Don’t wait!

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Can you imagine?

“And tombs opened… The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus’s resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people…”

(Matthew 27:52-53 NLT)

Imagine if this were to happen again today, the reactions of the local people…

Well, it IS going to happen again, and soon!

The trumpet will sound, loud!

“What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever. But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.”
— ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15:50-53‬‬

Jesus is returning soon- and the dead in Christ will rise first- they will be resurrected, raised from the grave- even those who were cremated, supernaturally their ashes will somehow assemble back to life, just as God assembled the life of Adam from dust, dust God created by the way;- and all will rise up in the sky to meet Jesus in the parted clouds!

“For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.”
— ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭4:14-17‬‬

Yes- it WILL happen. And all the living, born again believers will also be caught up into the clouds to be with Jesus, before the horrible days, 7 years of tribulation, begins.

Imagine it!

Those who will be raised who are driving cars, flying planes, sailing ships- all will in an instant, disappear!

Utter chaos will erupt! Accidents, loss of life, fatalities, crashes all over the world will occur…

Thousands of people, maybe even millions, of god-filled people representing everything GOOD in humanity, instantly disappears- leaving behind who? You? Some of your loved ones? Who?

It will instantly become a very dark, sinister world.

Certainly many who THINK they are ‘Christians’ will be surprised when they realize they too were left behind…

And all the infants, toddlers, and small children will disappear- some instantly removed from the womb and the arms of nursing mothers- could be in the midst of the night or in the broad day, no one know the hour-

Leaving behind everywhere whatever clothing they all were wearing to fall onto the ground or bed or wherever they were moments before.

When all of Gods goodness within His children disappears- what’s left? Who’s left?

You can be absolutely sure the evil one who disguises himself as an angel of light, who, under pretense, will lie and give some sort of excuse casting blame on some sort of nuclear explosion or other far fetched story… and the Antichrist will step into his reign…

But for the first 3.5 years, subtly he will persuade those remaining to trust him, and follow his ‘plan’ for ‘peace and security’… and quickly will issue in a ‘one world order’, a ‘one world government’ and a ‘one world’ economy system.

If you’re one who put off receiving Jesus Christ as YOUR Lord and Savior- who chose to reject Jesus as your redeemer, if you’ve never been born again- or, if you left your faith and entered into a lifestyle of living in sin and ungodly living- mark my words-

YOU WILL BE LEFT BEHIND.

And the pressure to take the ‘mark of the beast’ will so tempting!

Revelation 13:15-18 is the main passage in Scripture that mentions the mark of the beast. The passage says, “And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.”

See, once this happens, the Bible says no one will be able to buy or sell without having the Mark of the beast. NO ONE.

Revelation 14:9-10 warn, “If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand…”

You’ll be hunted down. They will know who you are and where you are.

Revelation 20:4 describes John seeing in a vision all those who have been killed for Christ. He wrote: “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands ….”

Modern technology has led to a massive intrusion into people’s personal lives. Governments are increasingly dictating where people go, where they live, and how they worship. Neighbors are being encouraged to snitch on neighbors. The kind of phone tracking and surveillance systems being discussed and even rolled out are exactly what would be needed to enforce the mark of the beast.

Neighbors, friends, even family- will betray you. They’ll take the mark, and will turn you in.

Think about it – you are hungry and you have no food. And the money that you used to have in your bank- it is no longer good.

Your debit card? Your credit card? It’s useless.

All the stocks and investments that you own? They also are useless.

The only sign of power that you will have and it’s a false one as well, will be the sign on your arm or your forehead – the mark of the beast-it could be in form of a ‘chip’ that is implanted in you. Perhaps concealed or disguised within a ‘vaccination’- that remains to be seen.

But what we know for a biblical fact, is it will happen.

And when you accept the ‘mark of the beast’ (Satan’s mark) you are denying Christ eternally and you will never ever have an opportunity to turn back.

DON’T!

No matter what, no matter how hungry, do not sell your soul to the devil.

Quickly repent, ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins, and receive Gods free gift of salvation, and be born again.

Even during the tribulation times, there will be opportunities for repentance and salvation.

It’s just going to be more difficult because the one world order will make it a crime to worship Christ, and if you’re caught without the Mark of the beast or worshiping Jesus Christ, you will be killed.

Are you strong enough to resist?

And what would happen if YOU’RE one of those left behind, killed by an abandoned vehicle left out of control by a raptured believer? It would be too late. You’d never be able to repent after you’re dead.

But the Bible says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord- for those who are born again. There is no fear of death for those who know Jesus Christ.

Our confidence and hope is knowing that the moment we end our life here, we start our life in heaven, in eternity.

It would be so much better for all who don’t know Christ to be clothed with Him NOW-to be ‘hidden with Him NOW’ & born again NOW-and to receive His peace and Holy Spirit NOW, so that when that day comes, and it is coming soon – you also will be ‘caught up’ to meet Him in the air raptured away from these dark times about to take place.

The day is coming. We are closer to it than ever before.

Just as was foreshadowed when Jesus was crucified, and Gods amazing resurrection power was demonstrated, and those in the grave came back to life and walked among those who knew them- Gods mighty power WILL be demonstrated again, only on a scale never before known to mankind.

Are you ready? Will you be taken, or left behind?

It’s. Your. Choice.

Death or life- blessings or cursings.

Choose life. Choose Christ.

Why did He have to die?

