Honesty Comes Supernaturally

          "I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord...of justice and might."  Micah 3:8

Every person who truly follows Jesus has what is needed to walk with integrity on Planet Earth.

What do they have?

All real Christians have the Holy Spirit of God living inside to guide their steps.

Do challenges come to interfere? 

Yes.  In fact, I dealt with one recently.

Earlier this week I bought some goat cheese and a fruit/nut mix at the grocery store.  These items should have cost $14, but the cashier only charged me $8.  I paid, knowing full well that this did not seem right, however.....

I did not bother to say anything, nor did I look at the receipt when it was handed to me.

I left the store and tried to suppress any guilt by rationalizing, "I guess one of the items must have been on special--besides, I am in a hurry right now". 

Jesus was not impressed with these rationalizations used to justify my actions, so.....

over the next couple of days Holy Spirit kept speaking to me about this incident, reminding me that I needed to take a look at that receipt.

When I did finally view the receipt, I saw that I had not been charged for the fruit/nut mix.

Why had Holy Spirit kept bringing this matter to my mind?  Because our God desires complete honesty from His people. 

"Ok, on my next trip to the store I will go to customer service and tell them I wasn't charged for this item."

The next time I went grocery shopping, I went over to customer service and told the woman what happened.  She looked directly at me with a puzzled expression on her face, and then she glanced over at another close-by employee as if to say, "Can you believe this? This woman is crazy, she wants to pay for an item that was not on her receipt.  This store would never have known."

I'm not sure if those were her actual thoughts, but what I am sure of is this---No, the store might have never known, but my Lord Jesus knew all about it, and He wanted me to make things right.

Would Jesus be that strict? 

Actually, yes--He wants His followers to walk with complete integrity at all times.

                    "Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord."  Proverbs 11:1

I got another bag of the same type fruit/nut mix from the shelf so woman in customer service would know what amount to charge me. 

She smiled and said, "Thank you, a lot of people would not have done this".

 I told the woman, "In times past I wouldn't have been honest, but now I am a follower of Jesus, and this is what He requires of me."

So.....

Thanks to Holy Spirit this story has a good ending.  I left the store feeling great because I did the right thing.  I had defeated that fleshy pull to ignore a wrong, and I had turned this situation into a great opportunity to witness about our awesome Creator God.

Praises to The wonderful Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus!

Mislabeled as Food

                       "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..." Hosea 4:6  

We live in a society that is literally starving.

There is a hunger inside each person crying out to be filled with pure food.

These days perfect food for the body, soul, and spirit is being contaminated by humans and marketed as something desirable.  Even though real nourishment is readily available, a vast majority of people are not partaking of it. 

Why?

The trend seems to be gobbling up "food" that is fast and easily available, without bothering to research what is actually being eaten. 

It takes a little time and effort to seek out the facts about what we are being fed, but it is well worth the effort because.....

knowing the results can lead to life----------or----------they can lead to death.

Reading labels of packaged food often reveals the following harmful ingredients: artificial preservatives, artificial flavors, artificial colors, hydrogenated fat, and an enormity of artificial and natural sweeteners.

These products might look and taste good to people because the senses have been dulled from so much exposure to these unnecessary additions to the food.  It seems right to eat this junk because people have been bombarded by advertisers saying "you need this--it will satisfy you",  "you must have this attractive product today", however.....

research reveals that these artificial man-made inclusions to food prove toxic to our bodies over time.

Don't go by the deceptively enticing pictures, or the large alluring messages on the front label, but instead read the tiny print on the back to discover the truth about what is being sold.

Our Creator God made live, health-promoting food for our bodies---beautiful and delicious vegetables, fruits, whole grains, etc.  When you eat these real and perfect foods on a regular basis, the contaminated foods begin to taste really bad--the flavor will be noticeably "off".

Spiritual food is absolutely no different.

The same Creator God who put those living fruits and vegetables on Earth to feed our body also gave us His living Word to nourish our spirit.

Unfortunately, many people do not take the time to read the Bible anymore than they take time to read the small print on labels.

