A New Years Day Prayer

Lord, we thank you for another day in life,
we appreciate all the things that you do for us,
no one takes cares of our needs
and comforts our hearts like you,
for you love us with a very deep love,
and you have a deeper understanding of
who we are and what we truly need.

Thank you for giving all of your heart
and all of your soul, as it was expressed
when your son, Jesus Christ, died for us on the cross;
you are my heart, my soul, and my sweet inspiration,
Glory To Your Name Forever And Ever!

Lord, as we face a new year, we ask for your
love and guidance to temper our selfish impulses,
give us the strength to face each new day,
knowing that you are never apart from us
when we call on your name.

To those you believe in you and proclaim Jesus Christ
as their Lord and Savior, I pray that they be filled
with peace and joy, and that they pursue a true and
intimate relationship with you, for it is you alone
that will sustain them in the times ahead.

For those that do not know you, I pray that this year
be the year of revelation for them, so that they will
see for themselves the truth of life, and the reality
of sin, selfishness, and pride, as the path that
ultimately leads to death and destruction.

You know Lord, that love builds and hate destroys;
we must all choose to live for love, or to live for
ourselves. I pray that everyone who reads this prayer
chooses to live for love, and to live for Jesus Christ,

Thank you Lord, for your abiding grace and overwhelming love,
the love that will ultimately change this world when evil is finally
defeated before your people and the whole world.

Love And Peace To Us All, AMEN

Eternal Security: Can We Be Sure?

by Charles Stanley
Intouch Ministries

1 John 5:1-13

Our loving heavenly Father wants us to know with certainty that we have eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ. What assurances do we have that we are permanently secure?

God’s love. One reason we can be sure of never-ending salvation is our heavenly Father’s unconditional love. At the cross, He demonstrated just how much we mean to Him: He sent His Son to die so that we might have eternal life (1 John 4:9-10).

Christ’s life and death. Because Jesus was without sin, He qualified to serve as our substitute and take our place on the cross. By dying for us, He paid for all our sins and finished the work necessary to secure our salvation (John 19:30).

Jesus’ promise. We have our Lord’s assurance that we will spend eternity with Him. He promised that we can never be separated from Him and that no one can snatch us from His hand (John 10:28). He has gone ahead to prepare a place for us and will return to bring us there (John 14:2-3).

The indwelling Holy Spirit. Another assurance of eternal security is the presence of God’s Spirit within each believer. The Holy Spirit acts as a seal, guaranteeing that we belong to the Lord and serving as a pledge of our future in heaven with Him (2 Cor. 1:21-22).

The Word of God is filled with His promises that those who have received Jesus Christ as Savior will spend eternity with Him. If you struggle with doubt, then meditate on Scripture and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into a biblical understanding of your salvation.

Intouch Ministries Daily Devotions

For Those Who Are Searching For Truth

It is the end of the year 2016, and as always the end of the year triggers articles and newscasts about what happened in that year, the best and worst movies, the biggest scandals, even the good things are highlighted. Some years are not very earth shattering, and many years are actually forgotten; Then there are the years that can never be forgotten.

2016 is a year that most people will remember, because when you start to think about what has happened, it will stir up deep emotions: fear, anger, hate, astonishment and shock, confusion and worry, and also HOPE.

Why is HOPE listed here? Because, when things seem hectic and chaotic, when you feel lost and confused, angry and frustrated, there is HOPE, but first you must choose to seek it, to look beyond your own thoughts and needs and look to someone higher than yourself.

God is waiting for you to ask the question, "Is this all that there is, is there nothing more? God, if you are real, show yourself to me, I am looking for you, I am looking for HOPE". When you've come to the end of yourself and you don't see any other solutions, He is waiting for you to ask, He is waiting to give you HOPE.

You must be sincere when you ask, and you must be ready for the answer. When He responds, you must choose to be willing to accept His answer, and you must be willing to deal with the truth. The truth is, this world will not survive without God's help, because mankind has come to the end of itself, and most of humanity is not willing to believe that they cannot HOPE to solve these problems on their own.

Let's face it, the people in real power in this world are not willing to do what it will takes to live in real peace, to show love and compassion for their fellowman, and to share the bounties of the earth with everyone else. Selfish ambition and pride is mankind's recipe for destruction, and we are now in a period of total rebellion against the God of Heaven, and His son, Jesus Christ. The Lord has been very patient with us, but there is now very little time left in this dispensation of GRACE, and He will have to judge the world for its sins.

Come quickly now, to the throne of GRACE, repent of your sins, seek His face, look for the truth, humble yourself before Him, and learn to love Him with all of your heart. Embrace the idea of selfless love and sacrifice, just as Jesus Christ loves you and sacrificed Himself for you, so that you can be saved from the coming judgment. Know that He loves you will all of His heart, and that He will do whatever is necessary for you to see the truth about Himself and this world.

Don't believe the lies of the enemy, the devil. Evil will be defeated and has already been defeated, when Jesus Christ died on the cross, and was ressurected by God's power and His love. The devil is toothless and defeated; My Lord Jesus has defeated Him. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will be comforted, provided for, and protected, and you will be saved from the trouble that is coming.

Now, I encourage you to look for your answers in Him, and He will guide you into wisdom and understanding. This is His love letter to you that He asked me to give to you. Don't be afraid, be encouraged by friends, my brothers and sisters in Christ; The war was won even before it was started, you have the victory if you are in Christ Jesus.

If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your savior, repeat these words:

Prayer of Salvation

Lord,

I repent for trying to be master of my own life. I change my mind about who I want to be in charge of my life. I turn from my useless and unproductive thoughts that I am the center of my universe and choose to believe in the living God who created everything, including me (Acts 14:15). I have lived without a purpose but now I will live to hear and obey You, God (Jn. 5:19, 20,30).

I confess with my lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead. I believe that God so loved the world He sent His only Son Jesus to shed His blood to wash away the barrier of sin (Jn. 3:16)

I receive You, Jesus as MY Lord and Savior (Jn. 1:11,12).

I welcome You, Holy Spirit, into my life to rescue and empower me and to restore me to intimacy with my heavenly Father (Acts 2:38).

If you just confessed this prayer, you are saved! I welcome you into the family my (brother/sister) I pray for peace, joy, and happiness in your life as you allow the Lord to love you and bless you and give you assurance of everlasting life with Him forever and ever......PRAISE GOD!

May the Lord keep you and Bless you this day....AMEN

A Secret Of Secrets?

by Eugene Lopatynsky

MAN and everything else alive on this planet has a merciless, RELENTLESS ENEMY. This ENEMY was and is a LIAR and a MURDERER from the very beginning – so says our God. You doubt it? The name of this enemy is Lucifer, or Satan, and his associates are called Demons. His human followers are called Luciferians. There is a mystery in their iniquity, very difficult for us to understand. These beings experience a sexual-type pleasure from destroying you and every living creature, including, eventually, their own members and disciples. They delight in the betrayal and the agony of others.

Satan knows the final outcome, the one described by God, in the Bible. He knows that every disciple he takes, he will take unto indescribable, eternal destruction. He still takes every one he can get. How would you like a master like that? Secret societies teach the existence of a secret of secrets. Well, there it is. That’s the real secret. They discover it only when it is completely too late.

BY EXTREME CONTRAST, OUR LORD GOD IS A LOVING GOD, FORGIVING GOD, A SAVING, EVEN SELF-SACRIFICING GOD.

We are not the only ones who have a problem with sin in this world. God has a problem with sin in this world. God hates sin. BUT UNLIKE US, GOD HATES THE SIN, BUT HE STILL LOVES THE SINNER.

Who gave us a SAVIOR to save the lost and a miraculous GUIDE, the Bible? The Bible is a love story; written with blood, upon a wooden cross; the story of God’s love for you. Men are not lost because they are sinners; they are lost because they have rejected Jesus who died for them. Even if you go into a lost eternity and have not accepted Christ, He died for you, and you simply made His sacrifice for you of no avail. You have trodden underfoot the blood of your Savior.

Christ Jesus, your Creator, washed the feet of His disciples. They asked Him for a seat beside Him in heaven for distinction. What did he say? "On earth your rulers exploit you and oppress you and elevate themselves above you. But in heaven only he who is the SERVANT OF ALL IS THE GREATEST"(paraphrased, if you please).

Moses asked to see Gods glory. God said "I will let my goodness pass before you" (Exodus 33:18-19). God says HIS GOODNESS IS HIS GLORY.

It’s not the creation, which is the TREASURE. IT IS THE CREATOR. It's not the blue sky, the mountains, the white clouds or anything in this world which is the TREASURE, it is finding and loving and serving our God. If you miss this treasure, you have really missed everything.

If you ever loved anyone with your whole being, and were loved in return, you might understand how precious your loved one is. No physical possession could ever come near to this in importance.

Every CONCEIVABLE sacrifice in this world is worthwhile just to find Jesus and to belong to Him! If you want Him, pray now with me, "DEAREST LORD JESUS, FORGIVE ME MY SINS. COME INTO MY LIFE AND BE THE RULER OF MY LIFE. HELP ME TO LOVE YOU MORE EVERY DAY; I PLEAD TO OBEY YOU WITH ALL MY STRENGTH AND TO READ YOUR BIBLE DAILY, EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE."

