The Bible Says that it is a Trick and not a Treat

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. John 3:19

Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. Ephesians 5:11

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, Colossians 1:13

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Do you know what Halloween is about? Do not be embarrassed if you don not. In fact, most people are ignorant of what Halloween really celebrates and actually they don't even care to know. Some parents suspect that they should not celebrate it but refuse to find out for sure. They don't want the accountability, but the truth of the matter is parents will be held accountable by God, whether they like it or not. Children are placed under their care for a reasons. Children do not belong to the parents. Psalm 127:3 says, "Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward." parents have the responsibility before God to train the children well and early in life. After all, they will appear in judgment before God one day. Parents will have to account for everything including the training of the children entrusted to their care. Raising children to the ways of the Lord is a serious honor with serious accountability. "Train a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not turn away from it." Proverbs 22:6

Parents must rear children with morals even in this immoral world. There is nothing innocent about dressing up for Halloween. The devil is the master of deception. Do not be deceived, Halloween is not of God. It is without a doubt a celebration of lie and darkness. Jesus is Truth and Light. Let us be honest, do the Jack O lantern mask, witches and black cats represent life or death? Do Skulls and a skeletons represent life or death? Is anything involving concealing your face represent God or the devil? Who is the master of disguise and deception? You do not need to know much to understand that Halloween is not a celebration of life and light. God is the giver of life and not the taker. The devil is known as the enemy, the liar, the thief and the king of darkness. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10

Is Halloween a TREAT or a TRICK? I can say without a doubt that Halloween is a trick and most definitely not a treat. The Bible says that every knee shall bow in worship to the name of Jesus Christ and the deceiver's objective is to get all to worship him one way or another. Friend, we cannot worship the devil. We worship only God. You and I must be vigilant and the Word of God instructs us to do so.

Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour. Peter I 5:8

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons. 1Timothy 4:1

If you really are a professing Christian in words and deeds, a person who values the sacrifice of God on Calvary, a person who is grateful and understand the gift of salvation, you have absolutely no business, no reason, and no interest in celebrating Halloween. You have no need to dress up your kids in disguise for Halloween or any other times. You must not take part in the festivities that celebrate the devil. You cannot be part of this holy day of Satan. it does not matter if everyone else at your church, neighborhood and family is doing it. God will hold you responsible for what you do. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you remain strong and take away anything in you that is not of God. This Halloween I urge you not to participate in it and to rather pass the knowledge we just shared to someone else.

Abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:22

Praise the Lord!

It is a Trick and not a Treat

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. John 3:19

Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. Ephesians 5:11

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, Colossians 1:13

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Do you know what Halloween is about? Do not be embarrassed if you don not. In fact, most people are ignorant of what Halloween really celebrates and actually they don't even care to know. Some parents suspect that they should not celebrate it but refuse to find out for sure. They don't want the accountability, but the truth of the matter is parents will be held accountable by God, whether they like it or not. Children are placed under their care for a reasons. Children do not belong to the parents. Psalm 127:3 says, "Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward." parents have the responsibility before God to train the children well and early in life. After all, they will appear in judgment before God one day. Parents will have to account for everything including the training of the children entrusted to their care. Raising children to the ways of the Lord is a serious honor with serious accountability. "Train a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not turn away from it." Proverbs 22:6

Parents must rear children with morals even in this immoral world. There is nothing innocent about dressing up for Halloween. The devil is the master of deception. Do not be deceived, Halloween is not of God. It is without a doubt a celebration of lie and darkness. Jesus is Truth and Light. Let us be honest, do the Jack O lantern mask, witches and black cats represent life or death? Do Skulls and a skeletons represent life or death? Is anything involving concealing your face represent God or the devil? Who is the master of disguise and deception? You do not need to know much to understand that Halloween is not a celebration of life and light. God is the giver of life and not the taker. The devil is known as the enemy, the liar, the thief and the king of darkness. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10

Is Halloween a TREAT or a TRICK? I can say without a doubt that Halloween is a trick and most definitely not a treat. The Bible says that every knee shall bow in worship to the name of Jesus Christ and the deceiver's objective is to get all to worship him one way or another. Friend, we cannot worship the devil. We worship only God. You and I must be vigilant and the Word of God instructs us to do so.

Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour. Peter I 5:8

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons. 1Timothy 4:1

If you really are a professing Christian in words and deeds, a person who values the sacrifice of God on Calvary, a person who is grateful and understand the gift of salvation, you have absolutely no business, no reason, and no interest in celebrating Halloween. You have no need to dress up your kids in disguise for Halloween or any other times. You must not take part in the festivities that celebrate the devil. You cannot be part of this holy day of Satan. it does not matter if everyone else at your church, neighborhood and family is doing it. God will hold you responsible for what you do. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you remain strong and take away anything in you that is not of God. This Halloween I urge you not to participate in it and to rather pass the knowledge we just shared to someone else.

Abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:22

Praise the Lord!

See yourself through the Eyes of God............

You are the righteousness of God!

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Cor 5:21

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How do you see yourself? Do you see yourself umimportant, broken, poor, miserable, unlovable and rejected? God sees you differently. He holds you in high regards. He loves you so much that His sons had to die to save you. God pulled all the stops to ensure that you have the abundant life He created you to have. Your heavenly father does not want you to have a bad day in your life. He wants you to have joy and peace. He wants you to enjoy life for His glory.

God cares about every area of your life. Sometimes we ignore certain health issues or certain situations in our lives because we find them minor but God pays attention to all areas of your life that is why He does not sleep. He is watching over you actively. You can sleep easily at night. you do not have to fear anything. "The LORD watches over you—the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." Psalm 121:5-8

My friend you are important. Your life matters. God cares. He has a purpose for your life. You are a righteous son/daughter of God by grace through faith in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Don't feel left out ans cast out any longer. You are an accepted and loved member of the family of God. Trust what Christ has done for you on the cross made you righteous. See yourself as God sees you and be blessed!

Praise the Lord!

I Need The Lord..........

Whom have I in heaven but you? and there is none on earth that I desire beside you. Psalm 73:25

I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing." Psalm 16:2

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For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. Psalm 27:5

There are times in my life when I know that I will not be able to take myself out of the hole I find myself in because it is just too deep and I do not have the resources needed to pull myslf out. Sometimes I wish that things would move themselves out of my life, but deep down I always knew that nothing will move without a push from God. Do you know what I mean? when the bills are past due, now I’m not just referring to one bill, but I am referencing to all of them (Insurance, car note, school loan, mortgage/rent, telephone, gas, electric). All of them are due and there is no money in the accounts or there is no bank acccounts. You find yourself needing God to move right now, and not later. You begin to pray, crying out and asking God to show up. Because you know, sometimes the need is pressing and cannot and will not wait until the morning. That is when you remember like David, you have an anchor in heaven. So you cry out to Him and tell Him that you need Him and you have no where else to turn.

One thing you and I often forget about God is that He does not move because we are under pressure. He will not move because He feels any anxiety. He is in control and knows everything before they even occur. He knew you were going to feel desperate. He was not caught by surprise. God only moves when we trust Him. It is faith that moves the hand of God. God ask us to call Him in times of trouble but He does not always have to move right away, but He will move. He often tend to dictate how God should move but He is the omnipotent God. He knows what to do. He may not work it out the way you would like (thankfully) but He will work it out. Sometimes God does not wait until morning. He often shows up in the midlle of the night and other times He shows up before the needs get desperate. The key is to trust that He will will work on our behalf when we bring a need to Him. You and I must learn to wait with expectancy and allow God to move in ways that He chooses. I have experienced incredible joy in my life when God moves in a way I did not expect. There is nothing sweeter than the fruit of answered prayer.

Friend,Jesus death and ressurection made it possible to have all of our needs met. Not just a few of them. You can ask God to move in any situation and He will. I want to remind you that you have an advocate in heaven. The Bible guarantees that when you turn to Jesus in faith, He will show up and He will deliver you. There is never a need to beg God. You can boldly approach the throne of Grace and He will hear you and work in your favor.

Call on me in times of trouble. I will rescue you, and you will honor me." Psalm 50:15

Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.Psalm 107:13

For I am the Lord, I change not. Malachi 3:6

Praise the Lord!

Be Joyful & Be Still!

Be Joyful  and Be Still!

The LORD says: 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. Psalms 110:1

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What is it you are supposed to do while being persecuted? The Lord says to sit at His right and He will make your enemy a footstool for your feet. Never has He made it your victory clearer. Your enemies cannot win, as long as you sit at His right; being at His right means a powerful place, "Under your feet" means "where you have destroyed them". God knew that His people (old and young) were going to have opposition and that they would have enemies, but He guaranteed victory.

The enemies are not just people. They could be the circumstances of your life: Sicknesses and pain, inability to find a job. It can be loneliness or the inability to find a spouse. The enemy could be your or inability to conceive a child or it could be any type of financial challenge, but God already made you a promise of abundance and all you have to do is accept it. You can do that by meditating and believe that you received. All of His promises are yours to keep. If you are a believer, you are a descendant of Abraham, David and Jacob. God will lift up your head; you shall not be the tail. Praise the Lord! You may be going through right now but it will not last. It will have to stop; it is a promise of God to you.
Your neighbors are going to stop persecuting you. This situation with your boss is going to end. Your marriage is going to be restored and love ones are going to come to the Lord. It is done.

