Happy New Year

May you have a blessed, healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year. "... Seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you." Luke 12:31

A New You In The New Year # 4

"... And ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh."

"And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgements, and do them." Ezekiel 36:25-27

As human beings we have a sinful nature and we tend to put things in our life before God. We are hard hearted and hard headed. Only God can change us but we must want to be changed.

If you are not happy with the way that your life is heading, then change it and try Jesus. He can make you into a 'new you' in the new year. All you have to do is ask Him to come into your life.

A New You In The New Year # 3

"Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith The Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit ..." Ezekiel 18:30-31

When judgement day comes, each of us will have to give an account for all of our thoughts, words, and actions. All of us will be judged and the judgement will start with His people. He will want to know what we have done for Him. Those of you who have not accepted Jesus Christ as your personal saviour need to repent. Don't let you lack of belief and your sins lead you to ruin.

The key to eternal life involves repentance from sin, belief in Christ, and a new heart and new spirit which come from God. You need a new you now, in the new year, and in the years to come. You can change, but you have to ask God for help, for only God can change your heart and give you a new spirit.

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth The Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved ..." Romans 10:9

You need a new you in the new year. Not just a New Year's resolution, to be forgotten by the end of January, but a commitment to a new life for Jesus Christ.

A New You In The New Year # 2

"... And I will put a new spirit within you ..." Ezekiel 11:19

If you want things to be better for you in 2011 than they were in 2010, then you need to do different things in the new year than you did in this year. You cannot expect to get different results if you do the same things.

Just like the children of Israel, we have not walked in His statutes, neither executed His judgements, bur have done after the manners of the heathen that are around about you. Ezekiel 11:12

We are not supposed to act like the worldly people that are around us. We are in this world but not of it. We are different and we should act like it. When we accepted Christ as our personal saviour, we became a new creature. 2 Corinthians 5:17 We need to ask for forgiveness and renew our commitment and our minds. Romans 12:1-2

We need to ask God to put a new spirit in us, or renew His Spirit within us, so that we may be more Christ-like in the new year.

A New You In The New Year

As we move closer to the new year and change from 2010 to 2011, why not make a significant change in yourself and move from darkness into the marvelous light. Begin the new year as a new you.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17

All of us have some bad habits and sinful ways that we need to let go of and leave behind. All of us also have room for improvement with respect to behaving, speaking, and thinking in a Christ-like manner.

Let's not just make a 'New Year's resolution', let's make a life-changing commitment to be more Christ-like.

May The Good Lord grant you a blessed, healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year.

Miracles By Jesus Prophesied

Not only die the prophet Isaiah predict the conception and birth of Christ more than 400 years beforehand, he also prophesied that Jesus would perform miracles.

"... He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame man shall leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing ..." Isaiah 35:4-6

The gospels of Matthew, Luke and John record that Jesus did perform miracles. He gave sight to the blind (Matthew 9:27-30 & Luke 9:1-7), gave hearing to the deaf (Luke 7:21-22), gave speech to the dumb ( Matthew 9:32-33), and made the lame to walk (Matthew 9:1-7, Luke 5:24-25, & John 5:8).

Jesus performed many other miracles, some of which were recorded within the gospels, and many of which were not (John 21:25). The miracles were performed so that the people would know that He was God (Matthew 9:6)

Jesus, The Christ, was, is, and always will be special. His conception and birth were special and so was His life, His teachings, His death, His resurrection, and His ascension.

He is worthy of all glory, honor, and praise everyday, and not just on Christmas, Easter, and on Sundays.

Have a Merry Day-After-Christmas and be blessed.

The Birth of Christ Predicted # 6

"... And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

One of the reasons that He came to earth was to procure for His people a perfect peace. Jesus, The Christ, is the benevolent ruler of His people and His kingdom. Without Him we cannot have peace in our lives or in this world. And without Him we would not have access to the perpetual perfect peace throughout eternity.

Only through Christ are we able to wish for peace on earth and goodwill towards all men. Jesus is God incarnate. He was born to die for His people. His conception, birth, life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension were all unique and very special.

Without Christ in Christmas, it is not special.

Let us keep Christ in our celebration of His birth this Christmas.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a blessed day!!!

The Birth of Christ Predicted # 5

"... And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father ..." Isaiah 9:6

The birth of Jesus was predicted by the prophet Isaiah more than 400 years beforehand. He even predicted what He would be called. 'The Everlasting Father' is a term that is difficult for me to completely understand.

I understand the word 'Everlasting'. God is unending. He had no beginning and He has no end. Before the beginning of time, He already was. And when this world comes to an end, He will continue to exist. I know that God is, God was, and God forever will be. While the concept of infinity is difficult to grasp, I understand it.

My problem is understanding what the prophet Isaiah meant when he applied the word 'Father' to God The Son. The Rev. Dr. John MacArthur suggests that "The Messiah will be a Father to His people eternally ... He will compassionately care for and discipline them." The Rev. Dr. Thomas Nelson suggests that it "literally means 'Father of Eternity'. He alone is the source of eternal life." The Rev. Dr. Matthew Henry states "He is God, one with The Father, who is from everlasting to everlasting ... He is The Father of the world to come."

In keeping with these true Bible scholars let me say, Jesus, The Christ, 'The Everlasting Father', is a benevolent protector of His people past, present, and future throughout eternity.

Jesus Christ is special. Everything about Him is special, including His conception and birth which was predicted by the prophet Isaiah more than 400 years earlier.

Have a Merry Christmas. Please remember why we celebrate Christmas and let us keep Christ in our celebration of Christmas.

The Birth of Christ Predicted # 4

"... And His name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, The Mighty God ..." Isaiah 9:6

In a time when pagans worshipped a number of things that they called gods, the prophet Isaiah predicted the conception and birth of The Christ, 'The Mighty God', some 400 years before the event was to happen.

As opposed to the single focused, ineffectual, pagan gods, Isaiah prophesied about an all-powerful, all-knowing 'Mighty God'. Not only was He a powerful warrior, as mentioned in Ezekiel 38 & 39, but He could protect you, lead you, help you, keep you safe, provide for you, and fight your battles.

This 'Mighty God' can supply all of your needs and He is gracious enough to give some of your wants. Why would you worship, be a fanatic for, or get excited about something or someone who cannot do a thing for you.

Jesus, The Christ, is God. He is special and everything about Him is special, including His birth, which was predicted more than 400 years beforehand.

Have a Merry Christmas and remember to keep Christ in your Christmas celebrations.

The Birth of Christ Predicted # 3

"... And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor ..." Isaiah 9:6

When the prophet Isaiah predicted the birth of Jesus, The Christ, more than 400 years beforehand, he also predicted what He would be called. The first name he predicted that they would call Him was 'Immanuel', which I discussed yesterday.

The second name that He shall be called is 'Wonderful Counselor'. To appreciate why He is called 'Wonderful Counselor', you must understand that a counselor listens to you as you describe your situation or problem, then gives you advise. He is called 'Wonderful Counselor' because He not only listen to you, without interrupting, He gives you the best possible advise, guidance and directions, and He does things to help you out that you could not do for yourself.

Maybe you cannot appreciate this if you have never called upon Him. If you have never had to
call upon Him when you didn't know what to do, and all that you could say was, "Lord, have mercy." In the midnight hour, when things look their darkest, you can call upon Him. He is a Wonderful Counselor.

He is special. We celebrate everything about Him because He is special, including His birthday, which the prophet Isaiah predicted more than 400 years beforehand.

Have a Merry Christmas, but remember to keep Christ in you Christmas celebration.

The Birth of Christ Predicted # 2

"... Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14


The prophet Isaiah not only predicted the birth of Jesus, The Christ, 400 or so years before it happened, he also predicted that a virgin would conceive Him.

Conception, the fertilization of the female egg, the ovum containing half of the necessary DNA, usually requires contact with the male sperm, to provide the second half of the DNA required to produce a fertilized egg (zygote).

