Thoughts ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZONPRTOFF dateof comment Look Inside Data Conditions:Order: 1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12|13|14| Dateof Comment 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. 01/12/2024 Isn't it interesting how often that things of life eventually come against us. We finally realized that we can't do everything ourselves and turn to God for answers. David himself had these moments: Psalm 118:5-6 (King James Version) I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me and set me in a large place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? God really does have a place for us. We may not even want to go there. But when we are where God wants us to be, he will be there with us in a big way. As long as he wants you to stay in this place, you will become invincible to any man. If you leave where God called you to go, you may see what other men will do to harm you. We know that apostle Paul's place was Asia. Which to me is a pretty large place. Paul was where God wanted him to be. Acts 27 talks about how the wind and the storms could not destroy him. He even warned the captain to what was about to happen if they left harbor. Our God always has a way out even when those around you are evil. When Paul prayed when the wind was about to destroy the ship, God answered his prayer quickly and saved everyone's life onboard the ship. That is another thing I have noticed is on how fast God answers prayers when we are praying about where we are supposed to be. Acts 28 talks about everyone being spared from the shipwreck. Paul was helping create a big fire when a Viper bit him. He just threw it in the fire and kept on going. He knew that God called him to go to Rome and understood that it would not happen if he was dead. If you don't know the story of my buddy, he too had a period when he was in distress. When he called out to God, he brought him to east Denver to reach out to the gangs. God has always protected him from danger until he tried to create his own place and almost died. He realized what he did and apologized to God for not listening. Even when we are in God's place, he can make changes if we ask. He was always getting banged around so we prayed that the leaders would prevent his men from laying a hand on him. God changed this immediately. We still had the pistols that were always drawn and even placed on the back of his head while reading God's Word. We then prayed that when he had God's Word in his hand that would be the cue to put their pistols away. God answered that prayer immediately. Now the gang members are looking for my buddy to ask him questions about forgiveness and they usually are hungry. He will be one of many who would tell you that God's place is not boring. If you have fear in your life, let God direct you to where he wants you. He will then always be by your side. The enemy will lose his power because of his presence and men will have no control over you. Don't go solo and lose what God has to offer. 01/05/2024 Look how Isaiah relates to Titus in my last comment. More proof God's word is never changing. Isaiah 1:16-17 (New Living Translation) Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. Isaiah was from centuries past, but the only difference from each was in the words each man used. The biggest priorities are getting that sin out of our lives and learning to do good. Titus 2:12-14 NLT 12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. 14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. 01/04/2024 They say that our God's word never changes. Check out what God said to Micah: Micah 6:8 (New Living Translation) No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. Now read what Titus wrote: Titus 2:11-12 (New Living Translation) For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God. Just look how they say the same thing. Titus had even more to say because Jesus has just completed what God's word talked about the coming of Jesus starting in Genisis. Titus 2:13-14 completes what is required to live for our King: 11 For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. 14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. We really have something to look forward to if we commit ourselves to serve him. After all he gave his life to free us from every kind of sin. With this newfound freedom we should be wanting to do good deeds serving others. Do you know that even smiling can change persons state of mind? I know of people who are released from depression just because of kind word or just stopping to help another person. This is all real. I asked my buddy who is helping us in God's ministry a lot. He revealed that Noah has been a big help. For Christmas I had Samuel's daughter give him a Red Robin gift card. These people live in the ghetto which is a difficult place to live. It was very emotional to him that someone who he never met would give of himself to bless him. His life is changed forever. There are other people out there who are waiting on us to respond. What is holding you back? I also know that some of you have already done this. Isn't this experience one of the greatest things that you have experienced. Remember this: Matthew 10:42 NLT And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.” and if you do it to one of God's children just because he belongs to Jesus: Mark 9:41 NLT If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I tell you the truth, that person will surely be rewarded. What a promise that Jesus gave us. 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. 