Let your mouth be filled with praise, have the knowledge that the evil doers and the circumstances of your life are temporary. God will restore you and put you back in place of honor and abundance. Align your thoughts and words with God words and soon, very soon the victory you already have in the supernatural will manifest itself in the natural

Live with expectation. We are serving a God who is full of surprises. You situation can suddenly change but if it takes a while, live with expectation. Be blessed! Be positive! your life is about to change, you are going to experience God limitless ability to change your circumstances. Be ready, your cup is going to be filled.It is a promise of God.

Praise the Lord!

Believing Without Seing

Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." John 20:29

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6

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Without faith we cannot please God. There are two worlds: The seen and the unseen. Which one are you going to believe? There are two teachers: Jesus Christ and the devil. Which one are you going to listen to? The choice is totally up to you. You can follow Jesus and live eternally and you can follow the devil and spend a life or torments and eternity in the lake of fire. The choice is yours. It is a simple choice but many choose not to have abundant life. Friend, looking out the unseen things will only be achieve by the word of God. the Word of God is the highest authority. The Word God should be ruling/dictating your life and not the word of man.

David and Abraham, for example, are two men who live by faith and how great were their rewards! The word of God is what validate your faith because faith comes by hearing the word of God. When you believe that you receive you will have it and we know we receive when we ask according to His will and we know that God is the giver of life and the giver of all good things. God wants you to be healthy and live and abundant life. You have victory over sickness, disease and pain. You can walk in victory no matter what you see, no matter what you heard and no matter what the doctors say. Our heavenly father have given us a blank check and all we have to do is deposited and start making withdrawals.

My dear friend, when you choose God you cannot lose. Choose God and you will win. It is is a win-win situation. You can live in constant fear or you can rely on God's word. You can believe that God will honor His word to heal you and live in expectation. It does not matter if the cyst is still visible, if you still feel pain and if the doctors say it is hopeless. God says it, and that settles it. You are healed. You are made whole. You will overcome this situation. Abraham believe God and become a father when he was 100 years old. It was impossible by all accounts. Sarah became a mother at 90 years old. I am sure she was told by all in her surroundings that it would be impossible. God is the God of possibilities.

God can do it all and the Bible says in Malachi 3:6 that God will never change. He still doing the things He has always done. He is capable of doing the things He has done in the past. He can heal your body, your mind, your emotion and your broken heart. He can give you that job you so desperately seeking. He is able and willing to work a miracle in your finances. He is able to restore that broken relationship. He is able to bring the loss child back home. He is able to help restore that child with the learning disability. He is able to lift you up. He is able to fill you with joy and a new hope for the future. He is able to give you wisdom about that big move you been wanting to make. HE IS ABLE. HE IS ABLE. HE IS ABLE!

My dear friend do not give up. Believe in God no matter what you see or hear. Believe without seeing. It does not matter if the tests remain unchanged. Hang on to His word and do not listen the teacher of defeat and lies. Choose the giver of life. Choose truth. Choose the Word of God and be blessed, be healed, be delivered, be made whole, and be set free!

I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? Jeremiah 32:27

Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You. Jeremiah 32:17

Praise the Lord!

Have Faith in God...........

I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, "Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11: 23-24

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The above words were spoken by Jesus Christ Himself. Jesus is the truth and the life. It does not get any clearer than this: When you pray believe you receive and you shall have it. The Bible says that without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith is very important to God. The life of a believer is primarily a life of faith. The Christian walk is a faith-based walk. And how to do we reach God? By praying. The Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to pray without ceasing. The Bible does not say that certain things are too big to ask for in prayer. Jesus said specifically that you will have whatever you ask for in prayer.

Friend, the prayer of faith will heal the sick and set captives free. Faith never makes a conclusion based on our bodies and how we feel and see. It does not matter if the pain is still there after you pray. When you pray believe that you receive. it does not matter if the pain worsen. Believe you receive. As a matter of fact, whenever I pray about a situation in my life it always seems to become worse right before my victory is manifested. If it is a sickness the pain intensify. If it a certain food or a certain sin I am trying to abstain from, my flesh aches for it to the point of tears, and if it is a broken heart, it becomes unbelievably more painful. It never fails. It happens all the time. When that occurs we must stand on the word of God. That is why it is vital that the believer lives by faith. It never matters what it looks like, what you see, what other people see, what the banks are saying and what the doctors say. When you pray believe that you receive and stead fast to your confession and hold on to the truth of God and you shall have victory. Faith works. Prayer works. Jesus will not fail you.

