Find the missing puzzle!

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Their purpose is to teach wisdom and discipline,
to help one understand wise sayings.
They provide insightful instruction,
which is righteous, just, and full of integrity.
They make the naive mature,
the young knowledgeable and discreet.
The wise hear them and grow in wisdom;
those with understanding gain guidance.
They help one understand proverbs and difficult sayings,
the words of the wise, and their puzzles.
(Prov 1:1-6) (CEB)

              Lately, I have been studying the book of Proverbs. Proverbs is one of my favorite books because I cannot tell you the countless times these verses have provided the answers to life's toughest problems in my life. I, also, found that when you dig into the bible, you can find some precious treasures in life. Brethren, when you study the Bible, don't read it as a newspaper. Learn to read it as God's love letter to you.
                   Also, take advantage of technology. Bilbegateway offers a great way to enhance your bible studies with the different versions at hand. I am a fan of the King James version but I have found that you can find some nuggets of learning using different versions. I will enclose a link below,
                 I want you to pay attention to Proverbs 1:1-6. Notice on verse 6 (Common English Bible), it says that the words of the wise are like puzzles. When I was a kid, I liked doing puzzles. There were 100 piece puzzles which were easy to solve and there were 300 to 500 pieces, which were hard. The 500 piece puzzle required attention to detail and discipline. Sometimes, when I would take on the harder puzzle, my parents and sister would help.
                   In life, Circumstances can be a hard puzzle to solve. Sometimes, we need the church and the Pastor to provide the missing part but the most important of all is God! He has the missing piece of the puzzle. Life will give us a curve ball with its difficulties and challenges. Sometimes, we pull our hairs out and bite our nails thinking about our problems. I have good news---Get the missing piece of the puzzle in life. God is waiting to help you solve that mystery!
                      I want to issue out a challenge. Dig into the book of Proverbs. Study it! Meditate on it and even memorize it and see what God won't do! It will help you in the long run. So, today ask the Lord for wisdom. Remember Christ is made unto you wisdom. He is the know it all with all the answers in life and he lives in you. God bless.

www.biblegateway.com

Confronting your enemies!

                                  

                
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Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. ( I Sam 17:36)

Whether you know it or not, you have a Lion and a Bear waiting for you. In a battle, it is important to identify and name your opponent. The Bible calls Jesus, the Lion of Judah and as children of God, we are Lion cubs, growing and getting groomed for battle. When I think of a Lion, it reminds me of the cowardly lion of the Wizard of Oz.
The poor sap had a problem with fear but at the end, a medal was given to the Lion by the Wizard of Oz to instill in him courage. We have more than that--The Bible says we are more than a conqueror. We have no reason to fear. So, what is the Lion in our lives? Satan! He comes in as a roaring lion, but guess what? He has been defeated and has no teeth. (Ps 3:7)
When we take our place in Christ, there is a roar. It reminds me of the Three Stooges when two of them masqueraded as a fake bull. When the real bull came in view, they left their costume and headed for the hills. The same with us as we take our place in Christ. All fear and unbelief is gone with our roar!
What is the Bear?

                                   IDENTIFYING THE BEAR! 

              Let's identify the Bear. The interesting part of I Sam 17:36 is the word slew. Slew means to kill. A wild beast like the Lion or Bear that is wounded can be dangerous. That is why many of you have seen your situation go from bad to worse. You have to slay those wild beasts.
In fact, as you read I Samuel 17:34-36, you find that David was no wimp. He was a tough guy who grabbed those beasts by the beard and beat them to death. We have to do the same with our spiritual enemies. Show them no mercy. 
Let's take a look at the bear. The bear represents finances. Two things I have to state my case. First, in the stock market, there is what is known as the Bear Market. The Bear Market is when it is tough to make a profit and the stocks are unsteady. Have you ever heard of the saying---That is a bear of a problem?
The reason why many have problems in the financial realm is that it is a Bear that is facing them. We need to be like David---Confront the problem and nip it at the bud. The first place we need to start is in our minds. We need to see ourselves victorious. We need to renew our minds. 
Our debts and finances are talking to us day and nights. Many are staying awake thinking how are we going to pay this bill! We need to talk back to our debts and financial oppression. 
In fact, we should gather our bills together on our table and converse with them on a daily basis. 
Learn to laugh at your problems. You are in covenant with God and if you are tithing and giving offerings, your enemies are God's enemies. In fact, he's laughing at them right now in heaven. (PS 2) Have a good laugh. Its good for you and see yourself in victory.

Bible verses provided by Biblegateway.com

Please look at my Free ebook offer below. I want to bless you. Thank you!

To all....