If you do this, and mean it, with an open heart, this prayer will never fail. It will become the greatest thing you will ever have, and it will last forever. Even in this life it will be the greatest happiness you’ll know, and a light upon your path. Conversely, to FAIL in this, will be the GREATEST DISASTER you will ever find, both here and hereafter

A bright, unimaginably wonderful future is awaiting every Christian! God Himself said that the ear has not heard and no eye has ever seen, neither can man even imagine the HAPPINESS which God has prepared for those who love him (1 Cor. 2:9, paraphrased, if you please)!

God’s Word, Sir. Look it up. What do you suppose will confront those who REJECT the immense gift of a loving God, so great, SO GREAT, a salvation?

Not the messenger, only the message is important.
Surprise yourself and visit www.remnantonly.info

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

Human Power

by Sonja Mattison

We are imperfect humans that strive to be perfect. But, due to our flaws we are not; however by no means does that qualify us to be insignificant, powerless, or weak in any way. We are also NOT "only human." Instead we are "magnificently human" and created with excellence and boldness.

_____

Our own existence is intertwined with a celestial body the Almighty. Through him we are heavenly bodies. Our minds, bodies and spirits are products of the Lord; thus we are empowered. There is no reason for us to believe otherwise.

_____

Through our human power we have the ability to build empires, reach the zenith of our aspirations, and conquer the impossibilities. So, we should take heed of our capabilities without being fearful or doubtful. The power given to us from the Holy Spirit is our entitlement to rise above. If we go beyond the limits using our strength, then we are not limited in any instance. After all, we are human.

Sonja Mattison resides in Clarkston, Georgia. She is an inspirational writer and the author of "Thoughts of Mattii 40." She earned her Bachelor of Arts at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Virginia.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

Acceptance

by Sonja E.Mattison

When God took the time to create each one of us, he performed his work of art with love, care and patience. He formed us into our own uniqueness without any mistakes. So, since we were created to be exactly as we are, we should eliminate any desires of striving to be someone else, especially when we have so many qualities. We have our voices, bodies, and minds that go beyond simple thought.

We are extraordinary. In essence, God has determined who we will be. We need not to completely alter our identities, characteristics and even our personalities -things that make us, “us.” Instead, every morning we should be thankful for being the only person we are. We need to love ourselves by:

Admiring thyself without boastfulness; it sets forth confidence and self-assurance. When we omit all of our insecurities and do not belittle ourselves gratification takes place.

Conquering self-doubt through self-assurance strengthens our self-esteem. The simple statement “I can”and believing it sets paths for achievement. Faith conquers the impossible with the possible.

Committing to loving thyself must be practiced daily as love ritual. We cannot afford to love ourselves one day and hate ourselves the next day. With constant love we need to accept who we are. We must not hesitate to love our beautiful spirits.

Evolving with God allows us to grow in love with ourselves. If we let him channel his positive energy through us he will comfort us with love, and messages that tell us that we are forever accepted by him, and we too should accept us.

Praying for thanks whenever we ever feel down about ourselves can remind us that we are fortunate because our prayers can be interceded through Christ to the Lord to help focus on the many qualities that we possess.

Treasuring thyself will lead us to understand that greatness is naturally instilled in us. Through cherishing our own selves we will become more acquainted with our true self – magnificent.

Appreciation. Whether we have been noticed in society as a “success” or not, does not matter; it does not entail us to be less of a person. We are all remarkable as well as phenomenal. Since the Creator sees us as exceptional beings we should believe in what he sees when we look at ourselves in the mirror. Appreciate you.

Never give up on thyself. If we give up on ourselves, the only thing left that we will have is regrets. We are strong despite our imperfections, and believing and trusting in our souls will only lead to confidence, in which giving up should never be a option.

Cease all self-hatred.

Erasing eagerness. It is not necessary. Be still, look at thyself and accept who you are in the flow of life.

-Only be you.

Sonja Mattison resides in Clarkston, Georgia. She is an inspirational writer and the author of "Thoughts of Mattii 40." She earned her Bachelor of Arts at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Virginia.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

What Christmas Means To Me

O Happy, Precious Day!
I Woke up this morning and said
"Good Morning", to the Lord, and
"Happy Birthday!" to my King.

As always, He said to my heart,
"Good Morning, Sweetie", and
then He said "Thank You".
And I laughed to myself and I felt
His amusement, for the God of the
Universe truly never had a 'birthday',
He always existed. but He DOES have
an entrance date, the day He was born
as God in human form, the day that was
celebrated in the heavens by the angels,
and was looked on in awe by some shepherds,
a man and a woman, and some barn animals.

I praise you, my Lord, because now that I
begin to see your work in the world, and
how you will show everyone who is truly
the Master of this Universe, you never
do anything without mercy, without expressing
your love.

Thank you so much for giving us your heart,
thank you so much for coming to save us,
thank you so much for showing us what true love is.

We celebrate your birth, to show how much we appreciate it.
It may not be the actual day of your birth, but this doesn't matter,
what matters is that we be sincere in our worship and appreciation of you.

Happy Birthday, Prince Of Peace, And Merry Christmas To All Who Call On Your Name!

Christmas, The Celebration Of The Ultimate Gift Of Life

Lord, we love you, with all of our heart,
there is no other like you,
what other 'gods' have cared about humanity
like you, who has loved us so passionately
like your son, Jesus Christ?

You gave us your son, Jesus Christ,
as an expression of your love,
as the solution to our losing battle with sin,
as your represntative in the earth,
who taught us how to live, and how to love,
who gave His life for us,
to facilitate your gift of salvation to us all;
what greater gift could we ask for,
what greater love could we receive?

Lord, as we celebrate this Christmas Eve,
I pray that everyone who loves you will
celebrate your gift of life with
all our their hearts and souls,
that a spirit of love and gratitude
penetrate everywhere, in our homes
and neighborhoods, and everywhere
where there is a person who honors your name.

Thank you Lord, for the greatest gift that
was ever given to mankind, your son, Jesus Christ
I pray for peace and joy for everyone that loves
you, and a revelation of the meaning of this season
for those who do not.

Glory Be To Your Name Forever And Ever. AMEN

A Thanksgiving Christmas Prayer

Lord, we give you thanks for a new day
to praise your name. You are our God,
Our Savior, The Lover of our souls;
We magnify your name in all of the earth
Glory to your Name forever and ever!

I thank you Lord, for your precious gifts,
I thank you for peace, I thank you for joy,
for the comfort of your presence in my heart.
You have given me hope, and a purpose for my life.

And, Dear Jesus, how can I express the happiness of
knowing how much you love me; your love is
passionate and pure, the driving force of this
universe. How can I ever thank you for loving me
so much that You died for me on a cross?

That is why I celebrate your birth at Christmas,
that is why the scene of a baby boy laying humbly in a manger
with His father and mother, with barn animals, shepherds and angels,
is a sweet one. What was it like, Dear Mary, to kiss
the face of my Lord as He smiled at you?

Thank you Jesus, for loving me so much, that you were willing
to be born in the most humble and ordinary of places, so that
you could be with us, teach us, fellowship with us, love us,
die for us. I will never forget your sacrifice!

I Will Bless Your Name Forever And Ever. AMEN

A Hopeful Christmas Prayer

Lord, we come humbly into your presence,
we glorify your name with our thoughts
our deeds, and our hearts.

There is none like you; you are
all mighty and all powerful, you
are perfect in our sight. You
love us with a love beyond
all human understanding, and
we praise your Holy Name!

We want to be just like you,
so Lord, help us to show the
love of Christ in our hearts,
give us the urgent need to be
a blessing to others during
this wondrous time of year,
when we celebrate the birth
of your son, Jesus Christ.

Give us the courage to step out
of our comfort zone and give
selflessly from our hearts,
to encourage others and to
pray from them as we point
them toward the reason for
the season, Jesus Christ.

Give us your blessing as we choose
to live for you, and we will give
you all the glory, and the power, and
the praise. AMEN

A Christmas Prayer

Lord, we thank you for your providence,
we thank you for your love,
there is no one greater than you.

You gave us your son, Jesus Christ
as the answer to our prayers,
the one who sacrificed himself
so that we could be saved,
so that we could live in your presence
forever!

Thank you Lord, for that precious gift,
we will never be able to repay
the debt that you paid for us,
but we will praise you at all times,
and give glory to your name.

At this time of year,
we set aside time to remember the
greatest gift ever given to us,
the birth of our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ.

I pray that you will feel pleasure,
as we seek your face with love,
as we love others by giving ourselves
through service, and the giving of
gifts to those who need them.

I ask that you help us to focus not on
parties and presents, but on the birth
of the Baby Jesus in a manger, and on the
God in Heaven that saw fit to love us
with a love that is beyond all
understanding.

Glory To Your Name Forever and Ever. AMEN

Land Of Frogs

by Jacky Julyan

Matthew 19:29-30

'And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.'

A time is coming, which is now come upon the nations of ease, luxury and complacency that I will uproot many and vomit them out of my land. For all the earth belongs to me. The lands have hidden My Light that was to go to all the nations far and wide, to both rich and poor.

I have heard the cries of those betrayed, those who hold fast to Me and My Word. Stay close to Me for I shall never leave you nor forsake you.