10/29/2023 Refining our Walk to Look Like Jesus God has been having me collect silver for what he is about to do. When we are born, we are just like silver that has been just mined. The silver that he has me collect is 0.999 which is much more valuable than plain silver which has not been refined. To purify silver, you need to heat it hot to burn off the impurities. Many times, it has to be done more than seven times to get the impurities out. When we serve Christ, we have to have things in our life removed just like Isaiah said: Isaiah 48:10 I have refined you, but not as silver is refined. Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering. Another thing I learned about silver is that it cannot be automated very well. Each pass has to be watched by the silversmith. The same thing happens with God. He is watching every trial that occurs in our lives. When the silver is refined enough the silversmith will see his reflection in the silver. The same thing happens to us when God sees the reflection of Jesus Christ forming in our own lives. The silversmith also knows that the furnace temperature has to be controlled to keep from damaging the silver which than has to be thrown away. God watches the furnace of suffering in our lives. He never lets us be tempted beyond our control. If he was not there to watch our furnace of suffering, we would fail. We need God to handle the big things in life, both physical and spiritual, that come against us. Only God can turn the heat down. When God gets through with us, we will become like what God told Zechariah: Zechariah 13:9 I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure. I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘These are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’” We all know God is purer than the purest silver and so are his promises that come after the furnace of suffering. Psalm 12:6 The Lord’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over. 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. 10/04/2023 I watch How our judicial system is trying to take out Trump for the tiniest thing and quickly. Then I notice the opposite with Joe Biden with his son Hunter. They're trying to cover all that up. It seems like our judicial system only supports evil. It looks like we have to live with this because nothing can be done. Just because we see injustice in the land you need to read this from Psalms. It was written for what going on in 2023: Psalm 7:11-17 NLT 11 God is an honest judge. He is angry with the wicked every day. 12 If a person does not repent, God will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow. 13 He will prepare his deadly weapons and shoot his flaming arrows. 14 The wicked conceive evil; they are pregnant with trouble and give birth to lies. 15 They dig a deep pit to trap others, then fall into it themselves. 16 The trouble they make for others backfires on them. The violence they plan falls on their own heads. 17 I will thank the Lord because he is just; I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. It is OK to remind God what he placed in his word to him. Just believe these words are real and God is going to do something. But the last thing is the dirty word "patience" that I hate. God does things in a way to give people the chance to repent. Definitely do not forget verse 17 "I will thank the Lord because he is just; I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High." while God is judging the evil in the land. 10/01/2023 One question I hear quite often is to be able to hear from God. I notice that those who hear from God unusually have a strong walk with our King. It is interesting that almost every letter written in the New Testament talks about us striving to live a life like Christ. But have you thought about what that means? When Christ was resurrected, he sent us the same Holy Spirit that controlled his life while he walked on this earth. When we are living like Christ, we should feel the same things that he felt. Your thoughts will become like his thoughts. That same Spirit that Jesus used should reside in us after we become born again. That same Spirit speaks to us guiding our thoughts as we go about our day. John 3:3 NLT Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” That Spirit will open things up for us to be able to begin to hear from God. It is hard to hear from God if we cannot do these things Christ accomplished on earth: LOVE Even though we may not be able to love like he loves us, our love for our fellow man should increase as we grow in him. Any hatred you have for a person or family member will hinder God's communication with you. WICKEDNESS When we encounter wickedness how do we respond? This will also affect us from hearing from God. Jesus, at the beginning and end of his ministry went into the Temple and started throwing the tables of the thieves in the Temple. If wickedness does not get us into action, we are not living like Christ. I am not advocating the destruction of property like Jesus did, But I know that his Father told him to do that. The wicked use hardcore violence against everyone. We are not wanting to imitate them directly. But indirectly, we have things that we can do that please God. Voting can be an action that can be used to attack the wicked. God made it easy in the 2020 election to test us. He put up a godly platform on one side and a satanic platform on the other. He gave us the option to choose wisely. Many so-called Christians voted for the satanic platform which proves that they are not living like Jesus