HOW HARD WOULD IT BE TO GET THROUGH THE EYE OF A NEEDLE

 I tell you the truth; it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. But unfortunately, power and wealth often breed complacency and a reluctance to practice self-denial.

Jesus' message "was no one can be saved on their own merits. Since wealth was seen as proof of God's love, the rabbis commonly taught that rich people were blessed by God and were, therefore, the most likely candidates for heaven, so not true. Jesus destroyed that notion, and along with it, the idea that anyone can earn eternal life. His disciples had the appropriate response to this startling statement. They were utterly amazed and asked, "Who then can be saved?" If the wealthy among them, including the super-spiritual Pharisees and scribes, were unworthy of heaven, what hope for a poor man was there? We are not saved by our wealth are condemned for it because if Christ resides in us, then no matter rich or poor, we will be submissive to the Word and inherit the right to be His children.

Father, we know "some things are impossible with a man, but not with You; all things are possible. Lord, we are saved through our Father's gifts of grace, mercy, and faith; nothing we do earns salvation for us. Father, the Word tells us, "It is the poor in spirit who inherits Your Kingdom. Father, give us eyes that see, so we can recognize our spiritual poverty and our utter inability to do anything to justify ourselves to You. Lord, let not the rich be blind to their spiritual poverty; let them not be proud of their accomplishments or content themselves with their wealth. Father, keep us humble, relatively rich or poor, so You can use us to lift up others and build up Your Kingdom, in Jesus' name, Amen.

OUR SAVIOR IS THE ONLY WAY

Grace and peace to you from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the Kings of the earth. 

Jesus is Lord, faithful, and true through all time!  When chaos yearned to be, He was there.  When primeval oceans fell on empty coasts, He was there.  When Adam stood naked, proud in Eden, He was there.  Jesus is before clocks and after calendars.  He is the start and finish of time; He is a once upon a time and the happily ever after.  He is the transforming power of change; He is our way back to the Father.

Father, thank You for Your Son, who gave His life to save ours, and we are so grateful.  Lord, we're not worthy in the Garden of Eden, and we still fall short.  Lord, we know we will never be perfect in the flesh, but we can be content with keeping the faith in the Spirit.  So, please strengthen our faith and help us with our doubts and fears; give us the patience of Job so we will stand on Your Word with the right attitude.  Father, search our hearts and remove all that separates us from You; fill us with the Fruit of the Spirit, so we will repent and walk in Your will.  Father, we thank You for the grace that came through Calvary and the Blood; thank You for forgiveness and the strength to forgive others.  Lord, we surrender all to You in Jesus' name, Amen.   

CHOOSE JESUS

When we choose to go against God's will for us, our lives become empty; we suffer pain and disappointment, loss of directions, and unfulfilled life. But when we choose to follow God's will for us, it will bring blessings and fulfillment in life. Do you remember when you said yes to Jesus, "I receive You as my Savoir," and how your life began to change for the better from that point? We only have one life to live, so live for Jesus so we can live our lives to the fullest.

Father, forgive us for making it hard for the lost to come to You because of our actions. Father, help us not overlook our actions and immaturity when we see them in someone else, so we will not judge but lead them to You. Lord, baptize us with Your wisdom and knowledge, so we will give the same mercy and understanding to others that You provide to us. Forgive us for not teaching our children the way to go, so they would not have strayed so far from You; help us guide them back to Thee, so they will not perish. Father, help us live with all people, so search our hearts and minds and remove all that is not of You, so we will live in harmony and peace, in Jesus' name Amen

God's Word Has Not Changed

God's Word has not changed; society's interpretation of it has. God did not change His mind about wrong because society accepted it. Man's Laws may vary, but God's Words stay the same.  The same could be said about murderers and thieves; if everybody started killing and stealing would we change the Laws.  We can't pick and choose to obey God's Word on what the majority think. Wrong is wrong in  "God's sight" even if everybody's doing it, and right is right even if nobody is doing it.  Where does our disobedience stop? How can we keep removing God and changing His Word and feel there will be no consequences behind it. God loves all of us because "He created us," but He hates the lifestyles we choose to live. When are we going to wake up and understand "Jesus will return. And if we have not repented and turned away from our sins, we will suffer the consequences. Actually, we're suffering the results of our sins right now