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‘AFTER JESUS had finished all…He entered…’

These words of God were highlighted by the Holy Spirit for me this morning as I was reading my devotional.

“AFTER JESUS had finished all that He had to say in the hearing of the people [on the mountain], He entered Capernaum.”

Luke 7:1 AMPC

Jesus was only 33 years old when His life on earth ended.

Many would say He died way too young. Ever think about how His friends and family felt when He passed away?

There were people who loved Jesus who grieved when He passed…

Yet God had a plan and a purpose for His life… to impact the lives of a multitude of others.

The people who lived life with Jesus grieved deeply when His life on earth ended.

Just as WE grieve, when OUR loved ones pass on.

God cared about Jesus’s friends.

And God cares about us.

Yes, God cares about their (and our) broken hearts…

Yet God had a purpose.

One that most of us simply do not understand.

Just like God has a plan and a purpose for ALL life-

Life is a gift from God. Whether alive for 1 day or 100 years-ALL life is significant and carries Gods purpose for a bigger picture…HIS picture.

Sometimes it’s not what the individual life can accomplish by themselves and for themselves that matters, but what that life represents in the span of another’s life.

Stop and think for a moment about some of the knowledge that we possess.

Where did we learn from? Who did we learn from?

Sometimes we learn from mistakes.

Our own and also those of others.

But more often than not, we learn by example. We follow the example of those around us.

Infants learn to imitate what their parents do and continue to grow throughout their life… shaped and formed based on their childhood experience.

Ever bump into a personality type that rubs you the wrong way? That just kind of gets on your nerves?

Yeah… me too. I often wondered why… and then I asked God.

Instead of asking God to change them, He let me know that there was something in ME that needed changing…

God was providing me an opportunity through the difficult personalities of others to teach me and develop me.

An opportunity to be chiseled… to be pruned… to be sharpened… to grow… to improve my love walk…

Perhaps the sharp edges of others are being used to file off rough spots on our own hearts… after all, diamonds in the rough need to be revealed by harsh treatment of others…

Proverbs 27:17

‘As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.’

Both blades are being sharpened and transformed into efficient and effective tools, when used together. By themselves, they remain dull and ineffective.

The truth here is that we need one another.

And the passing of ones life is very important to those who remain and continue to live without them.

We influence one another… and sometimes the detriment of one life coming to end has a lasting, significant impact on the life of another or on a group of people.

Often times, we get so lost in our grief that we are blinded to the blessings… and the lessons, God has for us.

There’s often good that comes out of bad.

The impact of loss forever changes how the lives of others are being shaped, and formed, and molded into Gods perfect plan.

Remember, God is the Potter, we are the clay.

Isaiah 64:8 ESV

‘But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are our potter; we are all the work of Your hand.’

Sometimes, in life… we just plain out feel like a lump of clay.

And we feel like ‘life’ keeps throwing sucker punches at us… a quick jab to the left, and POW 💥- a major blow to the stomach. Right?

Ever hear or say the expression ‘when it rains, it pours?’

We get to the point where we can’t seem to catch our breath, and BOOM! There’s yet another test and trial facing us.

Yikes!

It sometimes hurts to be pressed, pushed, pounded, shaped and molded, as clay… doesn’t it?

When a loved one dies… it leaves a hole in our hearts… we feel lost. We are filled with unanswered hard questions… and often, people blame God.

God knows exactly how we feel!!!

Look at Jesus. His life on earth was short too, but significant to all mankind.

He only lived to age 33.

His life was cut short.

Have you ever thought about it?

I’m sure many of those who loved Him felt robbed and shortchanged when He died on the cross.

I’m sure many said things like ‘it’s not fair!’ Or ‘He didn’t deserve to die’ or ‘He was such a good person’… and in Jesus’s case- it WAS not fair! He DIDN’T deserve to die! He WAS a good person!

In fact- He was SINLESS.

We’ve all heard people ask ‘why do bad things happen to good people?’

Maybe you’ve said it yourself or at least thought it…

I have a few questions for you:

What is ‘good?’ What is ‘bad?’ By who’s standard?

Can not BOTH things or circumstances that are ‘good’ and ‘bad’ be worked out for our good?

Yes. Absolutely.

Romans 8:28 NASB

‘And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.’

God had another purpose for His Son’s life that was greater than His life itself.

Like Jesus, let’s consider the life of others that ended…leaving a gap in ours….

What does this persons life have to teach me?

How might my life be enhanced for the better because of this persons life?

How has the life of my loved one impacted the lives of others?

Am I thankful to God for the gift of their life in mine?

We often times think we have it all figured out don’t we?

Sometimes the perspective is always introverted and we think ‘life is only about me’ or ‘what’s in this for me’ or ‘how can I bear all of this?’

‘Why do I have to endure this?’

These are some of the heart wrenching thoughts and questions many who are grieving experience.

Perhaps instead we should be looking at other questions?

Maybe asking God ‘show me Your purpose in this.’

Or ‘What is it Lord I need to learn from this?’

Or ‘Help me Lord fulfill Your plan for my life regardless for the length.’

God places others in our lives to help us in our development of becoming who God wants us to be.

God uses every emotion and every experience for His good.

Every tear shed, every disappointment, every heart ache, every mistake… God causes even our mistakes to prosper and work out for our good.

Not every ingredient in a recipe taste good by itself.

In fact there’s some ingredients that are downright nasty tasting- for instance, try taking a spoonful of baking powder or baking soda and see how that taste.