Christ. Jesus would never do such a thing. Remember there will never by a person who is perfect. Always support those who serve Satan the least. Matthew 12:26 NLT And if Satan is casting out Satan, he is divided and fighting against himself. His own kingdom will not survive. (You cannot mix God's platform with Satan's platform without dividing his Kingdom either.) Matthew 6:24 NLT “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. (You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money (this includes free government handouts and your pocketbook). If you are controlled by money, you need to let go: Matthew 6:33 NLT 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. (God does care about you finances but his values come first. You will never receive the blessings he wants to give and to be able to hear from him unless you put his values and desires first.) FORGIVENESS One thing that Jesus did was to forgive those with sin. Many times, he would come to their defense as the woman who they were going to stone. When he asked the crowd for the man without sin to cast the first stone, everyone left. But Jesus did not leave it at that. Even after they all walked away, he looked at her and said, "Go and sin no more." I know that we do not have the power to forgive the sins of those who do sins against other people like Christ can. But we are able to forgive those who do wrongs against us. And we are to accept those who have asked God to forgive their sins into his body. GOD NEVER SAID THAT Our biggest enemy in hearing from God is the human filter. Human thoughts can pollute the things that God is trying to reveal to us. I have heard that many of the people who prophesy have to be careful about what they watch on TV because it can influence the meaning of what God is trying to say. It is important that we only fill our mind with godly things. As Christ like followers, we should never be in a job situation that does not honor what God believes. You cannot tell me that working at a strip club would please God. This would also pollute our thoughts. GOD WINS One thing I began to realize is that when Roe versus Wade was thrown out by the Supreme Court, I thought it was cool. If Jesus would've been human today, he would have celebrated. Because that is one of the greatest victories that Christianity ever experienced in this country is by preventing the abortion of the young. As a body of labor's following Christ, we should have followed suit. All of these things determine how Christ like we are and can explain why sometimes we cannot hear from God. Always remember this: Matthew 7:7 NLT 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. Ask God and believe that he will answer. When I am hearing from God, I am never sure if it is from him. If it contradicts his word, it is NEVER from God. This requires you to know his word to make this decision. Even Gideon tested what he heard by giving God the two challenges to confirm what he was asked to do: Judges 6:36-40 Then Gideon said to God, “If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised, prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised.” And that is just what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out a whole bowlful of water. If you still are not sure, get close to someone else who knows God. Use each other to confirm what you heard from God. After a while, you will get more comfortable hearing from God. Just remember to keep your mind clean and let the Holy Spirit guide you in your walk with our King. 09/20/2023 I don't like what is going on with today's world and it is tempting just to stay at home to separate myself from this insane world. The problem with this is we will cheat ourselves from the joy God has for us. James mentioned this right away as he began writing: James 1:2-4 Faith and Endurance 2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. Running away from sin is a good thing but we should face troubles head on. We do not have to do it alone. James had an answer for problem solving. It is: James 1:5-8 5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 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. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. Even after doing all this, the long battle can begin to weigh down our spirit to the point we lose our enthusiasm serving our King. Paul has an encouraging word for us as he wrote to the Galatian church: Galatians 6:9 NLT 9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. God will give us great harvest of blessing if we keep our eyes on him and continue to do the things he asks of us. When we serve our King with our focus to please him, the world's problems seem so much smaller. 09/11/2023 It is amazing how many people struggle with self-worth. This should not be a problem because God does not make junk. This is a trick of the enemy to causes us to want to give up. Just think about it, why would God send his son to die for worthless junk. Paul's letter to the Ephesians has something to say about this: 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. David even realized the workmanship that God did to create us: Psalm 139:13-16 NLT 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. God has given us everything to maintain the masterpiece he made us to be. 2 Peter 1:3 NLT Growing in Faith 3 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. Expect fantastic things to happen when you do what he has called you to do. Romans 8:28 NLT 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. It is a fact that anytime you have a masterpiece, you are going to protect it at any cost. This is no different with God: Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT 8 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” He will even watch out for you for your enemies. Psalm 7:14-16 NLT 14 The wicked conceive evil; they are pregnant with trouble and give birth to lies. 15 They dig a deep pit to trap others, then fall into it themselves. 