WE ARE FREE TO STUDY AND HEAR THE WORD

Nehemiah 8:1-3 & 5 all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel. 2 So on the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. 3 He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.
5 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. 6 Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

 With the mere reading of the Word, there is a desire to do better; it's amazing how God Word speaks to our souls, with a transforming power that we cannot explain. But, now we have the opportunity to study and show thy self-approved, anytime we want to; because of Jesus sacrifice, we are blooded into His family.  As children of God, we have the same rights as Jesus. We can talk to our Father and study with Jesus daily, not just Sunday or the gathering in the square but daily; which helps to give us a greater understanding of His Word.   The more we study the more the Word cleanses us, and as we are cleansed the Holy Spirit begins to fill our temples; as our spirits mature we develop Fruits of the Spirit, which gives us strength and perseverance to understand, obey, and stand on His Word with faith.  But, we also need to gather with other believers to pray together; worship and praise together, study together, learn and teach together, unity among believers gives us strength.

Father, we are grateful for this new day, being in our right mind and blessed.  Lord, we thank You, for keeping us through the night; and we ask for Your protection throughout this day, and give us the strength and courage to witness of Your grace and mercy.  Father, we thank You that You have opened Yourself to us, sinners saved by Your Son and grace; who can come boldly to the throne in prayer, worship, praise, and study without fear.  Father, give us a Christ-like desire for Your Word, and let us hold on to what's good; so we will understand the truth of the Word, and implement You into our daily lives.  Lord, draw Your people who are called by Your name together, in unity and on one accord; to fight against hate and racism so we can become the people You created.  Father, bless those who are dealing with the loss of a loved one, please give those left behind comfort and understand; that death is a part of life, and their loved one has no more worry; Lord, we pray You receive our souls.  Father, give us the wisdom and knowledge of Your disciple, and the love of Your Son; and Your grace, that is sufficient for us Amen

WE NEED A TRUE FRIEND

The Lord Jesus Christ gave us the definition of a true friend: "No Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you" (John 15:13-15). Jesus is the pure example of a true friendship, for He laid down His life for His "friends." What is more, anyone may become His friend by trusting in Him as his personal savior, by being born again and receiving new life in Him.

Here are some examples of true friendship between David and Saul's son Jonathan, who, in spite of his father Saul's pursuit of David and attempts to kill him, stood by his friend. You will find that story in 1 Samuel chapter 18 through chapter

John 11:5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.

Jesus wants to have the same friendship/relationship with us, that He had with His Disciples, by talking with us daily, through the Word.  The Word is the gate way to our friendship/relationship with Christ.

Father, thank Your friendship and for laying down Your life for us, so we may live and be restored to our Father.  Thank You, Lord, for accepting us into Your family even though we are still sinners.  Lord, You are closer than a brother, sister, mother, or earthly friend; and You open Yourself to us, so we could have a personal relationship with You.  Thank You, for allowing us to know You, and our Father's will for us.  Lord, thank You, for given us eyes that see the plot of our enemies, and ears that hear and listen to Your sweet voice. Lord, thank You for the Spiritual Soldiers, You have placed in our lives; that will help us reach the goals You have set for us.  Father, keep us from friends who are unreliable so we do not come to ruins; or those who called themselves friends, but only wish to harm us. Lord, give us a friend like Saul was to David, Jesus was to Lazarus, and like Jesus is to us; so we can lift each other up, not tear each other down, in Jesus name, Amen