Let us pray: Father how grateful we are for another opportunity to praise you and give you the honor that you so richly deserve! We thank you for your grace and mercy. We thank you for being infinitely good. We thank you for remaining who you are through the ages. You say to come to you when heavily burdened and you will give us rest. Father here we are once again at your feet. We have no other place to go. We bring it all to you. Father we need you to ignite a fire in us for your kingdom. Fill us Father with compassion for those dying without you. Father we need healing in our bodies (be specific in the area of your body that you need to be touched). We need healing for our siblings (name the person). We need a breakthrough in our finances and our loved ones (specific-mortgage, car, tuition). Father we need that job we have been searching for so vehemently. We need our loved ones to be saved (names). We need a breakthrough in our love life. We need restoration of broken relationships and restoration of joy. We need our children to be obedient and to excel in schools (name the children). We trust that you will do just what you said you would do Father. We believe that we are healed. Our loved ones are healed and delivered. We believe a turn around in our finances. We believe that our children are being blessed and that our loved ones are saved in the holy name of Jesus your son who died and rose for our salvation. We thank you Father and we honor you for only you are holy. Only you are worthy and only you are God. Amen.

Praise the Lord!

What Does the Bible Say about Fear?

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7

"I, yes I, am the one who comforts you. So why are you afraid of mere humans, who wither like the grass and disappear? Isaiah 51:12

You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day. Psalm 91:5

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Fear can keep people in deep bondage. I believe that the dominant fear that people have is the fear of death. Friend, Jesus came to die and rise in order to defeat the devil and take back the keys of hell and death forever. Now, if you receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, then you do not have to fear death because you know for a fact that even when the body dies, you will continue to live on. You have eternal life. My dear friend if your greatest fear is death, you may rejoice because there is no reason to fear death, and if you not afraid of death because you know you will be with Christ, then why should you be afraid of anything else or anyone else, ever again for that matter? Jesus told us to not be afraid of man or any devil. God is the One whose opinion counts; He is the One we should respect and honor; He is the One whose word will last forever.

Let us confess the word of God concerning fear from the Old to the new testament.

1. Genesis 26:24, That night the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham."

2. Deuteronomy 3:22, That night the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham."

3. Deuteronomy 31:6, Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

4. Deuteronomy 31:8, The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

5. 1 Chronicles 22: 13, Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.

6. 1 Chronicles 28:20,
"Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you."

7. Psalm 56:4, In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?

8. Psalm 112:17, They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the LORD to care for them.

9. Isaiah 12:2, Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation."

10. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

11. Isaiah 41:13, For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

12. Isaiah 43:1, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine."

13. Isaiah 54:4, "Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated."

14. Isaiah 54:14, In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you.

15. Jeremiah 17:8, He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

16. Jeremiah 46:7, "Do not fear, O Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, O Israel.

17. Daniel 10:12, Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.

18. "so now I have determined to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid.

19. Matthew 14:27, But Jesus spoke to them at once. "Don't be afraid," he said. "Take courage. I am here!"

20. mark 5:36, But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid. Just have faith."

21. Luke 12:7, Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

22. Luke 12:32, "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.

23. John 14:27, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

24. Hebrews 13:6, So we can say with confidence, "The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?"

25. 1 John 4:18, There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

26. revelation 1:17, When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.

Friend, if you are saved (You have made Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior) you would never have to fear. He is always with you. He is with you now in this economy. He is with you during this health crisis. His with you through all your hardships and He will never forsake you. You can count on His great love.

Praise the Lord!

God Provides!

And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. Matthew 14:14

Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way." Mathew 15:32

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When you have a pressing, the devil tries to play with your mind, Satan knows that it all starts in your mind and if he can get you to feel bad about God, then he can have his way with you in other areas of your life. It is vital to remain strong when it gets tough. Jesus has won the victory for you! It is done. Your job is to resist and send the liar and his lies back to the pit where they came from and claim the promises of God.

Friend you must remember that no matter what the need may be God is the one who provides. From the 2 scriptures above, Jesus demonstrated, that He is the God who provides. I do not know about you but there is nothing that can bring me closer to God than my challenges. Like you I don't like to experience adversity but I wouldn't change them for anything. It is through my valleys that I come to know and appreciate the power of Jehovah Jireh!

I don't know what your are facing today. Perhaps it is surgery? Foreclosure? Are you looking for a job? A mate, maybe you want to go to graduate school or start a family. You maybe physically ill or rejected by people you love. The needs are all pressing but I know for certain that God still provides. He still makes way when there seem to be no way. He is still comes through for those who put their trust in Him (firm assurance that He is able). Your situation does not scare Him nor did it take Him by surprise. You will experience His glory if you rely on Him completely just like Jesus did when He lives among us. My dear friend, do not hold back. Let God take care of you. Live without worries. Be truly free.