FATHER CLEANSE OUR HEARTS

Forgiveness is about how God forgives us, but also about how we forgive each other. Forgiving can be hard when someone hurt us. This is why we must give it to the Lord because we cannot do it on our own.  "Ephesians 4:31-32 Get rid of all bitterness, passion, and anger. No more shouting or insults, no more hateful feelings of any sort. Instead, be kind and tender-hearted to one another, and forgive one another, as God has forgiven you through Christ." (Y'all pray for me so I can release the devil's toehold)

The Word is a place of relationship, a place where we bring our hearts to be cleaned and put in line with God’s will.  A place where we release: anger, pain, malice, and hate; to receive guidance on how we should forgive:  A place where God’s love observes kindness, toward us when we do wrong.  A place, where we learn how to mirror that same love and kindness, to those who wronged us.  A place where we can leave vengeance in His hand.

Father, give us Your strength and courage to find those with whom we have a grievance and straighten it out.  Then Lord, when we have done our best to mend our broken world; we can return to the altar and offer praise and thanksgiving because our hearts are clean.  So, Lord, right now we leave vengeance in Your hands because we can trust that You will judge those who sin against us, so cleanse our heart right now in the name of Jesus.  Father, we know You love everyone, even those with dark-hearts and when we allow ourselves to carry a grudge toward anyone, we cannot meet with You in open communion.  So, we decree and declare that we will forgive, be still, and let You order our steps, in Jesus name, Amen

IN THE REALM OF THE FLESH OR THE SPIRIT

When we love Jesus, life will make more sense; even the horrible circumstance of day to day living has a positive meaning.  The friendship that ended, the marriage that failed, the job we lost, or the things we wanted but did not get.  When we look at our problems through the lens of the Word, we see everything happening in our lives, is for us to give God glory.  Our peace and comfort is a matter of, having a mindset controlled by the Spirit, instead of the flesh.  When we look at our trials with a mind controlled by the Spirit; it gives us patient and teaches us to sit quietly and wait on God, to order our steps in His will.

Romans 8:6-8 the mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.  The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

Father, baptize us with the Holy Spirit; because the things of the Spirit promotes peace, love, and understanding.  Lord, when we are controlled by the Spirit, we see the battles that cannot be won in human terms; which make us rely on You.  Father, help us understand that Your will that causes us to pace our lives, so that when we face our battles; we have already made peace with the outcome.  Father, help us cope with the things and people that are wicked and dark-hearted; give us Your wisdom and knowledge, to move around them and away from harm.  Lord, let the enemy who plots to make us stumble and fall; be caught in their own snares.  Lord, we place the responsibility for all our problems and struggles in Your hand, in Jesus name, Amen

IT'S NOT MONEY IT'S OUR DESIRES

If money could talk, it would probably say something like this: Why are you telling people I am the root of all evil, I am not the one that murdered that man.  I am not the one that sold my body to a stranger.  I am not the one that crossed my family and friends.  I am not the one that stole from people that trusted me.  I am not the one that took that child innocence by selling them into sex slavery.  I am not the one that turns to sin instead of following righteousness.  I am not the Politician or community leader that take from the people and city I represent.  I am not the one that will date a married man or woman that God joined together for provisions.  I am not the one that gave that child drugs instead of direction.  I am not the one that snatched that old lady’s purse and caused her to have a heart attack.  I am not the one that lied on my co-worker to get the promotion.  I am not the one who looks down on others because of my material possessions.  I am not the one that loves a material object so much that I would do anything to anyone to have it.  So I ask who’s the root to all evil, your worldly desires are the root of all evil, not money.