LET US PRAY FOR UNITY

Acts 17:26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation

Lord, let Your will be our choice; help us to keep our focus on You, as You transform us into holy people.  Guard our minds against anxious thoughts, and may You be the center of our desires.  Father, our country is in turmoil our unjust laws are destroying what was built on Your Word, and by Your people.  Lord, we are praying for unity and peace; because we are all of one blood and one race, regardless the color of our skin.  Father we all pay the same taxes; we are all humans beings and our blood is all run red.  So, Lord, help us dismantle racism; Father, we are aware that we struggle not merely against flesh and blood, but against those institutions and systems that keep racism alive.  Lord, we are all the same in Your sight; none is inferior or superior to the other.  Father, let not religion that is man made separate us, or those who harbor hate in their hearts.  Lord, give us Your wisdom and knowledge to rid ourselves of racial stereotypes that oppress some people unjustly; while providing entitlement to others.  Father, help us become one nation under God; and embrace the hopes and fears of all people, in this world You created.  Lord, heal us of envy, jealousy, and hate; so we can become one with You, in Jesus mighty name.  Lord, touch the hearts of those that come in contact with children with gentleness and kindness; so they will treat our children with respect, and they will in return give respect. Lord, please heal us, and help us find the path of righteousness, in Jesus name, Amen

RELY ON GOD AND HIS WORD WHEN WE ARE AT WAR

Our Youth are being killed at an alarming rate, we have the largest prison system in the world; now we are building private own prisons, which mean more people will be locked up for longer periods of time.  Ninety percent of the evil and pain in this world is because of power, greed and for the love of money. Churches are operated like a business, instead of a Sanctuary; Pastors are living like rock stars, while souls are being condemned. Neighborhoods and communities are falling apart, while gentrification and high taxes are pushing us out of our homes, and the lack of jobs makes our future look bleak. 

What do we do when life throws these curve balls; and one thing gets stacked on top of another and another until we feel the crushing weight of pressure, anxiety, and stress.   In times like these do we to cling to the Scripture “God won’t give you any more than you can handle”," No, the verse God won't give us more than we can handle” is referring to temptation, not life situation.  So, what Scripture will we use for life situations, when we have poured out all aspiration and are at the end of the last ounce of strength?  God wants us to rely on Him, not our own strength; because we are too weak to fight alone.

There is a Biblical answer found in 2 Corinthians 1:8 "We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On Him, we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many."

Father, help us rely on You when life throws us a curve ball; teach us how and when to use Scripture to fight our battles so we will not, grow weary.   Lord, our day to day struggles, is becoming unbearable; please help us endure this despair through Your Word so we will not get tired of doing good.  Thank You, Lord, for the great privilege that Jesus has given us; to be able to come before You, forgiven and cleansed by the blood, and able to rely on You for help, comfort, peace, and relief. Thank You, Father, for not allowing our enemies and evil to trample over us; continue to help us fight these battles through Your Word and Your Son's sacrifice.  Lord, help us study Your Word with understanding so we can memorize Scripture; that will help us defeat our enemies and the evil one, just like Christ did in the wilderness.  Father, You have given us direct access to You and the power of Christ; but, we must study so we will be prepared in full body armor, ready at all times for battle.  Lord, the blood has restored us to You, please give us a desire for the things of the Spirit; so the things of the world will not harm us.  Father, sometimes we get weak and discouraged; please give us Your, strength and courage, in our time of need so we will feel Your presence, that comforts us and give us peace.  Lord, forgive us for falling short of Your mercy, grace, and favor; and help us trust in what is written, and not rely on our own understanding.  Lord, help us surrender to You, be still and wait on You, in Jesus name, Amen

IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD

How thoughtless we come into the presence of the Lord in prayer.  We need to slow down and examine ourselves, are we prepared for prayer, worship, and praise; are our hearts clean, are we harboring unforgiveness for anyone, do we have hate in our hearts. Are our souls free of all idolatries, if not we need to pray for ourselves first, then prayer for whatever else?

