry for what I have done. 19 I have many aggressive enemies; they hate me without reason. 20 They repay me evil for good and oppose me for pursuing good. 21 Do not abandon me, O Lord. Do not stand at a distance, my God. 22 Come quickly to help me, O Lord my savior. God did restore David because his story was in many books in the Old Testament. The real sad part of Psalm 38 is that these two verses never go away: 19 I have many aggressive enemies; they hate me without reason. 20 They repay me evil for good and oppose me for pursuing good. Jesus, who never sinned, experienced this when he was doing what the Father asked of him. We will also experience what he experienced if we serve him: Matthew 10:25 Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names! This one comes with a promise. Jesus smiles when we live for him. He will acknowledge us before the Father: Matthew 10:22 And all nations will hate you because you are my followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved. Others who are "truly" Gods children will want to support you as you walk for Jesus. They too will be excited for you to succeed. You will not be alone. You also need to be excited and encourage those who have their own walk with Jesus. You will make a difference not only to God's "real" children, but you will bring Glory to Jesus Christ when they see how you live. 01/18/2024 We live during a time when there are so many cool gadgets and cars that can put a lot of fun in our lives. This temptation to have it all can take us away from serving our King. Paul understood what this temptation was like and had something to say about it: 1 Corinthians 10:13 (New Living Translation) The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. Even though God says that the temptation will not be greater than we can bear, God still wants to be part of the solution to help us avoid these temptations. Pay attention to the word "temptation". The biggest lie the enemy tries to convince us is that we do not need God to prevent bad things from happening in our lives. Jesus knew that we cannot endure everything that life dishes out and wrote: Matthew 11:28-30 NLT Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Jesus loves us so much that he wants to help his children get through their struggles. Don't insult our King by living for the world and using him for the last chance to get out of trouble. He will not be mocked. 01/16/2024 We all have a sinful nature, but I have found out it is easier to control it if someone is watching. No one wants to be busted or embarrassed by a behavior because someone is watching. If we are serious about who Jesus is, Paul has the answer: Galatians 5:16 (NLT) So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The Holy Spirit wants to be so real to us where he appears like someone who is here in the room in the physical. I have observed those who truly walk with the Spirit live a Godlier life then those that distance themselves from the Holy Spirit. One of the gifts of the Spirit is self-control. We still may still sin, but the number of occurrences will greatly drop. Other benefits the Holy Spirit provides are peace, freedom from fear, and the ability to forgive others. The coolest thing the Holy Spirit has is direct communication to the Father. So, when we let the Spirit pray for us, we can expect big things to happen to us. Take advantage of the Holy Spirit that Jesus sent us when he returned to the Father. Everything Jesus did was by the power of the Holy Spirit because he was as human as we are. That same Spirit will help us reach the unsaved and perform the same miracles that Jesus did. John 14:12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. 12/05/2023 When we sin against God and man our personal sin is not rated by Jesus based on severity. But when we cause any of his children to sin by our actions it is a different story: Luke 17 New International Reader's Version 17 Jesus spoke to his disciples. “Things that make people sin are sure to come,” he said. “But how terrible it will be for anyone who causes those things to come! 2 Suppose people lead one of these little ones to sin. It would be better for those people to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck. 3 So watch what you do. Jesus said, "But how terrible it will be for anyone who causes those things to come!" You can expect terrible things to happen to you when you lead others astray. In order to protect yourself you need to know what sin is as defined by God's word. Wokeness leads people astray to their destruction. As so-called Christians believe homosexuality is OK. Roman 1 says it is not. What is this gender confusion? Genisis says that I am going to make a man. When man looked lonely God created woman. He made men and women with enough differences that anyone with an IQ would know which one is what. The sins being done to influence others to do wrong will be judged by God like Jesus said. The reverse is also true. You bring up your children with biblical principles you will be blessed. If you oppose sin and do it in love like Jesus, you will also be blessed. People in leadership have a great responsibility to those under them. They have the power to demonstrate biblical principle which greatly please God. Remember the parable of the talents. Jesus in Luke 17:3-4 also wants us to warn those Christians who sin against you: “If your brother or sister sins against you, tell them they are wrong. Then if they turn away from their sins, forgive them. 4 Suppose they sin against you seven times in one day. And suppose they come back to you each time and say, ‘I’m sorry.’ You must forgive them.” They may never ask for forgiveness. Do not let them get you down or you will be held in bondage. Mark 11:25 But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.” Make sure though that if they do that you let go and forgive them. Matthew 6:15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. Remember when Stephen was stoned in Acts and Jesus was hanging on the cross. They both said, "Father forgive them. They do not know what they are doing." This is the power of forgiving: John 20:23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” Removing unforgiveness from your life gives you a newfound freedom and joy. Any bitterness you may have will also go. Now you can do great things for Jesus because you will be released from bondage. 11/16/2023 We all know that Jesus Christ loves the entire world because he laid his life down for all of us. I firmly believe that Jesus Christ does not love one person more than another. I firmly believe though that once we give our lives to Jesus Christ and began the transformation to mimic him, we become special. When you read John 17:9, you will understand why: John 17:9-10 NLT 9 “My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. 10 All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. God makes the first move before we can come to Jesus: John 6:44 NLT 44 For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. God knows all of us who will not bring glory to his son Jesus. He will not let his son waste his time on those people. Revelations confirms these people exist: Revelation 16:9 NLT Everyone was burned by this blast of heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had control over all these plagues. They did not repent of their sins and turn to God and give him glory. Revelation 16:11 and they cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores. But they did not repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. Revelation 16:21 There was a terrible hailstorm, and hailstones weighing as much as seventy-five pounds fell from the sky onto the people below. They cursed God because of the terrible plague of the hailstorm. Since Jesus was human on Earth. Just as we do, he had to rely on the Holy Spirit for his power. This is the same Holy Spirit that he has given us. That same Holy Spirit petitions for us if we're serving Jesus Christ and living like him. When we live like Jesus Christ, we bring glory to his name. Here are more verses that talk about God calling us to his Son: Ephesians 1:4 NLT Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. Galatians 1:15 NLT But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him. 1 Peter 1:2 NLT God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace. 1 Corinthians 1:2 NLT I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. Romans 1:6 NLT And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. Jude 1:1 NLT Greetings from Jude This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James. I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:3 Growing in Faith By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. Thes verses confirm we are special after we transform our lives to be like Christ. 2 Peter 1:10-11 10 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. 11 Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. In the ministry God gave us, he only allows us to take care of ghetto families who are his. He only brings gangs to us who are willing to give themselves to his Son. It would be interesting to know when the Holy Spirit is communicating with our Father, how many of those prayers are just for our Kings immediate families. You are special when you serve out King. 10/27/2023 Worshiping our King Have you ever asked the question about the best way to worship our King? I know that when we come together as a body and sing praises to our King that it greatly pleases him. The worship he really likes and wants is how we present our bodies to him. Romans 12:1 NLT And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don't stop exalting our King but how we live our lives rates the quality of our worship to him. 06/22/2023 We know that Jeremiah 29:11 talks about God having a plan for lives: Jeremiah 29:11 NLT 11 For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. As we begin to do things for our King, the enemy does everything in his power to get us to go somewhere other than where God put us. He knows that going against God's plan will either cause failure or complete destruction if we do our own thing. If we do not stay where God put us, it makes us vulnerable to the cause of the enemy. There is protection and blessing when we serve God where he wants us to be. When God took Israel out of Egypt, they began complaining and moaning about things and they ended up walking in the desert for forty years. During that time God did take care of them with the manna, quail and water from the rocks. That was the period of time for that generation to die off. But it was also true that there were no blessings given during that period of time because God did not want them there. They were supposed to be in the promised land already. When they finally did go into the promise land then the people begin to see God's blessings manifest. Even my buddy experienced the temptation to work with gangs in New York City. They would have paid him well with excellent accommodations. Before he said yes, God said, "Moving to New York glorifies you. You were called to serve where I sent you in Denver. " My buddy gratefully accepted what God had to