Ecclesiastes 5:10 Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless

Father, help us keep our lives free from the love of money and be content with what we have, because You said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.  So, we have all we need and do not have to chase after money.    Lord, we understand that it takes money to live comfortably, but comfort and greed are two different things; especially to those who live for the world.  Father, we also know that dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow; so teach us how to be stewards with Your money so it will multiply.   Lord, no one can serve two masters. Either we will hate You and love money or we will be devoted to You and follow Your will and build our treasures in heaven.  Lord, redirect our thoughts and fill us with the things of the Spirit so we will not love money, but use it for the uplifting of others and the building of Your Kingdom, in Jesus name Amen

EDIFICATION, WITHOUT IT WE ARE WEAKLINGS

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

 Edification is more than just encouragement; it includes any activity that results in more Christlikeness, either in oneself or in another believer. Edification may be individual or corporate. Individually, one can edify oneself by participating in the various spiritual disciplines

Father, let us practice what we have learned from Your Word so we can become more like Christ.  Let the wisdom and knowledge we gain to be used for the edification of other, ourselves, and Your Kingdom. Lord, give us Your guidance, protection, and peace; as You free us from the flesh, through our faith in Christ.  Father, we know we are responsible for our thoughts and action; so please forgive us for our ideas and actions that are not in line with Your will. Father, You are our Shepherd, please shield us from our enemies and their firey arrows; Lord, remove every demonic Spirit around us, and replace them with Spiritual Soldiers.  Lord, even when we gambled with the issue of our salvation; Your grace clothe us in the uniform of Christ.  So, we thank You for lifting us out of the slime pits; and restoring us to our Father, it's in Your name we pray, Amen

Donald Lawrence - There is a King In You-

2 Timothy 1:14 Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.  Ephesians 2:22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.  Ephesians 3:17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,  Colossians 1:27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.  Hebrews 3:6 but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house--whose house we are if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.

Father, help us understand that we are Your people, we are Royalty and we have the same rights as Christ.  So, Lord search our hearts and minds and remove all that is not of You, so we can become the Kings and Queens  You created. In Jesus name, Amen

"YOU Have Won The Victory" William Murphy lyrics

Believers can have victory over sins, through their faith in Christ.  Speak victory into your life through the Holy Spirit over every circumstance.  If you are buying a house and you're having a problem closing the contract, say Father thank You in advance for the closing of this loan, it is finished.  The tongue is the organ in the body but holds the most power. However, you must believe God will answer your prayers, and it will be done.

Lord, when we see destruction do not be far from us;  Lord, rise to our defense, to our cause, our God, and our Lord.  Lord, keep us in Your righteousness and do not let our enemy rejoice over us;  do not let them say in their hearts, “Aha! Just what we wanted.”  Do not let the darkness swallow us up, and protect us when we make bad choices!  Father, let those who rejoice at our misfortune be disgraced and humiliated; let those who exalt themselves over us be clothed with compassion, kindness, gentleness, and love Lord, right now we release every battle into Your hands, and we claim victory over it all, In Jesus name Amen

LET US PRAYER

Lord, You have kept Your promise to us; even when we did not deserve it, You gave us mercy and favor.  Father, help us give to other, what You give to us.  Lord, thank You for judging us by our hearts; and not by the flesh, as man does.  Father, let our daily study keep us in Spirit, through our Daily Walk; and forgive us for falling short of Your Glory.  Lord, give us the Fruit of love and patience; so will not walk ahead of You, and out of Your protection.  Lord, give us guidance so that we will stay on Your path, and help us find our way back when we get lost.  Lord, thank You for Your provision, Health, endurance, joy, and peace; even though we are still sinners, we are, saved by grace.  Lord, You, said if we love You; we will obey Your teachings, Lord, touch our hearts with Your Word, so our love will grow and help us follow Your will.  Father, we need to have a relationship with You; give us a Christ-like desire for the Word, increase our prayer life, fill us with Your Spirit as we worship, and praise You.  Lord, show us the truth, of the Word and help us teach our children and our children's children.  We heard about Your miracles; and we have witnessed it ourselves, through our transformation. Father, prepare us to do good work; and give us Your courage, as we witness to others, about the goodness in You.  Father, give us Childlike faith so that we will become the people You created us to be; where we would work together in unity and love, instead of fighting about things that should not matter. Father, rid us of jealousy, envy, backbiting, and hate; so we can love each other, as we do ourselves.  Father, thank You, for watching over us last night, and bless the families whose loved one was called home; and thank You for keeping us and our children. Father, please forgive us, for not making the sacrifice for our sins; that separate us from You, Lord give us Your strength to repent and turn away from it, in Jesus name, Amen