Psalm 26 Judge us, O LORD; for we have walked in our integrity: we have trusted also in You, LORD; therefore we shall not slide. 2 Examine us, O LORD, and try us examine our hearts and minds. 3 For Your loving kindness is before our eyes: and we have walked in Your truth. 4 We have not sat with vain persons; neither will we go in with dissemblers. 5 We have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked. 6 We will wash our hands in innocence: so will we compass Your altar, O LORD: 7 That we may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works. 8 LORD, we have loved the habitation of thy house and the place where Your honor dwell. 9 Gather not our souls with sinners, nor our lives with bloody men: 10 In whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes. 11 But as for us, we will walk in our integrity: redeem us, and be merciful unto us. 12 Our feet stand in an even place: in the congregations will we bless YOU, LORD. In Jesus name, Amen

WE NEED A CLEAN HEART WHEN WE PRAY

Our hearts are the center of our lives, the beginning, and the end; it is also where we set up the throne of God, by receiving His Son as our Savior.  Our hearts are where we enter into the presence of God, and where He inspects our faith, our love for Him and our motives.  Our hearts are the first place God inspects when we come to Him in prayer; to see if we are clean, the heart tells if we have: taken bribes struck out at a fellow human with hate or harboring anger and unforgiveness against anyone.  It tells if we have been involved in side deals that have; profited us and hurt someone else; it tells if our hands have shaken people hands in political side deals that hurt God’s people.  God examine our souls to see if we are worshiping idols; when we admire material things or set our minds on things that dishonor God, He will take it away.   Since no one can examine our hearts, not even a Doctor can tell what’s in our hearts; the only person that can examine the heart is our Lord, so He is the only person that can pass judgment on anyone. It amazes me when I think of how, something so powerful chose a place; as small as our hearts to dwell in, so I ask you today is your heart clean.

Let's prayer in God's Words for a clean heart, so the King of glory may enter and cleanse us white as snow, and make room for Him to dwell

Psalm 24 The earth is the LORD's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. 2 For he hath founded it upon the seas and established it upon the floods. 3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 This is the generation of them that seek him, which seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. 7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory.

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OUR PURPOSE IS TO SERVE

Luke 22:24-30 And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called 'Benefactors.' "But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest and the leader like the servant.  "For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves. "You are those who have stood by Me in My trials; and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Father, we are Your servants, whom You uphold, Your chosen ones in whom You delight in; You will put Your Spirit in us and we will bring justice to the nations.  Lord, we will not shout or cry out, or raise our voices in the streets.  Father, like a bruised reed we will not break, and a smoldering wick we will not snuff out.  Lord, in faithfulness we will bring forth justice; we will not falter or be discouraged till we establish justice on earth, and in You, we will put our hope. Amen

Philippians 2:5-8
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men

MONEY CONTROLS THE FLESH, OUR SPIRIT CONTROLS THE HEART

Ecclesiastes 10:19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money controls all things.

When I first read this verse it shocked me to hear the Word say "that money controls all things".  But then I realized it was talking about the people of the world because people of the Spirit know we need money to pay bills; but, money is not what controls our lives, the things of the Spirit control us. Ecclesiastes 10:19. A feast is made for laughter, not merely for caring, but chiefly for pleasant conversation, and the society of friends; not the laughter of fools, which is madness, but that of wise men, namely, that cheerfulness by which they fit themselves for business or severe studies: and wine maketh merry, make glad the life, exhilarates the mind; but money controls all things — Procures not only meat and drink for feasting, but all other worldly advantages. Therefore be frugal, and spend not all in luxurious eating and drinking, remembering, that money is wanted for a great many other purposes. Some refer this verse to rulers and consider this last clause as being added to aggravate the sin and folly of luxury, to which, when princes give up themselves, they not only neglect their business but thereby waste money

Father, You have the power to establish us in a place of stability if we give way to You,  Lord, take away our desire for the material things of this world, that keeps us in debt; and replace them with the things of the Spirit, to help us develop Christ like character.  Lord, remove all envy,  jealousy, hate, and strife from our hearts; so we may come boldly to Your throne with a clean heart so You will hear our prayers.  Father, let us take Your yoke upon us and learn from Your Word; to become gentle and humble in heart so we will find rest for our souls.  Lord, our hearts rejoice in You, and Your Spirit lift us high; we will boast about You to our enemies for we delight in our deliverance.  Lord, we are all sinners, let us not think too highly of ourselves; but treat all people the same, because we are all one in Christ.  Father, do not let us be controlled by money or this evil world, but open our hearts and minds; and give us Your wisdom and the knowledge to implement You into our daily lives.  In Jesus name, Amen

Jonah’s Prayer for Salvation (Jonah 2:2–9)

We have all felt shame and regret for dishonoring or disobeying God's will; we may never be swallowed by a whale, but we can still experience the shame and regret that Jonah felt after he ran from God.  When we feel distressed, call on God through His Words.

