A God of new beginnings!

GETTING OUT OF EGYPT
Personally, I have seen many good Christians live under condemnation. They see themselves as failures. They have been bound by habits and have tried to be free, only to fall again and again into the same situations.
Some have given up. Others wind up having nervous breakdowns and I know of some who have committed suicide. Condemnation adds to stress and stress will get you depressed and sick. Why is this?
True, God wants us to be free. God wants sin removed out of the camp, but guess what? You need to realize something very important, maybe the most important thing you will ever realize about yourself-YOU ARE NOT PERFECT!!! Again, yes, God wants us to live a life above sin and shun sin, but you need to realize you are not perfect.
Sounds like a contradiction? Not really. Lets take a look at the following-" I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15:5) Notice the words WITHOUT ME YE CAN DO NOTHING!
In order to face a problem, you got to admit you have a problem and guess what? You cannot do nothing without Christ. The word of God says that my people (Notice), my people perish for lack of knowledge. (Hosea 4:6)
The word,also, says that you shall know the truth and the truth say make you free. Many have said that the truth shall set you free. Nothing can be further than that. Many a Christian have died young from sickness in a hospital bed, some with their bibles open. The truth,itself, did not help them. They need understanding of the truth. My brethren, we need to understand just what God's word says about sin, sickness and prosperity.
Now, this is not a faith teaching promising you wealth and riches. I, personally, believe that God wants his people prosperous and wealthy, but there are some misconceptions and wrong teachings. In a nutshell, if you want to have God's precious promises, decide this as an opportunity for change. Decide that you are going to hate sin. With blessings, comes accountability and the word does say that to whom much is given, much is required. It is a very dangerous thing to get things from God by his grace, because there comes a day where sooner or later, you have to give an account and that is where some faith teachers should be telling the other side of the story. Consider Samson, how God thru his grace helped him even though he was in sin, (Yes, He is full of Grace) but consider the other side of the coin. Sin was not dealth with and he paid a heavy price. (Judges 13-16)
Gods people lived in bondage to EGYPT for many years. Finally,look at the word that he gave them- "This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house (Exodus 12:2-3) EGYPT represents sin, world and bondage. God was going to give his people a new beginning. Until then, the Jews had a civil calender which was the seventh month. God had changed their calender and gave them the sacred calender, which is the 1st month called Abib. To better understand this, I encourage you to paste this link on your computer-http://www.bcbsr.com/survey/jcal.html
As you use this link, it will break down the details of the Jewish calenders and apply them to our date and time. It will, also, give you a brief rundown of the Jewish feast and other interesting things that will aid you in your Old testament studies. We need to understand this as we read the Bible, the history and the culture background of the times. That is why we need to dig into it. Interesting enough, our calender is filled with Paganistic influences. The months and days of the week were named after, mostly, Pagan Gods. You can check this out, also in the following link-http://www.webexhibits.org/calendars/year-history.html
Does that mean that we have to throw away our calender? No. God will work with us concerning the days and times. Notice that the month of Abib which is the first month of the sacred calender was changed by the Babylonians to Nisan. God's word even mentions it in the word (Neh 2:1) When God speaks to you, he will mention times and days in terms that you can understand, nevertheless, it is good to do a study on the Feast of the Lord because we need to understand our Jewish roots. Our holidays are filled with Pagan practices.

WHAT KIND OF BREAD ARE YOU EATING?
Notice that after they celebrated the PASSOVER in Exodus 12, the Jews ate unleavened bread for seven days. They made a decision. They took action. They walked out of EGYPT, but brethren, it is not enough to walk out of EGYPT, you got to get EGYPT out of you. So, that is why they ate unleavened bread. Many a times, we are not victorious because we are not taking time to meditate and study the word. We need to be like Jeremiah, that ate in a spirtiual sense , the word of God. (Jer 15:16)
Israel was eating, in a spiritual sense, leavened bread. It was eatiing the bread of affliction, but God in his mercy, gave them unleavened bread. How do we eat of God's word. By taking time to meditate and confess his promises. (Joshua 1:8). I, myself, have asked the Lord to give me a hatred for sin and I kept on getting frustrated at my shortcomings. Finally, God spoke to me and said- Have you confessed my word? Have you confessed that you hate iniquity and love righteousness? Have you received that promise? I had to say no, and repent of my unbelief.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THAT YOU HAD A PARTY?
It is an interesting fact that the word feast is translated in Spanish as Fiesta. Fiesta means a party. We need to get into party mode. Proverbs says that a merry heart has a continual feast. Are you going to church in a " Party mode"? Are you spending time getting drunk on the new wine and receiving strength from on high? Folks, its time to get drunk! Its time to go party and guess what? The Party does not start until The Holy Spirit comes in!! He is the life of the party. Well, thats it for now. God bless until next time. Feel free to share your thoughts.
P.S. I want to thank God for my wife Terry, who helped me with this article.

Other teaching link-
http://relijournal.com/christianity/have-you-looked-at-your-armor/



November 27, 2009 at 2:57pm · Delete Post

Why doesn't God answer my prayers?

The Eternal Question

As a CBN counselor for the 700 Club, I receive a wide range of prayer requests, from praying for pets to addressing more serious issues. Sometimes, I can’t help but smile at some of the requests, like praying to find a lost item. Other times, I feel a deep sense of sadness when people ask, “Why doesn’t God answer me?”

While I enjoy my role as a prayer counselor, it does have its limitations. Often, I advise people to seek guidance from a pastor or visit cbn.com for further support. For instance, I once received a call from a frustrated individual who was fervently praying for a wife. The WHYs and HOW COMEs can be overwhelming.

In one memorable call, I heard a loud voice exclaim, “GOD, HOW COME I DON’T HAVE A WIFE? GIMME A WIFE, GOD!” It felt as if they believed they were speaking directly to God on the other line. I was tempted to respond in a deep, God-like voice, “With an attitude like that, you’re not going anywhere!”

Faith and Patience

One dear lady shared with me that she had waited 40 years for a husband and was angry with God. I tried to encourage her, reminding her that prayers can still be answered, but she felt it was too late and that no man wanted her.

