Rejoice in Sufferings? Who you kidding?

Romans 5:1-5:

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.

Verse 1-2: Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

I am going to begin with what I feel is the most important building block to living a successful life according to God’s teachings. Accepting Jesus is the foundation of our life. You see the only way we can gain access to God is through Jesus Christ, by accepting Christ as our Savior and Lord of our lives. You must believe by faith Jesus Christ died for our sins on a cross, was buried and raised 3 days later by God Almighty’s power. Once you receive Christ into your heart, the Holy Spirit, who is the 3^rd man in the Trinity comes to live in your heart. As a matter of fact the Holy Spirit doesn’t just come to live in your heart He is sealed in your heart. Ephesians 1:13 says, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise”.

Essentially you have God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’s Spirit sealed up in you forever and ever and no one, not even you can take away the Holy Spirit from living inside you once you have accepted Jesus as Lord the Savior.

Without Jesus, we are so unworthy and unholy to stand in His presence because we sinners. But Christ has now given us access to the Father, when we pray, read His word, communicate His message to believers and non-believers, and most importantly live our lives daily that is acceptable to Him. Jesus said in John 15:5 “Apart from Me you can do nothing”, so without Salvation and Christ living inside us, we can nothing of eternal importance. But through God’s grace He has given us His beloved son, who settled the relationship between God and man. We have been given peace, a peace that surpasses all understanding. That is why Christ said in John 14 “I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes to the Father in heaven except by me.” He is the reason we can stand in the presence of our Holy God.

Verse 3-4 “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

Do you know we can rejoice during our sufferings? As Christians we can have faith in God to know He sees every situation, every tear, every broken heart, and most importantly know everything is under His control. But we must remember, while He is in control, we also have free will and must CHOOSE to trust in God. Wait on Him during our sufferings. Even though we are sometimes surrounded by friends or family who are not obeying God’s word, this does not give us an excuse to act sinfully.  We are called to live by every word from the Word of God.  God won’t make us obey Him or have faith in Him, it is a choice. We have to choose to tap into the Holy Spirit to comfort us, encourage us, and to feel His presence.  How do we this? You do it by praying daily and reading God’s word. Listen precious ones; God’s word is power, Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 “For we know brothers loved by God that He has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with POWER, with the HOLY SPIRIT and with deep conviction.”

I will even add; you can avoid quite a few trials if you would just live by God’s word, it’s to prosper and protect us, never to harm us. A lot of our own problems are caused by our own sinful behavior or actions. Listen 1 Peter 1:13-14 tells us “Therefore prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.”

Here is the ultimate goal when we go through trials and are suffering; it is so the Lord God Almighty can be glorified.  God will always honor our obedience, and people will take notice how you act during the problems, sufferings, and trials in your life. That is why we need to let Christ’s light shine through us during the darkness of our storms. 

We will always have problems in life; we can’t run from them, ignore them and hope they go away. But what we can do is face them, because we have a God that is greater than any mountain in our life. I love what Dr. Falwell used to say, “We need to stop telling God how big our mountain is and start telling our mountain how big our God is”!! Even if you are the one who caused the trial or suffering, it’s ok, turn it over NOW to God and let Him take the reins from here on out. He wants to, so just let go and trust Him. He is God Almighty!

Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” This should be our goal, to fight the good fight and finish the race strong.

Verse 5 “Hope does not disappoint; because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit was given to us.”

This is my favorite part. I want you hear this great truth. When we are suffering, our blessed hope is Jesus Christ. Why are we to have hope in Jesus, because He never fails? This verse started out saying, “We need to rejoice during our sufferings because it produces; perseverance, character, and hope.”

Trials show what we are made of. God gives us endurance and strength during our suffering, tells us to push on, which in turn produces character, experience, helps us grow, and ultimately produces hope/love in our Salvation. Ok hang with me here because I’m going to show you a great truth. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 says this, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” That my beloveds is just who God is. Because in 1 John 4:8 says “God is love”.  Beth Moore put it this way, “God is love, it is His isness, He can’t be anything other than love.” So here the point, trials ultimately produce hope, hope is love, love is God, and love never fails, meaning God will never fail. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. His love is free; it overflows in abundance, and a gift given by Jesus who paid it all. All we have to do is accept Christ and this is the type of treatment we get in return.

My last point and I will conclude. What will you do with your life? God has a plan and purpose for your life. His word says in Ephesians 4:4 “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling.” You have a calling for your life, God says that you do. The only way sweet friends to find your calling is to ask God to reveal Himself to you daily, to show you the way He wants you to go and repent daily of your sins.  Be a man/woman after God’s own and please allow Him to change your heart. You should never stop growing in Jesus Christ. He has so much to teach you, but listen to Him when He calls, never be too busy for the Lord God, and be willing to go, when He says go.  Please don’t get caught up in the worldly pleasures because they bring no satisfaction and will disappoint. God never disappoints. His timing is so perfect. You’ve made mistakes, heck we all have, but life is not over. You press on and ask God to use you for His glory. Bringing glory to the Father is our purpose in life.  I know from experience so please take heed to this, you are the only one standing in the way of God’s plan for you. People can’t stop the plans God has for you; He will simply move them out of the way.  You are His precious one, His beloved child, who is called to greatness and now is the time to fulfill your calling for His kingdom. 

 Isaiah 43:1, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine." 

Are you prepared for the battle?

Are you prepared for the day of battle? Are you equipped with the tools you need if a surprise attack occurred?

The Word of God tells us as believers in 1 Peter 1:13-14, “Therefore prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.”