“In my distress, I called to the Lord, and he answered me.  From deep in the realm of the dead, I called for help, and you listened to my cry.  You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me.  I said, ‘I have been banished  from your sight, yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’ The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head.  To the roots of the mountains, I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit. “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’” Amen

JESUS UNDERSTANDS OUR FEARS BECAUSE HE DEALT WITH HIS OWN FEARS

Matthew 26:39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou will.

This verse is the first time I saw the human side of Christ.  Matthew 26:39. And he went a little further — the Word says, He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, so that the apostles could still both see and hear him; and fell on his face — It seems he first knelt down, and then, as the passion of His soul increased, prostrated Himself on his face to the ground, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, That is, if it be consistent with the salvation of the world; let this cup Of bitterness and terror, pass from me — And it did pass from him soon; for when he cried unto God with strong cries and tears, he was heard in that which he feared,  God took away the terror and severity of that inward conflict.

Just like Jesus cried out to the Father, concerning His fears; we too can cry out in our times of fear, to be released.  God understands our fears, more than we do; this is why we must seek Him, in our time of troubles.  God will always keep His promise to us, but we must first ask Him with faith and He will answer us.

Father, thank You for the sacrifice of Your only Son, who died so we may live.  Lord, thank You for overcoming this world so that we could have peace; so do not let our hearts be troubled, and give us Christ-like strength and courage to trust in You.  Father, Your Word says “if we love You, we will obey You”; Lord, we do love You please fill us with the Holy Spirit, that will compel us to surrender to You and obey Your Word.  Father, thank You for justifying us through our faith in Christ; so we can be restored to You.  Lord, teach us that our sinful ways can only bring death; so give us a desire for the things of the Spirit so we may have life.  Lord, You are our Savior, because through You the barrier that separated us from the Father; was abolished in the flesh, on the cross.  So, Lord, help us make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit; through the studying of Your Word, prayer, worship, and praise.  Father, let us not be religious fanatics but inward changed men and women; who seek Your face, in all we do or say.  Father, keep Your hedge of protection around us, and cover us in the Blood from the top of our heads to the soles of our feet, in Jesus name Amen

LORD WE NEED YOUR STRENGTH TO FORGIVE

God want us to give our testimonies about His goodness when we give our testimonies to others; they will see God’s grace through us.  Giving our testimonies is good; especially when it's about forgiveness, grace, eternal life, and a union with Christ, which is available to everyone.  Here’s a testimony of forgiveness and grace that I had to deal with when I was doing some things out of God’s will.  I was harboring hate in my heart for people who had wronged me, and I refuse to forgive them.

 Then I read 2 Corinthian about how Paul was the most dangerous enemy of Christianity, but after his conversion, he became the most useful vessel. Through God’s forgiveness and grace Paul was changed from a weapon of destruction into weapons of construction because of grace and forgiveness, once Paul understood and received Christ; he ask for forgiveness and God showed him grace, the transforming grace that He offers us. So I thought if God can forgive Paul for all the persecution he gave to others, I should be able to forgive those who hurt me, so I prayed to God for strength to forgive, and mean it from my heart. Paul was the same person but forgiveness and grace reversed him, so I prayed to God and ask for the same forgiveness and grace, and He answered me; He said I will forgive you, now you give grace and forgiveness to all the people that have wronged you.  Once I talked to everyone I was angry with, I felt better, my days became easier and my life was more productive.  Because once I gave to others what God has given me, His blessings started to overflow; I am the same person, but with a different mindset; which changed my direction; and my life has increased under the new inspiration of forgiveness.