We are serving a great God. Experience His goodness and might in your life. Bring Him something big, trust Him and watch Him work. There's nothing sweeter than the fruits of answered prayers.

Praise the Lord!

Leave your Worries to God..............

"For he is the living God, enduring forever. His kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion has no end. He delivers and rescues, he works signs and wonders in heaven and n earth." Daniel 6:26-27

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You have probably heard the story of Daniel and the lions. Daniel grew up in Babylon, in the King's house and has faithfully served  both King Darius and Nebuchadnezzar. Others were jealous of his stature. They plotted and fooled Darius into outlawing prayer to anyone but the King, knowing full well that Daniel is a worshiper of the only true God. It was both a test of faith and an opportunity for Daniel to show his faith as well.

The first thing I admire is the fact that Daniel chose to obey God even though He knew the consequences of his actions. Daniel's prayer relationship with God was important enough to risk losing his life over. Second, Daniel put himself in danger for God sake, and he didn't ask God to rescue him, he knew that God would keep those lions in control. He did not seem to doubt God's ability to shield.

Friend, there has to be a time in your life when you have to get past the point of "trying" to trust God. You have to trust Him naturally. Trusting Him has to come without a struggle. That's why the Christian walk is called a journey. As you're walking you have to make progress, you have to advance until you reach your destination. You must reach a point of complete reliance on the omnipotence of God. How sad would it be to go through the journey of life and to never know God intimately? It's only when you know God intimately that you will learn to trust Him and walk through life without fear. Imagine life without the fear of dying, the fear of getting hurt at night and the fear of jumping out of your skin every time something happens in the world. Imagine what the quality of your life would be with God in complete control!

Like Daniel, you and I face all kind of difficulties in our daily lives. Lions come in all shapes and like him we need to learn to make the difficult choices and take a stand for for righteousness. Daniel got a miraculous ending. He trusted God and as a result he benefited from God's faithfulness and mercy. Who knows what you will experience when you learn to let go of yourself and learn to trust God? It is through our adversity that our strength gets perfected.

God rescues His people. He is the same today, yesterday and forever (Malachi 3:6). God's character never changes. He never is "less than" who He used to be. He never gets better. He never improves because He is perfect. There is no room for improvement. God is as good, as perfect and and as merciful as it gets right now. Praise God! He is already perfect. God is always good and wise. He is always sovereign. he is always the loving Father. He is always just, always holy, always merciful, always gracious and indeed the Almighty. Whatever God was, He always is. There are no "sometimes" attributes of God. All of His attributes are "always" and "forever" attributes. He always is what He is and he desires to accomplish great things through you. He wants to take you to the next level. He wants to give you victory in all areas of your life. The question as you are approaching the weekend is will you let Him accomplish His will in your life?

Praise the Lord!

We Have Been Redeemed..........

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. Ephesians 1:7

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” I peter 2:24

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One of the things I realized is that whenever I start my day without confessing the truth about myself, my day gets challenging. you and I must confess who we are in Christ on a regular basis. Our faith is as strong as our confession. We have the responsibility to see ourselves as God sees us, and to remind ourselves who we are in Christ; Or else, the enemy will try to convince us otherwise. We need to be firmly planted on the Word of God to be able to resist the devil's attacks. If you are a person who struggles with certain things I suggest you write them down on a poster board and place them on your wall. A battle is something to take seriously and you and I are facing spiritual warfare. We really have a common enemy. We have already been redeemed. The blood of Christ already provided us with the victory. All we need is to accept it and confess it.

I am increasingly amazed at the number of Christians who do not understand redemption. We are redeemed by the blood of Christ.
To be redeemed means :
1) To place firmly in a desired position.
2) To cause to come to rest.
3) To put in order.

My favorite definitions include:
4) To atone for; compensate and acquit, reinstate, restore and save.

My friend, the blood of Jesus restored us. We were acquitted of wrong doing. We were eternally saved. We are reinstated in the family of God. Jesus Christ took our punishment and we became like Him. We now have the same power that raised Him from the dead in us. Jesus took our punishment on His body. Jesus took death in our place. We were healed. We were made Whole. We were forever changed. We were redeemed. Some Christians either do not believe it or cannot believe it because they think they are not worthy of such great love. They think that it could not possibly be this easy. But I tell them, you are right. It was not easy to die like Christ on that cross. He suffered a great deal. They are right in assuming that they were not worthy of eternal life but the blood of Christ redeemed/changed that and made us worthy. That is why Jesus Christ is called the redeemer. He offered us (Those of us who accept Him)eternal life. We have eternal life now. His death provided us salvation from eternal death. we now have abundant life. The abundant life isn't something we will have in the future. We already have it now. We receive it the moment we accept Christ as Lord and Savior.