Do you know what those verses are telling us? Be prepared daily and do not live as you once did before you were saved by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. How do you prepare for the battle you may ask? You do it by arming yourself with the power of God’s word! You see many people think the Bible is only useful for spiritual things. Beloveds, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Our daily battle doesn’t even have to be a traumatic event, like cancer, death in the family, or divorce. It could be something along the lines of a boss who makes work a nightmare or someone who insults you/gossips about you. But no matter what you have to know and engrain in your heart and mind God is still God the darkness of life and we must act according to God’s word!! Someone being rude or treating you badly gives you absolutely no excuse for bad behavior.

Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 1:3-4 “Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you.” Meaning Praise God for He alone has given us hope in His precious Son Jesus, and that blessing will never die, never fade and will never be destroyed.

How often do we, when troubles come do we fly into panic mode? I mean we scramble to find a solution instead of waiting for the Lord to reveal to us wisdom on what to do during the situation. We don’t just get Godly wisdom on our own friend, but through prayer, reading God’s word, and from Godly men and women. The reason you must read the Bible daily is because it equips, encourages, and provides the tools needed to face the daily challenges. Knowing God alone is in control of every situation is comfort for me. Knowing He cares about my troubles and will provide hourly, daily, for my needs, strengthens for the day.

Alright, go a little further into 1 Peter chapter 1, we read in verse 16 Peter quoting Christ “Be holy because I am holy.” Christ is literally the perfect example on how we should live our life! Turn a few pages over to 1 Peter 2: 23 and look at how Peter describes how Christ dealt with situations and down right evil people.

“When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered He made no threats. Instead He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.”

Listen friend, God sees when we are mistreated, you don’t have to retaliate. God will judge accordingly.

What a beautiful picture. You know who ever said sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt must have lived in isolation because words do hurt. How great would it be if you could turn the other cheek when someone yelled hurtful words? Peter 3:8 says, “Live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. DO NOT REPAY EVEIL with EVIL or INSULT with INSULT but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” Christ wanted to be a friend to all, and we absolutely must do the same, even reaching out to those who may not like us. Christ was insulted and mocked by others, but the Bible says we should take joy in being mocked for His name. Love others even as Christ loves you and me.


Are you seeing the same picture I’m seeing? Listen up, if we don’t read God’s Word we miss out on the blessing of wisdom, love, grace, communication with God Almighty! One of the leaders at my Bible study said (paraphrasing what Linda said), “When trials come you need the power of God to help you. The Holy Spirit is given to believers, but if you’re not reading God’s word and memorizing scripture, verses are not just going to pop up in your head. You have to give the Holy Spirit something to work with.”

I suffered from anxieties/panic attacks. When I had some severe ones I didn’t know Bible verses to quote to calm my panic. But once I started writing them down and memorizing God’s word, I was able to quote scripture to calm my panic! God’s word is power friends!!! Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 “For we know brothers loved by God that He has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with POWER, with the HOLY SPIRIT and with deep conviction.” WHOA!! Can I get an Amen?☺

You can’t escape trials or suffering, but this is your assurance from God in 1 Peter 1: 7-9:

“These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire- may be proven genuine and my result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is reveled. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

I feel just overwhelmed reading that! My trials refine my faith like fire refines gold; that once I have suffered through my trial for a little while, my faith will be stronger and praise will be given to the Holy One who helped me through it. Beth Moore said once “Trails burn out what is fake and bring out what is real.” True right? We see people’s true character when hardships occur.

When you go through the storms of life, be a light and a witness of Jesus Christ! He is our example, read His word to live a life shadowing the Savior dear friends.

I see no shame in begging for the Salvation of those who are lost and when heaven is at stake. I beg you, if you don’t know Christ, I’m telling you, you need Christ. He will change your life inside out. He starts with the heart, and when you entrust your whole self to Him, He will radiate off you! You were made for His glory; He made you, loves you, and sent His holy blameless Son to die for you. There is no other way into heaven except by accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior!

I got to end with this verse, it is just too powerful to not speak of; Peter quotes it from Isaiah 40, but it is written as well in 1 Peter 1:24 “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall but the world of the LORD stands forever.” AMEN! 

Who do you want to be?

The Apostle Paul wrote with such passion to the church of Galatia in Galatians chapter 1, and I want to begin with verse 6: “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in grace of Christ to a different gospel, which in not another; but there are some who trouble you and to pervert the gospel of Christ”.

In our day and age I am sure we have all come across those who “pervert the gospel of Christ” as Paul wrote. You see there are many people who want to accommodate the Bible to fit their lifestyle. I most admire the apostle Paul’s courage and his straight talk to rebuke those who needed to hear truth even when he knew it would sting. Being a Christian is a lifestyle, not just something we do on Sunday mornings. Who do you want to be? The person who was a good and faithful servant, who fought the good fight till the very end or someone who compromised the Bible to live as the world lives?

Take homosexuality for an example; The Bible in Romans 1:24-27 said men exchanged the truth of God for a lie; men giving themselves to one another “committing what is shameful”. You see Christians in my opinion are becoming tolerant of this lifestyle. I will admit I was one of them, because I would watch shows like Will and Grace and become acceptable of their lifestyle. “It’s there life, not mine, so why should I care” I would say to myself. How sad that instead of praying for homosexuals I just excused their behavior, as “it’s their life”. This isn’t my life or their life- it belongs to the Lord God the Creator. Christ says homosexuality is an abomination. We are to love the person, but hate the sin. Receive them but not condone the lifestyle. The Bible is not tolerant of this behavior- it goes against the plan God has for people’s life. Two men or women cannot produce children. Be fruitful and multiply is what God says, homosexuals cannot do this. I don’t hate homosexuals, but I cannot accept their lifestyle anymore than someone who is an alcoholic.