In the case of the virgin Mary, a non sexually active female, there was no sperm DNA supplied from her husband-to-be, Joseph. Joseph did not 'know' Mary, physically, until after the birth of Christ, Matthew 1:25.

In this virgin conception, the 'male half' of the DNA was supplied by The Holy Spirit, Matthew 1:20 and Luke 1:34-35. Jesus is The Son of God. His conception and birth occurred, as predicted more that 400 years earlier by the prophet Isaiah.

The Birth of Christ Predicted

"... Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14
More than 400 years before it happened, the prophet Isaiah predicted the 'immaculate conception' and the birth of Jesus, The Christ. He even predicted His name, Immanuel, which means "God with us".

The best that we can do today with the use of modern medical science is confirm that a woman is pregnant and 'predict' her delivery date, her EDC (estimated date of confinement), based upon her LMP (last menstrual period). But at best that 'prediction is eight to nine months before it happens, not 400 years.

God revealed this to Isaiah. God was with him then and God is with us now.

The Best Is Yet To Come

The best is yet to come. You cannot imagine how glorious and great things will be when we get home.

"For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside Thee, what He hath prepared for him that waiteth for Him." Isaiah 64:4

We have not idea what The Good Lord has in store for us when we join Him in heaven.

Our Ways And Thoughts Are Not His

"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return unto The Lord , and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith The Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:7-9

We need to repent from our sinful thoughts and deeds and follow Christ. No matter what we have done, He will forgive us, if we sincerely ask Him. Given our limited mind and capacity, we cannot conceive, describe, or comprehend Him. God's "thoughts" and "ways" are so much more nobler and more magnificent than ours.

Like a grain of sand compared to the vastness of a beach, His vastness more than dwarfs our insignificance when compared to any of His qualities. Our God is just awesome.

No Weapon Formed Against Us Shall Prosper

The Lord will be our protection. "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of The Lord, and their righteousness is of Me, saith The Lord." Isaiah 54:17

All of our enemies shall be put down and all of the devices that they planned to use against us shall fail. The Lord has promised to protect us because we belong to Him.

Even those who speak evil against us will find that their words will not harm us as they intended, but will backfire and condemn themselves.

Jesus Is God # 2

Do you know what our main purpose in life is?


"Ye are my witnesses, saith The Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am He; before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me. I, even I, am The Lord; and beside Me there is not savior... Ye are my witnesses, saith The Lord, that I am God." Isaiah 43:10-12


We are to tell this sin-sick, dying world about our Lord and savior, Jesus, The Christ. We are to spread the good news about His birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection. We are to tell the world what He taught and we are to live our lives by His teachings.

He should be able to call on us and count on us when He needs a witness to give a testimony to a lost soul. We are His witnesses. We need to tell people that Jesus is God.

See Jesus is God # 1 posted on August 31, 2010. Read John 1:1, John 1:14, and 1 John 5:7.

Renewed Strength

While it is good to eat healthy and to exercise, that is not the ultimate source of our strength. The true source of our physical, mental, and spiritual strength comes from God.

"He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength."

"But they that wait upon The Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount us with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:29 & 31

Wit exertion and continued effort, it is possible for us to become weary and to fall. He can pick us up, sustain us, and renew our strength because He is our strength.

To keep our 'batteries fully charged', we need to make sure that we are 'plugged into' God.

"God is our refuge, and strength ..." Psalms 46:1

My Strength And My Song

When hard times come and things get rough, "And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee; though Thou wast angry with me, Thine anger is turned away, and Thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for The Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song ..." Isaiah 12:1-2

The children of Israel sang this hymn of praise. We also ought to rejoice, sing praises unto Him,
and give thanks for the grace of God.

God will deliver the faithful from the consequences of their sins just as He delivered Israel. We will be punished for our sinful ways, but God will not stay angry with us. If we honestly cry out to Him, He will help us and save us from our situation.

And that is reason enough to rejoice and sing praises to His name.

We Can Be Forgiven

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith The Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isaiah 1:18

Like the people of Israel we are a sinful people. We have done things God said for us not to do, and we have not done what He said that we should do.

The colors scarlet and crimson of red are suggestive of the guilt for the blood that is on our hands. As if we ourselves had killed someone. The white snow and wool represent cleanliness.

The Lord will pardon the guilty who desire forgiveness and want to be pardoned. He will clean us up as well as clean up our record. However, we must repent and ask for forgiveness.

Even though we are guilty as charged, we will be presented as white as snow. Only Jesus can cleanse us of our sins and present us to God, The Father, free from sin.

Fear Not

Bad things can happen to good people. You can lose your job, develop a serious illness, or a loved one can die. These things, and others like them, can test your faith in God.

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness." Isaiah 41:10

The prophet Isaiah was telling Israel of God's promised help, but as a child of God the promise applies to us also. We are commanded not to be afraid and not to be dismayed or discouraged. Our God promised to strengthen us in our weakness, to help us when we are overwhelmed, and to protect us and lift us up by holding us in His hand.

All we have to do is to trust Him and believe. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and always present. He is an all-sufficient God and He can help us even in the worst of times and situations.

God can control our enemies and our circumstances. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalms 46:1

Watch What You Say # 2

Most of us talk too much. We talk a lot but say very little that is of any importance.

"But shun profane and vain babblings; for the will increase unto more ungodliness." 2 Timothy 2:16

Be very careful what you argue about, debate, or discuss and the choice of words that you use.

We know that it is wrong for us to use profanity. We use it in some misguided attempt to impress people by communicating in a manner that is all too common nowadays. Some years ago I heard it said, "The use of profanity is a weak mind trying to express it self forcefully."

However, profanity is not our only problem. We just talk too much, usually about ourselves, when we should be quite. We 'puff ourselves up' to make us look like we are more, have more, or are better than we actually are. Boasting is included in the list of sinful behaviors that are worthy of death in Romans 1:30 (read 1:26-32). We are to humble ourselves, not brag.

We shall not only be judged for our use of profanity, and our vain utterances, but we will also be judged for every idle meaningless word that we speak. "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement. For by thy words thou shall be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Matthew 12:36-37

So if what you want to say is not important, does not add significantly to a conversation, does not help someone, or does not give God glory, maybe you should not say it and keep quiet.

"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." Thumper, the rabbit in the movie 'Bambi'. Maybe we should change that slightly to,"If you can't say something good or Godly, don't say anything at all."

Advice For Christian Living

The Apostle Paul ends his letter to the Christians in Thessalonica with some good advice for Christian living that is appropriate for us today.

In 1 Thessalonians, chapter 5, the following verses read:
5:16 "Rejoice evermore."
5:17 "Pray without ceasing."
5:18 "In every thing give thanks ..."
5:19 "Quench not The Spirit."
5:21 "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."
5:22 "Abstain from all appearance of evil."

Be joyful in The Lord at all times. God is in control and all things are going to work out for our good. Pray persistently and regularly. Develop a continual personal relationship with God. Be conscious of His presence throughout the day. Every day ought to be a day of Thanksgiving and we should give thanks to God for every thing in our lives. Be on fire for The Lord, don't throw water on the flame, let it continue to burn. Test everything that you read, hear, say, and do by comparing it to the Bible. Make sure that it is consistent with The Word of God. Not only should we avoid all that is evil, we should avoid things that look like, suggest, or might appear to be evil. Reject and shun all forms of evil.

Don't Complain

"Do all things without murmurings and disputings..." Philippians 2:14


Every thing that we do, should be done for the glory of God. If whatever you are doing does not give God glory, then you should not be doing it. Ultimately, it is Him that we are trying to please and not man or our self.


So don't complain about the work that you are supposed to do, just do it, and do the very best that you can do. Murmuring, complaining, grumbling, questioning, arguing, and objecting will not make it any easier. And your vocal negativity may cause someone else to not do the will of God.

Keep a positive frame of mind while doing what it is you are to do.