CONVERSATION WITH MY SON

Hey there we have not talked in a while, first I would like to apologize for allowing my feelings to hinder my healing and I am sad to say Mikey was called home as well.  Xander graduated and your brother Marcus, his wife Peggie, Tonya Lewis, and I were there to see him receive his diploma.  He got a brand new car and will be attending college this fall.  So keep him covered and I am still fighting for them.  I am still dealing with the fact that people I trusted tried to take from me the last thing you gave me, and it is still eating at my heart so pray for me.  Now, the person you called a friend is trying to smear your name by claiming you owe him, but they saw right through him and understand they are the one owe you. I keep Keon in prayer and he's doing a lot better since you left, and you also have another granddaughter.  I just want you to know we miss you dearly and no matter what happens I will stand my ground on His Word.

Since the Bible is clear that being there is better than being here, and being at God’s right hand is the fullness of joy and pleasures.  Philippians 1:21–23: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ for that is far better.”

Father, I know my son is in a better place because he has no more worries and fears and he does not have to work so hard anymore his job is done. Lord, I know I said I would be still and hold my tongue but to hear people use your name in vain waves of anger in me  So, Lord, I ask You to remove from me all that is not of You so I will be able to look past their lies and deceit and let You lead so they will receive their just rewards.  In Jesus name Amen

CHERISHED SINS SILENCE OUR PRAYERS

The idea of communicating with the God seems ludicrous, not to mention intimidating.  Because of this, it makes us wonder does He hear our prayers, the Word tells us "If we have a right relationship with God and are earnestly seeking to follow and honor Him with our lives, we never have to wonder if He is listening to our prayers." Psalm 34:15: “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their cry.”

So, we cannot live a consistently sinful lifestyle and expect God to hear our prayers. "Psalm 66:18: “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”  To cherish sin means to embrace it. To love it, hold on to it, and refuse to give it up. This is vastly different from committing a sin that we regret, confess, and forsake as soon as the Holy Spirit brings it to our attention. God doesn’t expect us to be sinless, but he does call us to deal with our sin as soon as possible.  We cannot willfully live and act against His Word and expect Him to listen to us when we pray.

In the morning, O LORD, You hear our voice; in the morning we lay our requests before You and wait in expectation.”  Father, this is the confidence we have in approaching You: that if we ask anything according to Your will, You will hear and answer us because we are Your children who are called by Your name.” Lord, we understand that You have a great delight in answering prayers that align with Your will.   Lord, let the Holy Spirit utter for us, so our prayers will not be selfish, self-centered, or take us out of Your will so You will keep Your promise.   Father, You are wise and loving, like any good parent, and will not give us things that will harm us or others and for that we are grateful.  Father, right now give us Your strength and courage to release the sins we cherish so You will hear our prayers, in Jesus name, Amen

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF A WEAK SPIRIT

When you have an adult approach you and say if you’re going to be their friend you cannot be my friend, they have an issue.  Now the people they are talking to have a bigger problem if they follow them, seriously, when is the last time someone made that statement to you. I would say third grade because no one can control us like that as an adult.   People we must think for ourselves, never let someone control who you choose to be friends with.  People that get caught up in a web such as this are weak Spirited people: they have low self-esteem, a need to belong, worship the person controlling them, or their financial needs are being met somehow.  Either way its manipulation with the wrong intent and you both will suffer.  Because manipulation is a sin and following wrong to please our fleshly desires is also a sin.  People that cannot think for themselves make for great puppets, sadly most time it is to do wrong or unjust things.  Be careful what you do just to fit in with darkness, especially when you know it’s unjust and meant to cause harm to others
 
Romans 16:17-18 I appeal to you brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that we have been taught, avoid them.  For such a person do not serve the Lord, but their own appetites and smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the weak.