Friend, your sins are forgiven. You have eternal life. It was done. You are healed. You are made whole. It does not matter what you hear, what you see, what people are saying and what the doctors are trying to tell you. The truth is Jesus died in your place. He gave you power to win. Fight the good fight of faith. Believe God's truth about you and hang on to it until you see Him face to face in Glory.

For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong. Colossians 2:5

Praise the Lord!

My God is Faithful................

God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. 1 Corinthians 1:9

I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly. Psalm 40:10

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There are times when we cannot see the hands of God but we have to trust the heart of God. There are countless stories of the faithfulness of God throughout the Bible. Those who put their trust in him are never put to shame. You and I must decide to trust him. We must choose this instant that He is the only way. He knows what he is doing and we must rely on his might. God knows how to bring comfort in the midnight hour. He knows how to bring peace in the middle of a storm but you will not experience his peace unless you dwell at his feet. You cannot be a hit a nd run child of God who came to him only when it fits your schedule. you have to remain at his feet and when the storms come as they always do, you will have no fear because you will already the heart of God. You will not fear.

God is looking for sons and daughters who will sleep through the night in the middle of chaos. He is looking for those whose faith won't be shaken at the first sign of calamity. Can he count on you? God is looking for those who are faithful in affliction? can you be faithful? God is looking for those who understand that his for their lives is a good one. He is looking for those who seek him with all of their hearts. Can he count on you? My friend the truth is that God is faithful. He has always been faithful. He has not changed. We are the ones who doubts him. Those who rely on him understand that he is always with them. God is always with us. We have to seek him with all of our hearts and we will find him and only then we will be able to experience his faithfulness.

Praise the Lord!

God Comforts His People

Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. Isaiah 49:13

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Where should you go in times of comfort? There are times in our lives when we need a word of comfort. What is the logical next step when in needs of comfort? I have a large family and I used to run to family members with all of my sorrows. I even have keys to my brothers and sisters house. I remember driving to their homes in the middle of the night. Being around my brothers and sisters and especially my nephews and nieces used to bring me peace during that period of my life. I quickly realized that the peace I felt by being around them was always short lived. Soon morning would come and all of them would leave to their respective jobs and/or their other responsibilities than I would find myself alone with my torments. Over the years, God has been faithful. He patiently worked with me in overcoming my fear of being alone in times of great needs. He has taught me to rely on Him alone. There is no doubt that my siblings love me but honestly I cannot think of one moment when either one of them solve any of my problems. Talking to them only delay the inevitable: I must tell Jesus.

Friend, you must learn to go to God. Let us be realistic, people have their own concerns and they are busy with their lives. Most of the times our calls go unanswered and we would spend day chasing after someone when we could easily get on our knees and talk to the only One who knows how to comfort us. Isn't that true? Scripture commands us to go to God when heavily burdened and he will give us rest. There is never a need to run right and left in search of comfort. your well-being and Comfort is important to God. Before He left, Jesus said "But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don't, the Comforter won't come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you" John 16:7

I don't think God would send a Comforter if He didn't think we would need one. Nothing is ever by accident with God. All is by design. Everything is set up to fit our needs. God is an excellent Father. He wants to be all that we need. My dear friend, stop running to family friends when you need answers and comfort learn to go to God. learn to lean on God. He really cares about you. He does not want you to face your difficulties alone. God is qualified to heal your body, dry your tears and calm your storms. He alone can answer those tough questions. He wants you healed. He wants you at peace. He wants you to have peaceful nights. He is able and willing to restore all that is broken and that include your physical body and your heart. Invite Him in, He will direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6), and lead you into everlasting life, (John 6:47). If you rely on Him, you victory is guaranteed. He will never leave you.

Don't wait for difficulties to develop the habit of talking to God. Talk to God continuously about everything and soon it will become a regular occurrence. What is keeping you awake at night? is it your health? Is it the safety of your loved ones and their salvation? Is it your next mortgage payment? Are you lonely? would you like to conceive a child? What is consuming you? Be consumed by and with God. He is the healer, Comforter, peace giver, and joy giver. God is the ultimate lover. He will answer your calls. You don't have to chase Him. In fact, He has been chasing you. He wants to give you His abundant life. He wants to heal you. He wants to touch you. He loves you. Let Him be your Comforter and be blessed!

"Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD. Jeremiah 1:8

Praise the Lord!