Many teachings today are as man-contaminated as food products are.  Some so-called preachers are filling people up with an inferior fake product.  These artificial messages are so polished by "fancy advertising" that people are buying them in place of the real thing.

Any preacher or spiritual guru can dress up fancily and speak out from their latest book, their TV program, or from behind a pulpit in the local congregation.  This allows them to recite something that they want to sell, and often what is being peddled is their personal view.  When the perfect Word of God is infused with man's own thoughts, it makes the message unhealthy for the soul. 

Unless the message lines up with pure Biblical Truth it should be discarded, but a person can't really know if the "ingredients" used in the sermon or teaching are harmful until time has been taken to study the Word of Truth. The only way to know Truth is to educate yourself in the Bible to the point that you can literally "taste" the wrongness of those fake messages.

"Solid food belongs to those who are of full age, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."  Hebrews 5:14.

You have choices of what you put into the body, soul, and spirit.  Why, oh why would you want to promote dis-ease by ingesting man-made inferior substances when you could choose the wonderful life-giving body, soul, and spirit nutrition that your Creator intended?

                                               ".....Choose Life....." Deuteronomy 30:19

Outside the Lines

Jesus tells His followers:

"Do not worry about things, saying "What will we eat?" "What will we drink?" "What will we wear?" These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else---live righteously, and He will give you everything you need."  Matthew 6:31-34

Does doubt ever try to creep into my thoughts?

Unfortunately, yes.

I texted a friend a few days ago to give encouragement.  I reminded him of the above Bible verses from the book of Matthew telling us not to concern ourselves with daily earthly needs, that our heavenly Father knows all about them.

Later in the day I seemed to forget that those verses applied to the circumstances in my own life.  As I looked at the receipt from my car's oil-change, it revealed need of brake, hose, tire, and front-end attention. 

 I  literally felt the fear begin to well up inside as I reflected on the low balance of my bank account.  "No, I do not need this frustration right now!"

I then looked up, and immediately saw a sign on the wall that encouraged coloring outside the lines. 

Of course!  Why was I beginning to fret?

My heavenly Father does not have to stay within the lines of my rationalization.  He paints lovely pictures for my life that are not dictated from barriers imposed by my fear. 

Do I believe Jesus is the all-powerful Son of God?  Absolutely!

Is Jesus  my personal Lord?  Yes!

How many times has my Lord come through for me, providing for my needs?  Literally hundreds, probably more like thousands of times.

Is anything too hard for Jesus?  No.

Will He help with the repairs of the car?  Yes, I trust my Lord to help me with every issue on Planet Earth.  All I have to do is maintain the childlike faith to believe Him.

I do not have to know how He will do it, I only have to trust it will be done.......

Thank You, Father--in Jesus' Name.,

Amen!

Daily Inspection

He who believes in Me, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water..John 7:38.

Picture how a submarine glides smoothly through the water.  But what would happen if one of its seams developed a small separation due to the constant pressure of that surrounding water?  Even though this opening would most likely be so tiny that it would be imperceptible to the human eye, this vessel would slowly begin to take on the water from the outside.  Nobody would even be aware until it was too late, and.....the sub began to sink.

If you truly belong to Jesus, then your heart is similar to this submarine under water.  But instead of water, it is the world's traits that continually surround you. 

Satan would like to infiltrate your heart with his pride, hate, fear, lust, greed, condemnation--- every ugly fleshy thing.  These common worldly traits are constantly pushing against you in a insidious effort to penetrate your heart, and take you down.

Our enemy's subtle tactics are often not noticed because these offensive attitudes are so widely accepted in our culture, however..... 

Satan's ways are repulsive inspirations that do great harm! 

Be alert!  Even though these traits are not intended for a Christian, these negative qualities can begin to sabotage the heart of the most avid Christ-follower. 

Surrounded by attitudes that are not authored by our Creator, it is up to you as the Christian to be watchful for the attempted illegal entry of Satan's foreign matter to your heart.

Beware, Satan's ways are cunning, so......how do you keep his worldly ways out?

You have to stay on guard.  You must maintain a regular, daily inspection to see if your heart is lining up with the love-heart of your Lord Jesus.

How do you do this?