While I can’t provide all the answers, I can offer some thought-provoking insights. The Bible tells us that we inherit God’s promises through faith and patience (Hebrews 6:12). Personally, I was healed from asthma after suffering for 20 years. It was so severe that I was hospitalized twice and nearly died. Now, looking back, I’ve learned a few things.

First, the problem is not with God. If you have a promise from God in the Bible, it is for you because God’s promises are “yes” and “amen” (2 Corinthians 1:20). I believe that healing is God’s will, but there are conditions that must be met.

In fact, God desires your healing so much that He hastens to perform His word (Jeremiah 1:12). The issue is not with God; it’s with us. We are not making the proper connection. The Bible says that wisdom is the principal thing (Proverbs 4:7).

Reflecting on my healing journey, I realized the problem was not with God but with me. I needed to renew my mind and spend more time in prayer. We all get sidetracked occasionally, but we cannot blame God when answers don’t come. Today, let’s ask ourselves, “Are we making the right connection?”

Are you making the right connection?

If you are not having results in prayer, ask yourself-AM I MAKING THE RIGHT CONNECTION? I know that many reading this may be frustrated. Others may have given up! Accepting your circumstances and becoming mad at God! Don't get mad at God because he is not your problem! A lot of times when we get mad at God, it hinders our prayers. Why, because the word tells us to get angry but sin not, let not the sun go down on your wrath. (Eph 4:26)
How many Christians accept what they think is God's will and get defeated in life? How many are praising God for sickness,lack and poverty when it doesn't come from God? How many in their hearts are, secretly, mad at God for their troubles? Let's face it, we live in a "microwave" generation and forget that we need to develope patience to receive God's promises. (Heb 6:11-12)Why? It's not because God is taking his sweet time. Far from it!
The word of God says that he hastens to perform his word.(Jer 1:12) When you think about it, that was in the Old Testament. Think about this for a moment. The New Testament is called the GOOD NEWS! Why? Because we have a better covenant based on better promises. The Old Testament says that God hastens to perform his word. Are you ready to shout? Look at the following verse-
" According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue" (II Peter 1:3)
Shout because he has (Past tense) given you ALL things that pertains unto life! That means every challenge, every debt, every sickness,etc. has been covered thru the word. He has given us victory,prosperity,healing! It's already done in the Spiritual. What you need is a breakthrough. In order to get a breakthrough, you need to make the right connection!
Years ago, When I was in the Navy, our company commander promised us a radio if we worked hard to win a flag. In order to win a flag, we needed to pass inspection in our barracks. That meant that we needed to clean our floors. We spent all night and all day working for a radio. You need to understand, we were in a "Prison" at boot camp, away from the real world and the radio was our way to be in contact with the latest news and music.
We won the flag and there was rejoicing. We jumped up and down, acting like maniacs. Finally, we had the radio. To the victor's goes the spoils, right? We tried to turn on the radio. No sound. We scratched our heads, wondering why we had no sound. We looked to see if there it was battery powered and it was not. We looked all around the radio and nothing. The Company Commando comes inside the barracks with a cord in his hand saying that it will come extra, if we win another flag. In other words, the cord was the missing connection to our contact to the outside world.
How may Christians upon finding out that God will met their needs and heal them, jump up and down rejoicing in the Lord. We've had teachings on faith and healing and again, shouting and dancing, praising God but when it comes time to receive the manifestation to the promises, we scratch our heads and ask ourselves what happened? Healing was there! Prosperity was there! Peace was there! What happened? THE CORD WAS MISSING! YOU NEED TO MAKE THE RIGHT CONNECTION!!!

The will of God! Part II

Let's continue with our study of God's will. Many reading this thinks that God's will is sovereign. In other words, that everything that happens is God's will. Let's look at it in content. Some examples are the following-I Thess 4:16 says that the Lord will come with a shout. Nothing will hinder the second coming of Jesus, that is the sovereign will of God. Yes, by this verse, we see God's will as sovereign and absolute.
I will, absolutely, agree that God's will is sovereign to a certain extent. In studying the word, we will see three categories of God's will-
1-Sovereign
2-Permissive
3- Perfect

The Permissive will of God

Let's look at the following verse- "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (I Peter 3:9) It is, stated, clearly that it is not God's will that any should perish. Why are people perishing? Simply, because God respects man's will. God's sovereign will has its limits regarding men's decisions. Why? Because he does not want ROBOTS! God's will in this verse is, clearly, permissive.
That is why it is, so important, that we walk by faith and not by sight. As we studied, previously, God used to communicate with man through visual and audio means in the Old Testament. Why? Because man was dead and not born again. Now we have a new covenant and man is alive unto GOD because of JESUS! Jesus, not only took our sins, but he took our sicknesses. We did not receive 1/2 of a Salvation, we received all of Salvation. The scriptures says, clearly, he took our sickness and borne our diseases (Matt 8:17)

The perfect will of God

What is the perfect will of GOD? It involves your calling and direction of God in your life. It, also, involves knowing what promises belong to you. It has a catch-YOU HAVE TO RENEW YOUR MIND! Why? So, you can know his perfect will. (II Cor 1:20/Rom 12:2/Eph 1:18) Few achieve this level and many die before their time because of being in God's permissive will.(Ecc 7:17) You don't want to remain in God's permissive will, you want to be in God's perfect will. So, take some time to renew your mind by meditating and confessing the word of God! In doing so, you will get to know your calling in life and his promises for you!

The will of God!

                                                                 
                                     

 


                                                             The will of God!