Father, Your Word tells us that in the Last days “For people will be lovers of themselves, of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, and we are to avoid such people.  Lord, let us love Your commands more than we love man praise; so we will humble ourselves and be submissive to Your Word, that releases its transforming powers.  Father, when we study let us receive what’s good and Truth, no matter the doctrine let Your wisdom fill our hearts, that gives us knowledge of You.  Father, forgive us for not training our children the way to go so they would not have strayed so far away from You. Lord, please help us save our children and our children’s children from this lost world.  Father, give them the hope of a better day, touch the hearts of those who oppress our children; fill them with the things of the Spirit, so they will act according to the Spirit.  Showing each other brotherly love and living in harmony and peace; instead of envy, hate, and jealousy, the things that destroy us.  So, Lord, we ask that You intervene right now and give us decrement to see through the mask of those who try to use us to do wrong.  Give us eyes that see the right path to follow, that will bring glory to You and love for others, in Jesus name Amen

Bow Down and Worship Him

Father, give us the faith of Joseph, who was entirely devoted to You; even in times of injustice, betrayal, and temptation.  And let all who meant evil against us; understand that You will not allow any weapons against us PROSPER.    Give us the patience of Job a man whose life was tested beyond measure, yet he did not curse You.  (“In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.” Job 1:22) Lord, you have saved us so many times it’s hard to see why we still doubt You.  You will never put more on us than we can handle, and You always give us escape out of temptation.  Lord, some of us are just now beginning to understand the Spirit and the flesh connection, continue working in and through us until we get it right.  Father, show us that we cannot keep doing the same things and expect a different outcome.  Lord, advise us throughout our relationships, especially when the flesh shows it’s ugly face.  Lord, help us identify who You will in our lives and not what we think we need.   Father continue to keep us sexually still because sitting at Your feet means more than fornication, adultery, and immoral sex acts.  Lord, eternal life means more to us than material wealth and man’s opinions.  Lord, give us the repenting heart of David (For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.") Examine our hearts and judge us accordingly, Father, we bow down and worship You, in Jesus name Amen

WHEN GOD'S WORD MAKE US FEEL ASHAMED

When we compare our lives to God's commands do we feel ashamed, if so we need to correct somethings in our lives?  When we study scripture it shows us who we are in Christ or who we are in the world, that's called convictions.  "John 3:19-21And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God."People that live in the dark always have a problem with the Word of God, because it shines the light on who they really are, the Word of God exposes the TRUTH to us.

Lord, let our actions consistently reflect Your decrees, then we will not be ashamed when we compare our lives with Your commands.  Father, none are perfect, but some of us do try to obey Your commands.  Lord, help us live a life that is pleasing to You, following Your principles regarding right and wrong, not our own.  Father, You said if we confess our sins, You are faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  Not so we can keep repeating the same sins over and over; but that we may have true godly sorrow that will lead to repentance.  Father, let our faith be the assurance of things hoped for, and the conviction of things not seen.  Lord, search our hearts and minds and remove all that is not of You, so the Holy Spirit will fill our hearts and give us Your strength and courage to be submissive to You, in Jesus name, AMEN.

WE BOW DOWN

2 Kings 17:36 "But the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, and to Him, you shall bow yourselves down, and to Him, you shall sacrifice

In all that He is and all that has done God deserves our worship. But we must not merely worship with songs and lip service. We must become a living example of worship through the things we do and say.  In all that we are and in all that we do let it bring glory to God today. Consider developing a true heart of worship by becoming a living worship for your God.