To those nations as Sodom I am to rain down fire. Many false prophets and leaders will be crying from the rooftops as I remove their standing, remove their possessions. I, the LORD, shall remove their luxurious homes.

My Sword will divide in two, home upon home, upon house upon house, upon church upon church, upon business upon business. Many shall call out to Me and I shall not answer them.

The Cup is full, My Cup is full . Enough! My anger, My Judgment in full measure is poured from My Bowls of Wrath. I am releasing My Angel of Death. My winnowing fork is in My Hand and I have come now to the threshing floor, I am come with fire!

Many are saying 'Do not speak of gloom', yet I say to you, 'You are a rebellious nation, you have forsaken Me for many golden calves. The flesh of your land wreaks of sin, it is a stench to My nostrils. Yes, I am to catapult, I am to sling My Stone, I am to vomit you out of the land of your idols, your comfort, your idolatry, and you're false preaching.'

This time is Now! I will not delay. For Judgment, My Wrath is near, it is at the Door, it is here!

Unbelief has reached My ears, My heart is grieved. Many though are as Abraham, praying for at least ten righteous people to keep My Judgment from falling. Enough! My Judgment comes in the whirlwinds, many, many, many whirlwinds.

Catastrophic desolation, debris of churches where golden calves lay strewn in men's hearts.

Shall I not judge My People? Yay, and much more! The Angel of Death is released and there will be mourning, crying, and lamentations.

Desolation, falling, falling upon falsehood, falling upon the nation that was once mine.

Woe . Woe . Woe . Unto you America

You are blinded by your pride, your arrogance your luxury is to be your downfall.

I hear the cries of the poor, the homeless, those you shun, and those who do not dress as you.

Woe . Woe .. Woe . To you who are rich, you are pitiful, blind and wretched.

My Sword, My Double-edged Sword comes mightily to each home, each church, each school, and each business.

Woe . Woe . Woe . To you nation of America. Desolation is upon you now.

For those who keep watch, to those who pray in dust and ashes, I shall go over your house. I will save you. I will not place you with those who do not believe.

Woe . Woe . Woe . To you preachers of the Word who have taken the widows mite so that you can languish in your homes and upon your beds of silken cloth.

This is the time. This is the place, your land is unclean .. Unclean .. Unclean . You are a land called Egypt, a Land of Frogs. I am to send literally a host of locusts, a size you have never seen with your eyes. They will strip you, strip you, moths will eat the multitude of linens and clothing for you have not fed the poor in your own land!

You have not dispensed the justice they have cried out for. You are the one it is written about the Judge who cares not either for man, nor beast, nor child. You have not dispensed any merit or kindness to the oppressed. Will I find faith in your nation when I have stripped you?

Woe .. Woe . Woe . To you teachers of the Law, your hard hearts will break, your books and learning will fall upon you. Your scrolls lead you to death and will drown you.

I, the LORD speak to My Friends. My Friends do not belong to this earth, they belong to My Kingdom, My Kingdom is not of this earth.

Woe .. Woe . Woe ..

I speak forth this Word through My prophet shofar girl.

I am that I am

I am the Judge who hears the cries of My People. I will act swiftly.

Truly, I tell thee, will I find faith Oh America when I strip your land unto pestilence and famine.

Those who are first will become last, those who are last will become first.

My Name is Faithful and True
The Sword is in My Mouth

Yeshua, El Shaddai

[You can listen to this WORD on the podcast link below]

https://calledtowriteweb.wordpress.com/
Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXv_mnFHwuIZQImtApBHMnA

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

Cast Your Cares Upon Him

When you are a child of God, He will take care of you. You chose to become a citizen of the kingdom of God and you gave yourself and your life to Him, so He is obligated to comfort you and to provide for your needs. The world may not understand why you believe in Him. They see the chaos and the posturing of nations, wars and rumor of wars, earthquakes and climate change, darkness and corruption as just another crazy chapter in the development of the human race. They don't know why things have gotten worse, and those who choose to address the issues will do the blame game, but pointing fingers at everyone else except at their own chest is not productive, it does not foster progress or give any solutions.

Be encouraged my brothers and sisters, because God has a solution,He is working in the world today. Wherever you see the impossible become possible, that is not a coincedence or a 'fluke', when you see terminally ill patients healed, where you see people in desperate need suddenly have what they need, when you see drug addicts get saved and start preaching the word of God, when you see people in high places suddenly removed and replaced with individuals that will actually do the right things for our communities and for our countries; when you see something that happens in the world that makes you say "What? How did he get elected!!", these things will confirm what you already know in your heart, that God is alive and well, and He is in control of everything that happens in this world.

What you are seeing in the world today is the end of the age of man rebelling against their Creator; the Lord is ready to usher in a new age of peace, love, and prosperity. It is time for the enemy, the devil, to be publicly defeated in the presence of us all, and the end of the darkness and its consequences in our lives and in our hearts. It will be a time of chaos and fear for those who do not believe in our savior, Jesus Christ. It will be a time of denial and anger for those who do know who He is, but reject His ownership over them. They will shake their fists up to Him right until the very last moment of their lives; they will have elected themselves to everlasting separation and pain, while those who choose to live for Him, will receive everlasting peace and joy.

Cast your cares upon Him, because He is ready to give you everything you need to survive in this world: peace, love, hope, joy, courage, the ability to trust and obey Him, your basic needs, boldness, compassion, a new heart and mind. Once you live for Him, and allow the Holy Sprit to transform you heart and mind, you will begin to see the world they way He sees it, and you will have compassion for good people and bad people; you will want to pray for them. Remember, no one becomes a citizen of the kingdom of God by being 'good', everyone must accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior, whether they are 'good' or 'bad' people. He gives salvation to those who understand that their 'good' standards could never compare to God's standards, we can never be as good as He is, but He does not require that we be 'perfect'; He wants us to believe in Him and in His agenda for the world: love, peace, and selflessness.

So, give praise and honor to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who died for us on the cross, so that we may live in His presence forever and ever. No one can compete with His grace and mercy, and no one will ever love you more. Give all of your heart and soul to Him, make His will your priority. He will guide you into a deeper understanding of Him, and He will make a way out of no way. Abide in Him and He will abide in you.

Make Haste And Come Down

by Toni Babcock

"For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost," (Luke 19:10 KJV). A few encounters in the Bible literally stopped Jesus in his tracks. Spotting a little man named Zacchaeus sitting in a Sycamore tree was one of them. The crowd that was following Jesus must have been mystified, for there was no love lost on Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in town. Hearing all the acclaim surrounding Jesus, he climbed up into a Sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Him as he passed by. But Jesus didn't pass by. He stopped and looked up.

"Zacchaeus" he said, "Make haste and come down; for today I must abide at thy house," (Luke19:5 KJV). Jesus didn't wait for an invitation. He didn't say "Perhaps if you will be pleased to have me, I will come over at your request when you're ready." No such societal correctness recorded. Jesus announced he was coming "today", and Zacchaeus had better get down quick or risk missing the opportunity of a lifetime.

Like Zacchaeus, sometimes its easier to observe God from our "Sycamore tree". God can't expect too much from us when we're holed up in a tree hanging onto our baggage. But Jesus just might stop in his tracks and look up anyway. And if we follow His command to make haste and come down - who knows what could happen? Exciting, isn't it? Read the whole story of Zacchaeus here, and draw your own conclusions: (Luke 19:1-10 KJV).

Toni M. Babcock is author of The Stone Writer, Christian Fiction for Young Readers and Teens.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

Recognizing God's Open Doors

By Charles Stanley
Intouch Ministries

Acts 16:16-34

One way we tend to judge whether we’re walking in God’s will is by the outcome. The assumption is that when we’re doing what the Lord wants, life will run smoothly. But if all sorts of problems and heartaches occur, we often assume we must have wandered away from His will.

But Paul teaches that is not always the case. In 1 Corinthians 16:9, he writes, “For a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” And that’s exactly what happened when God closed one door and opened another on the apostle’s second missionary journey. (See Acts 16:6-10.) After Lydia and her household received the gospel, this new opportunity must have seemed hopeful. However, a short time later Paul and Silas, having been stripped and beaten with rods, found themselves sitting in a Philippian jail.

We don’t like to think God’s will for our life might include pain, suffering, or persecution, but that’s what Scripture teaches. The Lord uses affliction to test our faith, teach dependence on Him, develop godly character and spiritual maturity, and equip us to comfort others (Rom. 5:3-4; 2 Cor. 1:4). But He also uses our suffering to draw others to Christ. It’s doubtful the jailer would have been so ready to accept the gospel if Paul and Silas had not responded to their unfair treatment by singing hymns of praise to God.

When the Lord opens a door of suffering in our life, it’s an opportunity for unbelievers to witness God at work in us. Instead of trying to escape, let’s learn to respond in a manner that draws others to the Savior.

Intouch Ministries Devotions

Our Gifts To God

What do you give to someone who literally has everything they will ever want or need?

When I think about how much the Lord has given me, I cry out with amazement, my heart sings with gratitude, and my mind dreams up visions of happiness in His presence. No one can love me like my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and no one will ever try. Why? Because when Jesus loves you, He loves you with all of His heart and mind, with a burning passion - think that statement is over the top? If you ever have the honor to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in your heart, overflowing into your body and your mind, the type of joy and peace that surrounds you is wonderful and awesome. He is an awesome God!