Love.....

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

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Love is a big theme in our society. There are countless websites claiming to be able to help you find love. It is really quite interesting because each one of them is loaded with thousands of profiles. People are desperately looking for love. Have you ever had an opportunity to read some of these profiles? People are searching for perfection. (Disease free, thin, smart, beautiful, tall, rich or have a great job, good communicator with no relationship baggage, ect.). But God wants you as you are: Sick, Imperfect, broken, hurt, full of baggage, loss, confused, and rejected. No need to change to find His love because His kind of love will enrich and transform. Glory! There are times in our lives when those who claim to love us refuse to talk to us and ask us for space but my dear friend, there are no times off with God's love. His kind of love does not stop with the sunset or begin with the new week. God love never takes a break. Divine love will always continue throughout time and eternity. In the darkest of nights, there will always be the eternal light of God's love. Glory to God! All you have to do is submit to love by allowing Christ to reside in your heart. He will never leave you. His promise to be with you through your valleys and mountain tops is true. You can count on His great love.

Love by definition has many components, without any of them, love is missing. This is evident by the definitions for love mentioned in the above scripture. Love does not insist on its own schedule and time constraints, and true love is not easily shaken, or only works when it is convenient. Jesus tells us that our greatest command is to love. God gives us the ability to love when we are born again, the Holy Spirit fills our heart with the love of God so that we can show His love to others. What is it about true love that touches every heart? Why does the simple phrase "I love you" waken such universal joy? Why is it that some spend a lifetime pursuing love? You see, love was the principle which motivated God to give His Son to die for us. Jesus explained "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind. And you must love your neighbor as yourself." (Luke 10:27). Responding to true love is part of our genetic make up because we are children of God and Love is God's attribute, which He delights in manifesting openly.If you miss the manifestation of God's love in the creation then look at the sacrifice of the cross.

Friend, God's love is persistent, ever-present, and very powerful. Our lives are transformed by the presence of love. All true love originate from God. Christians are to receive and give this love in their lives so people can know of God's love. The wonderful thing is that the more we know God’s attribute, the more we are going to obey His command to love "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment Matthew 22:37). Friend, love starts with God. Love your enemies and love love your friends. One of my favorite preachers once said that “Trying to find lasting love without obeying God is like trying to quench thirst by drinking from an empty cup you can go through the motions, but the thirst remains”. We often miss out on this comprehensive picture of God's love because we are searching for it at all the wrong places while taking God’s love for granted.

Receive God's love and reciprocate it in your world and be blessed!

Praise the Lord!

My Amazing God!

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image,in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.Genesis 1:26-27

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God exists and He is real. He is a spirit and so are we because he is our father and we were created to his image. We may live in body but we have a supernatural family with supernatural resources. God provides us with everything we need in the spirit. All we have to do is receive but we are distracted but what is going on around us and we are not aware of our power. God created us to be like Him but the original sin separate from God. Since the fall of man, God has been trying to get our attention back to Him. We are the ones who are reluctant to receive. God even sent His son Jesus Christ to become like us in order to get us to be more like him. That is how amazing God is!

As young Christians, people often plead, beg and cry out to God about our challenges. Some of us don't know that God had already provided for us. Others don't know that they can rest and take authority. Friend, maturing Christians need to spend less time on the knees asking God for stuff He already provided and  instead invest time praising him for who He really is: our amazing God. Philemon 1:6 tells us to acknowledge the good thing that Jesus has already put inside of us. We are equipped with all we need to succeed. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ" Ephesians 1:3

All of our prayer requests have already been fulfilled through Christ and now God lives inside of us. That is why we close our eyes when we pray. We try to look inside of us. The truth is whatever it is we need from God, we already got it. God does not wait until we have a need to supply it. God is not sitting on a throne somewhere distant from us, picking and choosing whose prayer request He is going to fulfill. Our amazing heavenly Father is all knowing. He already knew what our needs would be and He provided for it before we even realized we needed it. All we need to do is reach inside of us and take authority. God made sure to be within reach. Friend, Jehovah Jireh made sure all was in place before we were created. We only need to acknowledge who we are in him.We were created to rule over the creation and not the other way around. Our amazing God provides.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Genesis 1:28

Praise the Lord!

Find Your Strength in God..............

The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. Psalm 18:2

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Jesus is many things to many people. To some He was just a man. To others he was a remarkable man in history, and an effective teacher. Friend, Jesus is Lord. He is my rock, my fortress, my joy, my peace, my healer, my defender, my best friend, my constant companion, my one true love. Jesus is my all in all.