Another example of people ignoring the Word of God is premarital sex. It is very rare to meet a teenager who is a virgin. God gave us a way to live for a reason; to protect us. His “rules” are to prosper us, not to harm us. Listen in Galatians 5:22-23 lists the Fruit of the Spirit and one is “self-control”. I am living example of this; I didn’t practice self-control and got pregnant at 19. Belle is my world, but having a child at the young age totally rocked my world. And Oh My Word, not too mention all the STD’s that are present nowadays. God sees the big picture- He knew that diseases such as aides, Chlamydia, syphilis, and the like would exist and I believe one reason He said don’t have sex until marriage is because He was protecting us. God created men and women to have sex and is to be used after holy matrimony! TV shows like Sex and the City say it is ok to have one-night stands, sleep with whom you want, do what feels right. This couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s like my dad says, “If you feed temptation you will fall every time.”

If someone tells you different than what the Word of God says, especially one who claims to be a Christian the Bible in Galatians 1:8 says, “If we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached, let him be accursed.”
You may not like what God has to say because it interrupts your lifestyle, but I can assure you that one day you will be judged, Christian and non-Christian alike. Sin will put you into bondage, but in Christ there is Liberty! Get this, sin doesn’t announce itself with a trumpet sound, it comes subtly. It’s like what I discussed earlier; Christians are told by God to turn away from sin such as premarital sex; yet we watch a few shows like “Friends” where unmarried couples live together and we become tolerent to that lifestyle. “Well I guess it’s not the worst thing in the world that a couple lives together and has premarital sex. I mean really, who is it hurting.?” You’re hurting God precious ones; when we sin, God hurts.

Hear me beloved friends; do not seek to please men; circumstances change all the time. Men/Women are imperfect beings that are sinful and will one day die away. But listen up; God is the sovereign LORD God Almighty, who is perfect and everlasting. I love when God refers to Himself as the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. One truth is this- God is ALWAYS reliable! Amen!

You know what helps me not want to live how the world lives; because I remember how unsatisfied I was before trusting in God and how meaningless life was. God’s way is so much better. I wanted to be as the world is; have a career; it didn’t matter to me if my family was second, because I was going to be a career woman making good money. Now God has changed me and I want to fulfill on this earth something of eternal importance for God’s kingdom. Be a woman or man after God’s own heart and He will change your heart. He loves you and wants to show His great power through your weaknesses. When you’re distressed just call on the name of Jesus- His name is power!

If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, don’t be a Christian who compromises. Don’t be a stumbling block to your unsaved friends. Watch your language, don’t go out drinking, stay out of bars, and reach unsaved people with the Gospel of Christ. Most importantly Don't Be Ashamed of the Gospel :)

If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, hear me, when you take your last breath you will undoubtedly go to hell. I don’t want you to go to the eternal lake of fire- I want to see your precious face in heaven. Accept Jesus as your Savior, He died for you because He loves you. You are not promised the next day, hour, minute, or second- accept Him before it is too late dear friends. God already knows you by name and He can't wait to add your name to the Lamb's book of life!

Most people know this verse, but it sums up perfectly the gospel of Jesus Christ:

John 3:16-17: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” 

It's all about me...right?

I’ve been doing a Bible study on King David. How precious this young shepherd was to God to call him a man after God’s own heart. However we learn in 1 Samuel 9 and 10 how the people of Israel wanted so badly a king to reign over them; to be like the other nations who had a king. God told the prophet Samuel, I will give them a king, but is not a king chosen by Me. Because of the impatience of the Israelites they received a mediocre king, king Saul.

I just have a few points to make about this story. So many times in the Bible God Almighty tells us to “wait on the Lord”. For His plan is perfect in every way. You see we are not too different from the people of ancient days. To compare; Americans were looking for a President to fix all the problems instead of praying about the right man to lead our nation. President Obama was elected and notice- our problems have worsened. My point is, man is not the fixer of problems, but God alone beloved ones is the One and Only answer to life’s trials.

Some where along the line we have taken God from being the sovereign Lord God Almighty to Santa Clause here is my wish list. He isn’t a God who we come to when we need stuff and a quick fix. God is love and wants us to prosper, but not according to our will but His will. Precious friends hear this truth, why do we want to make life difficult by doing things our own way? Why do we settle for the mediocre when God has perfect plan for your life? Too often we get like the Israelites; impatient and want what we want NOW! Sorry God, you were taking a bit too long. We want a man for companionship but instead of praying the right man God has for you, you settle for Prince Charming’s butler. You want another job, but instead of waiting for the one God has for you, you settle for the first one that sounds good.

Hear this- The Israelites wanting a king was not the issue; they just didn’t want to wait for God to anoint the right man for the job. We rush through life while God tells us to wait on Him. He has the perfect plan for you- take a breather and really pray about what God has called for you to do. You don’t know, ask the heavenly Father to reveal Himself to you. He promises His Holy Spirit will guide you. You don’t have the Holy Spirit in you? Ask for Jesus Christ to come into your life to become your personal Savior. Christ said, “You have not because you ask not”. Do not ask God for requests that are selfish- look at what your motives are. God does not bend to our will, it is just not how He operates. He looks at our life for His eternal glory, not our immediate gratification. A simple rule- He is God, we are not!

Listen friends once we learn this life is not all about us “me me me me me me” you’ll see how less complicated life can be. Because once problems start to arise-and indeed beloveds they will come like waves in a tropical storm, we need to know that God is the blessed hope and in control of every detail. Pray for wisdom on the situation, guidance through the storm, and peace that only God can provide and you’ll see the storm clouds passing by and the waves not as rough as they once were. I am speaking from personal experience. God is sovereign and pure truth. He is holy! The Bible says Holy is His name! Amen! Rejoice in this truth that God loves you and not a single incident goes by that He does not see.