Lord, You are greater than our greatest fear, more powerful than our mighty enemy, we praise You for victory in our lives. Lord, You are more beautiful than our beauty and more brilliant than our light.  We magnify You for wisdom and the knowledge to see and understand the Word and the world. Lord, You are superior to our best and more mighty than our strength.  We are so grateful for Your strength to overcome our enemies, sins, and fears. Lord, You are truer than our standard of truth; You are more profound than our wisdom.  So, right now we bow down to worship You with our limited human understanding, so baptize us in the Holy Spirit so He can utter for us. Lord, You are everything and we are nothing; we cannot compare You with anything, for You are above comparison and everything, You are all in all. in Jesus name Amen

NO FEARS NO WORRY

When all is well in our lives, we tend not to worry; but when day to day struggles challenge our faith, the simplest thing can seem overwhelming.  But, this is the time we should remember all Christ has done;  do not let anxiety weigh our hearts down, but stand on His Word and do not fear.  So the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds; because the Word of the Lord is a strong tower, where we run into to be safe.  So, do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is our strength.

Now, when are afraid and burden we should immediately turn to the Word and prayer, for strength and courage.    But, because we live in a culture that increasingly leans toward commercialism, materialism, and secularism, it is not always easy to focus on God and keep our souls nourished.  And when we do not nourish our Spirits we get weak and afraid then we turn to the flesh which leads to sin and death.

Father, help us understand that our fears and worries come from our lack of Spiritual growth and faith.  Lord, baptize us with the Holy Spirit so Your plan can evolve in our lives, so we will take a step of faith and trust You to provide what we need.  Father, heal our wounded hearts so we can extend kindness to others and our enemies, so help us gather up all the brokenness and make us whole.  Lord, let us do whatever we can to radiate Your love and blessings to others; and let us start each day with a morning conversation with You, to express our gratitude for the gift of a new day.  Lord, let us be grateful even when the day appears ominous because this is the day that You have made and we should be glad of it.   Father, surround us with like-minded people seeking You and Spiritual growth so it will remove all doubt and fears in the name of Jesus Amen 

HELL HAS NO FURY LIKE GOD'S WRATH

Our evil behavior includes sin committed against other people (murder, theft, fornication, backbiting, adultery, hate, envy, jealousy, or strife ) and evil committed against God (unbelief, idolatry, blasphemy). From the disobedience in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9) to the wickedness of Babylon the Great (Revelation 18:2), to our day to day living, the Bible speaks of the fact of evil, and and we are held responsible for the evil and wickedness we commit: “ The Father wants us to avoid offense against others for their good and for us to avoid offense against ourselves for our own good. If we coöperate with His will and love, the Holy Spirit will help us achieve these two goals; if not we will receive His wrath, if not us our children or our children's children.

Father, we have gotten away with sin for so long, that we have allowed ourselves to accept sins against each other and You.  Lord, some people are no longer following You, but their own will and sinful desires.  Father we have become lovers of ourselves, we are taking away childhood innocence; by selling baby as young as two into sex slavery and no one seems to care enough to stop it, because of greed.  Father, there are Christians that hate others and say they follow You.  Father,  blasphemy against You, is the worst sin ever, so we confess our sins to You and we ask for forgiveness. Father, we pray for our children and our children's children, please do not let our evil behavior and sinful ways bring generational courses on them, and help us train them in the way to go, so they will not stray far from You.   Lord, we thank You for Your love, please baptize us in the Holy Spirit; so we will love You like You love us, which will give us the strength to stand on Your Word and obey You, in Jesus name, Amen

JESUS SPIRIT RESIDES IN OUR HEARTS

2 Corinthians 4:1 Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

Jesus is the center of our grace and our faith.  God sent His only Son to live as a servant to mankind; to help us see the light and turn away from our sinful ways, which will lead to death.  But, what's more amazing, is Jesus decided to stay with us after we crucified Him; so He could give us correction, guidance, peace, and love, and where did He take up residence, in our hearts.  When we study the Word daily, prayer without ceasing, worship and praise our Lord and Savior; He began to fill our hearts with His Spirit, all the worldly things and desires are replaced.