"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of The Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God ..." Colossians 3:17

Don't Stay Angry

Have you ever gotten mad or angry? Anger is a natural emotion. The 'anger' is not the issue, but what we do about it or what we do when we get angry that becomes the problem.

The world says, "Don't get mad, get even." That is not the Christian way of doing things. The Bible says, "Be ye angry, and sin not; let not the sun go down upon your wrath; Neither give place to the devil." Ephesians 4:26-27

It is okay to get angry, but it is not okay to stay angry or to let anger control our lives. Getting angry does not give us the permission to sin. We are to forgive the person who made us angry.

"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice; And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Ephesians 4:31-32

Acting out of anger allows the devil to take control of our behavior and speech and we do not give God glory. According to the Rev Dr John Mac Arthur, "bitterness can be likened to a smoldering resentment (that gets worse with time). Wrath has to do with rage, the passion of the moment. Anger is an internal, deep hostility. Clamour is the outcry of strife out of control. 'Evil speaking' is slander. And 'malice' is the general term for evil, the root of all vices."

We need to do the right thing, be righteous and Christ-like. We may get angry, but we should not stay angry or act while we are angry. We need to forgive whoever made us angry. That will probably require us to pray a long prayer, but we will be better off for having done so.

My Father Is Rich

"But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

You may occasionally catch me no money in my pockets, but I am not broke or poor. I may be financially embarrassed at a particular moment in time, but I am rich because my heavenly Father is rich.

Everything on this earth belongs to Him, "For the earth is The Lord's and the fullness thereof." 1 Corinthians 10:26 He has the resources to supply all your needs.

He has the power to supply all your needs. "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, 'All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.'" Matthew 28:18

He knows what you need. "... For your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him." Matthew 6:8

Whatever you need, God's got it, and He is ready, willing, and able to supply all your needs.

Don't Worry, Pray

We say, "If you pray, don't worry; if you are going to worry, then don't pray."

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ." Philippians 4:6-7

Don't be anxious, or fret, or worry about anything for that indicates a lack of trust in God. Everything is under God's control. Pray, and ask God for your requests. Have a submissive and thankful heart when you go to God in prayer. If your prayers are consistent with His will, He will grant them.

For true peace of mind, turn all of your cares over to God and know that He is willing and able to do the best for His children. The only perfect peace is the God's peace.

Don't worry, pray, and be at peace. God was, and is, and always will be in control.

Love For Our Fellow Man

How do you know that you are saved? "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death." 1 John 3:14

It is not natural for us to love one another. By nature we are selfish and full of self love. Jesus told us to love one another. "By this shall men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 13:34-35

We love one another because the nature of God is within us. We know that we have changed from being dead to Christ to being alive in Christ because we can have and demonstrate love for our fellow man.

Those who do not love their fellow man, do not have the love of God within them. They are dead spiritually, separated from Christ, and living in sinful darkness outside of the marvelous light of Christ.

The world can tell that we are believers and followers of Christ by the way that we treat others.

We Are Sons Of God

"Behold, what manner of love The Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not.

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.

And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure." 1 John 3:1-3

God loves us enough that, because of our belief in His Son, Jesus Christ, we too are considered sons of God. Once we accepted Christ, we were given a new, heavenly nature, a nature that is foreign to this world, making us 'aliens'. We are in this world, but not of this world.

While we were changed into a new creature the moment that we believed, our nature becomes more like His nature as we grow in knowledge and holiness and display Christian behavior. This transformation and purification will not be complete until we see Him, face to face.

Our Heavenly Father loves us, and will take care of us. So pray to Him, praise Him, thank Him and don't worry about a thing. Remember, we are His children and we ought to act like it.

Love Not The World

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of The Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of The Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." 1 John 2:15-17

'Love' here signifies affection and devotion, and 'the world' refers to invisible spiritual system of evil dominated by Satan and all that offers opposition to God , His word, and His people. 'Lust' is a strong desire for negative, evil, and sinful things. The 'flesh' refers to the sin nature of man and his rebellious preoccupation with himself and self love.

The world's philosophies and ideologies lead to deception because they all are in opposition to,
and omit any reference to, the knowledge of God. As Christians we must realize that we are in this world but not of this world.

Our beliefs and guiding principals should be based upon our belief and faith in God. Don't get hung up on the fleeting things of this world.

Don't Hate Your Borther

"He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes." 1 John 9-11

Jesus said "... I am the light of the world ..." John 8:12 and John 9:5. To be in the light is to be in Jesus and He in you. Being in darkness is to be lost in a sinful state without Jesus.

We cannot claim to be in Jesus and have hate in our heart for our fellow man. Christians should not have hate in their heart for anyone.

When we pray, we should also pray for "... a clean heart ... and ... a right spirit ..." Psalms 51:10

There is a currently popular phrase that says, "Don't be a hater" and another one that says, Don't hate the player, hate the game." Well to paraphrase that saying, "Don't hate the person, hate the sin."

We may not like what someone has said or done, but we should not hate them because of it. As Christians, His light should be in us and we should let it shine so that the world can see it.

Repent Judgement Day Is Coming

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of The Lord will come ..." 2 Peter 3:9-10

Jesus said that He was going away but that He was coming back. He will keep His word. Judgement day is coming.

There are those who believe that He will not come back until all that have reached have heard The Word of God and have had an opportunity to accept or reject Jesus Christ. With the advent of radio, television, and the internet, that day may be rapidly approaching.

He is patiently waiting and giving all of us a chance to accept Jesus as our Lord and savior.

God Cares For Us

"Humble yourself therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time; Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7

Don't brag, boast, of exaggerate to make yourself look good and appear better than others. It is much better to humble yourself and let The Good Lord exalt you.

Humility is "low mindedness" when it comes to thinking of one's self. Thinking that one is not worthy and not good enough to serve The Lord. We are not important, He is. We are woefully inadequate and insignificant by comparison.

Rather than trying to lift ourselves up, we ought to lift up the name of Jesus.

God can lift you up out of whatever, place you above whatever, and He can keep you safe from whatever. He cares for you and He can take care of you.

Trial Of Our Faith

Just as our works will be judged in a trial by fire, so will our faith also be judged in a trial by fire.

"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious that of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ ..." 1 Peter 1:7

Whereas our works will undergo a trial by fire on that final day of judgement, 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, our faith will be tested frequently while we yet live. The question is, do we maintain our faith in Christ while we are going through various trials and troubles in this life.

"Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations..." 1 Peter 1:6

The tests (... temptations ...) of our faith shall be varied (... manifold ...), grievous (... heaviness ...), and temporary (... for a season ...), but not sufficient to cause us to loose our Christian joy (... greatly rejoice ...).

So, don't worry about whatever it is that you are going through, it's only a test.

Our Inheritance

"Blessed be The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." 1 Peter 1:3-5

We, who are saved by faith, by the power and mercy of God, through Jesus Christ, we have a treasure reserved for us in heaven.

We have our inheritance waiting for us in heaven. Earthly inheritances can be collected after some one on earth dies. Our heavenly inheritance will be collected when we die. The death, burial , and resurrection of Jesus has already set our inheritance aside for us in heaven. We just have to get there to claim it.

Walk The Walk

Many of us say that we love The Lord, but our inconsistent actions speak louder than our words.

"... We do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."

"But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected; hereby we know that we are in Him. He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also to walk, even as He walked." 1 John 2:3-6

Talk is cheap without the walk to back it up. We need to walk the Christian walk and not just talk the talk.

When we believe God's word, and when we desire to keep God's word, and we make an effort to keep His word, then we know that we are children of God.

O Give Thanks Unto The Lord # 4

"O give thanks unto The Lord; for He is good and His mercy endureth for ever.

O give thanks unto The God of gods; for His mercy endureth for ever.

O give thanks unto The Lord of lords; for His mercy endureth for ever.

To Him who alone doeth great wonders; for His mercy endureth for ever...