Father, Your, grace is not only more than we deserve, it is sufficient; especially in our weakness, because it reveals Your almighty underserved love for us.  Lord, Your, grace is clothed in forgiveness which is our strength in disguise.   Father, Your Word has encouraged us day after day toward reconciliation with You and others, because the time is near; so open our hearts and minds and let us receive You, and become the people You created.  Lord, fill us with Your peace and not enmity; but that inner heart of peace, that proclaim us to be vessels to this world.  Father, help us face our weakness and let us minister to others; and let not our weakness led to arrogant testimonies, but to a kind and gentle confessions.  Lord, help us arrive at righteousness, through our study, faith, and discipline;  and remove everything from us that separates us from You, and the knowledge of Your Word.  Father, instill in us Your life changing values, that changed Paul from destruction to construction; and teach us how to preach Your Word to this dying world, through our actions and testimonies.  Lord, we ask for forgiveness of our sins, and we need Your strength to forgive others.  Father, keep Your hedge of protection around our children and our children's children and order their steps in Your will.  Father, give our children self-control that will give them a voluntary separation from this world and a closeness to You, in Jesus name, Amen

IT'S OK TO WEEP, JESUS WEPT

It's ok to cry when we are dealing with adversity, the pain of death, or the stress from day to day life. Even Jesus wept over the death of Lazarus and the disbelief of the people, and weeping is also a process of healing.

I have experienced pain, hurt, betrayal, and so many losses of loved ones in the last two months; that at times I felt like, throwing in the towel.  But when I think about all the things that God has brought me through, it gives me the strength and courage I need to continue standing on His Word.  I know everything that God does is for my benefit so I won't ask why, but I will ask for His comfort and peace while I am in this storm.  I also know that anytime God is about to take us to another level, the devil tries to discourage us.  BUT GOD, I know You and You know me, and all this I am going through; is for my Spiritual growth and maturity, it is also to show me who’s who in my life, and I am so grateful.  You have changed my life for the better, and I know You, did not bring me this far to leave me; so all the things that have happened to me has given me eyes that see and ears that hear Your soft voice when I’m alone with You.  Thank You, Lord, for the people that gave me a lesson; thank You for the people that gave me a blessing, and thank You for the people that caused me pain.  Thank You for the people You have moved out my life, and thank You for the new ones You have brought in my life.

Father, I do not blame You for any of my problems, and I do not expect You to intervene every time I am in distress; but I do expect You to keep Your promise, even though I am not worthy.  Lord, I thank You for guidance, protection, and ordering my steps in Your will; I thank You for all the Spiritual Soldiers You have surrounded me with, and I thank You for revealing all the wolves in sheep clothing.  Father, I thank You for my guarding Angle; who has protected me from the plot of my enemies, and I pray that justice is served to all, who are not righteous.  Father, I pray that my son’s killer and all those that are involved be brought to justice, as well as all the other senseless murders that have taken place in our community and neighborhoods.   Father, I pray for the mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, family, and friends who were left behind; fill their hearts with comfort and joy, and help us to accept that our loved ones are in a better place.  Father, I thank You, that I am still in my right mind; through all this adversity, so please help me keep my life in order.  Lord, take over my thoughts and remove all that is not of You; help me release anything that separates me from You, and strengthen all the things of the Spirit that dwell in me.  Lord, help me be still and stay out Your way; and let You be God, so I give You the throne, fix my life right now In the name of Jesus, Amen