Daily reading of the Word of God will point out all foreign and poisonous attitudes trying to infiltrate your heart and mind.  Listen very closely to the guiding of the Holy Spirit of Jesus and He will help you eliminate these toxicities.

Remember.....

Our enemy Satan's ways are all ugly---toxic/death-promoting/cursing/condemning/judgemental.

Our Lord Jesus' ways are all beautiful---healthy/life-giving/blessing/encouraging/comforting.

Be committed to not allow the foreign "water" of the enemy contaminate the living water of Jesus inside your heart. 

Creations of Habit

If you are united with the Anointed One, you are a new creation.  The old life is gone...a new life has begun! 2 Cor. 5:17.

When I got out of prison I was required to put an alcohol-detecting device on my car.  This is a piece of equipment that has to blown into before the car will start.

I was mandated to have this device on my car the 4 years I was on parole.  Each day, I would get into my car, turn the key part-way in the ignition, and the machine would start to beep.  I could then blew into this contraption so that my car would start. 

It was only after its removal that I begin seeing how conditioned I was to this acquired habit.  Several days after the removal of the device I can remember sitting inside my car waiting for the beep so that I could blow into that machine.  I sat there and laughed out loud.....all I had to do now was turn the key fully to start the car.

Yea, what freedom it was to.....just get in the car and drive.

I was thinking about the freedom a reborn child of God has.  We should be totally joyful that we have been set free by Jesus. 

We now possess the Key.....

Reborn children of God are supposed to---just get into life and love.

Jesus died so that we wouldn't have to be bound up by things learned from the past---fear, frustration, retaliation, pride, greed, lust, etc.  When we belong to Him..the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit..Romans 5:5.

Don't complicate it.

His way is simple.

The world needs their Creator.  Jesus told us we are to "be" witnesses for Him all over the earth..Acts 1:8.

                                            God is love...1 John 4:8

He told us to love each other deeply and fully, remembering the ways He has loved us, and to demonstrate our love for others in those same ways.  John 13:34........

We are not supposed to sit and wait for vessels to give us alerts to blow breath into them---  we should make it a habit to just get into life each day and turn on the key of love.

Fe' Come Closer

                 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you...James 4:8

I have been observing my cat Fe' for a few years now.  Fe' is the Spanish word for faith.

This pretty black cat came to me as part of an entire family six years ago.  In time, her mom and three litter mates disappeared.....

Now it is just me and Fe'.

I know Fe' is aware that I am the one who takes care of her.  She has never lacked for anything since arriving at my doorstep.....I love Fe'.

Many times each day Fe' comes over and wants me to pet her.  There are times when Fe' lets me pick her up, but it seems that just as often, when I bend toward her she moves away from my reach.  Fe' comes close for affection, then retreats.  As this happens over and over, I get a little frustrated by her actions because I am not able to love on her the way I would like to.

There is no consistency of complete trust in the one who takes care of her.

I realize these actions stem from Fe's early beginning on Planet Earth.  I'm sure she questioned why her entire family deserted her.  I'm sure she thought they didn't love her.  I'm sure she was lonely for them.  I'm sure she questioned why the world was so mean, so.....

Now Fe' has a difficult time totally relaxing in who I am for her.  Maybe she thinks she shouldn't get too close because I might let her down also. 

It seems to me that Fe' would always want to be right in the middle of my lap---the person who welcomed her with love.

Makes me think that Jesus probably feels that way with some of us.  It looks like any person who has been rescued by Him should have complete trust in His love.

There should never be a pulling away from Him.  Instead, we should always be running toward Jesus, wanting to sit in the lap of the One who rescued us.

Just as I am not able to reach out and touch Fe' when she backs away from me, Jesus is not able to bless us as much as He would like when we pull away from Him.

Many things can pull us away from Jesus..... 

What goes on in your thoughts? 

What are you giving attention to? 

Are you concerned with.....Past earthly issues?  Present earthly issues?  Future earthly issues? 

Earthly things will surely dominate your attention, and weaken your faith.....if you allow them to. 

You are supposed to cast all your care upon Him, because He cares for you...1 Peter 5:7.