Many in the body want to know the will of God. Many are confused about the will of God. They think if something happens, it is the will of God. They read the story of Gideon's fleece and do the same test, and when things don't happen, they get mad at God. I had a fellow Pastor friend who went out to the ministry and put out a "fleece". He and his wife was convinced that God called him to have a church. When things didn't work out, he got mad at God. (Judges 6:36-40)
My friends, We got to be careful or we will be "fleeced!" What Gideon had with God was old covenant. Gideon was not, yet, born again because his spirit was dead. Jesus hadn't,yet, died for him. God could not communicate with him, so he had to talk to him through visual and audio means. Now, we can have communion with God through life in Christ Jesus, we can hear from him in the Spirit. The Bible says we walk by faith, not by sight. (II Cor 5:7) How do we hear from God? Through his word! His word speaks to us 24/7 every day.
The Bible says we have a new covenant based on new promises. The reason why we don't hear from God is that we don't take time to renew our minds. Many of us, and I'm included, have made bad choices because of not renewing our minds and finding out God's will. Romans 12:2 says to be transformed by the renewing of your minds. As we spend our time renewing our minds and seeking the presence of the Lord, he will reveal his perfect will for you.
                          You may ask, Pastor Santos, that is well and good, but I don't have time for God. I work many hours in the day and just have time to read the Bible for 15 minutes and pray as I work. Reading the Bible is good, but God puts it a step further, he says to study to show yourself approved.(II Tim 2:15) Brethren, life is full of tests. Years ago, when I went to College, I found out that I had to study in order to pass my tests. At High School, I was getting by, studying at the last minute and passing my tests. Soon afterwards, I graduated and started College.I was warned to take time to study because it was harder. The "High School" mentality was over, I was in College. I was in the "big leagues" and play time was over.
                     The reason why these tests are not going away is that many are having a "High School" mentality. PLAY TIME is over!  When you grow in the Lord, you go from glory to glory. You get by with a "high school" mentality. You use a few scriptures and get a couple of answered prayers. You think you've arrived!  Soon, you make it into "College" in the kingdom of heaven and this is the big leagues. After that, you face bigger and greater challenges. Mountains gets harder to move and stronger demons are making it tougher to move along. With greater growth comes greater responsibilities! Soon, you are wavering and doubting God's promises. Don't go that route because if you do, the enemy will destroy you and your family.As if that was not enough,he will take away everything you got.
                  Take more time to study. Abide in his presence more and renew your mind. God understands that you have to work and spend time with your family,but,make a habit to take a day or two to just spend it with God and bathing in his presence.Doing this will help you prepare for battle and turn your tests into testimonies.God bless.

Who are you yoked to?

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:2)

Understanding Yokes and burdens!

Who are you yoked to? That is the question you must ask. This is not New age or Mysticism, but it is truly the word. Read the text above..."by the renewing of the mind"....Our minds are like computers. We put data in it and download what is inside our mind. Our minds is a precious gift from God, but it is a battleground in the Spiritual. The devil, our adversary, knows this and tries to put some of his data in our minds.
The word of God, clearly, says that we (If you are a Christian) have the mind of Christ. Christ wasn't Jesus last name, Christ implicated the anointing of the Holy Spirit among other things. That is why Psalms 2:1-2 says that the people rage and imagine a vain thing against God and his anointed. The anointed speaks of the Christ-the anointed. An interesting thing is one of the meanings of Christ is yoke breaking, burden removing power. When you hear the word Christ, think of a yoke being broken. What is a yoke? It is, in essence,servitude. A yoke is a object put around an ox along with another to do what his master wanted him to do, which was plow the ground or pull a load. In other words, it was a u shaped material put around two oxen's neck to do a work for his master.
Many of us may be yoked to Worries, Fear, Sin, Stress. That stress is like a partner walking with us. Everywhere we go, we think of those thoughts. But, what did Jesus do? Let's look at the following-
"And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing." (Isaiah 10:27) Glory to God, Did you see this? The anointing (The Christ) has broken that yoke! You don't have to be a prisoner to stress,worry or fear! You don't have to be a prisoner to sin and sex! The Christ has made you FREE!
Now, before you start rejoicing, let me remind you, you are not completely free from Yokes. You just take a different Yoke. The Yoke of Jesus! That Yoke was mentioned when he said "Take my yoke upon you, for my Yoke is easy and my burden light!" Why is that Yoke easy? Because we are yoked to the Holy Spirit. He makes our burden and yoke light because he helps us-Hallelujah!!! Yokes, in essence is not bad, the problem is who are you yoked to?
Paul the apostle, mentioned in Ephesians, that he was the prisoner of the Lord. We need to have our minds captured by the Lord. We need to let him take control of our minds and thoughts. Have you been captured by the Lord? Do it now and let him take you captive and be his prisoner of his thoughts!

Prayer-"Dear Father, forgive me for my worries and stress. Forgive me for not dwelling on your thoughts. Make me your prisoner in my mind. Renew my mind and help me to take captive every thoughts. In Jesus Name! Amen!

Other teaching links--
http://relijournal.com/christianity/understanding-the-love-of-god/
http://relijournal.com/christianity/do-you-want-to-know-your-future/
http://relijournal.com/christianity/praying-for-america/

Time to laugh!

A Great Comeback

There was this Christian lady that had to do a lot of traveling for her business, so she did a lot of flying. Flying made her nervous, so she always took her Bible along with her to read and it helped relax her.

One time, she was sitting next to a man. When he saw her pull out her Bible, he gave a little chuckle and went back to what he was doing.

After awhile, he turned to her and asked, "You don't really believe all that stuff in there do you?"

The lady replied, "Of course I do. It is the Bible."

He said, "Well, what about that guy that was swallowed by that whale?"

She replied, "Oh, Jonah. Yes, I believe that, it is in the Bible."

He asked, "Well, how do you suppose he survived all that time inside the whale?"

The lady said, "Well, I don't really know. I guess when I get to heaven, I will ask him."

"What if he isn't in heaven?" the man asked sarcastically.

"Then you can ask him." replied the lady.


A smart little boy!

A doctor, a lawyer, a little boy and a priest were out for a Sunday afternoon flight on a small private plane. Suddenly, the plane developed engine trouble. In spite of the best efforts of the pilot the plane started to go down. Finally the pilot grabbed a parachute, yelled to the passengers that they had better jump, and bailed out.

Unfortunately there were only three parachutes remaining.

The doctor grabbed one and said "I'm a doctor, I save lives, so I must live," and jumped out.

The lawyer then said, "I'm a lawyer and lawyers are the smartest people in the world, I deserve to live!" He grabbed a parachute and jumped.