16 The trouble they make for others backfires on them. The violence they plan falls on their own heads. He has a vested interest in making sure that our path is remaining straight. Psalm 32:8 NLT 8 The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. When doubt tries to enter your mind, God many times will send someone to encourage you. Even the Holy Spirit can do this alone: Psalm 94:19 NLT 19 When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer. More proof we serve an awesome God and we know God does not lie. This is his desire if we do not abandon him to our selfish desires: Isaiah 43:1-4 NLT The Savior of Israel 43 But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. 2 When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. 3 For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place. 4 Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you. Do not let your weak faith make you doubt that he cannot accomplish this. He wants to do this for you. After all you are a masterpiece. 08/30/2023 In order to truly serve God properly we have to know who we are: Romans 3:23-24 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. 24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. Because of Jesus Christ we are now not guilty. Do not let the enemy use your past experiences to prevent you from being bold: 1 John 3:21 Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. Romans 5:21 So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Now that we know who we are, let's find out what God wants: 1 John 3:7-10 7 Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. 8 But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. 10 So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God. You see it does matter what we do after receiving God's grace through Jesus Christ. Like John says if we do not live properly or hate our neighbor the way we should, it sounds like the Lake of fire is our next destination. Grace is NOT fire insurance but is something that needs to be treated with respect just like the man who gave us this gift. I have noticed that those who have a good relationship with Jesus Christ have an easier time with living a righteous life. Develop that relationship with him. Read God's word, pray and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. He is willing to help build it. Let's make Jesus Proud of us. 08/27/2023 Have you wondered how people who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ begin to think and see things differently than others. People who call them Christians and who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will see things as the world sees it and many times will behave just like they do. There are many verses that explain why God's children see things the way God sees them. Colossians 2:3 In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Isaiah 50:4 The Lord’s Obedient Servant The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will Job 12:13 “But true wisdom and power are found in God; counsel and understanding are his Job 28:28 And this is what he says to all humanity: ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’” As you begin to accumulate this wisdom from God, you begin to see all the stupid things that people are doing. I always wonder if I am only one who thinks the way I do. I began reading a story on the telegram platform and I swear this lady was reading my mind. This is her writing that she quoted. I just added some Bible verses in between her writing to confirm what she was talking about. She starts here: It doesn’t seem fair… You look around and you see so many people completely oblivious to everything, happily going about their lives as if nothing had happened, was happening or will happen. I now get the saying ‘ignorance is bliss’, mind you, it’s only bliss until it’s not, by which time it might be too late. Jeremiah 10:21 The shepherds of my people have lost their senses. They no longer seek wisdom from the Lord. Therefore, they fail completely, and their flocks are scattered. Nonetheless, as the dial turns, as we transform and transcend, we are the ones that get to hear the static noise and the maddening dissonance. We are the ones that can see the chaos unfold, that get to feel the pain, the frustration and the anger, whilst the unaware plan their next holidays, enjoy the football match, watch their favorite soap opera, claim the weather has gone crazy and look forward to retiring. Luke 17:28-30 28 “And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business—eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building— 29 until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed. Sharing this insane world with the unaware is becoming increasingly difficult and irrationally unfair… Romans 5:4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. At times we feel the weight of the world on our shoulders, other times we feel the lightness of freedom within our souls and as we go through this rollercoaster of emotions, we must keep it to ourselves, knowing all too well, we wouldn’t be understood by those who think killing cows will solve climate change. Matthew 11:28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Their