O give thanks unto The God of heaven; for His mercy endureth for ever." Psalms 136:1-4 & 26

I hope and pray that all of you had a blessed Thanksgiving Day and that you will be blessed throughout the rest of this season of giving thanks.

O Give Thanks Unto The Lord # 3

"O give thanks unto The Lord; for He is good; because His mercy endureth for ever." Psalms 118:1

"This is the day which The Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalms 118:24

"O give thanks unto The Lord; for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever." Psalms 118:29

"In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

May you all have a blessed Day of Giving Thanks.

O Give Thanks Unto The Lord # 2

"O give thanks unto The Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of The Lord say so ..." Psalms 107:1-2

We should be thankful and give thanks unto The Lord always, every day, and not just during this season of thanksgiving. "God is good, all the time; and all the time, God is good."

Why is it that we only call when we are in trouble? Just like the children of Israel, "Then they cried unto The Lord in their trouble ..." Psalms 107:6, 13, 19, & 28

Those of us that He has saved and blessed should say so and tell the world. David said, "I will bless The Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth." Psalms 34:1 "Bless The Lord, O my soul; and forget not all of His benefits ..." Psalms 103:2

When we think of all of the blessings that we have received from God throughout our lives, we ought to be saying 'Thank you Lord' all day, every day.

We all have so much to be thankful for; every good and perfect gift (James 1:17), the things and people that He kept us from (1 Samuel 25:39 & Psalms 17:4), and the things that the world or an individual meant to be bad for us that He turned into a blessing (Genesis 50:20).

"O give thanks unto The Lord ..." Psalms 105:1, 106:1, 107:1, 118:1, 136:1 Have a blessed Thanksgiving Day and season

O Give Thanks Unto The Lord

"O give thanks unto The Lord ..." Psalms 105:1

We are encouraged throughout the Bible to give thanks unto The Lord. Psalms 105, 106, 107, 118, and 136 all begin with the phrase, "O give thanks unto The Lord ..." and they each provide a reason for doing so.

However, Psalms 105 goes on to say, "... call upon His name; make known His deeds ... Sing unto Him ... talk ye of all His wondrous works ... Glory in His holy name ... rejoice ... Seek The Lord ... Remember His marvelous works ..." Psalms 105:1-5

During this holiday season and on into the future, we need to "Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto The Most High ..." Psalms 50:14 "In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Remember, "... all things work together for good to them that love God ..." Romans 8:28

So join with me and let's give thanks unto The Lord.

We Will Reap What We Sow

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Galatians 6:7

"And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." Galatians 6:9-10

We we get what we give out. As in the principal of planting, what you sow is what you reap at the harvest. It is also true that you will get back more than you put out. Planting a seed does not just yield another seed but a multitude of seeds. Sowing a kernel of corn produces a plant that yields multiple ears of corn, each having about 100 kernels of corn.

This principal applies to more that giving money or things. There is no discrimination with God, we will be rewarded based upon our works. We are to behave in a Christ -like manner with all men, especially with the people of God.

If you do not give much, you will not get much. But whatever you give, you will get back a ten to one hundred fold increase of the same.

The Fruit Of The Holy Spirit

"But the fruit of The Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance ... they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh ... If we live in The Spirit, let us also walk in The Spirit." Galatians 5:22-25

The English Standard version puts it this way, "... love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control ..."

Trees bear fruit based upon their nature. The fruit that we produce should be the same as the fruit of The Spirit, if The Spirit is within us. The previous verses, 19-21, list the things of the flesh that we should be dead to and no longer part of us.

If The Spirit of God is in us, then we should walk, talk, think, and behave in such a manner that the world can see the fruit of The Spirit in our lives. We should not have to tell people that we by are Christians, they should be able to detect that by observing us.

Give And Be A Blessing To Others

"... He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver.



And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work ..." 2 Corinthians 9:6-8



Sharing what you have and giving to others pleases God when it is done in a pleasant way. This giving does not just apply to giving money, although it includes money. We are encouraged to give to others and to give generously. We will be rewarded according to amount that we give, the more that we give, the more that we will receive.



Even though you have all that you need, God will bless you with even more when you are a blessing to others.



God possess and infinite amount of goodness and grace which He shares with us. The more generous we are to others, the more lavishly He blesses us.



As we enter this season when the worldly folk start to focus on giving, let us remember to be a blessing to others, including those outside of our circle of family and friends.



"The liberal soul shall be made fat; and he that watereth shall be watered himself also." Proverbs 11:25 (King James version)



"The liberal person shall be enriched ..." (The Amplified version)

"The generous man will be prosperous ..." (New American Standard version)

"A generous man will prosper ..." (New International version)

"Whoever brings blessings will be enriched ..." (English Standard version)



"He that blesses others shall himself also be blessed."

Jesus Became Poor For Us

"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich." 2 Corinthians 8:9

Jesus left the riches and splendor of heaven, put on flesh and humanity, lived and worked as a poor carpenter's son for thirty-three and a half years, so that through His earthly death, burial, and resurrection, we might have a chance to enjoy the riches and splendor of heaven.

Did you take advantage of what He has to offer for you? After what He did for you, what have you done for Him?

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." John 15:13-14

God's Grace Is Sufficient

No matter what it is that we are going through, or dealing with, God's grace is sufficient to to get it us through it.

The Apostle Paul said, "... there was given to me a thorn in the flesh ... I besought The Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. Hand He said unto me, 'My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:7-9

The Lord can demonstrate His strength when we are weak and have faith and turn it over to Him, whatever it is.

The Lord does not have to remove the mountain that is in front of you, He can give you the strength to climb over it.

Paul also said that the thorn was placed in his flesh "... lest I should be exalted above measure." We can think too highly of ourselves and our abilities and not give God the proper credit for what He did through us. The "thorns in the flesh" can help to keep us grounded and focused upon The Lord. The "thorns" of life can humble us.

Become A New Creature

Once we accept Jesus Christ into our lives, we are changed. Our wants, wishes, and desires are also changed. We do not become perfect, but we are definitely different.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17

Some of the sinful things that we used to do, we no longer do or enjoy. If we accept Christ into our live, we cannot be the same as we were before. Not only will there be a difference, but you will notice a difference and those around you will see a difference in you.

Our Bodies Are God's Temple

Once we accept Jesus as our personal savior, God dwells within us. We become a house of God.

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him will God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Most of us know that we should do more the keep the church house clean and in good repair. However, we generally do not give much thought to our bodies being a temple of God and how we treat that temple.

Think of all of the things that we do that damage our bodies. We smoke, drink alcohol to excess, we overeat, and we eat an inappropriate diet. We physically abuse our bodies in the name of fun, sport, and having a 'good time'.

Worshipping the body is also not a good thing. Some of us obsess over our physical appearance and our diet, but not for the glory of God. We mar and physically alter our bodies for our own personal vanity.

That is not to mention all of the junk and trash that we let enter our mind by what we choose to watch, listen to, read, and think.

As Christians, God lives within us and we should be very careful regarding how we treat God's house.

Trial By Fire

All that we think, say, and do will be judged on that final day. As Christians we will be judged to see what we did to give God glory.

Our works will be like a building upon the foundation of our belief in Jesus The Christ.

Paul taught them and us about Jesus and said, "... I have laid the foundation ..."

"... But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For no other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

"Now if any man build upon the foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble.

"Every man's work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." 1 Corinthians 3:10-15

All of our works will be either "gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or stubble". The gold, silver and precious stones will be things that give God glory and they will pass through the fire with us and result in a reward in heaven for us. However, all that is wood , hay and stubble will be lost, burnt up in the fire, and shall amount to nothing.

Will you have any rewards in heaven? Only what you do for Christ will last.

Meat Versus Milk

When it comes to The Word of God, are you ready for more meat, or are you still drinking milk?

Have you grown in your knowledge and understanding in Christ, or are you still a babe in Christ?