I love what Beth Moore said, “God does not honor our neglect.” This is so true. Don’t expect God to answer prayers when you are neglecting Him, going out drinking every night, sleeping around (not married), and acting like the unsaved world lives. He won’t honor that lifestyle because it goes against the nature of who God is. Being a Christian is fun and satisfying. God surpasses dreams! Amen! Kay Arthur said once “God specializes in taking a mess and making it into a miracle”!

I used to say I wish I grew up in the 50’s because I just adore that era. But you know what God wanted me in this time, He has called me to be a witness for Him right now. Now is my time to fulfill my calling for God. Each and every one of us has been appointed for a time such as this. There is not a single person on this planet who can accomplish the will God has for you. You were called to a task- now ask God to help you complete it! Finish the race strong believers. Christ is our strength!

TAP into God and listen to what He is calling you to accomplish! Life is not about you, or me it’s about Jesus Christ, Son of the Most High God! Don’t make life difficult- because life is not about a man, woman, job, money, house, cars, ect making us happy and satisfied. People disappoint and fail all the time, but not JESUS. So precious is Jesus; He is all we want, all we need, and overflows our life with His love. Accept Him- He will change your life. This promise I can make with certainty!

With God- you can stand before a giant and knock ‘em dead. I’ll end with this verse in Psalm 18:28-30

“For You will light my lamp; The LORD my God will enlighten my darkness. For by You I can run against a troop. By my God I can leap over a wall. As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.”

Rumor has it....

Beloveds- God was pressing on my heart to write about gossip. You wouldn’t believe the amount of Bible verses I came across that discussed or related to gossiping. Here is an interesting truth dear friends, as Christians did you know that when we gossip, slander, bash, mock, hurt, and/or lie about a fellow Christian we are actually doing that to God? The great Apostle Paul before he became a follower of Christ was a persecutor of Christians. Paul heard the voice of Jesus say in Acts 9:4-5 “Saul Saul why are you persecuting Me?” Paul replied “Who are you?” and the Lord said “I am Jesus who you are persecuting.”

WOW isn’t that convicting? Listen up, I want you to know if we persecute, slander, gossip about our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ you better expect God to deal with you. Have you ever heard of the saying “What comes around goes around”? I believe this to be very true, only when it comes around, the bite is much harder on us. Romans chapter 2 is very clear on what happens to those who judge others and in verse 3 Paul asked, “Do you think you will escape the judgment of God?” I can answer that with confidence, that’s a big NO! Please read chapter 2 of Romans, it is very humbling!

But let me inform you; you better know God protects His flock and believers, WE ARE HIS FLOCK! Jesus said in John 10:7 “I am the door of the sheep” and in verse 11, “I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd gives His life for His sheep.” Do you know what a shepherd does? He protects his sheep from being attacked by wolves, bears, or wild animals. We have to stop judging others precious ones. God has called us to be like Him. To me that means to protect each other, not break each other down.

Here is some great truth from the New Testament:

James 4:11 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you
judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.

1Peter 2:1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.

1 Peter 3:10 For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.


If we could just do as Jesus commanded in Mark 12:30-31 there would be a lot less broken people in this world. “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength This is the first commandment. And the second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Hear me, if we are loving God the way we should with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, then it is easy to love our friends and even more so those whom you may consider your foe. We all gossip, guilty as charged; but now that I am growing closer to the Lord, I feel the Holy Spirit convicting me. In all honesty who feels better after bashing someone or spreading rumors? If the verse in Acts wasn’t convicting enough, know this: if we do not repent for our idle gossiping, we will be judged by the Lord God Almighty Himself, so I will just say, KNOCK IT OFF! I know men can run their mouths, but God must have known us women because these verses I believe are directed straight to us :D

Titus 2:3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is
good.

1 Timothy 5:13 Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.

I’m sure we have all played that game telephone where you sit in a circle, start off with a sentence, and then whisper into the person’s ear sitting beside you. You wait for the sentence to make it back to the original person and see how distorted the sentence became. If a person asks you to keep “it between me and you”, that doesn’t mean “between me, you, Susie, Mike, Clifford, Jill, and Jack.” Keep your word and integrity and God will honor your trustworthiness. To put it nicely, keep that sweet trap shut ;)

It’s about time we stop walking according to our flesh but through the POWER, STRENGTH, and LOVE of JESUS CHRIST! Amen! I’ll end with this, Christ was mocked, spat upon, beaten, whipped, beat down, and persecuted by the very people He came to save. His precious hands and feet nailed to a bloody cross, but He never stopped loving them- not even for one millisecond. Christ was the perfect example for us; love those who wrong us even until death. It doesn’t matter if we want to or not because it does not change His truth; He commanded it, now we must live it! 

The time is NOW to STAND!

In the New Testament I love reading about Paul. The man truly was the “King David” of the New Testament- man after God’s own heart. Paul a bondservant to Jesus Christ who was beaten, stoned and run out of many cities for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Many people may think the Bible is out dated or is irrelevant to our day and age, but beloved friends, nothing could be further from the truth. Before we begin, let me give you some background information about our brother Paul. He was a Jew who was persecutor of Christians. Then while on his way to Damascus God intervened and asked him “Saul Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” God caused him to go blind for 3 days, after 3 days God restored Paul’s sight and filled him up with the Holy Spirit. From then on, it was game on and Paul was all about getting souls saved for the Kingdom of God.

Let’s begin in Acts chapter 17 vs 16. “Now while Paul waited for them (his friends Silas and Timothy) at Athens his spirit was provoked when he saw that city was given over to idols.” Paul was disturbed by people worshipping idols and instead of just brushing it off, he went in the markets daily and preached the gospel. Listen up folks we live in same world. People after money, notoriety, expensive cars, big homes, and have become a society of all about me! Let me tell you friends if this wasn’t true so many people would not be debt. We have put “things” above Jesus Christ, idols that distract us from Christ’s grace and love. Many Christians are living like the world, I know I can’t tell a difference sometimes. We have gotten our eyes off the prize, which is glorifying Jesus and magnifying the God in heaven.