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                First of all, thanks to all who have supported and read this blog on a frequent basis. As a special thank you, I would like to offer my eBook for free as my way to thank you for your support. 
Many reading this may be struggling with great financial needs. I am here to tell you that there is help coming your way. God has tremendous biblical principles that will help you get your debts paid and help you to walk in abundance.
                      Personally, I have experienced this in my life. I have sown in the past and have reaped tremendous financial and other rewards. Learn how to use God's principles in my book so that you can be blessed and walk in victory. Also, look us up at our facebook page--How to pray for finances. In it, you will find some financial tips, videos and further instructions on prayer itself. Also, feel free to invite others as well. So do yourself a favor and send me an email. You can email me at 
angelsantos72003@yahoo.com and request your free copy. This book is a gift that I, personally, want to sow into your life as a small token of appreciation of your support. God bless. 

From my heart to yours!

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                First, I want to thank you for helping me with my facebook likes and giving me some support. I, really, appreciate all you do for me and the ministry. God has given me the gift of writing and so far, I have written two eBooks. While I have not gotten rich over my books, it has been a rewarding experience.

                Also, the Lord has shown me some vital keys in praying for my finances. Just recently, I sowed into a ministry $58.00 and in about 2 weeks, I got a check for $4,000! While I rejoice at that testimony, I did not get to that faith level overnight. It took a while and some hard work. (Trial and error), but lately God has given me some revelation knowledge that has paid off for me. 

                 I was led to write How to pray for finances and thought that I could sell it to my brethren for a small investment, but lately, the Lord told me to offer it for free. You may ask---What will it cost me? Nothing! God has worked it out beautifully in that I can offer my facebook partners my book for free, but hurry, this offer will not last long. You have 2 weeks in which to act. Just email me at angelsantos72003@yahoo.com and I will rush it to you. 

                    I, only, ask that you invite your friends to our like page. We need to get the good news to others as well. In these last days, many will be in need of finances. This is an excellent tool to have the bait for others to be saved. Think about this, if I was unsaved and in need of finances, I would be open to the good news. So, can you help me reach others with my page? I would like to reach 1,000,000 likes. Please consider this task prayerfully. Anyway, enjoy your book  and God bless you. 

            

                               Pastor Angel 

Is tomorrow not promised?

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Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. (James 4:14)

                                                         Knowledge of his will 

               Tomorrow is not promised. Many in the body of Christ say that so much. At times, it may sound biblical, but the truth of the matter is, it is not in the Bible. Many confuse the above verse to speak about death coming to you at any time, but it is not. A look at Col 1:9 adds a piece to the puzzle---

For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding (Col 1:9)

              Notice that the word, clearly, says with the knowledge of his will. Whose will? The will of God! God's word is God's will! Many, including yours truly, have in the past made our plans. We, even, talk to God in our prayers for the plan of the day. What about God's plan? 

                In a marriage, a man does not, always, carry out his plans....It makes common sense to consult with his wife and get her mind in the matter. In fact, if a man carries out his plan especially in the financial area without consulting his wife, he is asking for trouble.The same with God. Marriage is a covenant between a man and a wife. Likewise, it is the same with God. We are in covenant with him. 
It simply makes good sense to just ask God---Ok, what is your will for me today? The day goes better for us when we do it and we won't have to be out of the will of God. I will take this a little further. God wants to reveal your calling and your purpose in life. (Eph 1:18)

                                               Fulfilling your will and purpose.

                  Friend, don't ever go through life without fulfilling your purpose and calling in life. It is possible to die before your time. (Ecc 7:17) Make sure that death does not surprise you doing your "own" thing. Make sure you finish the work and purpose assigned to you. 
You may reason---Ok, I don't agree. If the Lord wants me to be alive, he will protect me because he is sovereign. Well, look at it this way---You don't get up and say if the Lord wills, he will comb my hair. If the Lord wills, he will brush my teeth. There are some things that are left to you. You have a part to do.
Let me prove my case by sharing the verse below---

"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." (II Peter 3:9)

                The key word is willing. Not all that God wants will be accomplished on earth? Why? Because people have a part to do in helping God fulfill his will on the earth. In this case, he is not going to violate the human will to force mankind to accept salvation! The same applies to healing, prosperity and long life. Again in Ecc 7:17, there are things that you and I can do to shorten our lives and not accomplish God's calling and assignment. Some will disagree and quote James 4:15. Let's take a good look at that verse---

                            "For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that."
                                                               (James 4:15)

                        Yes, I agree that it does say if God wills, we shall live and do this. James 4:14 says that our lives are a vapor, but let's look at it from the time it was written. These Christians needed to be aware that not all were called to be a businessman (woman). Some were called to be martyrs. 
They needed to stand watch to be ready to fulfill their calling as martyrs to give up their lives for Jesus. True, everyone is supposed to give their lives for the Lord, but there are some that God will spare in order to fulfill their calling. That is where the knowledge of God comes in. You need to know where lies your calling and assignment. You need to be sure that you are fulfilling your calling and place in God. 
                                  A case in point was Paul. He knew that he was called to be a martyr, but he loved the brethren so much, he asked the Lord for an extension on his life. He went beyond the call of duty and stopped the hand of death in his life. (Read II Tim 4:17, Phil 1:23) Another case in point was the Apostle John. Tradition says that he was tortured and put in a pot of boiling oil. They had tried to kill him but could not. He was exiled in Patmos and when he fulfilled his sentence, he preached until he was in his 80's. (Rev 10:9-11) 
                            Another example is prayer. I was so angered that the Muslims over in Iraq were killing and torturing Christians that I wondered how Satan is taking advantage of robbing many from fulfilling their calling in life.So, I decided to pray for them and dispatched angels on their behalf. After a few days, I rejoiced. Why? Because God had raised up an army of Kurds to face the Muslims for battle. As a result, many Christians were spared and they got to, eventually, come back to their homes. Friends, prayer works! 
                     In America, we don't have people killing Christians, at least, not yet. True, we must be willing to give our lives for the Lord if need be, but I am convinced that through our prayers, things can change. God wants to use us more than we can imagine. So, in this day, don't let the devil rob you from your divine destiny through his lies. Decide to find out where God has called you to and fulfill your assignment. You will be happy you did!