Just because you have been in church, or physically attending church services, for a number of years, does not mean that you are a mature Christian spiritually. It does not matter how old you are chronologically, you can still be a babe in Christ.

Paul makes it clear that sometimes preachers have to preach and teach the people in church like they are the lost folk of the world. "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk and not with meat; hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able." 1 Corinthians 3:1-2

Paul was making reference to their spiritual immaturity. They had heard The Word of God but they had not grown in their understanding of it. That is why he called them 'babes in Christ'.

The same point is made in Hebrews. Some people had been exposed to The Word of God often enough that they should be able to teach it to some one else, but they were still babes in Christ themselves.

"For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness; for he is a babe." Hebrews 5:12-13

Are you still just listening to The Word of God every Sunday or are you growing spiritually? After all of your years in church, are you still a babe in Christ?

Are you ready for the meat of The Word, or are you still drinking milk?

Confess And Forgiveness

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." 1 John 1:9-10

"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23

The question is not did we sin, but did we confess our sins to God and sincerely ask Him for forgiveness.

Every sin is a sin against God. "Against Thee, and Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight ..." Psalms 51:4

So, pray to God, confess your sins, ask for forgiveness, and He will cleanse you.

Who Are You Following

At one time or another in our lives most of us have looked up to someone that we admired and wanted to be like. That person could have been called our hero. Unfortunately, all too often we pick the wrong person to imitate and emulate because that person has faults and short-comings just like the rest of us.

Jesus told His disciples, "Follow me." Matthew 4:19 & John 1:43

"The steps of a good man are ordered by The Lord ..." Psalms 37:23
"Order my steps in Thy word ..." Psalms 119:133

Our direction and path should be determined by The Lord. Only He knows where we are going and only He knows the way there. Jesus is The Way! John 14:6

The old expression, "Lead, follow, or get out of the way" Author Unknown, was said to motivate procrastinators to do something. If you are not following Jesus and leading people to Jesus, then you are going the wrong way.

If you are not following Jesus, The Christ, then who are you following?

Direction And Protection

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. " Psalms 119:105

"I am afflicted very much; quicken me, O Lord, according unto Thy word." Psalms 119:107

"Thou art my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Thy word." Psalms 119:114

Not only does Thy word illuminate my path to show me the pitfalls and rocks so that I don't stumble, Thy word provides me with direction and protection.

The song says, "... Please order my steps in Your word ... I want to walk worthy, my calling to fulfill; If You order my steps, I'll do Your blessed will ... Please order my steps in Your word ..."

Even though I occasionally detour and get off Thy path, please order my steps in Your word.

We Need God's Help

"Teach me, O Lord, the way of Thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

Make me to go in the path of Thy commandments; for therein do I delight. Incline my heart unto Thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.

Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; quicken Thou me in Thy way. Stablish Thy word unto Thy servant, who is devoted to Thy fear.

Turn away my reproach which I fear; for Thy judgments are good. Behold, I have longed after Thy precepts; quicken me in Thy righteousness." Psalms 119:33-40

While the author of this Psalm is unknown, the intent is quite clear. He, and we, need God's help to understand His word, law, statutes, & commandments, and we need His help to keep them. We need God's help to walk the right path, to desire the right things, and to turn away from the sinful things.

We need God's help to keep His word continuously in our mind and to keep us focused on His righteousness. We have to want His help and we have to ask for it if we are to receive it.

The Center of The Bible

Did you know that the longest chapter in the Bible is Psalms 119, and the shortest chapter is Psalms 117? Did you know that the chapter in the center of the Bible is Psalms 118? Isn't it interesting that the chapter in the middle of the Bible 118 is between the shortest 117 and the longest 119?

The verse that is in the center of the Bible is Psalms 118:8 which says, "It is better to trust in The Lord than to put confidence in man." This should be at the center of our lives.

We should not any man, and we should not even trust ourselves. "Trust in The Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6 Don't even trust yourself, trust in The Lord.

Psalms 188:8 could be the center of the best advise one can give or receive. God's plan for our lives will only be manifested to us if we put our trust in Him, and make Him the center of our lives.

What is the central theme of your life? If it is not God, then maybe it should be.

What We Can Give God

"I love The Lord, because He hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because He hath inclined His ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live." Psalms 116:1-2

"For Thou hast delivered my sol from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling." Psalms 116:8

"What shall I render unto The Lord for all His benefits towards me?" Psalms 116:12

"I will pay my vows unto The Lord now in the presence of all His people." Psalms 116:14

We say that we love The Lord, but our actions speak louder than our words. What shall we give God for all that He has give us? The suggestions here is that public praise and thanksgiving are what we should give Him.

In Remembrance of Him

"O give thanks unto The Lord; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the people."

"Sing unto Him, sing psalms unto Him; talk ye of all His wondrous works."

"Glory ye in His holy name; let the heart of them rejoice that seek The Lord."

"Seek The Lord, and His strength; seek His face evermore."

"Remember His marvellous works that He hath done; His wonders, and the judgements of His mouth ..." Psalms 105:1-5

We should be thankful to The Lord for all of the great things that He has done in our lives and in the world. Following Him should be a pleasure and not a chore. Given what He has done and is doing for us, we should want to seek His face and please Him.

And we should tell people about Him and what He has done for us. Share the good news with others. They should be able to see how grateful we are that He is within us and we are in Him.

Want To Be Rich And Have Your Children Blessed?

"The fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all they that do His commandments; His praise endureth forever." Psalms 111:10

"Praise ye The Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth The Lord, that delighteth greatly in His commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon the earth; the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house ..." Psalms 112:1-3

If you truly love The Lord and get joy out of keeping His commandments, not only will you be blessed but you children will also be blessed.

Love The Lord, keep His commandments, enjoy reading His word, do right and act Christ-like, and you and you children will be blessed.

The upright and righteous who love The Lord shall be wealthy and rich.

Bless The Lord

"Bless The Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless The Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits."

"Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's." Psalms 103:1-5

"The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide; neither will He keep His anger forever. He hath not dealth with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities." Psalms 101:8-10

We ought to be extremely grateful that God does not give us what we deserve based upon our sinful nature. We ought to be continually thankful that He blesses us in spite of the fact that we really do not deserve to be blessed.

Praise The Lord And Be Thankful

"Make a joyful noise unto The Lord, all ye lands."

"Serve The Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing."

"Know ye that The Lord He is God; it is He that hath made us and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture."

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful unto Him, and bless His name."

"For The Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations."
Psalms 100:1-5

The reason that we go the church is to worship The Lord, to praise Him, and to give thanks unto Him along with other believer in Christ. Go to church for the right reason and do the right thing when you get there. Participate, don't just spectate.

Make A Joyful Noise Unto The Lord

"O come, let us sing unto The Lord; let us make a joyful noise unto the rock of our salvation."

"Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms."

"For The Lord is a great God ..." Psalms 95:1-3

Do you sing the congregational songs/hymns at church? Do you sing along with the choir? The Bible encourages us to "... make a joyful noise ..." unto The Lord. Even if you sing off key, like me, make some noise in church.

The worship service at church is not a spectator sport, it requires your participation.

God Knows All

"The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity."

Blessed is the man whom Thou chastennest, O Lord, and teachest him out of Thy law."

"That Thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity ..." Psalms 94:11-13

The Lord sees all that we do, hears all that we say, and knows all that we think. Blessed be the name of The Lord.

Pray Daily And Have A Fruitful Long Life

"It is a good thing to give thanks unto The Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most High; To shew forth thy loving-kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night." Psalms 92 1-2

"The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree; he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of The Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing ..." Psalms 92:12-14

Give thanks unto The Lord in prayer first thing in the mourning and the last thing at night. Doing this daily will lead to a long, productive and fruitful life, even into one's old age.

Heavenly Protection

"Because thou hast made The Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;"

"There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling."

"For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." Psalms 91:9-11

As the song says, "O to be kept, by Jesus ..." He can keep you safe from all hurt, harm, and danger.