By itself NO ONE would eat it and say ‘yum this is so good!’

Yet it (as each ingredient) has a purpose, and by the time the cake comes out of the oven, the entire house smells wonderful and every bite of that cake is going to taste good.

I believe our lives are like a cake recipe…

Throughout our lives, there’s different experiences, good ones and not so good ones… and painful ones.

These experiences are similar to an ingredient of a cake recipe- that by themselves independently appear to be bad and leave a yucky taste in our mouth.

But at the end of our lives, when it’s all put together, we can look back one day and see how God intricately woven in every ingredient of every experience, good and bad, into His beautiful masterpieces…

Our steps are ordained established by God.

  • Ordained and established for HIS plan. HIS big picture.
  • Psalm 37:23

    ‘A man’s steps are established by the LORD, and the LORD delights in his way.’

    We need to stop thinking we know it all.

    And we need to truly relinquish control to God. Do we trust Him?

    Do we REALLY trust Him?

    Really? Even when we don’t understand?

    Even when it doesn’t make sense?

    EVEN WHEN IT HURTS?

    Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)

    Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

    It’s not always easy to surrender. God is faithful, and He knows all things, and He’s working things out for good…

    Not only for YOUR good… but for the good of His Kingdom.

    It’s good to plan… but it’s BETTER to seek out GODS plans… for His are the one that matters.

    Gods ways are not our ways. We can’t possibly understand everything about God. Only His ways He puts in His Word are we able to understand… to a degree.

    Every life matters, and is significant in Gods plans- and…

    Every life has a beginning, and an appointed time to end.

    Treasure all life. And give your treasures to the Keeper of your heart. 💗

    Proverbs 19:21 (ESV)

    ‘Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.’

    God bless the dirty roads…

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    Jesus was about to stoop low… and become a servant to His disciples… and was their feet.

    Until I did missions in Guatemala, South Africa, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia and Tanzania Africa-this verse didn’t fully make sense to me.

    “When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.” “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!””

    John 13:6-9 NLT

    The majority of all roads (other than the one main road) are not paved like we have in USA. They are deeply rutted, dirt roads… often muddy in rainy season; or very dusty and sandy in the other seasons…

    Animals roam freely, no fences keeping them separated from traffic.

    Children are among those who walk everywhere, often bare footed, or wearing sandals.

    The roads are long, bumpy, dusty, dirty… and feet very quickly get dirty too. It’s the way of life for most cultures.

    Most don’t possess shoes for their feet- and for those who have shoes, often they are open shoes, like sandals.

    The primary mode of transportation was foot- walking. People of all ages walking everywhere.

    There’s a variety of animal dung everywhere- sheep, goats, cows, chickens and more roam free- and many steps that occur during foot travel incur stepping in yucky stuff… at times, it’s unavoidable…so you can see now how filthy the feet easily became.

    It was customary to have the lowest of servants stoop low, with a basin of warm water, and wash the feet of guests, and more so people in a higher stature.

    I’ll never forget how incredibly humbling and moving it was the first time that my feet and hands were washed when a guest in a home on missions… I WENT TO SERVE THEM… and yet, through this simply, profoundly moving act, they served me.

    It was life changing.

    Now read this passage again.

    Once Peter heard Jesus say ‘unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me’, Peters answer changed from ‘No! You will never ever wash my feet!’ to ‘then wash my hands, and my head as well, Lord, not just my feet!’

    God bless the dirty roads that leads us straight to You.

    Peter didn’t want Jesus on Sunday mornings only, Peter wanted Jesus on every day, and every moment of every day!

    May our prayers be like Peters… in all the filth of our sins… let us cry out:

    Wash ALL of me, Jesus!!! I want to belong to You FULLY Lord!!!’

    “And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.”

    John 13:14-15 NLT

    Jesus gave us an example to follow, and told us to do likewise.

    We must become servants. Church, let’s get busy!!!

    Don’t miss the miraculous!

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    “He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.” 2 Corinthians 9:10

    God made every seed to reproduce after its own kind.

    Think about it.

    How incredible is this?!?

    Many times we take so much for granted! We miss the miraculous in the ‘ordinary.’ Yet every breath we breathe is life sustained, and is miraculous in itself!

    God created man, and BREATHED life into him. God alone sustains life.

    We can plant a seed (that God created) but we don’t have the ability to cause it to grow. Only God can…only God does.

    And when I open each one of these fruits and vegetables before me, it contains it’s own seeds, created by God, to reproduce after its own time.

    It’s pretty amazing, and there’s nothing happenstance or coincidental about it.

    This is so for EVERY single form of life, whether plant, mammal, fish, animal or human.

    For those who are skeptics about God being The Creator, explain your theory of how this can be true for every single form of life 100% without fail, other than God, THE ONE AND ONLY GOD, is real and is THE Creator of all.

    It’s also true with our finances. When we sow a financial seed (tithes and offerings) into the Kingdom of Heaven, investing in winning souls, spreading the good news of the saving gospel of salvation, it also will increase and we will reap a harvest of blessings!

    Many times we miss the miraculous in the ordinary… but with eyes to see, we SEE the hand of God… even in a tiny seed.

    Beware of falling into darkness

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    Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy…”’ (Luke 10:17–19). The enemy is Satan and his demons.

    Jesus says He was there at the moment, before the creation of the world, when Satan fell.