If you are a believer and you have never felt that level of His presence before today, trust me you can, it is very easy. Ask Him to fill your heart with His spirit and be sincere when you ask,..“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened..."(Matthew chapter 7:7-8)....and He will supply. He is eager for you to get to know Him.

We know how much He loves us, He demonstrated the depth of that love on the cross, so you might wonder what the Lord could possibly want from us. After all, He is GOD, and He has everything in His hands, there is nothing that God does not know, He is all powerful, all knowing, there are no surprises for Him ever! So, you might ask what does He get for all of His efforts on our behalf.

FAITH......
OBEDIENCE.........
TRUST........................
LOVE......................................

Faith. We must have faith in Him and in His love for us. Without faith it is impossible to please him (Hebrews 11:6). Belief in a person or concept is a beautiful and powerful thing. When enough people believe in something or someone, it becomes an unstoppable force either for good or evil. Nothing ever starts to become something without FAITH.

Obedience. Once you believe in Him, your first step of faith is to obey Him, obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit, give praise to His name, and make your first move in whatever direction the Holy Spirit gives you. It could be scary and above your comfort level. The good news is that He is there with you every step of the way, and He already knows that you can do it. This task that He has laid out for you becomes an expression of your faith, and it will make your faith stronger. Be OBEDIENT.

Trust. Once you have taken that first step of faith, you will find that every step afterwards is taken with Him. You will find peace in your heart, and every door open, every opportunity you need to accomplish your goal becomes clear and accessible. You will be amazed at what the Lord can accomplish with just you and a little faith, being obedient to His will. That is when you start to trust Him with your life and with your heart. It is not easy to trust anyone in this world, and heartache is a constant reminder of how flawed this world can be, but if you put your trust in God He will never fail to do just what He has promised you, whatever that promise may be. With Faith, and Obedience, Trust is easy to give to Him. Have TRUST.

Love. Now, you chose you to believe in Him, which ushered in Faith, you took a step of Faith into Obedience, you found out that you could Trust Him, and when you found out you could Trust Him, you found that you Loved Him with all of your heart and all of your soul! Love springs in abundance from your spirit, into your heart, and into your mind. You are filled with joy and peace, and you cannot understand exactly how, but frankly, you do not care! You give Him praise, you thank His Holy Name, you worship at His altar, and shout declarations of Love in His presence! Now, what can you and I give the one being in the universe who has everything He ever wanted and needed? Give LOVE.

Give Him your heart and mind. Choose to obey Him. Trust Him and Adore Him. Give Him Thanksgivings and praises of Love. Express that Love and kindness to the people in your life. Sacrifice yourself for your loved ones. Give generously from your heart and from your wallet! Trust Him and make that first step into your destiny. FAITH.OBEDIENCE..TRUST...LOVE.....NOW, GO!

If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your savior, repeat these words:

Prayer of Salvation

Lord,

I repent for trying to be master of my own life. I change my mind about who I want to be in charge of my life. I turn from my useless and unproductive thoughts that I am the center of my universe and choose to believe in the living God who created everything, including me (Acts 14:15). I have lived without a purpose but now I will live to hear and obey You, God (Jn. 5:19, 20,30).

I confess with my lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead. I believe that God so loved the world He sent His only Son Jesus to shed His blood to wash away the barrier of sin (Jn. 3:16)

I receive You, Jesus as MY Lord and Savior (Jn. 1:11,12).

I welcome You, Holy Spirit, into my life to rescue and empower me and to restore me to intimacy with my heavenly Father (Acts 2:38).

If you just confessed this prayer, you are saved! I welcome you into the family my (brother/sister) I pray for peace, joy, and happiness in your life as you allow the Lord to love you and bless you and give you assurance of everlasting life with Him forever and ever......PRAISE GOD!

May the Lord keep you and Bless you this day....AMEN

A Introduction To Christ

By Charles Stanley
Intouch Ministries

Revelation 1:4-8

John gives us a compact description of the Lord. Verse 5 in today’s passage condenses the wondrous nature of Jesus Christ to the bare but beautiful essentials of who He is.

Jesus Christ is the faithful witness. Jesus came to earth to more fully reveal the character and ways of the Father (John 14:9). The miracles He performed validated His claim to be the Son of God.

Jesus Christ is the firstborn from the dead. The Savior bore our sins and died on the cross, was buried, and rose again on the third day. His resurrection proved that eternal life is possible for us, too, which is what Jesus taught when He said, “He who believes in Me will live even if he dies” (John 11:25).

Jesus Christ is ruler over the kings of the earth. The Lord raises men to power, just as it is He who removes them (John 19:11; see also Rom. 13:1). And believers have access to a higher authority than human leaders. In God’s throne room, we can beseech Him on behalf of our land and lay claim to His promises.

Jesus Christ loves us and, by His blood, released us from our sins. Note the change of tense in Revelation 1:5. The Lord’s love is ever-present, but He has freed believers from their past (NIV). Both the penalty and power of sin have been broken by His sacrifice.

When people ask you about Jesus, introduce Him by guiding them through this mini biography. In just a few sentences, John describes Christ’s character, divinity, and authority. The disciple was not timid about proclaiming the Lord to whomever he encountered. We shouldn’t be shy, either, when we serve so great a Savior.

Intouch Ministries Devotions

The Faith Killers, Fear and Doubt

Running a successful business takes time, money, experience, and knowledge. You have to be ready to deal with the every day issues that can make or break your enterprise. The best businesses have a good plan or strategy and the best managers have learned to stick with those plans, even when there are slumps or unavoidable problems. There is one prinicple that is always needed to run a successful business, faith. If the business owner doesn't believe in his business venture or in his business plans, he will have a lot of trouble convincing investors to invest in his 'dream'. You can always tell when a person is passionately devoted to some project they are marketing, or when they are just going through the motions, or 'mailing it in'.

As Christians, our main project in life should be to answer God's call on our life. We must be willing to accept the challenge and be obedient to His will, and He will provide the means and the resources to accomplish His goals. It also usually means that we will find ourselves in situations we never thought we would be in. We may be called to go to different countries to preach the word, we may be called to write the next great book on christian faith, we may record the next great christian gospel song, or He may require us to stay in an awkward situation, to be the guiding light in a dark place. Whatever He asks you to do, don't be so sure that you cannot handle the situation.

We all have fears and doubts from time to time, being afraid sometimes does not mean that you don't have any courage. The Lord may be asking you to do something or to go somewhere that is totally out of your comfort zone, but the good news is that if He is telling you to do it, He will be right there with you, experiencing everything that you will go through, comforting you, empowering you, ecouraging you when you need it. Doors will open for you that were shut before, and your enemies will be forced to help you instead of destroy you. You have the greatest power ever known dwelling in your heart, and when you take the first step into your destiny, He will take all the rest of them with you.

When those doubts and fears start to take over, bring those concerns to Him; don't hold back, tell Him you how you are feeling. He wants you to pour out your heart to Him; He already knows how you are feeling, but you must be honest with Him and open your heart, so that He can bless you and heal you. He is the only one who can take your fears and doubts and replace them with peace and joy, and He will give you the courage to do His will.

God is peace, joy, and love, no other person, substance, or ideology can give you what you need to live a full life in this world. Whatever He is asking you to do, you can do it. Don't sell Him or yourself short. Nobody is going to love you as much as He does, so He will make sure you will survive this venture, and when you come out on the other side, in the end, you will be changed, as a much better father, mother, person, and a stronger Christian. That's what it is all about!

Genetics And Salvation?

by Eugene Lopatynsky

The title might sound a bit crazy, but there might be some interesting hints to consider. The questions are important.

Who, among all these blaspheming multitudes will seek and love God? Who will refuse it?

Why will some people really search for and seek to love Father God, regardless what? On the opposite side, why will some insist on hating the creator of all that is good? How can one understand any of this?

There are no easy answers. Opinions might range from predestination to supernatural intervention and even to pure chance. Nevertheless there might be one additional factor in the form of inherited predisposition or bias involved, bias for either good or evil.

Consider that the Israelites were told not to interbreed with the original population of Canaan. Why? If environment alone were important, interbreeding would make little difference. We have also seen the Biblical reference to Giants, the offspring of reptilian Demons and human women (See "God Said Angels Had Sex", under in www.remnantonly.info, under "surprise"). They actually constituted an evil, genetic infestation, a genetic infection of humanity, which necessitated the flood of Noah.

Perhaps, just perhaps, there is also some automatic sorting in all of this. By analogy, if you mix water with particles of cork, sand and additional matter (of the same specific density as water), and shake it up, what do you get? A sorting begins, and is automatic. The sand remains at the bottom. The cork will always rise to the top and the "intermediate" matter, the particles of the same specific gravity as water, will merely swim inside, with any current in this flow.

Perhaps the descendents of the second appearance of these Giants (Nephilim, Raphalim, Emmins, Zanzumins, etc) could be likened to sand in above model. Cork could be compared to the offspring of those who once were the children of God (genetic variations resembling those of God's people). The floating particles, perhaps the greatest majority, could be compared to people of very mixed genetics, who are given the chance to choose what side they want to be on.