WE MUST STRENGTHEN OUR PRAYER LIFE

Luke 18:13-14: “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Father, right now we ask You, remove all jealousy, hate, envy, and strife from us; so we may come to Your throne with a clean heart, on one accord, and in unity prayer.  Lord, we do love You, so help us deny ourselves; fill us with the Holy Spirit, that will compel us to obey Your Word.  Father, there is so much darkness in this world; that it hard to feel Your presence, so we grow weary.  Please, Lord, let us feel Your presence that gives us strength, courage, and life; so we may endure the test of the flesh.  Father, help us train our children in the way to go so they will not stray far from You; and forgive us for taking You out of their schools, homes, and their lives.  Lord, there are so many people suffering, because those who You have blessed with much; do not share with the least of us, please touch their hearts and help them understand, where much is given much is required. Father, take away all these dark clouds of life that surround us; and replace them with the brightness of Your grace so we can see You.  Please, Lord, remove pride, greed, and all that is not of You from us; so we can develop Fruit, and become more Christ like.  Father, help us see that chasing the material things of this world will keep us in debt, stress, and far from You.  So, please give us a desire for the things of the Spirit, so we can stand against evil, and help bring life to our lives, and those around us.  Father, where there is pain, please give comfort; where there is sickness, please give healing, where there is homelessness, please give shelter, and Lord where there is financial distress, replace it with educations and jobs, in the name of Jesus.  Lord, this world is so out of order, and only You can save us; so Father, please hear our cry, and open up the gates of heaven and pour out Your blessings, although we are not worthy.  Lord, forgive us for our sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  Lord, forgive us for falling short of Your mercy, grace, and favor and thank You for life, health, and strength, in Jesus name Amen

The Sound Of Heaven William McDowell Lyrics

DO WE KNOW CHRIST OR KNOW OF HIM

 JOHN 15:14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another.

We can claim to know Jesus, but if we do not demonstrate it by our actions of love, we just know of Him, but we do not have a relationship with Him. Jesus is our Shepherd. He knows us, and we know Him; wherever He leads us, it will be in our favor to follow Him.  We can look at Jesus' followers and see their gentle ways, kind hearts, and self-control; they are never quick to anger, and they are always willing to do good for others.

Father, we thank You for calling us friends; and allowing us to be part of Your royal family.  Lord, forgive us for falling short of Your mercy, grace, and favor; help us surrender our will for Your plan for our lives.  Father, let our actions demonstrate our relationship with You; for all the world to see Your light that shines in us.  Father, we are so grateful that You do not rebuke us for our waywardness but still love us even with our frequent disobedience.  Lord, help us avoid destructive things to our faith and our relationship with You.  Father, we were born in sin, so sinfulness is our nature; so to stop sinning is not possible in the flesh, but through Christ, we can stop living under the control of sin.  Father, thank You for another day to get it right, and thank You for grace, in Jesus' name Amen.

Artwork by Ron Watson

WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST

Romans 12:4-5 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another

The body of Christ is what unites all believers everywhere, and when one part of the body suffers, the whole body feels pain because we are one.  So we must stop and ask ourselves whether we are reflecting the attitude and actions of Christ or the world.   We have to determine what is causing the body pain, our attitude or our actions, and what we can do to heal the body.  Do we help the least of them, are we witnessing to the lost, look out for the widows and orphans, or focus only on ourselves?  When one part of the body is not functioning right, the rest of the body works harder to support the vulnerable parts; if not, the whole body will eventually shut down, or worst.

Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh, I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.

When the body is in pain, it gets weak and distorted; we tend to look for anything that will give us comfort, sometimes the things we choose cause more harm than good. The only thing that can heal the body is the Word of God, our faith, and our trust in Him.

Father, right now, our bodies are not operating as one; please give us unity and love for one another so Your body will be whole again.  Lord, every day the pain that separates us from You, grows stronger; help us, Lord, come together to function as one, so we may serve Your purpose.  Forgive us, Father, for our shortcomings and not teaching our children and our children's children how to go so they will not stray away from You.  Lord, please accept us for not standing up for You; and allowing them to remove You from our lives. Father, fill us with Your courage and strength so we will stand on Your Word without wavering.  Lord, thank You for Your comfort and peace when we are faced with life's storms; give us a desire for the things of the Spirit so we will not get lost in this dark world.  Lord, help us surrender entirely to You so that we can work together as one body in Christ; and become the believers You created us to be, in the name of Jesus Amen.