Run to your Savior with all your worries.  Don't let earthly concerns pull you away from intimacy with Him.

Jesus can only pick you up and hold you close when you run to Him and allow Him to do what He does best as your personal Lord God. 

Remember..........

Jesus loves you so much that He actually died---just for you!

Just Bloom

             Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God, but this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing..2 Corinthians 2:15

While driving past a field the other day, I noticed a single yellow flower growing among the grass.  There must have been millions of blades of grass, and yet my attention was drawn to this single flower.

Why did this flower command attention?

Because......it was distinct.

If you are a true follower of Jesus, you will stand out among the world's views and actions.  You won't look like the world, talk like the world, think like the world, or function like the world.

Jesus is the embodiment of Truth.

If Jesus is your Lord, do not be surprised by others' reactions as you represent Truth.  Even those very close to you may not understand your stance on certain issues.. 

When Jesus' own family heard about this craziness, they went to drag Him out of that place. They were saying "He's out of His mind!" Mark 3:21.

If you are a disciple of Jesus, you should not to be discouraged or afraid when there is persecution for being different.......Jesus wasn't. 

Bottom line is that the world needs to see, hear, feel, taste, and smell Truth in action.

Remember.....Truth always leaves the scent of love in the atmosphere.

                                Keep blooming Truth, for Jesus' sake!

Truth in Action

Jesus said..."I am Truth"  John 14:6

Jesus said..."You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to My teaching.  Then you will know the Truth, and the Truth will make you free."  John 8:32

Truth is the Word of God.......Jesus is the Word of God

Truth is eternal.......Jesus is eternal

Truth is life.......Jesus is life

Truth is constant.......Jesus is constant

Truth always loves.......Jesus always loves

Truth heals your spirit.......Jesus heals your spirit

Truth heals your soul (mind, will, emotions).......Jesus heals your mind, will, & emotions

Truth heals your body (sickness, disease, anxiety).......Jesus heals your body

Truth is faithful.......Jesus is faithful

Truth never fails.......Jesus never fails

Truth is wisdom.......Jesus is wisdom

Truth always forgives.......Jesus always forgives

Truth is just.......Jesus is just

Truth convicts evil.......Jesus convicts evil

Truth redeems people from darkness.......Jesus redeems you from darkness

Truth delivers people from bondage.......Jesus delivers you from bondage

Truth makes you free.......Jesus makes you free

                   If the Son sets you free, you will really be free. John 8:36

                                                   

What is Truth?

           Jesus said....I am Truth.. John 14:6

                 

                                                   

Beautiful Flower? Deadly Seed!

They band together and roam from house to house, gossiping about and meddling into other people's business; they talk about all sorts of things that should never be spoken of..1 Timothy 5:13

Nature is an amazing teacher.  What happens in the physical world is often a potential spiritual lesson.

I have been walking my friend's dog Sparky along a nature trail the past three weeks.  Each day I see thousands of tiny white flowering plants.  They appear very lovely to the eyes.....they seem harmless.

I have observed these plants before.  In a matter of time, these lovely minuscule flowers begin to turn very dark, and they eventually form ugly black sticky seeds.

As people and animals walk past, these seeds seem to jump out and attach to the innocent victims' clothes and fur.  They are then carried and dropped in other places.  Taking root, they continue to spread in an effort to conquer new territory.

There is nothing good about these plants......they turn ugly, and they spread.

It is interesting how these plants demonstrate gossipy people who slander others with words.  They may start out using pretty and flattering words that gain entrance into a person's life, but their words turn into harmful attempts to sabotage that very same person.

Why would anyone spread destructive gossip?  It is most likely because they are completely insecure.  Insecurity promotes an urgent act to tear someone else down in order to feel good about themselves.  Insecurity tries to get the other person on its side.  Insecurity just likes to hear itself ramble on and on.

Only God can truly know the specific motives behind any individual who practices malicious gossip.  I only know that this type of behavior does not come from a beautiful and loving heart that is right with Jesus.