Our Days & Years

"Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound; they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of Thy countenance. In Thy name shall they rejoice all the day; and in Thy righteousness shall they be exalted. For Thou art the glory of their strength; and in Thy favour our horn shall be exalted. For The Lord is our defence; and The Holy One of Israel is our King." Psalms 89:15-18

"For a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night." Psalms 90:4

"The days of our years are three-score years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be four-score years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away." Psalms 90:10

"So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." Psalms 90:12

Rejoice in The Lord every day of your life for you do not know how many days you have left.

Return Unto The Lord

Have you fallen out of fellowship with The Lord? Have you been our of church or stopped praying? Have you been back-sliding so long that you are not sure if you would be welcomed back into God's good graces?

The Bible says, "... Return unto The Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to The Lord; and say unto Him, 'Take away all iniquity, and receive us ..." Hosea 14:1-2

God will take us back, just as He instructed Hosea to take back his unfaithful wife.

Promotions Come From God

Are you feeling under-appreciated at work? Were you passed over for the promotion or raise that you thought you deserved? Don't complain because you did not get what you feel you deserved.

"... Promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge; He putteth down one, and setteth up another." Psalms 75:6-7

"... Do not boast ... Do not lift up your horn ..." Psalms 75:4-5 Do not exalt yourself, it is not good to sing praises to one's own self.

It is God who decides who gets what, and when, according to His plan.

Let Me Not Be A Stumbling Block

"O God, Thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from Thee. Let not them that wait on Thee. O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed for my sake; let not those that seek Thee be confounded for my sake, O Lord God of Israel." Psalms 69:5-6

I am far from perfect. "... I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me." Psalms 51:3

Let me not be a stumbling block for anyone else.

A Universal Prayer

"God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause His face to shine upon us ... That Thy way may be known upon earth, Thy saving health among all nations. Let the people praise Thee, O God; let all the people praise Thee." Psalms 67:1-3

This short song is an intercessory prayer for God's mercy and blessings for all of us. It is not often that we pray for all of the people in all of the countries in the world.

Need Help?

Are you having a hard time carrying all of your burdens?

"Cast thy burden upon The Lord, and He shall never the righteous to be moved." Psalms 55:22

"Truly my soul waiteth upon God; from Him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved." Psalms 62:1-2

"In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God." Psalms 62:7

God Is

"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God ..." Psalms 53:1

I know that God exists and that He is real. That's why I pray, and that's why I sing, "God is".

Psalms 51 - A Prayer Of Cleansing

Psalms 51 - David's prayer of cleansing

1"Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness; according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions."

2 "Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin."

3 "For I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me."

4 "Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight ..."

7 "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."

8 "Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which Thou hast broken may rejoice."

9 "Hide Thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities."

10 "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."

11 "Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me."

12 "Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free spirit."

14 "Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation; and my tongue shall sing aloud of Thy righteousness."

15 "O Lord, open Thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth Thy praise."

God Is

The song says, "God is my protection ... God is my guide and direction ... God is the joy and the strength of my life ..."

When we are in trouble and need help, we need to let go and let God.


The Bible says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalms 46:1


There are some things that we cannot do for ourselves. We should praise God and thank Him for the things that He does. He is all powerful, all knowing, and is everywhere at the same time.


"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalms 46:10


When God is busy, we need to stop and just stand still.


We sing, "After you've done all you can, you just stand."

Blessed Is He That Gives To The Poor

As Christians, we should be kind to those who are less fortunate than we are.

"Blessed is he that considereth the poor; The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth ..." Psalms 41:1-2

All of the blessings that we receive were not meant for us to keep to ourselves. We were to pass them on and share them with others. Remember the rich man and the beggar Lazarus, Luke 16: 19-31

When we give to the poor, we lend to The Lord and He will repay us, Proverbs 19:17

Trust In The Lord

"I waited patiently for The Lord; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God ... Blessed is that man that maketh The Lord his trust ..." Psalms 40:1-4

Trust in The Lord, He will hear you, and He will help you. He will turn you midnight into day, and give you a new song of joy and praise to sing.

"Trust in The Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thy own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

Do The Right Thing

Some times it is hard to do the right thing when those around you are doing wrong. Remember that we are in this world but not of it.

"Fret not thyself because of evil doers ... Trust in The Lord, and do good ... Delight thyself in The Lord ... Commit the way unto The Lord ... And He shall bring forth thy righteousness ..." Psalms 37:1-6

"Cease from anger, and forsake wrath ... For evil doers shall be cut off; but those that wait upon The Lord, shall inherit the earth ..." Psalms 37:8-9

"The steps of a good man are ordered by The Lord; and he delighteth in His way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for The Lord upholdeth him with His hand." Psalms 37:23-24

Do the right thing and do not worry about those that do wrong. They will get what is coming to them. Let's be careful and watch our steps. Let's make sure that we are following The Lord.

Good Advice for Christian Behavior

If we would praise God more often, maybe we would sin less and not get into so much trouble.

"I will bless The Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth." Psalms 34:1

"O magnify The Lord with me, let us exalt His name together." Psalms 34:3

"O taste and see that The Lord is good; blessed is the man that trusteth in Him." Psalms 34:8

"Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it." Psalms 34:13-14

That is good advice for Christian behavior.

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but The Lord delivereth him out of all of them." Psalms 34:19

F. Y. I.

F. Y. I.

I have updated my website www.revwendell.comm with my most recent posts on Twitter, Facebook, and Blogger. They can be found on the 'Life Lessons' page, below all of the links.

Psalms 31 - Shortened

When things are not going well with you, read Psalms 31. The following is a shortened version.

"In Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed ... For Thou art my rock and my fortress ... I will be glad and rejoice in Thy mercy ... Psalms 31:1-7

"Have mercy upon me , O Lord, for I am in trouble ..." Psalms 31:9

"For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing; my strength faileth because of mine iniquity ..." Psalms 31:10

"Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant; save me for Thy mercies sake." Psalms 31:16

"O love The Lord, all ye His saints; for The Lord preserveth the faithful ... Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in The Lord." Psalm 31:23-24

As I have stated previously, some times we need to pray like David prayed and sing the songs that He sang.

Joy Cometh In The Morning

We make a lot of mistakes. We sin often and we know it. Sometimes God punishes us for what thought, said, or did, and sometimes He just allows bad thing to happen to us. We make Him mad, but He loves us and He does not stay mad at us for very long. Then He blesses us again.

"Sing into The Lord, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance if His holiness.

For His anger endureth but a moment; in His favor is life; weeping may endureth for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." Psalms 30:4-5

Whatever it is that makes us cry, it won't last for long. Think of the bad situation as a punishment and realize that God won't let it last for very long. A blessing is coming right after it.

It is not that we deserve to be blessed, we really deserve more punishment that we get. God is good. And as bad as we are, we are still His children.

No matter how dark it gets at night, joy cometh in the morning.

Praise His Name

Frequently we ask God for what we want, but rarely do we give God what He wants. He wants our praise.

"Give unto The Lord the glory due unto His name; worship The Lord in the beauty of holiness." Psalms 29:2

The Lord loves us and blesses us, even as we mess up and continue to sin and act ungrateful. Think about how much more pleased with us He would be if we kept His commandments and praised His name.

God is a much better heavenly Father than any earthly father could be. If an earthly father will give more to a good kid, think about how much more our heavenly Father would give us if we would obey Him and give Him praise, honor,and glory.

"The Lord will give strength unto His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace." Psalms 29:11

The Lord God will bless us with peace in the mist of our storms if we would just focus on Him.

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee ..." Isaiah 26:3

What Are You Afraid Of?

What are you afraid of? Christians should not be afraid of anything.

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalms 27:1-2

When we follow The Lord, we have no need to fear anything. He lights our paths, He gives us direction. He strengthens us when we are weak. He is our protection and He fights our battles.