             

Your roots are in Christ!

                                         Your roots are listed in God's word!
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"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;"
                                     ( I Peter 2:9)


                  This verse says it all. A holy nation (singular), not nations! If we were to take this to heart, racism within the church would be wiped away. There is no separation of races because all are one in Christ. It is interesting that when God revealed his plan to Abraham that he was to become the father of all nations, he started with the stars. That indicates the spiritual seed came first in God's mind.
                  If we were to so identify ourselves with Christ, we would enjoy a trainload of blessings. It is amazing how ancestry.com can promote and make money just by stirring up people's curiosity of where they came from and their roots. Many of them take pride in being related to a famous person. Nothing wrong with searching for your natural roots. I did search for my roots and found a blend of etnic backgrounds in my family. I have to admit it was interesting what I found out through ancestry.com.
                How much more in Christ?  I, for one, am happy to be related with Christ Jesus--God in the flesh! The one who created the universe. You can't get better than that! If you want to find your roots in the natural, read Noah's life in Genesis. I am sure you can find your etnic background in there. Again, nothing wrong with trying to find your roots, but when you spend time searching  your roots in Christ, you will be astounded at what you see. First, Acts 17:26, says that when we accepted Jesus, you and I are of the same blood.
                 Some of us don't like the sound of the word blood. To some, it brings bad memories of an acccident or a tragic event. But, blood can be a good thing. How many of you would like to be from a  family with blue blood? Blue blood means coming from royalty and  I Peter 2:9 says it all! A royal priesthood. You and I came from royalty!
                   Second, sickness and generational curses travels through the blood. How many of you would like to have Christ's blood flow through your veins and kill all the germs, sicknesses and bacteria? It can be done through communion and remembering what Christ done for us! Meditate on your roots in Christ. It can be a life-changing experience! God bless!

Bible verses by www.biblegateway.com

                        

Be careful with your feelings!

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 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Heb 4:12)

                           Many times, when we hear the word soul, we, automatically, think of the spirit and yes, in some bible verses it may imply that.  In others, the soul is completely different. One thing to see is that man was created in three beings---Spirit, soul and body. (I Thess 5:23) The soul implies the mind, thoughts and feelings. In the above verse (Heb 4:12), we see that the word helps us to see the difference between our thoughts (Soul) and God's thoughts (Spirit).  You see, Brethren, we need to be so Christ-inside minded that our very thoughts are in line with his thoughts. We need to have discernment on identifying our feelings and if its in line with the word. Remember, you have the mind of Christ!
                      A case in point was Noah. God gave them a command. Let's look at the verse below--
            " And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. " (Gen 9:1)
                  Sounds familiar? Of course! That is the same command given to Adam and Eve. God had allowed a flood to come in the form of rain and destroy mankind, except for Noah and his family. Now, Noah and his family were given a charge---Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth!
Sounds simple, right? Wrong. If you continue to read the accounts, Noah and his family did not follow through on God's command. How do I know this? If you read Gen 11:4, we see Noah's seed. They wanted to build a tower whose top may reach heaven, make a name and finally the words....Lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of this earth! It started with one act of disobedience and grew into defiance and pride.
          Defiance because of making a tower whose top may reach heaven. Brethren, they were building this tower in case another flood came. They knew about God and heard about his works, but they fell into the same carnal mindset of the past before the flood. Sin multiplied and it was contaminating society. They knew that God was going to judge them and prepared themselves for the flood---just in case.
                    They were, also, prideful. They wanted to have the glory and not give it to God. Pride comes before a fall. The root of this was the first command of God --To be scattered about the earth and they were not about to do this. What happened? They dwelt in Sinar, which was Babylon. Babylon means confusion. When you depart from God's command in your life, you dwell in confusion.
             What happened after this? God had an ace up his sleeve. He did not judge them with the flood, but with confusion of their language. Before this, they spoke one language, now their language was split into different dialects and words and they could not communicate. Are you relying on your feelings? Seek God's face and get some godly counsel. Yes, there are times in which God speaks through feelings, but be careful that it does not contradict the word nor God's direction for your life. Failure to follow through can not only affect you but your family and generations to come. God bless.

Bible verses courtesy of www.biblegateway.com