So Paul goes into the streets and is preaching, and a few philosophers heard Paul’s teachings and brought him to meet with other philosophers so he could share the gospel. You see all it takes it one person to hear the truth of God and then it is like a domino effect.

Now lets skip on over to verse 24-25, Paul says to them “ God who made the world and everything in it since He is Lord of heaven and earth does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshipped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since HE GIVE TO ALL LIFE, BREATH, and all things.”

Do you understand what Paul is saying? This world is God’s we are just living in it. God has given everyone free will to do whatever and will not force us to obey Him, seek Him, love Him, or have faith in Him. The blessings of life flow like raging rivers when we decide “God I can do nothing apart from You, take me and mold me, fill me up with your everlasting presence.”

I know we have all met miserable people, maybe you are one of them where life is just hard and there doesn’t seem to be any hope; believe I was once a broken vessel but God is restoring me, but here is truth my beloveds “ in Him (Jesus Christ) we live and move and have our being, as also some your own poets have said ‘For we are also His offerspring’”. God is the giver of life and is in essence is our being! Here is a great promise, in Romans 8:31 “If God is for us, who can be against us?” The weight of the world can be on our shoulders, but with God all things are possible. God made this universe, there is nothing EVER too difficult for the Creator.

Just as Paul did not sit back and let the unsaved go unsaved, but preached in daily to those in need of Savior, neither should we, yet so often we do. People are hurting, let’s give them the remedy for happiness, hope, and abundant life! I love this verse in Mark 2:17 “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” When we are born into this world we are born sinners in desperate need of a Savior. We are soul sick and Christ is the healer, the bridge that takes us to our God in heaven when this life on earth is all over.

Acts 17: 31, “He (God) has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man (Jesus Christ) whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

There is a day called Judgment Day in which the Lord God Almighty will judge every single person. You know, those who reject Christ as their Savior will bow down to Him one day, and then cast into the lack of fire. You don't want to go to hell? Good neither do I, therefore our only assurance of heaven is Jesus Christ. We have to believe He is the Savior, that He died on a cross for our sins and rose again 3 days later. You see I serve a risen Savior, the Lord of my soul is sitting at the right hand of God. And oh I can’t wait to be with my Savior in eternity. But until He calls me home I pray I will be a good representative of Christ. Believers, hear me, we need to start thinking eternally! There are millions of lost souls in this world, let’s get out there and speak the gospel of Jesus Christ! The world pleasures are not of eternal importance; trust me once you die thats it. People need Jesus and they won’t hear it unless we are PROCLAIMING IT! Let me finish up with the words of Christ in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” The time is Now to represent Christ, eternity is at stake my precious friends! The time is NOW TO STAND up for our Lord Jesus Christ!

You've been called to greatness

This has to be one of the coolest stories in the Bible; David vs. Goliath. Most of us know the story of David and Goliath, but as I read how God’s hand moved in this story I was truly amazed! One boy called to greatness, to glorify the Lord God Almighty! Alright let’s go to 1 Samuel 17:45-48:

David said to the Philistine (Goliath), "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands."As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

A boy stood against a literal giant and had the courage to call Goliath out in front of his fellow army men. If you read a few verses before this scene, Goliath is mocking young David. But look how David responds, you haven’t come against me, but against the LORD God Almighty and in short basically says, you’re going to die. This clearly angers Goliath, because we read he charged after David, but oh beloved friends here is the best part; David didn’t retreat, he headed straight towards the giant with a sling and stone! Retreating was not part of David’s plan of action.

I know we all have giants in our life; that mock, intimidate, and just flat our drain us! But beloved warriors, DON’T YOU DARE RETREAT! God has called you to greatness! When we are at our weakest Jesus Christ is at His strongest and will give us endurance to finish the race! Though the trials in life may seem too difficult and too much to bear, don’t you dare retreat, you press on and face the giant. The Lord God sent David to battle with a sling and a stone against a giant with a sword and double his size, but you remember God is bigger than the giant. I love what Dr. Falwell used to say “Instead of telling God how big our mountains are, tell the mountains how big your God is”. Deuteronomy 30:11 says “Lord what You are commanding me today is not too difficult for me or beyond my reach.” If God is leading you He will always be there to protect you. Just remember, God in all His sovereignty has bigger plans than what we could ever imagine.

As a child of God you have been called to greatness and God will use your trial for His glory if you are obedient to Him. Don’t you ever give up because Galatians 6:9 tells us “Lord, help me not to become weary in doing good, for at the proper time I will reap a harvest if I do not give up”. You see the promise here; if we obey God in the tough times, we will reap benefits once the storm is calm. And trust me you will not always be in a storm, God will calm the wind and waves.

Sometimes I think we get so caught up and lost in our selves we forget God is the one who is in control.

Listen up friends, God loves you, GOD LOVES YOU, HE is madly in LOVE with you! Do you know that Isaiah 30: 18 tell you “The LORD longs to be gracious to you. He rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Bless are all who hope in Him.” Here is a neat truth, God is never too busy for you and me, but why is it we get too busy for Him? I believe with all my heart God longs to hear how much we love Him, how awesome and holy He is, and thanking Him for just being the Great I AM! “The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God I will exalt Him (Exodus 15:2).” Praise His name! The LORD is the only one worthy of such honor and glory!