The intermediate matter, the floating particles in the above "model", are the colossal substrate (or target) for intervention with God's Gospel or the Devil's lying propaganda. Who cares? There is ONE who cares. These are beings, born into a dangerous, suffering world. God cares.

There is today a tremendous push by the existing Establishment to downplay the importance of human genetics. Some say, there are powerful political reasons for down-breeding a people while keeping them in ignorance about healthy genes; in fact, about health in general.

Genetics is pure science. It functions according to strict rules about inheritance of physical traits, most of them already outlined by Mendel, an Austrian Monk, 200 years ago. Our intelligence, color of eyes, exact physical characteristics and predispositions to disease and, just possibly, ethical and moral tendencies, all are genetically inherited. A type of moral or immoral bias (susceptibility?) might be just simply inherited too.

What about actual changes during the End Times?
Near the end, Gods gospel presumably will become scarce and Satan's propaganda nearly universal. With this you can predict the course (future) of the "floating particles". The good will become more holy and the bad more evil until the final end of this age (6000 years?) is upon us. See "Rapture", www.remnantonly.info, under " surprise".

In the meantime?

Meantime, preach the gospel of God, in season and out of season, to "every creature", baptizing them in the name of the Father, and Son and the Holy Ghost. Love your enemies. Do good to them who hate you, who despitefully use you and persecute you. And you will be called the children of the Most High.

Not the messenger, only the message is important. Please visit www.remnantonly.info and have a surprise!

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

Never Walk Alone

by Benjamin Anabaraonye

Are you walking through a lonely road,
Tired of its twists and bends?
Are you weighed down by a heavy load,
And searching for a true friend?

Do you sometimes wonder and ask,
Why things happened as they did?
Does it seem now a heavy task
To be faithful in word and deed?

There's no need to walk alone
When on Christ you can call
He'll stay with you through the horizons
And keep you strong and standing tall.

Jesus Christ is a faithful friend
He cares and will your burdens share
A friend whose love knows no end
Call on Him today sincerely in prayer.


Benjamin Anabaraonye is a Christian poet,Author and Songwriter based in Nigeria.
For more updates follow on Twitter@BENJYPOETRY
www.benjypoetry.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

The Kings And Queens Of God Part Two

Many times in the bible you will notice that the people or persons of God are given specific names; they are named by God when they are born, or the Lord changes their name later in their life when they begin their ministry. Many of these people of God were prophets, or kings, priests and ministers, and all were servants, dedicated to the purposes of God. You should not be surprised that the name that was given to you shows the purpose of your life. I know that your parents believe they were the ones to name you; if you ask them about how they named you, they may tell you that they looked at many names and none of them seemed to resonate until they saw the name that they gave you. Divine inspiration often takes the form of a feeling in someone's heart, or a vision of revelation.

When Jesus Christ came into the world, He was born into a family of lowly stature, a carpenter's son. He was not born in a palace, or in a rich man's home; in fact, He was born in a manger. In God's wisdom, the savior of the world was given the freedom to grow in a family and in a place uncorrupted by political power and fame, unnoticed by the 'powers that be' so that He could focus on His family and on God, and what His father wanted Him to accomoplish in this world. When you find yourself in an unusual place, don't think it is because the Lord doesn't love you or care about you, ask Him what is His purpose for your life in that situation.

Jesus grew up to inherit the power and authority of God, the same power and authority He laid down when He agreed to be born into this world as a man, the Son of Man. He lived like any ordinary human being, except He never sinned or gave into temptation. He obeyed His father, and fulfilled the scriptures exercising His power and authority by helping other people. He healed them, proclaimed the word of God, interceded for them in prayer, and with words of faith delivered them from demon possession, hopelessness and despair.

His greatest deed was to allow Himself to be crucified on a cross, to die for our sins and transgressions, to allow Himself to be used as a substitute so that His Father, Our God, could pour out His wrath and indignation upon all the sinful words, thoughts, and acts that had been done in the past, and that would be done in the future. Once His Son paid the penalty for our sins, He became Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, The Prince of Peace, Our Comforter, Our Deliverer, and the greatest Hero that we will ever know.

It is the Blood of the Lamb Of God that sets us free, and makes us whole. In order for Jesus to be the perfect sacrifice, He had to be sinless and willing to give up His life for us. This was not an easy choice, but He was willing, and able to do so because of His love for His father and for us: He had created us in the beginning, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and He was not willing that the people He loved would be lost forever, separated from God and from His love. And so the Creator of the world came down to earth to live with us, guide us, fellowship with us, express His love to us, and then die for us. What and awesome, loving God!

So, who are we to Him? We are His children, His little ones that He loves, we are His redeemed, citizens of the kingdom of God, His beloved that He loves passionately, the same passion that drove Him to the cross. We are Kings and Queens, priests and servants forever to minister in the presence of God Almighty, giving sacrifices of praise, love and gratitude forever and ever. He will share His love and His universe with us, we are destined to rule with Him, to be guided by His wisdom, to experience peace and joy every day of our lives. How can anyone deny that His plans for us are beyond anything we could ever hope for or imagine!

When Jesus came to the earth, He proved that He was the Messiah, the savior of the world. He was the perfect man, human and god in the flesh. He was a prophet, interpreting the word of God correctly with words of wisdom. He was a priest, interceding for His people, in prayer and fellowship with God, And He is The king of Kings, and Lord of Lords, His royal inheritance, given by rights as the son of David, and by His sacrifice on the cross. The Lord gave Him the name that is above every name, power, and principality; no other name is higher, and He will rule the earth with God's approval and authority.

Now that we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are in Christ; that means we have the same authority that He has. We are His representatives in the earth, and we have everything we need accomplish His purposes for our lives. We are prophets, priests, and kings, we have been ordained into the royal priesthood of Melchizedek. Remember that we when God sees us now, He does not see us as we are in world today, He sees His Son, Jesus. We are righteous in His eyes, not because we are perfect or deserving, but because we chose to accept His gift of salvation, the loving sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He will never turn away a son or daughter who receives His gift, and He will share everything with us, because that is what He always wanted to do when this whole story began!

His story is now our story, and this story will end triumphantly, with evil and the devil defeated, and love and joy will fill this world and the universe forever and ever; peace and joy will be our everlasting inheritance! Thank you God, for your grace, wisdom and mercy. No one else could have done as well as you, this great plan of salvation for your children, the new life you have put into our hearts and minds. You are worthy to be praised, and I am honored to be called your daughter and the little one that you love. Glory Be To Thy Name Forever And Ever! AMEN

The Kings And Queens Of God Part One

Revelation ch 1:4-6

....Grace and peace to you from his 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. To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be kings and priests to serve His God and Father - to Him be glory and power forever and ever! AMEN

Psalm ch 110:4

...The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”..

The one thing that I noticed in the bible is that many of God's servants, both in the old and the new testament had names that described their destiny with God. You see, God made them, created them even before the founding of the world; He had a vision of who they were and what they would become, and He had a master plan that He used to accomplish His goals. This means that if you are a child of God, every circumstance of your life was preordained, so that the Lord may shape you into His image, so that your life would produce the fruit of the Spirit, for His purposes, and for His glory.

It is always a little disconcerting to know that the Creator of the universe had you on His mind even before your parents were born, and that He knows you so well that He devised a plan to encourage you to become a citizen of the kingdom of God. His loving care of me gives me the courage to live another day whenever I place my thoughts on Him and focus my mind to meditate on His word.

His purpose was to create a family for Himself who would love Him with all their hearts, and who would offer sacrifices of praise, to live in His presence forever and ever, and to rule with Him and His Son, Jesus Christ. God is Holy, and so that means everything and everyone that comes into His presence must be Holy as well. He created us in His image and gave us free will, the ability to understand who we are in this world and in the universe, and to decide if we would follow Him or go our own way.

He knew that many of us would follow our own hearts, but He also knew that many more would choose to be with Him, and so He decided to show true grace and mercy by sending His only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to give us the greatest gift, redemption and salvation through the atoning death of His Son. By His sacrifice, we are saved and deemed righteous in the Lords' eyes, for now when He sees us, He does not see our fallen human nature, or our weaknesses; He sees the Blood of the Lamb, the blood of His Son, that was shed for us on Calvary, Because we choose to believe in Him, and to call on His Name, The Lord has judged us to be Holy and Righteous, and we may minister in His presence, with words of thanksgiving and praise, and with expressions of our love.

Jesus is always our example of what a born again believer should be. He came into the world to show us what God is really like, to fellowship with us, and to save us. He is the first born of God, and if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you are counted as His first born in Him. You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek, you are a king or queen, destined to rule with Him and for Him. No one can take you from Him, and no one will be able to stop you from becoming what He has predestined you to become.

When Jesus lived with us, He showed who He was by His words, actions, and deeds. It is now up to us to decide if we believe in what He said and what he did. He will not force anyone to come to Him, but He will show His love for you, if you let him do so. You must have a willingness to hear His voice in your heart, and you must choose to see the world for what it really is, and not how you want it to be. God will not be mocked, you cannot force Him to show you anything, and there is already enough evidence in the world and in the heavens to show that life was created by an intelligent force, a loving creative force for good.