The priest looked at the little boy and said, "My son, I've lived a long and full life. You are young and have your whole life ahead of you. Take the last parachute and live in peace".

The little boy handed the parachute back to the priest and said, "Not to worry, Father. The 'smartest man in the world' just took off with my back pack."


A story to remember-THE FENCE

There was a little boy with a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, to hammer a nail in the back fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Then it gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.

SPECIAL THANKS FOR ADA MARIA RODRIGUEZ FOR SHARING THESE THOUGHTS WITH US! GOD BLESS!

A look at Biblical finances!

Money!, a photo by yomanimus on Flickr.

Special thanks for yomanimus for allowing his photo to be on my website!


MANY IN THE BODY OF CHRIST IS SUFFERING FROM FINANCIAL LACK !

As a minister, I have seen many Christians go thru financial lack. Lack of finances has strained relationships. They have broken up marriages. Many have winded up with health problems because of the lack of finances. I am burdened for these precious saints, and I wish that I could write a check to cover all of these needs, but I can't. I can, nonetheless, provide some thought on how to deal with testings in this area.

JESUS SUFFERED FROM FINANCIAL LACK!

Our Lord Jesus, believe it or not, suffered from financial lack. He was asked if he paid taxes. (Matt 17:24) The good thing about Jesus is that he knew where to get the money to pay his taxes. He told Peter to pull up the first fish, and there, he would find the money to, not only, pay his taxes but Peter's. (Matt 17:25-27)
Yes, there are times when the word says that men will give to our bosom if we give to the Lord. I agree with that and have seen it happen in my own life, but sometimes, we have to go get it. The word says the principal thing is Wisdom.(Prov 4:7) Wisdom is the first thing we should seek God for in prayer. Sometimes, our circumstances can, so, overwhelm us. When this happens, we need to take a deep breath and be calm. The next step is to start to seek the Lord for wisdom.

WHY THE TITHE?

Many Christians fail to see the importance of tithing. The Tithe is a commandment of the Lord. Many a Christian justify themselves and make excuses. They overlook this very important commandment. In Malachi, chapter 3, we see how God demands this act of obedience from his people.
I will take this a little further! Upon reading Malachi 3, you will find God saying that his people have robbed him in TITHES AND OFFERINGS! Not only is the tithe important, but the offering too. When you read the accounts in the Old Testament, God told his people not to come to him empty-handed! Let's establish one thing-Tithing is mandatory, but the amount of the offering is left up to the Believer. (II Cor 9:7)
Why give? So, that there may be money available to supply the needs of the church. Not only is the church responsible to support their Pastor and leadership, but to help others in need. Reading the book of Acts, we saw how the church had its needs supplied because the people gave liberally. Tradition says that the church was poor, but God's word says the opposite.
I know of a Pastor of a big church, who not only, helps his flock financially but has helped employ people of his own church creating businesses. The true church is supposed to be the answer, not the problem. Too many bad apples has misappropriated the churches funds and have given Christianity a bad name. Thank God that we still have honest and upright ministers that try to help others and make a difference.

STOP BLAMING GOD!

This may come as a shock to you, but stop blaming GOD!! He is not to blame for your problems. Who's to blame? First, ourselves. Sometimes, we confuse our feelings for God and wind up making the wrong decisions in life. For example, we see an ad promising a quick pathway to wealth. Then, we see how that company pressure us by saying that this is a limited time offer. We pray about it and charge the card without really hearing from God. Months have passed by. What happened to that promise of wealth? You have been duped and out of money!
The word of God says that all of God's promises are Yea and Amen. (II Cor. 1:20) God has given us precious, and wonderful promises to get us through the testings of life. Bear in mind Malachi 3, when he says that he will open the windows of heaven! They are ours, but we have to learn how to possess them. Are you possessing God's promises? God willing, we will do some more studying on this important subject.

The Sinner's prayer!

If you don't know Jesus in the pardon of your sins, then pray this prayer...
Dear Lord, I am a sinner. Forgive me for my sins. Come into my heart and make me a new creation. Your death, burial and resurrection have now become mine. I accept you as Lord. I believe that God has raised you from the dead and I am saved! Thank you, Jesus, for saving me. I am born again and I will serve you the rest of my life!
If you have prayed this prayer, please let us know filling out the contact form on this blog, so that we can rejoice with you and remember YOU HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST!

WHERE ARE YOU?

Ask yourself this question? Where am I? As I studied the word, I found that there are 3 levels of faith. The following as follows

1-No faith

2-Little faith

3-Great faith

All of us at one time or another have been at one of these levels. In life, God takes us to the "school of faith" to teach us. We are all going to make mistakes, but it is what you do afterwards. Will you take this as a learning experience or will you keep making the same old mistakes.

No Faith

Faith is absent in an atmosphere of fear and unbelief. In Mark 4:35-41, Jesus spoke some words to his disciples-LET US GO TO THE OTHER SIDE! What happened? After sailing awhile in the sea, they were met with terrible weather conditions. If any of you seen any of the episodes of Dealiest Catch, you can appreciate and understand why they would be afraid. They woke up and told Jesus the following-CAREST THOU NOT THAT WE PERISH?" Evidently, they forgot the words of Jesus-LET US GO TO THE OTHER SIDE! They had fear and Jesus rebuked them for having no faith! (Mark 4:40)

LITTLE FAITH

Little faith starts something, but does not finish it. Peter walked on the water. Why? Because Jesus said-COME! That was not your ordinarily four letter word. It had power, and it made Peter to walk over the waters, but it was not to last. Peter fixed his eyes on the winds and circumstances and he, gradually, began to sink. You can start off like Peter, strong in faith, but if you are not careful and fix your eyes on the circumstances-You; too, will start to sink. One thing Peter had-LITTLE FAITH! The rest of Jesus disciplines stayed on the ship.(Matt 14:23-31)


GREAT FAITH

Takes God at his word. The centurion's servant was sick. He came to Jesus to ask him for help. Jesus was willing to go to his house, but the centurion say just say the word. (Luke 7:5-9) Great faith takes hold of the word. God has given us his word. Take hold of his word and promises. Don't allow the circumstances of life rob you from getting God's best for your life. God bless.