Father, Satan’s lie in the Garden of Eden that we should live independently rather than dependent on God, is the reason we were separated from You.  Thank You that You sent Your only Son to correct and teach us how to be restored to You.  Lord, we can do nothing on our own initiative, this is why we have come back to You; give us Your wisdom and knowledge, so we become more Christ-like.  Father, help us get rid of dead work, work which is with self rather than with You.  Lord, help us understand that once our fellowship with the Father is restored all our sins will be forgiven.  Lord, let us be inward changed men and women that You can use as Your vessels to server Your purpose; so Your light will shine for others to see, in Jesus name, Amen

A CHANCE TO DEFEAT OUR ENEMIES

Matthew 5:43-48 "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?

When the opportunity presents itself for you to defeat your enemy, that is the time which you must not do it.  There will come a time, in many instances, when the person who hates you most, the person who has misused you most, the person who has gossiped about you most, the person who has spread false rumors about you most, there will come a time when you will have an opportunity to defeat that person. It might be in terms of a recommendation for a job; it might be in terms of helping that person to make some move in life. That's the time you must do it. That is the meaning of love.  In the final analysis, love is not this sentimental something that we talk about.  It's not merely an emotional something. Love is creative, understanding goodwill for all men.  It is the refusal to defeat any individual.  When you rise to the level of love, of its great beauty and power, you seek only to defeat evil systems.

Father, thank You for the example of Jesus Who cried, Father forgive them on the cross.   Lord, help us be freely and willingly to pray for forgiveness over those who are our enemies, and those - who for whatever reason dislike or try to harm us.   Lord, we thank You that even the people in our lives who despise or use us, You have a divine purpose in Your perfect plan that their actions drive us back into Your arms of love, so that we may lift our enemies up to Your throne of grace in prayer asking for their forgiveness and salvation and releasing in us any pent-up hatred or bitterness that is so damaging to our souls and well-being.  Forgive our enemies Lord and all those who have tried to hurt or harmed us.  Look down in pity on all those who we term ‘enemies’ and give us the grace to show them the love of Christ in our actions and attitudes towards them. Keep our thoughts from becoming resentful or seeking revenge but rather release in our hearts the peace that only comes from casting all our cares on You, in Jesus name, Amen

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We should be consciously trying to change our lives all the time (unless we are already sinless!) We should be aiming to die to sin and live to righteousness every day; to escape the power of the lies of our past or the lies of Satan; to live in the truth, love, and freedom of God; to stop being controlled by our sinful flesh; and to see the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.  That’s why God has told us not just to read or hear His words, but meditate on them. To meditate is to reflect on, to ponder, to mull over, to talk about, to re-read, to re-hear, to say to others, and to hear from the lips of others the Words of Wisdom and Knowledge

THE GOODNESS OF THE WORD

The Word reintroduces us to the Father, we would not know of Him if the Word did not exist.   We would not know true love, righteousness, or self-control without the Word.  Some of us would still be in the streets, doing or selling drugs, robbing people, prostitution, without the Word.  Without out the Word, there would be no instruction on life or how to live as a functional society.  We would have no purpose or direction without the Word, the Word lets us know our origin and our destiny.  We need to know the Word the whole Truth and not just the blessings, love, and joyful times.  We need to also focus on the suffering, the punishment for our actions and the consequences of our sins.  Hearing the Truth is what makes us turn from our wicked ways and receive forgiveness.    The Word has transforming power and it is given to us to teach us how to live for God and others.  The Word is to help deliver us to a level of righteousness that is required of God’s children.

Father, help us understand to receive the goodness of You we must study the Word, so please fill our hearts and minds with the goodness of You; so we will be baptized by the Holy Spirit, and compel to obey You.  Lord, You are good and Your Word helps us become good, so please teach us Your decrees.  Father, let the Word penetrate deep within us where our souls and spirits come together so it will judge our thoughts and our intentions; and remove all that is not of You, and replace it with the things of the Spirit.  Lord, give us the courage to witness for You with the same authority as Christ so the people we witness to can see You through us.  Father, let Your goodness pass before us and be gracious to us and thank You for showing us mercy, in Jesus name Amen