Given that He is all knowing, all powerful, and everywhere at the same time, what do we have to be afraid of?

"There is no fear in love ... perfect love casteth out fear ..." 1 John 4:18 God is love and God is perfect. There is no fear in God.

Lord, Have Mercy

If we are honest with ourselves, most of us will admit that we have messed up a lot trying to do things our way. We need help and forgiveness for our sins.

"Shew me Thy ways, O Lord; teach me Thy paths. Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me;
for Thou art The God of my salvation; on Thee do I wait all the day.

Remember, O Lord, Thy tender mercies and Thy loving-kindnesses;
for they have been ever of old.

Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
according to Thy mercy remember Thou me for Thy goodness sake, O Lord." Psalms 25:4-7

We really do not want to be reminded of all of our past sins. We need God's grace and mercy.
Grace, we want God to give us of His goodness that which we don't deserve; and
Mercy, we want Him to withhold the punishment that we do deserve.

That's why like David, we appeal to God's mercy and tender loving-kindness.

Lift Up Your Heads

Don't let life get you down. Don't give in to worldly pressures and negativity. Don't walk around with your head hung down, look up.

"Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lifted up ... and The King of glory shall come in." Psalms 24:7 & 9

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from The Lord ..." Psalms 121:1-2

There is no need for Christians to be down in the dumps. All we have to do is look to The Lord.

The Lord Is My Shepherd

All of us follow some one. The question is, who are you following? Where are you being led and who is protecting you?

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me besides the still waters. He restoreth my soul; He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." Psalms 23:1-3

Sheep would be lost without a shepherd. Sheep will not drink for running water. Sheep need to be protected and cannot build their own homes.

"...Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of The Lord for ever." Psalms 23:6

"Goodness and mercy" have got my back. And I am looking forward to living throughout eternity in a house not made by hands.

Who are you following, where are they leading you, what are they providing for you, are you safe with them, and will you be safe in the future with them?

Pray Like David

David was not a perfect man. He sinned, and he sinned more than once, just like us. But, David was honest with God when he confessed his sins and when he asked to be forgiven.

"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer." Psalms 19:14

That's why David was a man after God's own heart. Maybe we should pray like David prayed.

Let Us Do Better

Are you striving to be a better Christian? We all fall short, the question is which of your shortcomings are you trying to improve?

A good Christian exhibits integrity and reliability, respects the people of God and holds himself accountable for his words & deeds.

"He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, ans speaks the truth in his heart;
He who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up reproach against his friend;" Psalms 15:1-5

The Bible is the instruction manual for good Christian living. Unfortunately, many of us do not read it, and most of us read it but do not follow it.

Let's do better!

Praise The Lord

No matter what happens, give God praise. He knows what has happened, why it happened, and what the results will be because it happened. We cannot see the big picture and God knows everything.

God has blessed us in more ways than we can count. He is worthy of all praise, honor, and glory.

"I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High." Psalms 9:1-2

We should dedicate ourselves to the sincere worship of God. He has done great things throughout history and in each of our lives.

He gives us what we need, let's give Him what He wants ... our praise.

Stressed Out, Pray

When the world seems to be getting the best of you, pray. When things are piling up on you, pray. When life has gotten you down in the dumps, pray.

"Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; My soul is also greatly troubled ... Oh, save me for Your mercies' sake ... I am weary with my groaning ... Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity; For The Lord has heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord has heard my supplication; The Lord will receive my prayer." Psalms 6:2-9

Have faith in The Lord, even in the time of distress. As the song says, "He can, and He will, work it out."

Pray, And Pray For Guidance

Prayer should be the first thing that we do in the morning when we wake up and the last thing that we do at night before we go to bed. We should pray before we eat, before we make a decision, and before we begin any journey.

Even when we think that we know where we are going, we need to pray for guidance and direction.

"Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation. Give heed to the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for to You I will pray. My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up." Psalms 5:1-3

"... Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness ..." Psalms 5:8

"The steps of a good man are ordered by The Lord ..." Psalms 37:23

The song says, "Order my steps in Your Word dear Lord;
Lead me, guide me, everyday;
Send Your anointing, Father, I pray;
Order my steps in Your word."

Watch What You Say

We often talk too much. We say a lot of words without really saying anything significant. Some of us seem to just talk to hear ourselves talk. Some people talk so much that it is hard for others to get a word word in the conversation. However, idle conversation is also bad.

"... That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Matthew 12:36-37

While this might seem like an insignificant "little thing", there is no such thing as a little sin, a sin is a sin against God. Whatever we do, say or think that does not give God glory is unrighteous and the Bible says, "All unrighteousness is sin; and there is a sin not unto death." 1 John 5:17

Therefore be very careful regarding what you say, because it may be held against you on judgement day.

Are You Tired And Heavy Laden?

If you feel like the weight of the world is upon your shoulders and it is weighing you down, you need help. Jesus said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me ... and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Matthew 11:28-29

We suffer sometimes and make things harder on ourselves because we try to handle things by ourselves. We should try doing things His way instead of doing them our way. The more we learn about Him, the easier that will be.

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus ..." Philippians 2:5

If we would change our mind set, and become more Christ-like, then we would be much better off.

Beware Of False Prophets

Everything that sounds good is not the truth. Just because someone says that some thing is in the Bible, does not mean that it is in there or that what they said is Biblically correct. Be careful of who you follow and who you listen to.

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." Matthew 7:15

Everyone who claims to be a man of God or a child of God in not telling the truth. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Matthew 7:21

"And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Matthew 7:23

We all need to read and study the Bible for ourselves. "Study to show thyself approved unto God ... rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15

Be careful of what and who you listen to and what you say. "... Shun profane babblings; for they will increase unto more ungodliness." 2 Timothy 2:16

Ask And You Shall Receive

During His sermon on the mountain, Jesus said, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you;"


"For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."


"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good thing s to them that ask Him?" Matthew 7:7-8 & 11


If He is not your Father, do not expect that He will give you what you ask for. And it you do not believe, don't waste your time.


"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." Matthew 21:22

"... Ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss ..." James 4:2-3


Least we misunderstand the purpose of this, we need to ask for things that will help us give God Glory, not things to glorify ourselves.


"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that The Father may be glorified in The Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments." John 14:13-15


To get "... any thing ..." you ask for you must keep His commandments.

Where Is Your Treasure?

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal; For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matthew 6:19-21

Our problem is that we place value on the temporary things of this world and do not value the things which have eternal implications.

What we value says a lot about our beliefs and motives. How we treat others says a lot about more about us than we realize.

We spend a lot of time planning for and worrying about things which, in the final scheme of things, really is not important or worthwhile.

"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Mark 8:36

What do you treasure?

Forgive And Be Forgiven

We all mess up and sometimes we hurt or disappoint people. Usually this is not done intentionally. That is why we apologize and ask for forgiveness. However, it is easier to ask to be forgiven than it is to forgive someone.

When someone does us wrong, we should forgive them. "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Matthew 6:14-15

In the model prayer which Jesus taught us we were to ask our heavenly Father to "... forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors ..." Matthew 6:12

So, don't hold on to that grudge you have against someone who did you wrong. Forgive them and let it go. We get forgiveness only as we give it out.

To Live Christ Like

Being a Christian is not an easy thing to do. In fact, some times it is quite difficult to act in a Christ-like manner.

Jesus said that we should "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that
hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you ... Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." Matthew 5:43-48

Christians are expected to live by a higher standard. We are charged not to give in to our sinful human nature. Whenever we are confronted with a situation, we should ask ourselves, "What would Christ do, or say, or think in this situation?"

Most of us are not as bad as we could be, but we are not as good as we should be. We need to pray to God to help us do, say and think the right thing much more often.

Let Your Light Shine

"Ye are the light of the world ... Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house." Matthew 5:14-15

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matthew 5:16

Jesus is The Light. He said, "I am the light of the world ..." John 8:12 He is in all believers. It is The Jesus that is in us that we must let shine so that the world can see it.