YOUR PROBLEMS HAVE EARS!

Life is full of problems. The cares of life has caused marriages to break up. Precious Saints of God have suffered health issues such as heart attacks and strokes. How do we deal with stress and anxieties that are posing challenges to our lives? First, we need to realize that our problems do have a voice! They are talking to us 24/7, but are we talking back to them? This may sound crazy, but Jesus talked to his problem.
He spoke to the fig tree and his disciples thought he was crazy, but what happened? The very next day, it was dried up from the roots! WORDS have power. Jesus used a powerful principle. He took a small thing, the tongue and spoke death to the problem. Life and death is in the power of the tongue! Saints, it is time to start using the tongue to address your circumstances! Don't speak death to your finances, speak LIFE to it and DEATH to lack.
We need to address the problems in life in a prompt manner and attack it from the roots. It is interesting that in Mark 11, when his disciples saw the results of Jesus's words in the fig tree, He mentions a mountain. We need to address the "Fig trees" in our lives, so that we can graduate to the "Mountains" of life and face bigger challenges. Facing bigger problems than you ever had? Rejoice, you have graduated and there is a bigger victory. Your test will become a testimony! Your misery will become your ministry.
The word of God is powerful, my friends. Learn to fight and win in the battles of life and use the WORD as a weapon. Talk back to your problems and see God work in your life. You have a miracle in your mouth. God bless!


Other teaching links--
http://notecook.com/bread/eat-the-right-bread/
http://notecook.com/bread/eat-the-right-bread-part-2/
http://relijournal.com/christianity/eat-the-right-bread-part-3/

Understanding The Mysteries of God.

Life is full of mysteries but with God, you can get revelation knowledge of his plan for your life. We, sometimes, reason that God's way is not our ways and settle for second best but let's look at that scripture in its full content-

" Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD."
(Isaiah 55:7-8)

Notice what this says...."Let the wicked" We are not wicked. We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus! (II Cor 5:21) Let's stop making excuses for God and face the facts, we haven't had our breakthrough because of a lack of knowledge. What you don't know can hurt you. We need to take advantage of speaking in tongues to better understand God's mysteries in our lives and have a breakthrough.

When you speak in tongues, the enemy doesn't know what you are saying. We need to be careful what we tell God. Why? Because when we pray, the devil is, also, listening to our prayers! In Daniel 10:12-14, an angel had appeared to Daniel. 

Notice that this angel told Daniel that his prayer was heard on the first day, but there was an obstacle. The prince of Persia withstood this angel for 21 days. The battle in the heavenlies was so intense that he needed Michael, the archangel to help him!

I want to focus on the fact that this all could have been avoided if Daniel had the benefits of the New Covenant (New Testament) Had Daniel prayed in tongues, the enemy would not have known what he was praying about and he could have had faster results in prayer! 

Praying in tongues has its benefits. When we pray in tongues, we are praying mysteries to God.(I Cor 14:2) We might be praying for the answer to our problem, but it is a mystery. We might be praying for a warning for us or others, but it is a mystery. What's the answer? Let's look at the following-

"Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret."
(I Cor 14:13)

Yes, God wants you to have knowledge of Life's mysteries, but we have to do our part. We have to pray in tongues and practice hearing from God. As we do this, we will unlock the door to life's mysteries and have the long-awaited answer. God bless!

A prayer to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit--

Father, I come to you as your child. Baptize me with your Holy Spirit. I thank you for my prayer language. I thank you that you will give me insight into mysteries. I thank you for the prophetic in my life, showing me things to come. I thank you that my inner being is strengthened. My flesh has no longer control over me. I forsake any sins in my life and I will serve you. Thank you for giving me my prayer language. 

Now as an act of faith, step out and pray in tongues. You may not know what you are saying. It may be nonsense to you but pray anyway, your spirit is being edified and the best is yet to come. Pray everyday using your prayer language. It will keep your flesh under control. Victory is yours. God bless. 

HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF!

Date setting is nothing new! Recently, we had a dear Brother predict the end of the world was coming on May 21st.  He, also, said that Jesus was coming back. Well, we know what happened!  May 21st came and went! Jesus did not come and the world did not end.  My friends, this isn't new. There was an incident years ago that had Christ coming at 1988! In fact, a book was written and sold a lot of copies. Yours truly was caught up in that, much to my shame. Again, 1988 came and went. No Christ, no judgement!!!


                                                              Y2K

Who remembers the famous Y2K scare? Many dear brothers were selling survival kits. They were predicting that 2,000 was coming and the computers were not going to work properly. Some "so-called" prophets claimed doom and gloom! Well, it has been more than 10 years and life hasn't changed. Brethren, we need to hold accountable those in the body who say these things and stop supporting their ministries. Yes, there is room for forgiveness, if they admit they were off, but some have not admitted to their mistakes and are still ministering as a "prophet". The sad part is that many are still supporting their ministries!



                                          Getting things straight


The Bible illustrates a time when many precious brethren were setting a date for the return of Jesus. When that date came and left, many were discouraged. Some were even questioning their faith. Let's see what the apostle Paul had to say-
" Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;"
(I Thess  2:1-3)
There are a couple of aspects here. Number 1, the first verse talks about a gathering together unto him. This is, clearly, talking about a rapture. Then, he starts to describes what precedes the rapture. A falling away! If you do a study of the Greek word, it means to depart not, only,  in the sense of the truth; but from a place or person. Another reference on rapture. Then, the man of sin (Beast) will be revealed. In other words, the Beast will come to the scene after the rapture.
It amuses me that we have precious brethren saying that President Obama is the Beast. The word is clear. We will depart and be with Jesus, then the evil one will be manifested. When will it happen? I don't know. All I know is that we are seeing signs of his coming with freakish weather patterns that has hit all around the world and our shores. (II Tim 3:1)  Perilous times are here with not only high crime rates but danger from the natural elements themselves.
Let's stop listening to date setters and focus our eyes on Jesus. Let us serve him with a committed heart. Let us love him more and be obedient to his Spirit. Let us hate sin and love righteousness because Jesus is coming soon. Are you ready?