    This has always astounded me. I studied the Word regarding Satan, ‘Lucifer’, and his responsibilities God created him for while he was still in Heaven before his pride got the best of him and he was cast out and fell.

    The scriptures state ‘pride goes before the fall.’

    Lucifer, a created being, a beautiful, majestic musical angel whom God Himself created at one point in Heaven and placed him in charge over all the musical choirs in Heaven, was cast out of Heaven along with 1/3 of angelic beings.

    It astounds me that he fell ‘BEFORE the creation of the world’… so where exactly did he fall TO?

    He fell into darkness….

    Before the heavens and earth was formed, we know there was a dark void (Gen 1:2) … “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”

    Genesis 1:2 ESV

    God spoke to it and said ‘let there be light’ and there was light.

    “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.”

    Genesis 1:3-5 ESV

    Satan was there.

    We are also taught that once we are a created being by God, we will forever be a living spirit… when we are born so, our spirit is made new, and The Holy Spirit dwells in our spirit.

    We are changed, into a new being that never before existed… but Satan is the same corrupted prideful spirit. A fallen angel.

    Satan can never change.

    Well, Satan is still a fallen angel and he has no creative powers. (a spirit being that is once created and given life will forever be a spirit being-never to die.)

    All Satan can do is corrupt things, manipulate things, pervert things, twist things up and turns things God made good into bad. Satan is a deceiver, he is the father of all lies, and in him there is no truth. (John 8:44)

    Satans original purpose was to be in charge of music. I believe he corrupts everything he touches, because he is corrupt. In him there is no good and in him there is no truth.

    Everything anyone puts their hand to prospers- whether positively(how most view this) or negatively. We reap what we sow- whether good or evil. So we need to guard our ears and guard hearts when we listen to music., which can be filled with either light or darkness.

    Also, in this passage of scripture, “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy…”’ (Luke 10:17–19)’, Jesus gave us authority to TRAMPLE Satan and ALL OF THE POWER OF THE ENEMY!

    All means all! ‘And nothing shall by any means hurt you’ Jesus said.

    In a parallel verse, Mark 16:17-18-, we are described as a believer by signs that are to accompany us. “… they will cast out the demons, they will speak a new tongues, they will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly poison it will not hurt them, they will lay their hands on the sick and they will recover.“.

    We will trample the enemy WHEN we exercise our authority!

    It’s not automatic. No exercise is.

    Just as Satan fell into darkness, he operates in darkness, with a veil of conceit-he snagged Eve, and also Adam, with questions causing them to question God…, and they too fell into sin.

    Because of that- we all are born with a sin nature. The nature of darkness. Until we are born again.

    Then, we are transferred from the Kingdom of darkness into light, into the Kingdom of Gods dear Son.

    What did He say?

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    “Let us go to the other side.”

    When Jesus says let us go to the other side, He was not making a Holy suggestion.

    He was making a statement. He was announcing their destination would be the other side. Period.

    Yet, a storm arose… one of ‘hurricane proportions’ the Bible says. And even though Jesus stated exactly what would be, His disciples took their eyes off Him, and on the ‘storm’- and instantly began to doubt Jesus.

    Their faith was replaced with fear, when they gave in to doubt.

    Why do people doubt what God tells us in His word?

    Usually it’s because of their own experiences, their own understanding of things, what they hear others to say, what they see with their own eyes. All of these things lead people to doubt God when circumstances are different than what God’s Word says.

    Consider healing, for example.

    Gods Word says in 1Peter 2:24 ‘by His stripes you are healed.’ (Yet, at the moment- you may still be fighting symptoms, ‘feeling’ sick or in pain, or ‘hearing’ certain medical reports that don’t agree with what Gods Word says.

    This is where many miss it. They make the decision to not agree with Gods report, Gods Word, and instead, they agree with medical reports, and their own understanding, own feelings, own perceptions of what they are seeing.

    One might think and even say ‘yeah, I know that’s what the Bible says, but I am sick! I feel horrible.’ And Satan wins, because he succeeds in getting us to agree with his lies, even to start speaking his lies, because we give in to our feelings, and our own understanding of things…

    WHAT???

    Who do we think we are???!!!

    We are NOT God! We do not, and cannot know all things!

    Our own understanding is very limited in comparison to the understanding of God.

    Our own thoughts are limited to our own experiences and knowledge but God‘s thoughts have no end and are all knowing.

    Facts are things that we know at the moment but later can change.

    Facts are composites of one’s opinion. Or of a temporary moment.

    For instance- at the moment the fact is I’m sitting in my home working on this devotion. But that that will change in an hour when I leave my home and head on an errand.

    Facts change.

    Truth is truth regardless of what anyone individual thinks about a subject and truth can never change.

    There’s always only one right way and only one wrong way.

    Truth or false.

    Gods Word is Truth. Always, without fail, 100 % of the time, Gods Word is Truth.

    Gods Word changes facts when facts don’t line up to Gods Truth- WHEN we activate our faith in Gods Word, claim it for purses, and speak it boldly.

    Notice further into this scripture account, after the disciples frantically woke Jesus up in fear, what Jesus said, and what Jesus did.

    He addressed the problem:

    He rebuked the wind and commanded the sea to be still.

    The Prince of Peace commanded peace to the chaos of the moment, and immediately the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

    Then He admonished the disciples (followers of Jesus), for being of little faith. He asked ‘why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?’

    HE WAS IN THE BOAT WITH THEM, and they STILL jumped out of faith, into doubt, because of fear.