When life just starts smacking us around, don’t wait till you are beaten and knocked to the ground before you cry out to Him. Be armed with the Sword of the Spirit which is the Holy Bible. You are God’s precious child. I can speak from experience, I have verbally said to God when life was so tough on me years ago, “God why are you doing this to me?” And more recently, with my panic attacks, I dreaded waking up daily because I knew how bad my day was going to be. But living a life in fear, which was my goliath, was not from God, but a lie from Satan to keep me in captivity. But God said to me “My sweet child, you stand up, My grace is sufficient for you, you are child of the King. Look to Me, place your faith in Me and I will deliver you.” Praise God because He is doing just that!!!!! Here has been a verse I have been claiming, “Do not be afraid, stand firm and you will see deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again (Exodus 14:13).” You see my “Egypt” has been my panic attacks. Through faith in Jesus Christ He is bringing me out of captivity. Facing my giant is very scary at times, but God keeps telling me “My beloved warrior, stand firm I am with you always.” I can promise you, the way to an abundant life in Jesus Christ is obedience. How difficult we make our lives by trying to do it our way. Grab a hold of Him, TRUST me, God wants you to rely on Him. You are not a burden to Him, but a precious child in need of a loving Savior.

I just want to make one last point; beloved believers, we are family in Jesus Christ. We need to stand shoulder to shoulder with one another. Don’t tear each other down with rumors or gossip. Don’t be envious of worldly pleasure, rejoice with one another. And when we see a brother or sister in Christ struggling, pick them up, help each other, be servant to one another. We are family, be protective of each other! Be strong when a fellow Christian is weak. God has called us to GREATNESS, let’s start acting like it!! And remember Don’t you dare retreat, Don’t ever Give Up, because Jesus Christ, Son of the Most High God has overcome the world. 

Take My hand!

Have you ever seen a mom walk into the mall, the grocery, or Target with her child and he or she takes off running in the parking lot towards the entrance and mom hollers for little Johnny or Susie to stop and hold her hand? I’ve seen this countless times and even experienced it myself. Belle has taken off and I frantically yell for her to stop and hold my hand; trying to protect her from traffic in the parking lot or someone snatching her. As I think of this picture I see a similar image of me with God. Here I go taking off in life and pulling away from God’s hand in this uncertain world. Just like a mother is protective of her young, God is even more protective of His children and calls for us to come back, slow down, and take hold of His righteous hand.

We live in a very uncertain world; I’ve often heard my dad say, “You are either in trouble, about to get in trouble, or just coming out of trouble”. That seems to be a pretty consistent cycle wouldn’t you say? But here is the thing, God says in Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual host of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

This means there is a spiritual battle around us, it is literally like the devil and angel on your shoulders. The Bible says Satan is the father of lies. As some know I have been dealing with panic and anxiety; I mostly feel knots in my stomach in the morning time. But I have to give glory to God, because this morning I was praying to Him for peace, confidence, strength, a day without anxiety. And I may not be able to put this into words, but as I was praying God spoke to my heart and for just a moment (less than 30 secs) I thought of how evil Satan really is. He wants us to lie, cheat, commit adultery, kill, steal, hurt others, hate, feel hopeless, distrust the Lord, but then God said (in my heart) I am the complete opposite of everything, Satan is. I am love, hope, the giver of life, encourager, deliverer, always present, heavenly Father, protector, healer, and the list goes on. And after that thought, I kid you not, the knots left, and I believe God sent me His peace. A peace that transcends all understanding!

I have to tell you something God was speaking to me yesterday while I was driving. See I have had some panic attacks while driving and when I drive sometimes I get really anxious. Well yesterday I was driving home from my parents house and I was clenching my steering wheel. I felt God say to me, “child quit grasping that steering wheel for dear life and take hold of my righteous right hand.” I’ve been memorizing Bible verses and the one that came to mind was Isaiah 41:10 “Fear NOT, for I AM with you; do not be dismayed, for I AM your God. I will strengthen you, YES I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Praise God for His promise!

God has been teaching me that I need to let go of being in control and start placing my confidence in Him. I love what Psalms 118:8 says, “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” Today God spoke to me (in my heart) “Girl, you’ll never know how far I can take you, until you learn to put your faith in me and believe I AM who I say I AM!!

Here is a cool truth; Psalms says God’s word (Bible) is “My comfort in my affliction, For Your (God) word has given me life.” God’s word is life! Ok so stay with me; John 1:1-2 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” The “Word” John is referring to is Jesus Christ. So if God’s word is life, and the Word is Jesus, and we have Jesus in our heart, we are given life. And according to John 10:10-11, Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Do you get where I am going? The Word of God who is Jesus Christ came so that we may have an abundantly filled life! By reading His word daily you will be filled daily with Him who only wants to prosper you!

When we decide we want to be a man or woman after God’s own heart, we can only expect Satan to attack us hard. Nothing pangs Satan more than a child calling out to Jesus. Satan wants to keep us in bondage, in chains, unhappy, and unfulfilled. But as God has taught us, He wants to give us an abundant life! Which is why it is so important when we turn our lives over to God, we need to be armed with truth to combat the lies of Satan. The Bible is the only weapon we have; trust me, we don’t want to bring a knife to a gun fight!

Jesus compares us Christians as soldiers. Get ready for battle; Ephesians 6:16-17 says in reference to getting ready for battle, “above all, taking the shield of faith which you will be able to quench all fiery darts of the wicked one (Satan), and take the helmet of salvation, and the SWORD OF THE SPIRIT which is the WORD OF GOD.”

When we feel weak and weary with the beatings of life ask God for a renewal of strength; that’s right, all we have to do is believe and ask because that’s what Christ said, “Ask and you shall receive”. I’ll end with this verse from Isaiah 40:31 “But those who hope in the LORD, shall renew their strength; They shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” Praise God for being God; the great I AM! 

All about His business :)

Luke 2: 48-49

“So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought you anxiously.” And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?’”

I read this chapter in a Bible study by Beth Moore and she asked "don't you want to be about your Father's business?" I thought how profound! Yes I absolutely want to be about my Father in Heaven's business!