Burying the old man!

" Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
(Rom 6:4)

We, all, hear talk of burying the old man. Romans 6:4 makes it clear that we were buried with him by baptism. Brethren, not much is taught concerning water baptism, but it is a very important factor in our Christian walk. When you accepted Christ as your Savior, he accepted you as his own, but you had to seal that relationship. How do we seal it? By Water Baptism!
In the Old Testament, when you had a male child, that child was circumcised on the eighth day. Circumcision was proof that man had a covenant with God. (Lev 12:3) Now, as Christians, the word says that there is no male nor female, but all are one in Christ, which means that women can have a covenant with God! That is good news!
Eight in Bible numerology is new beginnings. So, when you accept Christ, you start a new beginning making covenant with God through Water Baptism. Water Baptism will mark you in your heart as having a covenant with God! (Romans 2:28-29/Col 2:11-15)Your Old Man was already buried with Christ. The Bible says to reckon yourself as dead. In other words,that is a done deal-YOUR ARE DEAD WITH JESUS!!!
The neat thing about having a covenant with God is that everything you have belongs to him, including your money, but guess what? Everything he has belongs to you! So, if you are sick, he has healing! If you are broke and poor, he has the silver and the gold! If you need deliverance from a bad habit, he has the annointing to help you break the habit.
So, start to confess that your past, sin, sickness and poverty were buried with him. Start to believe that as a reality and walk in victory today! Jesus wants you to be MORE THAN A CONQUEROR!! Do you reckon yourself dead unto sin but alive unto Christ today?
Suggested Bible readings: Romans 6
Prayer: Dear Father God, Forgive me if I have sinned in any way. Help me to keep the old man buried. Thank you for your covenant. I reckon myself to be dead to sin but alive to Christ Jesus. Thank you that my sins, poverty, sickness and past was buried with you. I have a new life. I have resurrection life and his annointing makes me more than a conqueror. I rule over sin, sickness, poverty and circumstances. Thank you, Lord, for making me free in this day. Thank you for your covenant with me-In Jesus name, Amen!

"It's alive!"

"Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry"
(Col 3:5)

How many of you remember the old Frankenstein movies? Dr. Frankenstein, having worked on his creation and then seeing it move? He starts to say-"IT'S ALIVE! IT'S ALIVE!" Well, how many of us having lived a life of victory over the flesh, get defeated in life? We start to wonder-What went wrong? "It's Alive!"
It is Interesting when you see the old Frankenstein movie clip on you tube, after Dr. Frankenstein said that memorial quote that would follow it for decades in the movie world, we hear another quote-..."Now I know what it feels like to be God!" Brethren, when we fall into the works of the flesh, we are in essence being our own God. Yes, God is a loving God and his mercy endureth forever, but we need to be careful  when we stay in the flesh. Staying in the flesh and not in the Spirit has its consequences. Let's look at the following verses-

"For there are many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, who walk (live) as enemies of the cross of Christ (the Anointed One).
They are doomed and their fate is eternal misery (perdition); their god is their stomach (their appetites, their sensuality) and they glory in their shame, siding with earthly things and being of their party." (Phil 3:18-19) (Amplified)

It is one thing to stumble, but it is another thing to stay in the path of the flesh and not be broken nor convicted about it. Phil 3:18-19 is quite clear. When you stay in  the flesh, Your flesh or YOU, become GOD! Friends, the flesh may bring pleasure for a season, but in the end,  it will  result  in sorrow and tragedy! Yesterday, I shared on how to reckon or see yourself buried, but the fact of the matter is- THERE IS A RESURRECTION OF THE FLESH! When that happens, we need to immediately mortify or kill it. Do we ask God to do it? God has, already, done all at the cross! We have a part to do and crying about it, feeling hopeless is not going to do any good!
I don't mean to sound cold or calloused, but many a times, we want to leave God to do everything and not do our part. God has given us a battle manual and that is his word. When we read Col 3:10, it gives us the answer. In order to put the flesh in the proper place, we need to put on the NEW MAN! Put on implies putting on a shirt or coat. How many of you have seen in the old SUPERMAN cartoons, when Clark Kent changes to Superman. The quote-THIS IS A JOB FOR SUPERMAN! Well, this is a job for RHEMA MAN. The inner man, who is hidden in Christ Jesus! Glory to GOD!!!
Don't miss this! This is the most important part in killing the old man. MIND RENEWAL is key. Let's look at the following-
" I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:1-2)
Our minds are like computers. We need to get rid of the old software and put in a new one. In our next lesson, we will see the importance of MIND RENEWAL!

Scripture study: Col 3

Prayer-"Dear Lord, Thank you for the spirit of wisdom and revelation. Continue to speak to me concerning your word. Help me to put off the old man. Help me to kill the old man through your word. Thank you for speaking to me. Thank you for loving me. In Jesus name, Amen!"

Have you lost your mind?

         

                         That is the question I want to ask you-HAVE YOU'VE LOST YOUR MIND? Now, I know many will look at me funny and that is alright, but when you accepted Christ, your old mindset was buried with him. The word of God says that you have the mind of Christ, but many Christians may even argue that, but I will let the word of God speak for itself (I Cor 2:16) WE HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST!
           Many in the body would say that we can't have the mind of Christ, because our thoughts are not his thoughts, but upon analyzing the scriptures, let us see what it says in its content-
           " Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. " (Isaiah 55:7-9)

                         

                    Notice it says to let the wicked man forsake his thoughts. The blood of Christ justifies and makes us the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus! (II COR 5:21) We are not the wicked mentioned in Isaiah, therefore our thoughts can be in line with the thoughts of God because we have the mind of Christ. 

             How do we develop that mind of Christ? By taking time to meditate in his word. (Josh 1:8) When we take time to meditate in his word, it will help us live a life of victory. Meditate in the Hebrew means to murmur. The Jews, in Bible times, would hum the Torah (The Law) as they swayed in a back and forth motion. 

           Take time to speak to yourself the promises of God day and night. The word says that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Only then, can your mind be re-programmed and you can discern the perfect will of God in your life. (Romans 12:2) 

God bless-AMEN! 