    The disciples took their eyes off Jesus, forgot what He said about their destination, and allowed the ‘temporary’ moment to overshadow everything else- exactly what Satan tries to do with all of us!

    And you know what? If we’re not careful, Satan will do the same thing to us, too. Causes the distractions to get our eyes off of Jesus and onto the problem. Do not let him!

    People, Satan is subtle, and bold.

    Even when Jesus is ‘in the boat’ with us, he Satan ‘roams around like a lion seeking whom he may devour.’ (1 Peter 5:8)

    Resist him! Fear is of the devil- it’s a spirit that God says in 2 Timothy 1:7 He did NOT give us fear.

    When God gives us His Word, we can count on Him to do what He says.

    Mark 5:1 goes on to tell us “…and they came over to the other side of the sea.”

    Now after reading of the magnitude of the storm that Jesus subsided with a few words, it’s easy to overlook these few words in this first verse of chapter 5. But I want to highlight them because they’re extremely important.

    ‘AND THEY CAME OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SEA.’

    Only because Jesus immediately addressed the problem first, commanded peace, and then addressed the disciples fear did they achieve exactly what He originally said would happen.

    If we eliminate the in between text, it’s quite simple to see it.

    Mark 4:35 “Let us go over to the other side.”

    Mark 5:1 “and they came over to the other side…”

    The enemy snuck right in there, didn’t he?

    Satan heard what Jesus said. And he was determined to destroy the plans of Jesus!

    In fact John 10:10 says “the thief comes but only to kill, steal, and destroy.” It’s his job description. It’s what he does. However in the same verse Jesus goes on to say “but I have come that you might have life more abundant. “

    Noticed that word “might“? That’s suggestive that you may or may not. My opinion, based on other scriptures, is that the choice is up to us.

    Do we agree with God or not?

    Do our words and our actions line up with God’s Words? If so, and we use the authority God gave us to use His name, ALL circumstances that arise against us will have to cease.

    When Jesus declares a thing, believe Him. Regardless of any circumstance.

    We must train ourselves to ‘Trust in the Lord with all of our hearts, lean not on our own understanding, and in ALL our ways, acknowledge Him, and He WILL direct our steps.’ (Proverbs 3:5-6).

    Determine now, no matter what, to agree with Gods Word and not your own understanding. In spite of temporary difficulties and apparent limitations, SPEAK THE WORD OF GOD ONLY. (Matthew 8:8)

    Watch God perform and do exactly what His Word says- keep on speaking it. Line up with God and get Gods report.

    This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith.” (1 John 5:4)

    I am the reason

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    Before you get all huffy about the first picture, read the post and look at the rest, first…

    I realize we celebrate the birthday of Jesus on Christmas Day-and we should.

    We all give gifts to our loved ones -friends and family-at Christmas time, and we should.

    Many will post and wear clothing and share the expression ‘Jesus is the reason for the season’… and that’s ok… but-

    I have recently been challenged by the Holy Spirit on this…

    He revealed to me, through scriptures and study, that ‘I’ am the reason. ‘YOU’ are the reason. JESUS is the gift. The ultimate gift. But without any doubt, I AM, YOU ARE, the reason.

    ‘For God so loved the world (the fallen, sinful world), that He gave (the gift) His only Son (Jesus) that whosoever (I am a whosoever) believes in Him (Jesus-the gift) will not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16)

    Jesus willingly left His throne in Heaven to be born of Virgin Mary, impregnated by the Holy Spirit, with the purpose to demonstrate Gods plan, leave His peace, and take our punishment for our sins-as The Messiah, Lord and Savior of the World… as Gods free gift to whosoever repents, receives and believes.

    The Bible says ‘the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Romans 6:23)

    The Bible says ‘ for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23)

    Jesus came to bring us eternal life, He came to die in my place (your place)- so that I (and you, if you receive) can live eternally.

    From before the foundations of the world, God had me in mind. (You in mind.)

    Jesus is the gift, the greatest gift ever, but I am the reason. (YOU are the reason.)

    Will you accept Gods free gift this Christmas season?

    If so, pray this simple prayer out loud, believe it in your heart and speak it with your mouth,

    “Father God, I believe that Jesus Christ is your one and only Son. Because You love me, even while I am a sinner, You sent Jesus from heaven to earth to die on the cross in my place to become my Lord and my Savior, paying the penalty of all my sins so that I might live. I ask You right now to forgive me of my sins. I repent from them, and with your help I will strive to live a holy life. Please come into my heart now as my Lord and as my Savior. I thank You for Your free gift of eternal life, Jesus, I receive You now freely, surrendering my life to You, becoming a child of God. In Jesus name, amen.”

    IF…

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    How does a VITAL CHURCH grow?

    It becomes LIFE to ALL.

    “WHEN Christ who IS our life. (Colossians 3:4)… then you shall also appear with Him in all glory.”

    “Vital” means LIFE.

    “If” we truly are born again, Christ IS our life.

    I sincerely and without no disrespect say “If” because God says this.

    It’s NOT automatic- this ‘salvation’ or ‘born again’ experience I’m referring to.

    Something actually happens in the spiritual realm to our spirits, we become a brand new, never before existed, created spirit. (1 Corinthians 5:17).

    Just because we believe in God, and have knowledge that Jesus is God’s Son- doesn’t mean we have been born again, or saved.