Artwork by Ron Watson

TO BE ALIVE IN CHRIST WE MUST STUDY

Matthew 13:20-21 "The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the Word and immediately receives it with joy.  Yet he has no firm root in himself but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the Word, immediately he falls away.

To Hear the Word of God is a good thing, but to be filled with the Word is better.  To be deeply rooted in the Word, we must study the Word; when we study, a complete transformation takes place; the more we study, the stronger our roots grow.   So when adversity and the storms come, we will not fall, but use the Words in us to stand with faith and endurance.

Father, teach us to study Your Words; so we will develop Fruit so that we will be deeply rooted, to help us stand on Your promise during the storms of life.  Father, let us be inward changed men and women and give us a strong desire for Your Word; fill us with Your Spirit so we will have direction and guidance to become the people You created.  Father, we are all sinners striving to be more like Christ, so we will be submissive to You and filled with the Holy Spirit.  Father, touch those who come in contact with our children and our children's children; with compassion, kindness, and gentleness so they will be treated fairly and with love.  Lord, when we get weak from our day-to-day struggles, give us Your strength; to help us stand firm in times of trouble. Lord, we thank You for life, health, and power, as well as mercy, grace, and favor.  Forgive us for taking You out of our schools, work, homes, and our lives.  Father, we need You to intervene in our lives right now so Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith, so we may be rooted and grounded in love.  Father, we the people who are called by Your name; come to You in prayer on one accord, asking You to save us. In Jesus name, Amen

JESUS WAS TESTED IN THE WILDERNESS, AND WE ARE TESTED IN THE FLESH

Matthew 4:1-11 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." 4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" 5 Then the Devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" 7 Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test." 8 Again, the Devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." 10 Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only." 11 Then the Devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Our Spiritual walk is a daily battle with the flesh, and if we are not prepared in full body armor, we are fighting unprotected.  We must study God's Word daily to be victorious in battle, Jesus had to rely on His Father's Word, and we must also rely and stand on His Word.  The only way we can defeat the Devil is through Scripture, but to use the Word, we must know the Word, and the only way to know the Word is through study.

Father, we ask that You remove all from us that is not of You, so we may come boldly to the throne in prayer with a clean heart so that You will hear us.  Lord, fill us with the Holy Spirit so that we will be compelled to Your Word and stand on Your promise with obedience.  Lord, give us the wisdom and understanding of Your Word so that the knowledge will nourish our fruit of the Spirit and help us become Christ-like.  Father, Your Word tells us in Matthew 5 that blessed are the poor, the grieving, and the mistreated; please keep us as the poverty of life teach us to trust in You.  Father, fill our children and us with the hope of a better tomorrow so we may stand on Your Word without wavering.  Lord, give us Your strength when we are weak and patient when we are anxious; so that we will wait for You to order our steps in Your will.  Father, Jesus is our mentor and our Savior, so help us deny ourselves; as He denied Himself in the wilderness, as we draw near to Thee.  Lord, teach us how to say no to sin, and help us exercise Your teachings; so the Devil will flee from us, as he did Jesus.  Lord, help us become one in unity through worship, praise, and prayer; and let us not test You, in Jesus' name Amen.

LORD DO NOT REJECT US

Romans 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperer

The Word of God will draw us near to Him, and the closer we become to God the better our lives become, and when we know better we do better.   But, if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, God will turn us over to a reprobate mind.  God will reject us and leave us to our own corruption.

Lord, You said that we should present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual worship. Father, teach us how to worship and praise You with a pure heart; so we may pass the test, and not be rejected.  Father, help us not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of our minds, that by Your word we may discern what is righteous and Your will, what is good, acceptable, and perfect in Your sight.  Father, give us Your wisdom and the knowledge to implement Your Words into our daily lives so we may know Your moral standards and Your plan for our salvation.  Lord, give us Your Spirit so we may have a strong desire for the things of the Spirit and not this lost world, In Jesus name Amen