I realize we all have the potential to slip up and get fleshy.  Most of us can occasionally use words or actions that do not measure up with the loving behavior that Jesus always desires, but.....a major warning should sound about a person that maintains repeated consistency in this type of slanderous activity.

When someone says to you, "I am only telling you this because I care about this person"......you should be on alert that gossip might be about to ensue.

Listen to Holy Spirit's voice.  He will direct you to discard all seeds of gossip before they begin to turn dark and try to attach themselves.  Gossip does not come from our Jesus.

The Lord said, "..why were you not afraid to speak against My servant..?" Numbers 12:8.

 Do not give life to the hateful seeds of gossip by planting them somewhere else.  Cast those ugly seeds to the ground.  Be the one to step on and crush their hurtful potential.

Studying the Bible will train you to discern false and hurtful motives in a person's words.  The Word of God will also teach you how to nullify gossip's "evil attempt" by speaking life words of blessing and love.

                 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21.

God Provides

Know this: my God will fill every need you have according to His glorious riches in Jesus the Anointed, our Liberating King. (Philippians 4:19)

The last blog I wrote (Word Snatcher) was about watching a bird fly by with a twig in its beak; I supposed it was for a nest. The bird became fearful when it was confronted by an enemy (my cat Fe'), and in a panic let the provision drop to the ground. 

I related this to how our enemy, the devil, tries to steal God's Covenant Word of divine care from His children by frightening them about circumstances. 

Know this....circumstances do not change the ability of our God to provide for His children's needs.

Almost one year after watching that bird drop its provision I was sitting in the backyard of a friend.  It was springtime, and I watched as a male bird flew over to a small birdhouse with something in its mouth (perhaps it was a worm, or maybe it was a twig for a nest).

A female bird's head appeared from inside the birdhouse and took whatever it was from the male's mouth.  She then disappeared back inside the house to either eat the worm, or add the twig to the nest inside.

It was so beautiful to watch the female accept the provision from her mate without hesitation.  She simply trusted that what he had for her was good, then she opened her mouth and received it.

What a wonderful picture of how we are to trust our God (if Jesus is our Lord).  With childlike faith, we believe that our Heavenly Father knows what we need.  It doesn't matter if the provision is for healing, financial, or spiritual needs.....we can be absolutely sure that He will be faithful to get it to us at exactly the right time. 

We do not doubt His care for us......we simply open our hearts to receive the needed provision from Him.

The covenant of God's love for us is detailed in the Bible's new testament.  It is guaranteed by the signature of Jesus our God, using His blood as the ink.

So do not consume yourself with questions: What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?, What will we do?.....your Heavenly Father knows exactly what you need.....(Matthew 6:31-32, "What will we do?" is added by me).

Word Snatcher

                           ...the devil comes and steals the word..Luke 8:12

I began writing a journal while I was inside a Texas prison (2009-10), and I continue to document occurrences in my life to this day. 

I was reading in a 2014 journal about losing my house in a public auction.  I wrote about while exercising on my treadmill, I was thinking that in less than two weeks I would be in another location......"I lost my beautiful home, I have to move out!"  I would be leaving behind years of memories inside this house, as well as having to get rid of a 14 year collection of things.  Ugh!

Fear began trying to gain entrance into my heart.  Fear wanted me to forget all that God had done in my life.  Fear wanted to make me forget who my Creator is.  Fear wanted to replace   God's promises of who He is, with doubt, unbelief, and discouragement.

I was looking out the window as I thought about all this, and I noticed a bird fly by with something in its mouth.  It was springtime, and so I assumed it was a twig to add to its nest.  All of the sudden the bird disappeared.  I got off the treadmill and went outside to see what happened to it.  In horror I saw that my cat, Fe', had the bird in her mouth.

I got Fe' to let go of the bird, but the bird panicked in fear and dropped the twig from its beak. The twig laid useless on the ground, never to be a part of building this bird's nest.

This got me to thinking about the devil's tactics of stealing God's Word from people.  I saw how satan likes to sneak up and cause fear so that we let go of God's promises from our hearts.

Quick to pounce on his prey, the devil would like to steal all promises given to us by our Creator.  Satan would like for us to foolishly try to accomplish everything in our own strength.