We are not to hid it, but we are to display it out in the open so that all may see and benefit from it. Not only for those in our household and family, but for all that we encounter and all who see us, that they may see The Lord in us and give God the glory.

Let your light shine. Let The Jesus in you shine so that the world can see it.

The song says, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine ...
Every where I go, I'm gonna let it shine ...
All in my home, I'm gonna let it shine ...
My God gave it to me, I'm gonna let it shine ...
Shine, shine, shine, I'm gonna let it shine ...
I'm not gonna make it shine, I'm gonna let it shine ...
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine."

Tithe And Be Blessed

"Even from the days of your fathers ye have gone away from mine ordinances , and have not kept them. Return unto me , and I will return unto you, saith The Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

Ye are cursed with a curse; for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith The Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes ... And all nations shall call you blessed ..." Malachi 3:7-12

Give The Lord one tenth of all of your income and He will bless you abundantly.

Speak The Truth, Don't Lie

Why do we lie? We know that God does not like liars. We were commanded to tell the truth, yet still we tell lies. We want to appear to others that we are better than we really are. We lie on others to make them appear to be better or worse than they really are.

"These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbor ..." Zechariah 6:16

"Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor..." Exodus 20:16

The Bible says that there is a special place reserved for liars, "... and all liars, shall have part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone ..." Revelation 21:8

We know this and yet we still tell lies. What is wrong with us? We truly need God's help to turn from our wicked ways.

Consider Your Ways

Why is it that we work hard to fulfill our own personal agendas, but put very little effort into our work for The Lord? Why do we let God's house get dirty and in disrepair, but we constantly clean up and fix up our homes?

"Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled (cedar paneled) houses, and this house (The Lord's house) lie waste? Haggai 1:4

"Yet now be strong ... saith The Lord ... be strong ... and work; for I am with you, saith The Lord of Hosts ..." Haggai 2:4

The phrase "... consider your ways ..." is used or implied five times throughout this prophecy, 1:5 & 7, 2:15 & in 2:18 twice. It is a plea on the part of God for the people to take note of what they are doing and amend their ways accordingly with respect to His temple and His work.

We should not put ourselves before God. We should not put anything before God, Exodus 20:3. We should first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, Matthew 6:33

Let's consider our ways and start to put God first.

The Day Of The Lord Is Near

According to the prophet Zephaniah, God is not pleased with the behavior of mankind. He states that "The great day of The Lord is near ... that day is a day of wrath ... in the day of The lord's wrath ... the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy ..." Zephaniah 1:14-18

We are encouraged to get our selves together before that day comes. "Seek ye The Lord, all ye meek of the earth ... seek righteousness, seek meekness; it may be ye shall be hid in the day of The Lord's anger." Zephaniah 2:3

This prophecy was a warning of the imminent judgement of Judah. However, there are many that believe that it also is a warning that applies to us today. "The Day of The Lord" is a day of wrath, trouble, distress, devastation, destruction, darkness, gloominess, clouds, thick darkness, trumpet, and alarm. Zephaniah 1:15-18

The Bible says that there will be "a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away ..." Revelation 21:1

Most people do not like "hell fire and brimstone" preaching but it is in The Bible. "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:15

The end is near, so s the song says, "let's get right church and let's go home."

Don't Worry, Rejoice

Have you ever been in situations where you were not sure of yourself and not sure of exactly what you should do? Have you ever been down in the dumps? Feel like you've been whipped and defeated?

God can lift you up, plant your feet on a solid rock, and help you to climb any mountain, no matter how rough the terrain.

"Yet I will rejoice in The Lord, I will joy in The God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds' feet, and He will make me to walk upon high places." Habakkuk 3:18-19

Whatever situation we find ourselves in, we are to rejoice in The Lord because He is greater than our situation. If He brought us to it, He can bring us through it. And if we got into it on our own because of our wrong choices, He can lift us up out of it.

"Rejoice in The Lord always; and again I say, 'Rejoice'." Philippians 4:4

"Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." James 1:2-4

God Is Good

"The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him." Nahum 1:7

When trouble comes our way, all we have to do is go to Him. He can keep us and fix it, whatever it is. We just need to wrap ourselves up in His will.

Because He knows us and our sinful nature, "The is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked ..." Nahum 1:3 but He is quick to forgive us, His children.

The song says, "God is the joy and the strength of my life; He moves all pain misery and strife; ...
He promised to keep me, never to leave me; ...
God is ... God is ... God is ... God is ... God is my all and all ..."

Look To The Lord If You Need Help

When we need help, we should look to The Lord instead of calling on our friends and family. He will hear us and help us. People will just let us down.

"Trust ye not in a friend, put no confidence in a guide ... Therefore I will look unto The Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me ... when I fall, I shall arise ... The Lord shall be a light unto me." Micah 7:5-8

When we fall, and we fall frequently, we should look to The Lord for help. Call on God, in the name of Jesus, and He will hear us and help us.

What God Requires From Us

What does man have to do to please God? Put another way, what does God require of man?

"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth The Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" Micah 6:8

This rhetorical question was asked by Micah because men should have known what God wanted from them. God wanted a spiritual commitment that was sincere and from the heart, from which right behavior would result. That is what God wanted from them back then and that is what He wants from us today.

In the previous verse, 6:7, Micah makes it clear what God does not require to come before Him. And in the following verses, 6:9-12, Micah lists the sins of Israel.

We know what God wants from us. The question is are we willing to do what God wants us to do?

Doing Right After Being Punished

It doesn't matter how bad the situation gets, we should always pray. Even when we have made some bad choices that resulted in our bad situation, we should should still pray.

When The Word of God came to Jonah saying, "... go to Nineveh ...", Jonah fled to Tarshish. Jonah 1:1-3 After being thrown overboard, Jonah was swallowed up by a great fish. Jonah 1:17

While he was in the belly of the great fish, Jonah "... prayed unto The Lord ... and ... cried by reason of mine affliction unto The Lord ..." Jonah 2:1-4

He had brought he negative circumstances upon himself. He knew that he had turned from God and in the mist of his bad situation he said, "... I will look again toward Thy holy temple." God did not leave him, he choose to flee from God, then he decided to return to The Lord.

"And The Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon dry land. And The Word of The Lord came unto Jonah the second time saying '... go to Nineveh ...' so Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh ..." Jonah 2:10-3:3

After being punished for not doing what The Lord told him to do, then Jonah did what he was told to do.

Like Jonah, we mess up by doing what we want to do instead of doing what God wants us to do. We need to see and confess the error of our ways and get back to God's program.

Just like bad kids, we have to get a spanking for doing wrong before we do the right thing.

Are Our Friends Ungodly?

Are our friends ungodly people? We should be careful of the friends that we choose. The people that we choose to associate with exert an influence upon us. If we as Christians cannot influence them to walk in a Godly way, then we should part company rather than walk in their sinful ungodly ways.


"Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" Amos 3:3


We will be deemed guilty of sin by our association with sinful people. "Guilty by association with the guilty." Unknown It has been said that "Birds of a feather flock together" Unknown


It is a good thing for us to take The Word of God to our sinful ungodly 'friends'. However, if we cannot get them to do right, then we should not continue to 'hang with' or to 'run with' them while they are doing what we know to be wrong.


If we can't bring them up, then we should not let them bring us down.

A Lack Of Knowledge

How often do you read the Bible? How often do you study The Word of God and dig deeply into it to increase your understanding of it?

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee ..." Hosea 4:6

A lack of knowledge of God is a bad thing. Being ignorant is bad, but refusing to learn is worse. Do not reject the instructions of The Lord by refusing to read His Word.

We can easily be misled by false prophets and false teachers when we do not know The Word of God for ourselves. Everything that sounds good, isn't good or true.

Think about how much time we spend in other less significant activities as compared to the that we spend in the study of God's Word. Let's read and study the Bible more. Let's not be destroyed for a lack of knowledge.