    Just because we go to church, doesn’t make us a Christian, no more than going to McDonald’s makes you a Bic Mac! God’s gift of salvation is 100% FREE, but cost God EVERYTHING.

    But He doesn’t force it on us- it’s been offered, and is waiting for each of us to individually receive it, to receive Christ, who IS the gift of eternal life; as our individual Master, Lord, Savior, Redeemer, Deliverer, Healer, Provider, OUR LIFE!!!

    Date to be a disciple, a follower of Jesus!

    It’s conditional, based on each of our individual choice.

    He is The Way, The Truth, and THE LIFE.

    First thing first responders do upon the scene of an accident is ‘check your vitals.’ They are determining whether or not there is LIFE in us.

    Life is a gift, and as believers, CHRIST is our life, and His GIFT of life is to be shared and multiplied. God is a God of increase.

    Friends, we all have goals, and most include financial goals. And this is good. But what good is it to gain the whole world and lose our souls??? (Mark 8:36/Matthew 16:26)

    As CHRISTians, our main financial goals in life is not to pack away as much wealth as we can FOR OURSELF; but to be able to give without end to those in need all over the world. To spread the gospel into all the world cost money.

    The purpose of wealth is NOT to hoard it to ourselves.

    I don’t want money for myself. I want it so that I am give it away, so that I can feed the hungry, clothe the naked, house the homeless, give drink to the thirsty- bless those in need, IN THE NAME OF JESUS. To bring JESUS to all I meet and ‘GO’ to find, seek and save the lost…

    I’m not talking about those capable of helping themselves but don’t., or those trapped in addiction spending every donated dollar on their habit- they need help., too, but a different type of help. For those- I love them and pray for them to receive revelation of God’s presence, power and indescribable gift!

    I speak LIFE over them, and plead the blood of Jesus over them. In their presence I speak ‘Jesus.’ ‘JESUS!’ At the name of Jesus, the demons tremble and every knee must bow. And His power is released! (James 2:19/Philippians 2:11/ Luke 10:17/ Mark 16:17-17)

    I’m talking about the majority of our world struggling to find clean water to drink; food to eat, shelter- who need our answer, their answer, JESUS.

    We must go TO THEM, and TELL THEM. We must SHOW THEM. We must CARE for them, and LOVE them, like the Jesus we confess.

    This and this only is why I desire money. I desire what I can do with it for the Kingdoms sake.

    This is why I give what I have. And to keep on giving what I have. It’s not a one time done. check off list thing. It’s GODS WAY.

    This is why I am passionate about being part of “THE CHURCH”, (not ‘a’ church) and seek a ‘vital’ church (THE BODY OF CHRIST) who gets this!!!

    Faith ACTS. It doesn’t sit still. It doesn’t remain in one place, content, like a ‘fat baby.’ I remember back in my singing days, singing an Amy Grant song called ‘Fat Baby.’ It’s time to resurrect this song, folks!!! It’s TIME FOR A GREAT AWAKENING!!! RISE UP!!! Get busy!!!

    Here’s the lyrics- read them. Let them get deposited in your spirit. Are YOU a fat baby???

    “🎼I know a man, maybe you know him, too

    You never can tell; he might even be you

    He knelt at the altar, and that was the end

    He’s saved, and that’s all that matters to him

    His spiritual tummy, it can’t take too much

    One day a week, he gets a spiritual lunch

    On Sunday, he puts on his spiritual best

    And gives his language a spiritual rest

    He’s just a faaa…

    He’s just a fat little baby!

    Wa, wa, waaaaa…

    He wants his bottle, and he don’t mean maybe

    He sampled solid foods once or twice

    But he says doctrine leaves him cold as ice

    Ba, ba, ba, ba…ba, ba…ba, ba!

    He’s been baptized, sanctified, redeemed by the blood

    But his daily devotions are stuck in the mud

    He knows the books of the Bible and John 3:16

    He’s got the biggest King James you’ve ever seen!

    I’ve always wondered if he’ll grow up someday

    He’s momma’s boy, and he likes it that way

    If you happen to see him, tell him I said,

    “He’ll never grow, if he never gets fed”

    He’s just a fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fa-at, fat…

    Fat, Fat, Fat, Fat, Fat, Fa-at, Fat…

    Fat, Fat, Fat, Fat, Fat, Fat, Fatttt…

    Baby…🎼”

    Don’t wait until you have ‘enough of the wealth’ YOU think is enough to start giving- you’ll never become a giver if you wait. Start now. Learn to sacrifice now. Become a giver now.

    You have to give by faith, with your heart, with what you have now.

    Trust God.

    Hey, ALL of the earth is the Lords and the fullness therein. ALL belongs to God… we are only stewards of what He has entrusted us with.

    Are we being faithful with it? Are we holding onto it with stingy fingers, even more tightly when the Holy Spirit touches our hearts to give, then we don’t?

    Or are we trusting God with EVERY area of our life, including our finances? Are we???

    God will take your gift, and will supernaturally multiply it; and will increase your ability to gain more; once your heart lines up with His.

    The value of something is determined by what one is willing to pay.

    God’s determined our value, ALL of mankind’s value, even in our imperfect condition, was the life of His only Son.

    God is a giver. He held nothing back.

    We are to follow His example, if indeed He is in us… we are made in His image. We are made to multiply, to increase.

    Let’s give all we can selflessly, and see our world changed.