We have all been shaped by our experiences, by our families, and by our environment, but the most powerful influence that we can ever have on our lives is the love and grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He cares for us with a loving passion that defies all explanation. When I think of what He has done for me, I cannot express my gratitude and my love for Him enough. I know who I am and the mistakes that I have made, and it amazes me that He would love me so much, and would die such a horrible and soul wrenching death on a cross for me.

He gave His life for me, so that I can live in His presence forever and ever, so that I can minister to Him, offering sacrifices of praise and love, so that I can serve Him and rule with Him in His beautiful and wondrous universe, and to know what it means to live with peace in my heart, in unity with God and my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, to feel apart of something bigger and greater than myself, to feel accepted and not rejected, to know everlasting love and mercy. When I realized how much He loved me, and how He loves me just as I am, I accepted His gift wholeheartedly. It is the best deal you will ever find!

The Pattern Of Servanthood

by Charles Stanley
Intouch Ministries

Matthew 20:25-28

In the world’s thinking, great men are the ones with authority, prominence, and power. Though Jesus Christ had all that, He laid it aside to become a servant (Isaiah 42:1).

Jesus gave Himself completely to fulfill the Father’s plan of redemption, even though the beneficiaries—namely, each of us—were undeserving. God, who is holy and righteous, has “eyes ... too pure to approve evil, and [He] can not look on wickedness with favor” (Habakkuk 1:13). But all of humanity is stained by wrongdoing (Romans 3:23); everybody is born captive to the desires of the flesh (Romans 6:16-18). When people claim to be living on their own terms, they are actually serving whatever their human nature craves. The penalty for that false sense of liberty is death (Romans 6:23).

Jesus’ ultimate act of service was to give His life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28). The word ransom describes the price paid to set a slave free—Christ voluntarily purchased our liberation. There was only one way our holy God could remove our guilt yet remain true to His own law: Someone sinless had to pay our sin debt for us.

Jesus’ sacrifice spared us the penalty we deserve. Instead, we receive the gift of grace and have been declared no longer guilty. Moreover, we are elevated from slaves to sons and daughters of the Almighty!

Jesus served the Father’s purpose faithfully. He gave up His righteousness to carry the weight of all our wickedness—and endured a crushing separation from His Father. To meet our needs, the Savior held nothing of Himself back and thereby set a powerful example of servanthood for us to follow.

Intouch Ministries Devotions

Equipped To Do His Will

by Charles Stanley
Intouch Ministries

Exodus 3:1-14

I’ve met people who know the Lord has called them to do something, but they are so focused on their perceived lack of ability that they keep telling Him, “I just can’t.” Did you realize this is a form of rebellion? It amounts to telling God that He isn’t powerful enough to equip you—and that His will being done on this earth depends upon your natural skills.

On being called to lead the Israelites out of slavery, Moses complained that he was the wrong person for the job and offered an excuse of not being a good speaker (Ex. 4:10). God’s response underscores that not only was He more than able to equip His chosen leader, but He also planned to accomplish His purposes with or without Moses.

The Lord is the one who gives us the ability to live within His will. It’s a divine promise: If we believe Him and move forward in obedience, He’ll show us what we’re to do and then will energize us to get it done. Philippians 2:13 says that God Himself “is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” There’s nothing to fear: You never have to take on His work in your own strength, and He won’t ask you to do anything that He will not enable you to carry out. The Father is committed to equipping His children to do whatever He asks.

As a follower of Christ, you have a personal responsibility—first, to say yes when God calls, and second, to allow Him to achieve His purposes through your life. He won’t let you down. Watching Him work through you will strengthen your faith and further the process of conforming you to His Son’s image.

Intouch Ministries Devotions

Is Faith Necessary? Part Two

Being a child of God and a woman of faith these days takes courage, boldness, and consistency. Many people these days are simply not interested in living a life that requires patience, selflessness, and humility. As a christian, it is my responsibility to have faith in God, to love Him, adore Him, obey Him, and trust that He knows better than I do what to do with my life.

When I wake up every day, I know that He is there waiting for me, so I say in my heart, "Good Morning, Lord", and He always answers back to me in my spirit, "Good morning, sweetie", or sweetheart, or even "Good morning, silly", as I often think about something funny or silly, and He enjoys listening to my random thoughts about the world, about myself, about Him. I would never have thought that the Creator of the universe would ever want to be this close and intimate with me, and having this loving presence in my heart strengthens me, gives me an identity and a purpose, and when you are this loved by someone, hope springs eternal. I am so glad that my faith in Him is not in vain.

Where there is faith, there is purpose. The definition of faith is the complete trust or confidence in someone or something. When we know about a subject or an issue through and through, we have confidence in our ability to speak about this issue or problem and how to solve it with the knowledge that we have obtained. When we have faith in someone or something, we choose to believe in them even though we don't have all the facts, because we see value in that belief; having complete knowledge of the subject or the person is not necessary.

Over time, we hope to gain more understanding about the subject or the person, but this knowledge only enhances our belief. Faith is a gift that we give to ourselves and to each other. Having faith in God requires that we be willing to believe in someone far greater than ourselves; when we choose seek Him out, He will guide us into deeper understanding of who He is, and He will give us a measure of faith that will enhance our own.

The first step on the road to practicing faith, is to choose to believe, and then God helps us out with the rest. We use faith every day of our lives, when we use products, tools, vehicles, services that other people created, and we rely on their guarantees that their products or services will be useful, beneficial, and that they will do us no harm.

Without those guarantees, our civilization would not function at all. We pass laws that we believe in, but what happens if we don't believe in them anymore? Whenever you see a country or a region where the people have no respect for authority or their own laws, you will find a area filled with chaos, deception, and oppression. That is why a country is only as strong as the people's belief in themselves, in their culture, and in their laws. Rules are good and a necessary function of society, but they are useless if the people refuse to abide by them.

How does faith affect the sin nature? The definition of sin is an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law. The law was given to help people see the error, faults, and nature of the fallen human heart, and to give guidance on how to live righteously before a Holy God until the Messiah could come, Jesus Christ, who would sacrifice himself for us on the cross to give a final and permanent solution to the sin problem.

Now, the people of the past were unable to follow the rules because of their rebellious nature, that is why God's solution was necessary, an infilling of His Spirit and nature to change our hearts and minds. We must be willing to accept His gift of salvation and learn how to be righteous by the word of God and the promptings of the Holy Spirit, we must be willing to follow the Holy Spirit's lead.

Faith.Obedience.Trust.Love. - these are the characteristics of a true christian disciple - and the greatest of these principles is love, for when we truly love someone, and we give them our whole heart and soul, we are willing to believe in them, trust them, and follow their lead. When we love someone, we become intimate with them, and we share our hearts with them. When we enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ, our spirit is renewed, born again. He fills our hearts with love, and transforms our heart and minds, so that we begin to see things from His perspective, and peace and joy becomes apart of our daily routine.

The world around us will be the same, but we will be different, and now we have a reason to rejoice knowing that He will be with us forever and that this world will not always be like it is today, but our hope is refreshed daily with the knowledge that Jesus Christ is coming back again very soon to give the world what it is desperately seeking right now, PEACE.

Every good thing that will happen in the future to us and to the world will be created by FAITH.

If you would like to step out in FAITH and believe, and have your own personal relationship with Him, repeat this prayer:

Prayer of Salvation

Lord,

I repent for trying to be master of my own life. I change my mind about who I want to be in charge of my life. I turn from my useless and unproductive thoughts that I am the center of my universe and choose to believe in the living God who created everything, including me (Acts 14:15). I have lived without a purpose but now I will live to hear and obey You, God (Jn. 5:19, 20,30).

I confess with my lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead. I believe that God so loved the world He sent His only Son Jesus to shed His blood to wash away the barrier of sin (Jn. 3:16)

I receive You, Jesus as MY Lord and Savior (Jn. 1:11,12).

I welcome You, Holy Spirit, into my life to rescue and empower me and to restore me to intimacy with my heavenly Father (Acts 2:38).

If you just confessed this prayer, you are saved! I welcome you into the family my (brother/sister) I pray for peace, joy, and happiness in your life as you allow the Lord to love you and bless you and give you assurance of everlasting life with Him forever and ever......PRAISE GOD!

May the Lord keep you and Bless you this day....AMEN

Is Faith Necessary? Part One

In the world today,there are many people who express concerns about faith, and whether faith is necessary in the 21st century, after all, we have scored many scientific and technological advances, many of the mysteries of the past have been solved, so they ask, is faith and religion necessary anymore? We already understand a great deal more about how the world works, and how are bodies function, and we can do things today that could not be done even 10 years ago.

As we learn more about our world and the universe, we have become more sofisticated in our thinking, and more confident in our abiity to solve our problems. The issue is not whether we have problems to solve, the issue is do we have enough resolve to do what is necessary to solve them without destroying our world and ourselves.

Is faith necessary? Why does it seem that with every new advancement in technology, that will solve one problem, two more appear in its place? And why can't we seem to solve the old problems, such as war, poverty, hatred, slavery, selfishness, greed, and deception? The answer is definitely not in the stars, but within ourselves.