What a liar!

God has given us His promise that He will care for us.  Our Creator made an eternal covenant with us, and it was signed by the blood of Jesus.  This is how much He loves us. 

Salvation is offered through Jesus, and this includes His provision, His healing, His peace.  These are the primary things people are striving for, and yet....God has already given them to us through Jesus.

These promises are for now, while we are on Planet Earth.

Our enemy, the devil, would like for us to let those promises drop to the ground and lie dormant.  He would like for us to go about life on Earth in despondency, with hearts that are frustrated by the failure of trying to meet our own needs.

Do not let the enemy steal what Jesus came to Earth to give you.  Hold on to the promises inside the Bible.  Be assured that as you allow Jesus to be Lord, He will direct you.  His guidance will provide everything you need for an abundant life on Earth. 

The following are words of Jesus:

The thief enters only to steal, kill, and destroy.  I came so that you could have life--indeed, so that you can live life to the fullest.  John 10:10.

Little by Little

                   ...love one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins..1 Peter 4:8     

There is a story about a frog jumping into a pot of water because he was tired and thirsty; the water looked inviting and refreshing.  At first the water felt good because it was lukewarm to the frog's flesh, but little by little the temperature of the water got turned up.  However, the frog did not notice that the water was becoming hotter, until it was too late......the frog didn't make it.

What if someone had seen that the water was getting very hot, but just stood by saying, "Oh my, that frog is going to die if it doesn't get out of that pot."  This observation, without action, would not have saved the frog.

What if someone had noticed the flame getting higher, and had taken the time to try and rescue the frog?  He might have lived.

Wouldn't you have tried to do something to help the frog live?

The world around is getting darker.  Many people, like the frog, do not realize the darkness because they have become so accustomed to the sin in this culture.  It appears normal, almost inviting.  For centuries it has been building up little by little.  

Some people do realize that things are getting out of control, and are quick to talk about the latest news report...."Isn't it awful?"  "Well I never!"  "I can't believe what is going on in the world!"  This judgemental, non-active observation is not benefiting anyone.

The sad fact is, that even among these complaints, many people (including church goers) finally become complacent and begin going along with whatever society deems appropriate, "Oh well, it is the twenty-first century, things are just different now.  There is nothing we can do." 

A true Christian knows that this is not true.  There is something we can actively do.  So, how do we go about proclaiming God's intent for humanity?

First of all, people in the world need to know their Maker so they can even recognize sin, and they need to know Jesus is always there to help them with it. 

They need to understand that He is a God of love, and that He wants the very best for His human creations.  They need to realize that our Creator made things to be a certain way because He knows that sin will kill His humans.  They need to grasp onto the fact that His wisdom of orderly design is perfect.  They need to know that God's design of creation is the exact way it is, so that we can experience an abundant life.

Pastors should be standing behind pulpits and speaking this Truth.  As Christians, we can talk about God's way to people that we encounter on a daily basis.  Letters can be written to people in Congress, or peaceful demonstrations can be held to stand up for Biblical Truth.  Articles, stories, and books can be written, or media discussions can be posted about God's Truth........Yes, all of these are good.

I think that one of the most effective ways to demonstrate our Lord's way is by living it out in our own lives.  People definitely observe our words and actions.

OR.....

You can sit around criticizing, judging, and complaining about the current situations to each other.  I know this is an "Ouch" to some of you, but come on, this is not helpful to anyone!

So....in your own creative way, start showing the goodness of our living Jesus to the hurting world before you. 

REMEMBER.....

Standing up FOR Biblical Truth in a gentle loving way is far more powerful than speaking aggressively against the current morality issues that oppose God's will. 

.....where sin abounds, grace abounds much more..Romans 5:20.

Faith Conquers Fear

           JESUS said..."Don't be troubled, believe in GOD, and believe in ME..John 14:1

Yesterday I heard a man talking about leaving his glass of iced coke on the cabinet.  By the time he decided to drink it, the ice had melted and diluted the coke to the point that it was completely watered down, tasteless.  It was not the refreshing cola it is supposed to be. 