PRAYER: Dear Lord, Help me to walk in this revelation knowledge. Give me the mind of Christ to understand your word. Give me the mind of Christ to face any challenges, tests or tribulations that may come against me.  I am more than a conqueror and you promised me victory over all circumstances, sickness and lack of finances. I am dead to the world, but alive with Christ Jesus! I have the mind of Christ and I walk in victory with him today! In Jesus Name! AMEN! 

The Battle of the Mind!

                                         
                                SATAN IS AFTER YOUR MIND!  Why, you might ask? Because if you are a believer, the word says that you have the mind of Christ. You are a threat to him as long as you have the mind of Christ. Maybe you don't feel like it or it could be that you haven't made wise choices, but,  yes, you do have THE MIND OF CHRIST!
                     My question to you is- HAVE YOU ACTIVATED THE MIND OF CHRIST TODAY? In order for you to enjoy the benefits of the mind of Christ, you need to activate it. The word of God says to call those things that are not as though they were! (Romans 4:17) I have Good news for you! You are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus! You are more than a conqueror! 
                Many in the body are wrestling with habits, vices and bondage. There are a great numbers of Pastors that are bound in pornography! Many are bound to the spirit of worry! TV and other media have, for years, programmed our minds to think like the world and mind renewal is a much neglected subject in the body of Christ. 
            The secret is knowing what you have and practicing it daily. Many want to do a work for Christ, but they do it in the flesh, not realizing that the Holy Spirit is there to help us. Spend some time renewing your mind. See yourself walking in victory over these stumbling blocks. Don't go out and save the world without equipping yourself first. 
                It has grieved me to see many in the body put off these teachings. They equate mind renewal with new age, but upon looking at Phil 4:8, the word is telling you what to think about. It is, without a doubt, that when you think of something, you see an image. Meditation is not new age, it was taken from the word, twisted and turn into a counterfeit!
                   Brethren, we are in a battle and it is in the mind. II Cor 10:4-5 says it all-Casting down imaginations....bringing into captivity every thought. This is a real battle and my question to you is-ARE YOU READY TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT?

Scripture reading: Jer 29:10-11/Romans 12:1-2


Prayer-"Dear Father God, thank you for your promises. Forgive me for having thoughts that are not pleasing to you. Wash me with your blood and restore me.  Thank you that I have the mind of Christ. I call those things that are not as though they were and I say that I have the mind of Christ. I command every thought, will, desire and emotion to line up with the word of God! I walk in victory and all your promises are mine. I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and today is a new beginning in my life. In Jesus name. AMEN! "

Rising above your circumstances!

                             Problems are everywhere in life. People are getting laid off, unemployment benefits are running out and health problems are prevalent in this society. One thing is for sure, for the Christian, there is an answer. The answer is in God's word. 
                     Take for example, Paul the apostle! Put in jail for preaching the word. In the midst of a dark dungeon, filled with rats, he said that he was a prisoner of the Lord Jesus. (Eph 4:1) Why would he say that? He was using the principle of mind renewal. He was rising above his circumstances and declaring that his thoughts were captured by God. 
         You can see it in Phil 4:4, he said to rejoice in the Lord -always! Not when you have money in your pockets. Not when you have health and everything is going well, but rejoice always!  Now, I want to make it clear, I am not teaching that you have to thank God for everything, because Jesus makes it clear in John 10:10, the devil is the one who causes adversity to come our way. His aim is to cause tests and tribulations to rob us of the word! (Luke 8:13)
              Jesus made it clear-Render to God what is God! Let's stop this nonsense of crediting God for our sickness and  mishaps in life.  This traditional teaching has been keeping the body in bondage and prevented us from walking in victory! There are different prisons in life. Some are in a prison of debt. Some are in a prison of sickness. There are some, who are bound with a bad habit-but rejoice! Why? There is power in joy! It is your strength. (Neh 8:10)  Take Paul and Silas! Beaten with whips and left in a dungeon, they sang praises to God. All of a sudden, there was a great earthquake and they were free. The power of praise will change your circumstances and set you free from your prison! Dare to praise God in the midst of your circumstances and you will see a change soon! 


Scripture reading: Luke 8:5-15


Prayer-"Dear Lord, Thank you for speaking to me through your word. Help me to arrest my thoughts though your word. Help me to encourage myself in you. The joy of the Lord is my strength. I thank you for your power. I thank you that I rise above my circumstances. The prison of sickness, lack and oppression have been broken in my life. I am free and free indeed. Thank you, Father, for renewing my mind. In Jesus Name, Amen! "

Kings and Priests!

                                       Are you exercising your rights as a King and Priest? As I studied Revelation 1, I noticed on verse 6, it is listed as past tense. Then in verse 5, it listed what Jesus did for us at the cross! That is good news. This, alone,  should make us shout!  Why?  Because it provides for the answer to all our problems in one verse alone!
         A King needs to exercise his authority. A lazy King will wind up losing his kingdom. To be a King and dominate our circumstances, we need to learn how to rule from within. III John 2 says that we will prosper as our souls prosper. Friends, there is a difference between soul and spirit. (Hebrews 4:12) The soul is where the imagination lies, which is your mind, desires,will and emotions. That is why the Bible puts special emphasis on the mind. It is where the real battle takes place. 
                If you get addicted to the word of God and start to meditate on who you are in Christ, living the Christian life won't be a hassle. Once your thoughts line up with the word, Victory is yours and the flesh will be put under. Let's define Priest. A high priest would be one to stand in the gap and pray for the nation. This was done in the Old Testament.
                     When we step up to our priestly duties, we will see more results in praying for others. It won't matter if a Democrat or a Republican is in power, because when we pray for our government, God promises to deal with them in our favor. (I Tim 2:1-3) This principle was demonstrated in the book of Esther. An evil government official had tricked the king to do great harm to the Jews. Esther and the Jews went on a prolonged prayer and fasting. This helped set the turnaround for the Jews deliverance and rescue.
                     A priest, also, prays for his family. Psalms 2 says that our inheritance is the nations. We can pray for souls and see them saved. Yes, I realize that not everyone will be saved, but if we pray in faith, we can see revival in nations!  So, step up to the challenge and start being a King and Priest in these last days. 