There is a misconception that faith should only be associated with religion; what some people don't realize is that faith has always been applied to our everyday lives. We have faith in our governments, in our employers, in our military and local authorities, and in our local city administrative officers. We send our children off to school, where we believe they will be taught, nurtured, and protected until we get them back at the end of the day.

We put our money in a bank, where we believe that it will be safe and secure until we need to use it in the future. We drive cars, ride buses, fly on airplanes, use all types of tools and devices everyday, and we don't think about the significance of using these things because we are used to living this way, but everything we use is based upon a dream, a conception born in someone's mind that was put down on paper, and then made for our consumption. Now, the people who conceived them had a belief that the things they dreamed up would work, and they had to convince someone else that it would work; if those investors had not believed in these concepts, we would not be using them today.

We believe in our way of life, and we pass laws to guarantee that way of life. We set limits on what individuals, groups and companies can do in our land and in our communities to prevent abuse, and everyone agrees with those restrictions, more or less. But what would happen if enough of the people living in our neighborhoods, our regions, our country stopped believing in those laws, in that way of life?

We have faith in the products and tools that we use, because we are told that these things will work. Many products are advertised on tv, in newspapers and magazines, on the internet and on billboards. We can't escape the media blitz, so we take a chance on a product, only knowing as much as we are told about it. Of course, there are ways to be reimbursed if a product is not what it was advertised to be, most times we can get our money back, but have you ever been in a situation where you believed in a product or service, and you were excited about using it, but when you finally got the chance to use it, it didn't work or the experience was not they way you thought it would be? Were you angry, frustrated, or disappointed? You might have even felt like you were abused.

That is why faith is a powerful force in the world, it inspires people to great and beautiful heights, and when it is abused, to dark and lowly depths. We are being told that faith is unnecessary in this world, that we have everything we need to make the world into the uptopia we have always dreamed of, but we cannot make anyplace into a utopia unless everyone believes in utopias.

Our laws are set into place, but they are not set in stone. There could come a time when people start to lose their faith in our laws, our culture, and our way of life. They may wish to change everything that was built up before, and start a new age where there will be no respect for what was believed in the past, and they may wish to abolish all restrictions on themselves, on other people, or on the businesses in their communities. Has that day arrived?

Faith is a gift that we give each other. What happens when a wife believes in her husband, does he suddenly feel He can do all the things that He sets out to do? What happens when a child feels love and approval from mom or dad? They suddenly feel good about themselves, and they try to do the best that they can in school. And what happens when a child of God starts praising His name and puts their faith into practice by trusting in His word, and living for Him instead of for themselves? They become a force of good in the world by sharing the gospel of grace, that helps to bring about a peaceful utopia by ushering in the kingdom of God, which will be led by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

It seems that faith does have an important part in our daily lives, and where that faith is placed is even more important, because what you believe in shapes your life, your mind, and your destiny. If you don't have faith in anything, then you will lose hope. If you have no hope, then you will not care about yourself or the future. Where there is faith, there is fire, the courage to grow, to live, to change our circumstances, and to give of ourselves. We need faith, and faith is given to us if we choose to believe in something higher than ourselves, to believe in a love that is deeper, richer, and more fulfilling than anything else we can do or achieve.

That love is the sacrifice and atonement that Jesus Christ paid for on the cross, so that you and I could be redeemed and saved from sin and from our fallen human nature; that nature consumes and destroys without the transforming love and power of the Holy Spirit.

We need to abide in His presence for guidance, love, and understanding; we cannot have true faith in ourselves without receiving His faith in us. He believes in us so much that He was willing to die for us, so we are valuable, very valuable in His eyes.

We must never forget how much He loves us, or How much He was willing to sacrifice so that We could live in His presence, in peace, in fellowship, in happiness forever and ever. And yes, it does take faith to believe in this, so if you are lacking in the faith to believe in Jesus, ask Him for a measure of faith, He gives generously to those who seek Him and are willing to give Him a chance. I can guarantee you won't be disappointed if your request to know Him is sincere.

Prayer of Salvation

Lord,

I repent for trying to be master of my own life. I change my mind about who I want to be in charge of my life. I turn from my useless and unproductive thoughts that I am the center of my universe and choose to believe in the living God who created everything, including me (Acts 14:15). I have lived without a purpose but now I will live to hear and obey You, God (Jn. 5:19, 20,30).

I confess with my lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead. I believe that God so loved the world He sent His only Son Jesus to shed His blood to wash away the barrier of sin (Jn. 3:16)

I receive You, Jesus as MY Lord and Savior (Jn. 1:11,12).

I welcome You, Holy Spirit, into my life to rescue and empower me and to restore me to intimacy with my heavenly Father (Acts 2:38).

If you just confessed this prayer, you are saved! I welcome you into the family my (brother/sister) I pray for peace, joy, and happiness in your life as you allow the Lord to love you and bless you and give you assurance of everlasting life with Him forever and ever......PRAISE GOD!

May the Lord keep you and Bless you this day....AMEN

Comfort, Comfort My Children

by Jacky Julyan

Trust me my daughter in all things, do not fret about anything. I will bring back to you those who belong to me. I am humbling many at this time, pray and receive them.

Do not fret for I am standing with you and I am exposing people around you one at a time. You are my prophet and you are surrounded by wicked people but I will show you what I am about to do. There are many who claim to belong to me who do not.

I am sending you to many people but many are throwing my children into confusion and does not come from me. Everyone will be answerable to me for all they have said. So do not fret those who exalt themselves shall be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted in due time.

Let patience have its perfect work within you. Each time I am showing you the devices of Satan and they are so deceiving. Comfort child, comfort my people. For I came to serve not to be served.

Speak boldly and declare My Name for I am He that liveth, let him who is deceived continue to be deceived, let him who is vile continue to be vile and him who walks uprightly continue to look to the One who is able to keep you until the end.

Comfort my children, comfort, I will strengthen you with My Strong Arm. Comfort, call upon me and I shall answer thee. For I am the LORD and there is no other. Beware the leaven of the Pharisees, beware the spirit of the Pharisees for his rising, rising in all wickedness, wickedness to profane even My Word unto even more wickedness.

Fret not my children, for I am the LORD your Shepherd, I know those who are mine and they graze in restful pastures waiting on me. Those who belong to Me are in 'My Goshen' separated even unto the world. I am able to save to the utmost. I know those whom I have touched, upon their foreheads. I know those who are cursed for I speak 'Woe to you Pharisees, you charmers of snakes, they will bite you and you will suffer'.

My children look only to Me. Do not look to man and his teachings. Is My Arm too short? Am I not your Teacher and LORD? Yes, I am, and more.

I bring peace to your hearts, I protect you though you are buffeted by the waves. Call out to Me, My children, let My Name be continually upon your lips. For the Gates of Hell, indeed, will not prevail though for a short time you go through many trials.

Hold fast! Stand your ground! For I will come for My Bride whom I love.

Trust Me I say, trust me though you cannot see what is in front of you. Trust me, hold My hand as I guide you through a terrain of landmines.

I love you My children, do not be afraid to come to Me for everything.

Truly I say those who come as little children shall both see and enter into the Kingdom of God.

[To listen]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJvKJ1O7eyY

https://calledtowriteweb.wordpress.com/
Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXv_mnFHwuIZQImtApBHMnA

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

How To Stay Motivated Before God

One of the best ways I know to stay motivated in Jesus Christ is to be consistent with my praise, practicing the presence of God by having time with Him alone every day, reading the bible, meditating on scriptures, repeating them aloud so that my heart and mind knows them intimately, singing songs and worshiping in His presence. Every day I need to acknowledge that He is there, in my room, and with me when I go out and walk to the store, when I am feeling good, and when I am feeling down, just the thought that He is always with me gets me motivated to stay on course, to live as a citizen of the kingdom of God.

Now, if I am to be real, I must admit that I don't always feel motivated to do this all the time and everyday; sometimes I feel tired, or sometimes I am doing a activity that I don't want to stop doing, sometimes I just don't feel like doing anything. What keeps me going is that I have been doing this consistently for quite some time, and when you get into the habit of doing something everyday, you start to feel strange if you dont do it, even for one day. Also, I find that once I start reading the word, my heart starts to rejoice, and I begin to thank Him for His love and mercy, I tell Him that I love Him and I start to feel His presence, His Holy Spirit springing from my heart and into my room, then I am happy and I feel it is time well spent.

To get into the spirit of things, you must make a conscious effort to practice the presence of God; if He feels welcomed into your heart and into your home, He will come in and stay for a while, and forever, and He will heal you, comfort you, guide you, deliver you, protect you, and most importantly, love you. Trust is necessary to practicee His presence, because you will be asking Him to be there for you and to love you, and He will if you can give Him first place in your heart. Being a child of God means loving Him with all our heart, all your mind, and all your soul.

Have faith in His power to change you and your circumstances, and praise Him when you are happy and when you are sad, because you may be going through something major right now, but the Lord will never leave you or forsake you. He is right there with you, holding your heart in His hands, giving you the strength to get through this time in your life, giving you the patience to wait for His deliverance, so that you will give Him all the credit for what you just survived, and your victory will be great!

Lord, we thank you for your grace and mercy, and for your ability to love us just as we are, your willingness to live in us and guide us and motivate us when we don't feel like being the 'good Christian man/woman', when everyone else seems to be living just fine without you, and they seem not to have any problems, but my dear Lord, you know their hearts and their minds, and you know that they are just one step away from total destruction, while you will keep up safe from the coming storms of life.