The background to this Bible verse is Jesus was 12 years of age and His parents took Him into Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. After the Feast, Jesus’ mother, father, and family were heading home from Jerusalem and noticed Jesus was not in their company. Mary and Joseph went back to Jerusalem and after 3 days they found little Jesus inside the temple conversing with the teachers, “both listening and asking questions”.

Here is the cool part, when Mary found Jesus I’m sure she was overwhelmed. I can’t imagine not being able to find your child for 3 days and He just so happens to be God in the flesh . When Mary asks Jesus why did you worry your father and I, I love His response, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”

I have to say, My goal is to be a woman after God’s own heart. I want to be a woman who is all about my Father in heaven’s business. Jesus Christ is the one and only who is worthy of glory and praise. Have you ever stopped to think, the sun rises and falls on God’s command. With out Him we would be in totally darkness. The same goes for our spiritually life. Without God our life is full of darkness, but once you start reading His precious Word and talking to Him daily, truth flourishes and His light radiates all around you. So be all about God and His business. Most people will say, “mind your business”. Not God, He wants you all up in His business so you can be used to glorify Him. Really people He wants to surpass your dreams, but God cannot make you believe in Him, or follow His will for your life. It is a choice. Christ said, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14) Sadly most will reject Christ the Savior, which is why we need to be different from how unsaved people live. Let’s be different and not blend in-be the red dot in the mix of black and white dots.

Have you ever been around someone who exudes Christ, I mean He is just radiating off him or her? Christ compares us Christians to salt, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot (Matthew 6:13). We need to be the flavor of the earth, be a representative for Christ and your love for Him will be contagious for others to want the joy you have. God didn’t promise an easy life for us, but He did call us to be obedient. More importantly through our most difficult days and our good days, God the Father did promise, “When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep you. When you walk through the fire you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablazed. For I AM the LORD your God.” (Isaiah 43). I love this promise “God has said ‘Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you. So say with confidence, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.”(Hebrews 13:5-6). I love when He says “I Am the LORD your God”…I always think “Yes You Are”!! It just sounds so commanding doesn’t it?

He is a loving God, invite Him into your life, He will only change you from the inside out and through the trials of life (because they seem pretty consistent), His grace is sufficient enough and through our weakness He is made strong. The apostle Paul actually said He boasts about his weaknesses so Christ may rest upon him.

Here is a beautiful truth beloveds: 1 Corinthians 13:8 says “Love never fails” and when you go a bit further in the NT 1John 8:8 you read “God is love”. So if love never fails and God is indeed love (it is who He is) then God never fails!!! When obedient to God He will surely never ever fail you. So be all about God and His business because He is crazy in love with you!

And just a side note- be aware of what you are watching and listening to; there is such garbage on TV. If it isn’t honoring to God don’t watch it and sadly that is most of TV shows now. Honor God and He will honor you whether it is in this life or the next!

Remember we take nothing to the grave with us- but we do leave behind a legacy. I know I want to be remembered as someone who was all about God! What is it you want to be remembered for?

To follow or not follow: The choice is yours

I have to just tell you this story before I begin. I went to the second week of Bible study months ago. It just so happened to be the Bible study was on Breaking Free and Beth Moore’s study was inspired for women to break free from strongholds that are imprisoning us from receiving the full benefits of God. Ok here is the cool part. I was sitting there as the video began and I felt the Holy Spirit tell me, go buy the book for this study. I’m like, “umm God I only $20 in my wallet and that book is $15. There goes the rest of my paycheck.” But the Spirit was so convicting, I got up and bought the book. I kid you not, later that day I had 1500$ deposited into my account. God is my witness that story is true. Talk about being obedient. But even more rewarding is not even 2 weeks later I experienced my first full-fledged panic attack and I had the book as a tool to help me break free from panic and anxiety attacks. Perfect timing though for a Breaking Free Bible study-I love God’s timing, don’t you?

Alright here is my theory on why I started having panic attacks. I wanted so badly to join the US military. I even said, “I think I am going to join even though I do not believe it is God’s will for my life.” Ok, I can only imagine what God was thinking when I told Him what I was going to do. According to Isaiah 43:1, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. As a child of God, He wasn’t just going to let me have it my way like Burger King :D

I was rebellious to God, and I honestly believe He gave me over to the desires of my heart. I made arrogant threats to the LORD (Zephaniah 2:10) and He was about to show little ole me who was boss. I didn’t want to do His will, so He was going to let go-just long enough for me to realize how miserable I was without Him-just long enough for me to cry out to Him for Deliverance and Help!

Here is my reference to my theory-of course it is the Word of God. Psalm 107: 10-16

Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom, prisoners suffering in iron chains, for they ha rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High. So he subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled and there was no one to help. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his UNFAILING love and His wonderful deeds for men, for He breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.


You see I was starving my soul of the Savior. I was ignoring the hunger pains and was getting spiritually sick and weak. The only healer for me is the One and Only true Healer, Jesus Christ! I would be lying if I said I didn’t suffer still from anxieties. This morning was just awful for me, I didn’t even want to go to Bible Study this morning (even though it was the last one of the semester). But oh how God works in the minor details of our life. Beth Moore’s lesson was on, you guessed it; fears! This morning I called my dad feeling discouraged because I do cry out to God and read His word daily. But praying to Him and reading His word is useless unless I put some action to it. James 1:23 says “If anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in the mirror.”

I love what Beth Moore said in the final week of the study; wrap your self around the leg of God and hold on to Him for dear life. The easy part is for us to hang onto Him, because He will fight on our behalf. God says in Zephaniah 2:7, “For the Lord their God will intervene for them”.
That’s right! Our God fights for us, loves us, desires to have personal relationship with us. How great it is to be friends with the Most High God, the creator of the universe. God is good and He is awesome. Zephaniah 3:5 says “The LORD is righteous in her midst, He will do no unrighteousness. Every morning He bring His justice to light; He never fails, but the unjust knows no shame.” Praise God; how awesome to have a friend who 1) fights on our behalf, 2) Never ever fails us.