unconscious and unconcerned attitude gets on our nerves most of the time, whilst other times we envy the simplicity of their existence. This ride is exhausting, isolating and unnerving but there’s no way back, there’s no getting off, no stop button, no exit and no escape. One step after the other we must keep going, slowly learning ways to cope, to coexist and to enjoy each day as best we can, for these are days of our lives we are not getting back. 2 Timothy 3:12 Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. Many of us have lost a lot along this road, but there’s something we gained that will give us the advantage when the time comes; we gained strength, we realized our own power and we embraced the faith that keeps us going. It doesn’t seem fair right now, but let’s not forget, we don’t seek fairness, we seek justice, we seek freedom, we seek sovereignty and we seek LOVE like the world has never seen before. The pain, the suffering, the anger, the exasperation, the sorrow, the frustration and the rejection we feel, is the price we must pay for what is coming. Bliss will be in the hands of the conscious, the truthful and the faithful. The ignorant just have a limited time to wake up before it’s too late. I hope they do. ?????????????????? end quote https://t.me/LauraAbolichannel 2 Thessalonians 1:4-9 We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. 5 And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. 6 In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you. 7 And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. Everybody needs to stand firm and not lose hope. I'm even telling myself that I need to do this also. We have a world today that desperately needs Jesus Christ to deliver us from this madness. The only thing that we can do is continue to stand up for godly principles in the way we pray, bind the enemy, vote for godly platforms (Many so called Christians voted for demonic platforms in the last two elections) and speak to our fellow man about the things of God. Oh, by the way GOD WINS!!! this last spiritual battle where Jesus will get his message sent to every nation on this earth. He will also remove the lukewarm from his church of today. This modified church will make the devil tremble and perform miracles in a magnitude that has never been seen before. 08/21/2023 I really believe that when we really begin to love God that our lives become this: Psalm 42:8 (New Living Translation) But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life. There are truly people who love God this much and live this kind of life. I myself am trying to work towards this goal of loving God like this. God does not do anything that harms us. It is just the opposite as Isaiah said: Isaiah 33:22 (New Living Translation) For the Lord is our judge, our lawgiver, and our king. He will care for us and save us. In fact, God would rather have us victorious in our walk with him as the Psalm says: Psalm 149:4 (New Living Translation) For the Lord delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. So, let us watch our attitude so we too may be victorious as we walk with our King. When we accomplish Psalm 42:8, we will want to do as Paul asks the Corinthian church. 2 Corinthians 10:17-18 (New Living Translation) As the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.” When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them. Bring Glory to our King with a pure heart and actions and he may send you to amazing places that you never have dreamed it was possible. I have witnessed it firsthand what our King is capable of doing. 08/09/2023 One of the best ways to understand who God is by reading his word. Many of us, including me, have weak spots when it comes to thoroughly reading the word. Distractions and events many times keep us from reading that word in the Bible that we need to grow in God's Kingom. The word "grow" is an action. James has something to say about this: James 1:22 (New Living Translation) But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. If we are not fully versed in God's word, we will be weak in our walk. Samuel was well versed living in the environment of the priests. Even with all the exposure he had with the things of God, he still dropped the ball as recorded in this verse: 1 Samuel 16:7 (New Living Translation) But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Samuel made his judgment by what man taught him. I even wondered if he even prayed before making his decision. After we learn from God's word, we still need to pray and ask to receive wisdom that the Holy Spirit wants to give us. Never forget that when you are serving God properly that he wants to do this: Jeremiah 33:2-3 (New Living Translation) “This is what the Lord says—the Lord who made the earth, who formed and established it, whose name is the Lord: Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come. Only a friend will share secrets with you. It is no different with God. When we develop that personal relationship with Jesus Christ, he wants to share with us what he knows. 