    All of the worlds poverty, starvation, need- is solvable through the Christ who is in us…

    ‘IF’ we would but learn to see people as HE sees people…

    ‘IF’ we would but learn to love people as HE loves people…

    ‘IF’ we TRULY would obey and do what HE instructed us to do-we will see in God’s Word WHO we are in Christ, WHOSE we are in Christ, and WHO WE ARE CONNECTED TO IN THE BODY OF CHRIST.

    Our body is the ‘new’ temple the Holy Spirit dwells in, if we are truly born again. Our body IS the ‘house’ that our spirit, and God’s Spirit IN OUR SPIRIT, contains.

    May ALL our eyes open to this truth!!! May HIS Holy Fire consume us, and His passion ignite us!!!

    “Now ALL who believed were together, and had ALL things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among ALL, as anyone had need…”

    ‘IF’ we truly desire to be obedient and to become THE church, THE bride of Christ, we need to do what He has instructed us to do, then we will be the vital “church” that grows!

    This is how we will know- read what is written, when Peter was with the rest of the other apostles (followers of Christ, who were ALREADY BORN AGAIN):

    “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent. And let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you SHALL RECEIVE the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the PROMISE is to you AND TO YOUR CHILDREN, AND TO ALL WHO ARE AFAR OFF, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

    “Then THOSE WHO GLADLY RECEIVED HIS WORD… So continuing daily with ONE ACCORD in the temple, and breaking of bread from house to house, they are their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with ALL the people. AND THE LORD ADDED TO THE CHURCH DAILY THISE WHO WERE BEING SAVED.”

    (Acts 2:37-47)

    A Solution for Homelessness

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    We don’t want to disperse ‘bandaids’… we are into digging… digging for the root.

    Every problem has a root. From the root source is where the fruit becomes.

    If we only cut the ‘plant’ or ‘problem’ from the surface, without pulling up the roots- guess what?

    The problem still exists, and will continue to grow.

    If the fruit we see is poverty, addiction, mental illness, broken relationships, hopelessness, homelessness- we desire to trace the fruit to the root.

    If we only focus on relief, without discipleship and restoration, it becomes a perpetual ongoing cycle with no end in sight.

    Nothing changes.

    But, if we focus on the root cause, and long term relationships-restoration can be attained.

    As born again believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we ALL were once broken, hopeless, indeed- ‘homeless’ without Jesus.

    We didn’t have a firm foundation to rebuild on without Jesus… until someone took the time to notice us, and invest in us, and in introduce us to Him.

    Jesus. This is where discipleship begins. This is where restoration begins. This is where homelessness ends.

    Our ministry, HELPING THE HOMELESS, is a 501 (C) 3 tax deductible non profit with a vision, mission and purpose.

    VISION: We exist to minister and disciple the homeless or extremely poor men, women and children through God’s love.

    MISSION: To fulfill God’s mandate to ‘GO YE into our communities and meet the spiritual and practical needs of the hungry, thirsty, naked, and imprisioned homeless or extremely poor through the love and preaching of Jesus Christ (according to Matthew 25:35-40)

    PURPOSE: The purpose of HELPING THE HOMELESS is to demonstrate the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ. We desire to transform lives through encouragement, training, equipping, restoring and transforming individuals to live independent on the Word of God.

    Relief and restoration are different—but they both matter.

    Relief can happen without relationship, but restoration can’t.

    Relief and restoration are different—but they both matter.

    We decide to run fast with relief or go long with restoration.

    Relief is immediate, temporary help to reduce suffering during and after a crisis.

    Restoration happens through long-term relationships which rebuild people, families, and communities back to their God-designed wholeness.

    Both matter.

    If people don’t have food, clothing, or shelter, they need immediate relief. This is the responsibility of the church, not the government.

    However, when we choose to get to know people, we see each other for more than their needs and our resources.

    Part of our vision is ‘CAMP RESTORATION.

    A place where the homeless, broken and hopeless can come live for a year free, find hope, be mended and be restored with a Christian 12 month discipleship plan building a firm foundation on the Word of God, with a Foundation of Faith, and training for anger management, job skills, budgeting God’s way, and to prepare them to restart in life equipped to succeed.

    After they leave, there will be ongoing mentoring for 18 months, with a 200 hour serving requirement and 10% tithing back to Camp Restoration, and they become part of helping others.

    To contribute to our ministry and help this vision come to be, click here:

    Helping The Homeless Ministry website

    We care about the WHOLE person: spirit, soul and body.

    There is a way to help without enabling or hurting. We aren’t bandaids dispensers. We are disciple makers. The goal is Restoration, discipleship and a personal ongoing relationship with Jesus.

    “Human beings are multi-faceted, implying that poverty alleviation efforts should be multifaceted as well. If we reduce human beings to being simply physical, as Western thought is prone to do, our poverty-alleviation efforts will tend to focus on material solutions. But if we remember that humans are spiritual, social, psychological and physical beings, our poverty-alleviation efforts will be more holistic in their design and execution.” 

    —Brian Fikkert, When Helping Hurts

    God DEFINITELY allows -turns!

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    Who DOESN’T want a life that is abundantly whole, healed, put-together and full of delight???

    I don’t think any of us decided when we were little children ‘when I grow up, I want to be miserable, broke, busted and disgusted!’ Right???

    Yet for some of us, our lives have somehow gotten off course.

    We find ourselves trapped, not the way we envisioned it to be, stuck.