I’ll end with scripture from Hosea where God is talking to His beloved people who have rebelled against Him. He is angry at their disobedience but loves them dearly. It pains God I believe when we turn our face from Him. Hosea 11:8-9

How can I give you up Ephraim? How can I hand you over Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I set you like Zeboi’im? My heart churns within Me; My sympathy is stirred. I will not execute the fierceness of My anger; I will not again destroy Epharim. For I AM God and not man, the HOLY ONE in your midst; and I will not come with terror.

You see I rebelled against God, because I was living a lie on "Planet Me”. God had compassion on me when I returned to Him. He welcomed me with open arms back into His glory and grace. I battle these anxieties with the Word of God. Bible memorization is key, tearing down Satan’ lies and replacing my heart, soul, and mind with truth of Jesus Christ (reference from Breaking Free). Don’t give satan any ground to wreck havoc, don’t give him one inch of ground, fill up your life with the Spirit. As a Christian we are sealed up forever with the Holy Spirit, but we must live a life obedient to the King! Think of a relationship with God similar to one with your best friend. If you only spoke to them once a week, month, year, you would have a very poor relationship. Same with God, talk to Him daily, listen to Him, read His word and experience the best kind of relationship you’ll ever have.

For those who don’t know Jesus Christ personally, just know He is already a friend of you, He just waits for you to be a friend to Him. Praise God for His unfailing, endless flowing, everlasting love!!!! 

Can't get no satisfaction? I know how :)

One of the lessons God has taught me lately especially reading the Old Testament is God no matter how far we stray from Him longs for us to return to Him. You can see many times over the Israelites disobeyed the Lord. Even thuough He pulled them out of slavery and gave them an abundant life, they still walked away from God. They tried to find satisfaction in meaningless Idols; worshipping foreign gods, the earth, and themselves. In the book of Hosea God asks His people, “Why have you forgotten me?” The Israelites were full of distress, God even says to them in Hosea 7:14 “They do not cry out to Me from their hearts but wail upon their beds.”

God commands us to worship no god accept him. I have to admit when I was younger I thought of idols as a Buddha that I would have to worship at an alter in my living room. But I knew that I believed in God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ so worshipping a fat little statue I would never do. However an idol is something we find more satisfaction in other than God Himself. For an example, money being an easy one; do we strive to work and work to fatten our bank accounts, do we love money more than God? Do you long to find a woman or man to love you more than you long for the love of God who is love? Do you have a hobby that you spend more time doing than worshipping the One (Jesus Christ) who has given you life?

If so you have an idol in your life that is hindering you from experiencing the full satisfaction of God. But take heart- God says “Return to Me and I will return to you”, and the best thing in the world is, He takes you back not grudgingly, but with arms wide open!!!

I can promise you, if you are trying to fulfill your life with things other than God, you will never be truly happy. There is no security in the things of this world including people you love. God made me smile when I read what He said in Jeremiah 2: 27-28:

They say to wood, 'You are my father,' and to stone, 'You gave me birth.' They have turned their backs to me and not their faces; yet when they are in trouble, they say, 'Come and save us! Where then are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them come if they can save you when you are in trouble! For you have as many gods as you have towns, O Judah.
God is essentially saying to His people, you worship idols and foreign gods, such as the earth, and when times of trouble come you ask for your god to help you it does not deliver you. When we put our faith in people, material securities, it will always fail and so will we. But here is the good news; the Lord God alone saves and is the only security we have who is ALWAYS present in every situation.

Many times before God became my number one, I would pray to Him in my times of distress and I felt like I couldn’t hear Him. I would pray once and expect an answer from Him. Hoping He would just take my situation away from me. But beloveds, that is not how God operates. He so desperately wants us to have relationship with Him.

I can say from personal experience that when I was dealing with a hardship, I told my dad I wish I could be like the woman who touched Jesus’ clothing and she was healed. My dad said, yeah Jess God could do that, but He wants a relationship with Him. If God healed you right away what would you have learned? Good question, you see God allows trials and tribulations to come into our lives, but my hope is 1) I am not alone, EVER! 2) I will be delivered and there is a reason I am going through this, but I must have patience in Him. And when you trust fully in God during the trying times, I promise you, God will give you a joy you have never experienced if you are obedient to Him. 3) God will never let our trials go unused for His kingdom!

God says He wants to redeem us; He wants us to return to Him when we have forgotten Him. Some say they never knew Him, well that’s ok too, because you can know Him. God sent His only son Jesus Christ to die for you. We are deserving of death because of our iniquities, but Christ willingly came in the form of a man to die on the cross (a very gruesome death) so that we may live in eternity with the Creator.

Remember, this life is not all we have. As human beings we have a choice; to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, the lover of our soul, heart, and mind or we can reject Him. The consequence of rejecting Him is eternity in hell. But if we accept Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose again 3 days later and indeed the Son of the Most High God, we can live in eternity in heaven! Praise God! 

Sweet Jesus

Sweet Jesus Sweet Jesus
How Holy Is Your name
Your unfailing love is the reason You came
Your precious blood has covered my sin and shame.

Sweet Jesus Sweet Jesus
Though I forget Thee
Your arms are wide open to welcome me
Your mercy and love is forever a guarantee.

Sweet Jesus Sweet Jesus
Your yoke is easy and Your burden is light
Blinded by darkness You’ve given me sight
In Your name I fight the good fight.

Till You call me home to Your heavenly place
And see You face to face
How great it will be to bow before Your throne of grace
Sweet Jesus Sweet Jesus.