07/31/2023 The New Testament is full of references that talk about the power of the name of Jesus Christ. But have you ever thought about that man who laid his life down for us whose name is "Jesus Christ"? What kind of emotion do you feel when his name is mentioned? I've seen so many people get so excited about sports figures, actors in Hollywood, and even musicians. They will go nuts just to be part of the action. Will we show the same emotion for our Lord Jesus Christ when his name is mentioned? Why is the church not as excited about Jesus Christ as the world is about the individuals who we idolize. I can tell you that these individuals we idolize only care about what is in our pocketbooks while Jesus cares about our souls. He cared so much so that he laid it all down for us. The people we tend to idolize will never lay their lives down for us ever. I have seen people get excited about Jesus. There are people in the ghetto who give up their Saturday mornings just to worship Jesus Christ. They jump up-and-down and get excited. They live this verse: Philippians 2:9-11 (New Living Translation) Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. This verse describes those people who truly love the Lord. They understand what he did for us by dying on that cross. This should be an automatic reflex when we have that personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This next verse will never return void: Psalm 138:2 (New Living Translation) I bow before your holy Temple as I worship. I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness; for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name. There is a lot of cool things that come about because of the reverence of the name Jesus Christ: John 15:10 (New Living Translation) When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. Romans 1:16 (New Living Translation) For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. Psalm 18:30 (New Living Translation) God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. Psalm 119:7 (New Living Translation) As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should! 07/22/2023 Jeremiah 32:17 (New Living Translation) “O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you! One of the coolest things that Jesus did was when he walked on the water. Even as fascinating was when Peter asked to walk to him and actually started doing it. There are at least two things that can be learned from this story: Mathew 14:22-33 NLT Jesus Walks on Water 22 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. 23 After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. 24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. 25 About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” 27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” 28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” 29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. 31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” 32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed. Have you ever thought about the phrase "little faith". The English language is dumb in the fact one word may mean many things. Check out the word "little" from dictionary.com. If you are like me, you automatically attach definition 1 to this phrase. It takes huge faith to be able to take that first step into the water. Jesus was referring to his faith as definition 2 calls it. Check out all the definitions that this one word has. When we read God's word it is important that we interpret each word with its proper definition, or we will receive the wrong message. little [ lit-l ] See synonyms for: little least lesser less on Thesaurus.com adjective,lit·tler or less or less·er, lit·tlest or least. 1. small in size; not big; not large; tiny: a little desk in the corner of the room. 2. short in duration; not extensive; short; brief: a little while. 3. small in number: a little group of scientists. 4. small in amount or degree; not much: little hope. 5. of a certain amount; appreciable (usually preceded by a): We're having a little difficulty. 6. being such on a small scale: little farmers. 7. younger or youngest: He's my little brother. 8. not strong, forceful, or loud; weak: a little voice. 9. small in consideration, importance, position, affluence, etc.: little discomforts;tax reductions to help the little fellow. 10. mean, narrow, or illiberal: a little mind. 11. endearingly small or considered as such: Bless your little heart! 12. amusingly small or so considered: a funny little way of laughing. 13. contemptibly small, petty, mean, etc., or so considered: filthy little political tricks. adverb,less, least. 14. not at all (used before a verb): He little knows what awaits him. 15. in only a small amount or degree; not much; slightly: a little-known work of art;little better than a previous effort Now that we understand how the meaning of a word can change God's message, the moral of this story is that faith and fear cannot exist together. One will override the other. When Peter saw Jesus, he had no problem walking on the water. When he took his eyes off of Jesus, he could see only wind and waves which cast fear into his life. His faith was immediately taken from him by fear. God is looking for long duration faith. Life continually plays tricks on us by making us think we do not matter, or we say "too much time has passed. I must have heard it wrong." This can also be a faith killer. You have not had your faith tested until you walk in Noah's shoes. He waited 120 years to see it happen. He did have one advantage that he knew that God would not flood the earth until the boat was finished. If Noah lived with fear of being ridiculed by others and even the fact that nothing like this ever happened before he never would have completed the boat. It is no different today. Fear is given by the enemy. We need to bind him up and get rid of his fear. This will allow for the "long duration" faith that God wants in our lives to build. Having reverent fear for our King is something we do not want to lose. This can actually build our faith.