    Any of you find yourselves asking these questions or expressing these thoughts:

    • How in the world did this HAPPEN?
    • This surely wasn’t what I wanted.
    • What am I going to do?
    • Where did I go wrong?
    • What did I do to deserve this?

    Whoa!!! Hold on, friends! You’re not alone!

    And I have good news! No matter how lost you are, there’s always a way to get back in track!

    God truly does allow u-turns!

    Have any of y’all besides me gotten lost while traveling? Anyone else take the wrong turn before?

    Let me share one true experience I had… my family STILL teases me about it!

    One year, my family were traveling by car from

    Virginia to Iowa, and eventually, Wisconsin for a family reunion…my husband, myself, and our three children.

    I was telling them of this amazing multi-story shopping mall, with an indoor amusement park, called ‘The Mall of America’ that I visited briefly with my mother when we had a layover at the airport in-between flights… it was in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

    Yeah, I know this NOW… but THEN? I got it wrong. WAY wrong. Using the paper maps, I rerouted our trip, to go through INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA…. thinking that was where it was.

    But of course, the nearer we got- we were not seeing signs to the Mall of America!!! I kept telling the kids ‘keep looking! It’s across the street from the airport! We can’t miss it- it’s huge!!!’

    Finally, we pulled up to an airport hotel and asked the concierge ‘we must have taken a wrong turn, sir. Could you tell us which exit is for the Mall of America?’

    Oh, his face expression was priceless! He broke into a belly gut laugh!!! I couldn’t figure out what was so funny until he told me-

    ‘Mam, you’re in INDIANAPOLIS. The Mall of America is in MINNEAPOLIS. You’re in the wrong state! You’re about 590 miles away!’

    Crushed! I was embarrassed, and crushed., as I quickly realized my children were going to be disappointed… Thankfully, I’m married to THE most patient man. We added a few extra days to our trip, and sure enough- we made it to the Mall of America!

    The kids got to play in the big Lego’s store, and ride the roller coaster and other rides in the in door amusement park. Fun memories were made after all- but the biggest one laughed about now, was the wrong turn!

    We can laugh at our mistakes, when we confront them with grace… and learn from them-and correct them.

    God wants us to live an abundant life. He knows we will make mistakes. He’s there to help ya through them. And He’s there to help us get back on track.

    Just as in my story, in life- we make ‘wrong turns.’ If we are focused on the right directions, and following them, we won’t end up where we need to end up.

    Adjustments must be made, and a little extra time has to be spent to get back on track- but with God, and godly people in our life- it’s absolutely doable!

    Real life is abundant, pure, a gift!

    Eternally good.

    This can only be obtained when we listen AND DO what God’s voice is telling us what to do!

    Listen!

    There are two voices competing for our attention-

    God’s, and Satan’s.

    One is good, and wants only good for us-

    The other is bad, and wants only bad for us.

    We choose.

    • We choose which voice to listen to…
    • We choose which voice to obey…
    • We choose which life to live…

    A life designed by God, reaching our potential and call He has planned for us-serving Him all of our days with the goal of having an abundant life well lived, meaningful…

    Or a live planned by the evil one, Satan, full of struggles, deception, ungodliness, falling short, unfulfilled, no real purpose- no real peace, with his goal to kill, steal and destroy us.

    When my children were small, we’d sing this song:

    ‘🎶 Oh be careful little eyes what you see! Oh be careful little ears what you hear! 🎶. For the Father up above is looking down with love, oh be 🎶 careful little eyes what you see! Oh be careful 🎶little ears what you hear!’

    There’s so much wisdom in this simple tune.

    Satan is the little ‘g’ god of this world.

    God said, as Christians, we are in this world, but not OF this world.

    God has said it- He has given us eyes to see, and ears to hear.

    He has told us:

    ‘Above all else…Guard your heart. For everything you do flows from it.’ (Proverbs 4:23)

    Actually- God loves us so much He has given us instructions for living a life right!

    Proverbs 4:20- 27

    ‘My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to My Words.

    Do not let them out of your sight,

    Keep them within your heart;

    For they are life to those who find them and healing & health to all their body.

    Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

    Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk from your lips.

    Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.

    Watch the path of your feet and let all your ways be established.

    Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.’

    See! God has given us a road map to navigate successfully through this life, in His Word! He’s also given us His voice, the Holy Spirit… AND- He’s given us the most amazing G.P.S. ‘God’s Precious Son.’

    Without God, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ, we are lost, off track, heading in the wrong direction.

    It’s time for a u-turn!

    If you resonate with this, if you’re feeling tugs in your heart, then the Lord is beckoning you to Him.

    Pray this simple prayer and mean it in your heart:

    ‘Dear Heavenly Father,

    I’m lost. I’ve been wandering around through my life, made a few wrong turns, and can’t seem to find my way back to you.

    Help me, Lord! I see now from these scriptures that I haven’t guarded my heart…I haven’t paid attention to Your Words. I have let them out of my sight… please forgive me!

    I choose to return to You, dear God. I will listen. Speak to me. Show me. Guide me. Lead me. I am Yours. In Jesus Name, Amen.’

    If you’ve prayed this prayer, there’s thousands of angels in Heaven right this very moment cheering and celebrating your decision!!!

    We encourage you to get into a good, bible teaching church., so that you can restart your Christian life with other believers to help disciple you.

    We’d love to hear from you and to know of your decision! God bless you!

    You can contact us through our website link here:

    Website for iamjesusgal ministries