His description of the useless coke reminded me of how fear of the challenging circumstances in our lives dilutes our faith.  Our faith becomes so contaminated with fear that it is not able to be used for victory like it is intended.

Over and over in scripture God tells us not to be afraid, that He is with us.......

..do not be afraid..I am your shield..Genesis 1:15

..the Lord is with us..do not fear..Numbers 14:9

..do not be afraid, do not tremble or be terrified..for the Lord your God is He who goes with you to fight for you..Deut. 20:3-4

..do not be terrified or afraid...the Lord your God goes before you, He will fight for you....Deut. 1:29,30

..do not fear or be afraid...the Lord your God goes with you...Deut. 31:6

..do not be afraid...the Lord your God is with you...Josh. 1:9

..do not be afraid, or terrified!..Be courageous because of what the Lord will do to all the enemies you're fighting against..Joshua 10:25

..do not fear or be dismayed..for the Lord is with you..2 Chron. 20:17

..fear not, for I am with you..Isaiah 43:5

..do not terrified or afraid.., is there any God except Me?..Isaiah 44:8

..do not fear..Matt. 10:31

..do not be afraid, only believe..Luke 8:50

..It's Me. Don't be afraid!..John 6:20

..do not be afraid..I am with you..Acts 18:9,10

..do not fear..Rev. 2:10

Get the point?  There is a reason these verses command us not to fear.  Jesus does not want our focus to be on the adverse issues in the world, He wants our focus to be an unwavering faith in His powerful victory over them.

 Our Creator is well-able to take care of all the needs of His human creations, giving us the victory over any situation in our lives (health, financial, relationship, etc.).

Fear of any kind contaminates our faith, diluting it so that we begin to doubt His ability to handle these circumstances.  Fear magnifies the situation, making it more powerful than the Creator of the universe. 

Come on now, doesn't that seem crazy?

Why would we have any fear if we know our Creator through a personal relationship?  Nobody who knows Jesus as Lord should ever let any fear make them doubt His power.  If we belong to Jesus, this means we are believers, and.....believers have faith that their Lord's power overcomes whatever is trying to cause grief in their lives. 

Our stance is simple....it is to maintain faith in the Son of God (Jesus) who conquered evil.  Jesus has dethroned the demonic realm; He disarmed those who once ruled over us--those who overpowered us. Like captives of war, He put them on display to the world to show His victory over them by means of the cross (Col. 2:15). 

We simply stand on the victorious work, over all evil, that our living Lord Jesus accomplished 2000 years ago.....He did this for us!  Now, step out in the faith that God has given you and intentionally let it develop into an unmovable assurance of this TRUTH (Romans 12:3, personalized).

Because of Jesus' great love for you, no matter what comes, you will always taste victory through Him..(Romans8:37, personalized).

Walk in victory over your circumstances today, if......Jesus is your Lord!

Check For Yourself

                 ..if children, then heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ..Romans 8:17

I used the word irregardless the other day in a conversation with a woman I know.  She quickly informed me there was no such word.  I got a Webster's dictionary and showed her that yes, in fact there is such a word.

This is what Webster has to say about irregardless: "The most frequently repeated remark about it is that "there is not such word"...there is such a word, however."

Later, I found out that when this woman was 17, her father reprimanded her for using the word irregardless, telling her there was no such word.  He had been so authoritative in his "knowledge" about irregardless not being a word that she had gone 4 decades assuming he was right.  She had never bothered to open up a dictionary to look for herself.

Makes me wonder how many Christians rely on what their pastor (or someone else) says about who our Creator is, and what we mean to Him.  Going by others' knowledge of God's Word can be misleading; in fact, it can be in complete error.

Our Creator God has revealed Himself to us throughout the pages in the Bible.  A thorough reading of it will enlighten to what an amazingly wonderful God He is!  From Genesis to Revelation, His inspired Word reveals a Creator who loves and values His human creation beyond the human imagination. 

God loves humans to the point of having died for us.  Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth in His Father's image to die as our sin substitute.  He later came out of that grave and ascended to heaven so that we can all have His life while on earth, and eternally.