say. Because he obeyed God, we both are witnessing miracles and blessings of what God is doing in Colorado. God is expanding things beyond our wildest dreams. He has expanded the gang ministry to include families in the ghetto, feeding and saving the homeless, prostitutes giving their lives to Jesus, and relationships with all those cool people in law enforcement. Finally, the last thing is the wonderful college students God has us minister to just to keep us young. If he would have disobeyed, God would probably have killed the ministry that we would have tried to change to glorify ourselves. We would have given up everything God had planed for us. Always remember this verse: Mark 8:36 NLT And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? This is a promise if we serve where God wants us to be: Psalm 91:1 (New Living Translation) Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty Even with the long weekends, my buddy always experiences the rest that David is talking about. Live where God wants you to live and you will begin to experience his abundance. Also never seek a church for what it can do for you but ask God to show you a church where you can both serve and glorify our King Jesus Christ. 04/17/2023 We should know by now about the only place in the bible that God commands us to test him: Malachi 3:10 NLT 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! I firmly believe we are going to see in this decade the largest transference of wealth from the wicked to God's people who tithe because of God's plan. Have you ever thought about what that would be like? Sounds pretty cool but remember what Timothy said about the power of money: 1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. I have thought about this and have talked it over with my prayer partner asking these questions about wealth: 1. Am I going to change my friends? This will be the first sign of trouble in your life. You are beginning to exalt yourself. 2. How are planning on using it? If you use it all on your own pleasures you are on the path to trouble. I believe one should spend money on yourself to prove to everyone that God can bless people financially to have some cool stuff. Do not forget about contentment though or it can ruin you. Remember Malachi 3:10 where you cannot out give God. Invest his money back into his Kingdom to be blessed even more. Have fun doing it. I have seen how investing money into God's families in the Ghetto has changed the community forever. Those who have received God's blessing have experienced large increases in faith and are coming together to worship God in a King Soopers parking lot. It is the type of worship that make me envious on how well they worship God. Nothing fancy at all but they are totally focused on pleasing God putting the clock out to pasture. God deserves this Kind of worship. The people in the ghetto greatly appreciate blessings. The first thing they do is put you on their prayer list. Could you imagine that if everyone who is blessed by your obedience is praying for you? You could have 100's of prayers going up into the heavens lifting you up. Now, that is a lot of prayer power. I believe Jesus Christ is going have the greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit ever. He needs us and our resources to accomplish his great plans. God's desire was to have the families protected in the Ghetto. I was given the privilege to help fill his desire. I do not want to have great wealth deviate me from seeing and filling God's desires. I believe as long as you heart stays in God's Kingdom, you will use great wealth wisely. 04/12/2023 When Jesus Christ hung on that cross, the criminals spoke to Jesus: Luke 23:39-43 NLT 39 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” 40 But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41 We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” 43 And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” I thought about what the criminals said to Jesus when I read this verse: Romans 5:6-8 (New Living Translation) When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Even though both criminals were probably scum, Jesus did not care. He was looking at the one man's heart when he laid his life down for us. Jesus laid his life down for the loveable and for the unlovable. This includes the politicians who run our government today. I never have seen so much hatred they have against the people. Unlike Jesus, I would have extreme difficulty laying my life down for these kinds of people who persecute the innocent. This next verse emphasizes even more what he did for us: 1 Peter 2:24 (New Living Translation) He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. But remember there is no record of the other criminal giving his heart to Jesus. This means he is spending eternity in the Lake of Fire while his buddy is in the Kingdom of God where Jesus is. So, it will be with those who persecute us today. Until we all come to Jesus Christ, our fate will be the same as the criminal who rejected Jesus Christ. 12/07/2022 When we think God has abandoned us, we should read Psalm 139. Why would he leave when he is near me all the time. The first 7 verses talk about how close he is to us: Psalm 139 New Living Translation 1 O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. 2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. 3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. 4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. 