Scripture reading: Esther 4
               
Prayer: "Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for your word. Today, I will walk as a King (Queen) and Priest. I will rule over my mind and my flesh. I will rule over circumstances and problems. I will, also, pray for America and its government. I stand in the gap for President Obama and America. Stir up the churches. Bring a spirit of repentance and cause fires of revival to shake us. Bring us back to the great commission and give us a love for souls. In Jesus wonderful name. AMEN! "

What are you doing with your keys?

                 

                  "...behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys                                  of hell and of death."  (Rev 1:18)


                 As I was studying Revelations 1:18, the Holy Spirit led me to do a study on keys. In this time and age, everybody has a key. A key to a house or a car, but in biblical times, a key was symbolic to authority. Jesus has the keys, which symbolizes authority The good news is that he shares those keys with us---The bride of Christ! The word of God says that we are joint heirs with Jesus. A joint heir is compared to a wife.
           We, need to understand the meaning of covenant. When you get married, you are entering into a covenant. Society has cheapened the concept of marriage to an all time low. As a consequence of this, it has lost the true meaning of it. A marriage is when you learn to share all things with that special person, including your innermost secrets and possessions.
                  Jesus shares his secrets with his church. We are the church! When the husband has the keys to the house or car, he shares it with his wife. Jesus has the keys! The keys to life, the keys to healing,as well as the keys to hell and death! The word of God says that he has given us authority to thread on serpents and scorpions. (Luke 10:19) We can use the keys that he has given us to pray for our loved ones salvation.
           Keys can be used to bind or loose from bondage. When you were bond in biblical times, you were in chains. Praise God, he has loosed us and set us free from sin, the world and death! To add the icing to the cake, he gave us the keys. John 10:9 says that he is the door and we enter in. Those keys that were given to us, opens the door to salvation! 
          Friends, Salvation is,not,just being free from hell, but it is more than that. The Greek work "Soteria" defines it as healing, preservation  protection and financial provision. How do we use those keys? Our keys are in our tongues. The book of Proverbs defines the tongue as life and death. These keys that can, either, open doors of blessings or curses in our lives and others. So, in this day, let us learn to use, wisely, the keys that our Lord has instructed to our care. 



Scripture reading: James 3

Prayer: "Heavenly, Father, Thank you for speaking to me through your word. Help me to use my tongue wisely. I commit before you, Lord, with the help of the Holy Spirit to control my tongue. Help me to think before I speak. Lord, I speak death to sickness, poverty, the works of the flesh and lack. I speak favor, strength, peace and wisdom in my life. Thank you, Lord, for teaching me on how to use my keys today, in Jesus name. Amen" 

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Bible verses courtesy of www.biblegateway.com
                         

Use your angels! Part II

    

                          
                      USE YOUR ANGELS!


                   In this day, we will continue with our study of the role of angels. In paintings, we have seen angels as feminine or chubby little babies with wings. Nothing could be further from the truth. Heb 1:7 declares that they are ministering spirits and flames of fire. If you were into Superheroes and comics like I was,  then you can, probably remember the FANTASTIC FOUR! 




                     Four Superheroes and the unique thing was that one of them was a woman. Quite radical for the '60's ! All were endued with special powers. One of them was called the HUMAN TORCH! He would turn his body into fire as he yelled-FLAME ON! 




Tragically, he died, not long ago,  in the comic book world industry. Comics books, until recently, would have a happy ending. Everyone would be smiling and be happy forever and ever. If you were to see an Angel, your hair would stand on its own. They are impressive and manifest themselves as fire from time to time. The word says that they are ministering angels to help us.(Heb 1:14)




 They are there to protect us as they hearken to God's word.(Psalms 103:20) That is why it is important to guard your tongue and speak only God's word to your situation. When we sin or speak words of doubt, our Angels do not have a responsibility to help us. The ministry of Angels in this day and age is so important. Let us use our Angels to help us in time of need. Let us be filled with the fire of God and stop living a lukewarm life. Stir yourself with the fire of God and say FLAME ON! Revival is here to stay! God bless! 


Scripture reading-Hebrews 1


Prayer-"Thank you for speaking to me, Dear Lord! Help me to use my angels. Help me to speak only your word to my situation. Help me to find areas in which I might have been lukewarm. Revive me, Lord, with your Spirit. Stir up the fires of revival in my life so I can tell others about you. In Jesus Name. AMEN! "

The role of angels!

" The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:" 
                        (Rev 1:1) *


                    Today, let's take a look at the role of Angels. In the above passage, we see an Angel bringing a divine message to John, the apostle. These celestial creatures have different functions in the word. They ministered to Jesus after his 40 day fast. Protected Jesus from Herod's wrath and helped Israel win important battles, but did you know that Angels can protect us? There is one condition-Reverence!
                            " The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them." (Ps 34:7)*
                      When we see the word fear, it doesn't mean to fear God literally, it implies respect. God compares his relationship as a Father to us. A good father doesn't intimidate and mistreats his son. A good father will command respect. A son should not fear approaching his father and spending time with him, but have a respect that should he get out of line, there are consequences to face! Such should be our relationship with Father God!
                            We hear testimonies of how God has protected believers many times in life. I, personally, have seen times that Angels of God has protected us and our family. There is one condition-Reverence him! Getting out of line with God will leave the door open to the enemy and leave you defenseless. 
             So, in this day, let us examine ourselves for areas in which we might have gotten out of line with God. I realize that nobody's perfect, but spending time in his presence will help us get the grace needed in time of help. Jesus is our mediator and we can come to him to make it right. It can be, in the long run, a matter of life and death. God bless!


*Verses provided by www.biblegateway.com


Scripture readings: Matt 1:13-15
                           Matt 4: 1-11


Prayer-"Dear Lord, search my heart. Reveal to me areas of disobedience in my life. Show me if I had gotten distracted from serving you. Lord, forgive me of any sin that stands between you and me. Wash me in your blood. Give me the grace to help me in time of need. Thank you, Lord, for speaking to me-In Jesus name, AMEN!