When a human on Planet Earth dies, they normally leave an inheritance to loved ones.  After their death, the loved ones gain knowledge of what is left to them by reading the will of the deceased.

We have the privilege of reading the Bible to find out exactly what sort of inheritance Jesus left us.  Yes, we have an inheritance from the Creator of the universe.  Our inheritance gives prosperity in every area of life....this begins the moment you make Jesus your Lord. 

The thing is....you have to read the Word to understand exactly what He has left us.

Quit relying on others for their interpretation of God's Word.  God did not intend for only the "spiritual superstars" to understand.  The Bible is a love letter from our Creator that is meant to be read and understood by every human being. 

Do yourself a favor and dig into the words of the Bible yourself.  The deeper you dig, the more wealth you will uncover.  You already own the treasure if Jesus is your Lord.....you only have to stake a claim on it.

Begin digging today.....you are very, very rich!

As the Moon Sets, the Sun Rises

                          ....THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, Jeremiah 33:16

I was reading from a journal I wrote inside a Texas prison.  It was an entry from 3/25/10 telling about being in the recreation yard that afternoon and watching the beauty of the sun setting and the moon rising.  I also wrote how this was directly opposite to the day I had arrived at that prison early the morning of 9/2/09....the moon had been setting as the sun was rising in the sky. 

Both the sun and moon were always present, they were just changing positions.

I think that since today (Easter) is a celebration of our resurrected Lord Jesus, it is a very appropriate time to take my journal writing into eternal Truth. 

Jesus, the Son of God, was crucified some 2000 years ago, but He rose victorious out of His grave, and ascended into Heaven.  The Church (His Body of followers) was born shortly afterward.  The Church of the Son is to be a reflection of their Lord Jesus, just as the moon mirrors the brightness of the sun.

During Jesus' physical absence on Earth these past 2000 years, the Church was to rise up on Planet Earth and be a mirror image of His goodness, shining brightly to the world from His love inside their hearts.

Jesus and His Church are to be working in tandem, just as the sun and moon work in tandem. 

One day the Church will change positions with the Son, and He will rise in all His Glory to begin His eternal rule on this Planet Earth.

Just as there is no doubt that the sun will rise as the moon sets, be assured that the Son of God (Jesus) will rise over Planet Earth to physically dominate in a reign of righteousness forever......He will be assisted by those who were faithful as His Church Body.

This is eternal truth.  Come Lord Jesus.......it will happen soon!

Hallelujah to our Lord Jesus!

Breakfast with Jesus

                                 ...Come and eat breakfast..John 21:12

I don't know about you, but I begin each day with a cup of coffee made from freshly ground organic coffee beans from Costa Rica or Nicaragua.  I then look forward to my morning smoothie made with almond milk mixed with a variety of wonderful organic seasonal fruits.

As I am drinking these breakfast items to get my body going, I am also digesting my "spiritual breakfast".  I do not have to go to the grocery store for it.  I do not have to grind the beans or blend the fruit to make it ready to digest.  My spiritual breakfast has already been delivered to me at my home, and is waiting to be eaten.  All I have to do is read it.

What do I mean?

I'm talking about God's Word.  He has delivered it to us in the Bible, and it contains an extensive menu that will satisfy any person's hunger.  The food offered inside will build up and strengthen your inner spirit...this is a remarkable guarantee.

I personally rely on Jesus to feed me a custom, "made for Susan" breakfast each day.  It is truly amazing how my spiritual meal is exactly what I am craving. 

I am never disappointed as the Living Word (Jesus) offers me the exact part of the written Word (Bible) that will be needed for the events of the day ahead.  Of course He would know my needs because He is my Creator.  It is absolutely supernatural how He does this each day!

I depend on the written Word to teach, encourage, and direct me every single day of my life, and.....I am never let down.

Yes, even in this 21st century, the written Word is applicable to our lives, because.... it is the inspired Word of our Creator who only wants the very best for us.

Please do not miss out on the opportunity to eat this free spiritual meal.  Let it keep your outlook hopeful and positive as you read the truth.  As reports come flooding in about the latest negative news in the world, rely only on the report from your Maker to inform you of what is really happening in life.....

It is all very, very good news.