5 You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! Verses 7-12 explain that even if we try to abandon God we cannot get away from his presence. His love for us keeps him from giving up. 7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave,[a] you are there. 9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, 10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. 11 I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— 12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. Verses 13-16 Gives thanks to him for not creating junk. We are a masterpiece created in God's image. We are not put on a trophy case to be admired but to have a relationship with him. 13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. Since Jesus Christ has made us holy, God is always thinking about us as stated in verses 17-18 17 How precious are your thoughts about me,[b] O God. They cannot be numbered! 18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! Our God is a just God. He will come against your enemies as in verses 19-22. But God does like it when we pray for our enemies. Maybe they will have a change of heart because of our prayers. We will leave revenge up to our God. 19 O God, if only you would destroy the wicked! Get out of my life, you murderers! 20 They blaspheme you; your enemies misuse your name. 21 O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you? Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you? 22 Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies. The last two verses require that I let the worldly things go and start concentrating on Kingdom thoughts. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. 10/11/2022 When my buddy witnesses to the gangs he is dealing with broken hearts and men with little hope. He usually brings up: Jeremiah 29:11: (New Living Translation) 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. God's desire is to bless us and bring prosperity to everyone willing to go after it. We just need to remember why we were created. We all were placed on this earth to worship our King and serve him. A nation that does this is immensely blessed. Israel proved this in the old Testament and America has seen the result of this. But as Isreal also demonstrated their self destruction in the Old testament, America was in this same situation. We will never know how close we came to being decimated by our enemies. The restoration will be because covenant of the pilgrims with God and people praying: 2 Chronicles 7:14 (New Living Translation) 14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. Now that God is going to soon restore America, we can make plans to enjoy this new freedom. Those of you going to college are your plans to just make money? Money is cool except when God is left out of the equation. That money can become a curse. If you are working already you may already be climbing that ladder of success. But where is God in this conquest? Have you been demonstrating a godly life talking about Jesus? Be careful about advancing your career. Proverbs has something to say: Proverbs 19:20-21 (New Living Translation) Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail. It is always good to pray about any plans you come up with to make sure that you will not regret your decision. The Holy Spirit can give you peace in making a decision. If you do not experience peace it may because the plan is not good. God wants people in the work force. The people you come into contact with may only have you to hear about Jesus Christ. This is one of the reasons why we are here is to bring the Gospel to everyone. Plans that have God behind them and in them will be successful because our King is being Glorified. God has given all of us talents to dream big things. Just make sure your dreams include God at the center of it. 10/10/2022 Why is it when we begin a terrible trial of some kind, that is when we begin to search for God. God seems to have just left the scene with us holding the bag. David had one of those moments: Psalm 63:1 (New Living Translation) A psalm of David, regarding a time when David was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. God never leaves us. It is us who leave him. He is like the dad in the prodigal son watching for our return: Luke 15:20-24 (New Living Translation) 20 So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. 22 But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began. No other so called god does this for us. Isaiah has more to say about this: Isaiah 43:11-12 (New Living Translation) I, yes, I am the Lord, and there is no other Savior. First, I predicted your rescue, then I saved you and proclaimed it to the world. No foreign god has ever done this. You are witnesses that I am the only God,” says the Lord. Now this is the next question: Why do we seem to only search for God only when we have exhausted everything else. Here is the 24-7 answer to solve this question: Deuteronomy 13:4 (New Living Translation) Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him. This verse means all the time. If you are not going through anything major, you should be giving thanks: Colossians 3:17 (New Living Translation) And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. Our God wants to be our guide throughout the ups and downs of our lives. All we need to do is let him while we try to live that godly life to honor him. If we keep our focus on God's Kingdom, we will be asking God for wisdom to handle whatever life, or the enemy brings against us. After winning against our own trials, we can be an encouragement to other believers who may going through similar trials. There is something to be said about being encouraged by another believer.