I praise you Lord God for your wisdom, because you love your little ones, the ones who will not let anyone or anything come between themselves and You, while the rest of the world tries to live without You in their lives, without your true love, grace, and peace in their hearts. You are my sweet inspiration, and I will love you forever and ever - Glory To Your Name!

What's So Unbelievable?

by Marshall V Pierce

This is for you my friend who doesn't believe. And you, the one who doubts. You know who you are. I have to ask you, "What's so unbelievable about this story of God?"

My purpose is not to convert you or to make you believe. I have no power to do that. I don't really have any expectations, either. My mission is simply to Share God's Story in my life in this one life that you might think upon your suppositions and assumptions, and seek full time, from here on out to know and understand and become aware of more and more and more and more. I have no doubt of what you will find, though I may never see you conclude. He, not I, will convince and convict you by your own life and circumstances.

Who is this God? To start, look around you. It is He who made everything with intent, not randomness. Consider the complexity of this creation, these laws of Nature. How perfectly it all comes together! This is no design of lottery!

And you, yourself. I know you've heard Shakespeare:

What a piece of work is a man! how noble in reason!
how infinite in faculty! in form and moving how
express and admirable! in action how like an angel!
in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the
world! the paragon of animals!
Hamlet

Why does your feeling change when you hear it in the Word of the Maker?

The word of the Lord came to me, saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;"

Jeremiah 1:4-5

Who is this God? Yes, He brought everything together. Then He became a part of it. He was born into this world as His Son mortal; one of us. He needed to understand existence from our point of view, from our perspective, to hold a common frame of reference with us. His mortal life is a message to us, an example for us. Proof that a human being can live a pure life. The Standard of the living. A body can live with great, Godly patience, and can teach, show, help, and tell others this same message with thankfulness, gratefulness, loving all others, no matter what!

Who is this God? He, who gave us free choice, because He knows "if you love something let it go, if it returns, it is yours." He, who saw that we would want to try going it on our own, alone, listening to whispers of doubt about Him. But, so that His absolute justice and love for us would be reconciled, He sent Himself to trial and a sentence of death for our crimes, in our place. He experienced the cruelest, most painful process of execution for all our sins.

What's so unbelievable? Every tale in our every history has that whisperer; Good vs evil, right vs wrong, light vs dark, pure vs polluted. This world this life is a war not of this world but very much for this world.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the authorities, the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 6:12 NIV

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we use are not the weapons of this world. One the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Indeed, there is a real enemy, and his very first strategy is to hide and disguise himself. He's quite happy to have you disbelieve. It's his idea that you "Question everything," rather than "Testing everything against what you know to be true."

But test everything; hold fast what is good.

1 Thessalonians 5:21

Indeed, the primary battleground in this war of the spirit is within the individual human heart and flesh. It is not me against you, us against them. It is a fight within you, and an ongoing struggle within me. Have you surrendered? From birth, we have the will to do what is good, but we fall so easily to the distraction of our senses, the hoarding of our physical pleasures, the dream that all is well and we can stay at ease in our comfort.

What's so unbelievable? We must fight! We must fight ourselves, for our very souls!

Be self-controlled and alert! Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.

1 Peter 5:8-9

Put on the full armor of God:
the Belt of Truth
the Breastplate of Righteousness
feet fitted with the Readiness that comes from the Gospel of Peace
the Shield of Faith
the Helmet of Salvation
the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God
Ephesians 6:13-17

Do you know the deadly sins? Lust, gluttony, avarice/greed, sloth, anger/wrath, envy, pride/vanity. They are countered by the Fruit of the Spirit, grown in a daily relationship with the Creator and Savior: Peace, Joy, Love, Patience, Kindness, Goodness/Humility, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control, along with the Holy Virtues of Chastity, Abstinence, Temperance, and Diligence. It is only in ourselves that we can develop these solemn and guiding principles. I cannot force you to have them. There can be no law that requires them. I can only demonstrate them in my own life. I can only Share God's Story in my life:

Journal Entry, upon the Milestone of One Year in Recovery

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

It's amazing to me how much has changed in my life in one year all because I realized I was helpless and hopeless while spiritually alone.

Oh! How many times before this past year did I wish, plan, dream, hope, try to change, to be different, to make myself something else, someone else.

And what happened, every time, to every one of my figurative and literal 'New Year's Resolutions' can be summed up very neatly by a cliche: "Stick a fork in him/it (me)" (Except, of course in my case, it was a knife.)

It's almost as if instead of working on whatever change I really wanted to make, my full time occupation was blame. Blaming myself, blaming physical parts of me, blaming others. My 'job' was diverting myself away; distracting myself; defeating myself.

Did I accomplish anything all those years? (Anything good, that is cause I was really successful at purposely wasting time being frivolous and getting my jollies: playing games, drinking to excess, etc.) Did I accomplish anything good on purpose? By my own efforts? ([By] waiting for something to happen?)

Perhaps all that really happened one year ago was that I figuratively gave a mortal wounding to the old me the lone ranger, the solo single. And that person has been bleeding out over the past 365 days those fluids being replaced by a new spiritual fuel.

April 14 was the day I looked at myself in the mirror and for the first time really saw ME: naked and bleeding and alone and shocked! Shocked! And I really asked myself, 'Is this who I really want to be?'

The Bible tells us that we must die to ourselves before we can give ourselves over to Christ. Yes, I think that's what happened one year ago today. A wounding, beginning a slow death, and a coup de grace on July 25 [when I attempted suicide] a spear in the side, perhaps.

Up to that point, I had been trying to make me different. But what had to happen was that the ME who believed he was alone had to go, had to be replaced, had to die; and WE: myself and God and Jesus are who I see now in the mirror.

"I am changed. You change me".

God, my Father, is with me, and is helping me make things happen.

"Thank You, Father, for doing more in one year with me than I in more than [four] decades could do without You."

Direct Contact: MarshallVPierce@gmail.com

SharingGodsStory.net is the blog of Marshall V Pierce, and tells of God's healing power over addictions and failing health, His constant miraculous provision, and one man's Bible study and sharing of time, talents, and testimony for the glory of God. Marshall V Piece/Sharing God's Story, 2015-2016.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

Fighting The Good Fight

I have to admit that I like watching superhero shows, because I find that I can relate to the hero arc, the story about the ordinary person who has super powers or super abilities thrust upon them, and they choose to do something positive with them. It makes their lives crazy and complicated, but there is a sense of satisfaction at the end of the day, wnen they beat the villian, or save someone's life, or the bad situation is solved by what they can do. Now that's a job that I can sink my teeth into.

I am glad that most superhero stories are written well, in that heroes always seem to find themselves in sticky situations. When they do something right it seems like it always backfires on them in some way, but they can never use that as an excuse to stop doing what they know is right. We as christians often find ourselves in sticky situations, where the answer to the problem we are facing is not the one we want, because it would mean having to deal with the consequences. Everyone always dreams of being a hero and saving the day, but the everyday struggles of doing what is right all the time shows up our weaknesses, and often puts us in the spotlight, when we would rather just go home and let someone else save the day.

As christians living in a world where good is being judged as a bad thing, and bad things are being celebrated as good, the pressure to conform to what the world wants to do has become tremendous, and so I know that at times I wish I could solve a few problems with a little 'super power', and actually I am happy to say that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Phillipians 4:13)

We must learn to fight the good fight with the power and leadership of the Holy Spirit, who will keep us and protects us from the issues of life. His guidance and love transcends our weaknesses, and gives us the strength to live, to grow, and to love. We learn how to fight through Jesus Christ, by being selfless and humble, by allowing His love to be expressed in everything that we do. We often want to do things our own way, but our way is often not the best way, and we need to rely on the wisdom and the power of the word of God.

We are the ones who have the power of God on our side, but we must act with wisdom, kindness, and patience. We must allow the Lord to work through us and into our situation, so that the world can see how better it is to live in Him and love with Him. That also means that doing the right thing may put us in circumstances where other people will not understand what we are doing and why we are doing it, and we could get hurt by other peoples' words and deeds. The good news is that my sweet Jesus will be there with us, helping us, providing for us, and protecting us, and the Comforter, The Holy Spirit, will heal our wounds.

Give your whole heart to Him, allow the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts and feelings, and learn how to forgive other people when they fail to love you or accept you, because if they don't have the Lord in their lives, they can only relate to you like an ordinary human being; they don't have the Lord's 'super' influence and love to tap into, to make their ordinary lives into extra ordinary ones.

Seek peace for the people in your lives, in your neighborhoods, for the world, and let the light of God shine forth from your heats, for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, died on the cross to seek and to save as many as will accept his offer of grace, love and salvation. He is my personal favorite superhero, and I am awed by the depth of His passion and love for me and for you. He makes the ordinary extraordinary, and there is no power on earth or in the universe that can defeat Him.

Seek His guidance first in your lives, allow Him to fight your battles, and then when everything is said and done, you can praise Him for the victory, and go home satisfied that the villian, the devil, was defeated, that the Lord saved you, and that bad situation that you found yourself in was resolved.

Thank You Jesus, I've Got The Victory!