Jesus is the only constant presence in my life. He has proven to be my healer, my fortress, my peace, my joy, my confidant, my strength and my all at different times of my life. I can tell you that everyone in my life, at one point or another has left me down. I know that my family and friends have have my best interest's at heart but they have other responsibilities. To be completely honest, my family and yours along with our friends were not created to be everything to us. I have heard people saying "my spouse is my everything". Nothing can be further from the truth. Despite best intentions, people will fail us. They are not equipped to fulfill the tasks we put on them. They cannot rescue us every time we need them. There is only one person in all history that willingly took on the world and that the Lord Jesus Christ.

The name Jesus means “Jehovah saves”, and the word salvation means to rescue. So Jesus’ mission and purpose of coming to Earth was to save us. He should be our all. He is the One who made it possible to us to have a new life. He the One who save us from eternal damnation. He is indeed our all in all.

If you are discouraged,lonely and have been rejected many times and you are desperately looking for a friend who will welcome you with open arms, allow me to present you Jesus Christ. He is the only One who would put himself on the line for you. He cares about you. I do not know where you find yourself today. Maybe you are alone and your telephone is not rigging. You maybe without a job and resources but you are not alone. Reach out to Christ and He will hear you. He will place you under His wings and He will be your fortress, your peace, your salvation. He is all that you need.

Let us pray.
Father, we thank you for sending Jesus your son to save us. Thank you for salvation and thank you for your word that is forever sealed in our hearts. Amen.

Praise the Lord!

You are not Alone

And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another that He may be with you forever. John 14:16

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What a wonderful promise! John 14 is one of the most compelling and my favorite scriptures of the New Testament. Jesus explained in great details what was to occur in the future. That’s how good God is! Jesus was facing Calvary and yet, He was concerned about the disciples. He knew the ordeal and the complications they would have to face, He took the time to prepare and to assure them that though He was going away, there was going to be another (someone just like Him). One who would be to them everything He was. Glory! The Lord Jesus Christ wasn’t thinking about the cross, He didn’t care about His own suffering to come; He was planning the disciples’ future.

In John 14, Jesus promised the gift of the Holy Ghost. Who is the Holy Spirit? He is a full member of the Trinity. The Bible also tells us that the Holy Spirit is a Person, a Being with a mind, emotions, and a will. He is God. The Holy Spirit makes decisions according to His will (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). The Holy Spirit thinks and knows (1 Corinthians 2:10). The Holy Spirit can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30. As God, the Holy Spirit can truly function as the Comforter and Counselor that Jesus promised He would be (John 14:16,26; 15:26). This gift is bestowed upon the Disciples of Christ only, and not on the entire world. This is the favor God bears to His chosen. As the source of holiness and happiness, the Holy Spirit will abide with and in every believer forever. He was given to live inside those who believe in Jesus, in order to produce God's character and to build into their lives love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23).

Friend, have no fear when it seems like the ground all around you is crumbling. You are not standing on the sinking sand of this earth but on the promises of the Rock, my savior and yours, Jesus Christ who will hold you and keep you standing while those around you are perishing. You are standing on the strength of the Holy Spirit whose primary role is to comfort and strengthen you. You have the Trinity on your side. You are a conqueror. Even though you are in the midst of the trial of your life right now, the devil will not win this battle because it was already won on Calvary. I don’t know who has abandoned you and left a deep void, (a parent, maybe a spouse or your children). I don’t even want to know who has left those ugly scars in your heart. I guarantee you the void was filled on Calvary and the scars were healed on the cross. You are not broken. You are wholesome in Christ Jesus! The Promise Keeper gave you His word: you are never alone. All believers are given a future with promise and a plan to succeed in all that God has called them to do. The Holy Spirit is not just with you but within you. He has been there since you made Christ your Lord and Savior and He will NEVER leave you ALONE.

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 37

¹ Do not fret because of those who are evil
    or be envious of those who do wrong;
² for like the grass they will soon wither,
    like green plants they will soon die away.

³ Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
⁴ Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him and he will do this:
⁶ He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
    your vindication like the noonday sun.

⁷ Be still before the Lord
    and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
    when they carry out their wicked schemes.

⁸ Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
    do not fret—it leads only to evil.
⁹ For those who are evil will be destroyed,
    but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

¹⁰ A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
    though you look for them, they will not be found.
¹¹ But the meek will inherit the land
    and enjoy peace and prosperity.

¹² The wicked plot against the righteous
    and gnash their teeth at them;
¹³ but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
    for he knows their day is coming.

¹⁴ The wicked draw the sword
    and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
    to slay those whose ways are upright.
¹⁵ But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
    and their bows will be broken.

¹⁶ Better the little that the righteous have
    than the wealth of many wicked;
¹⁷ for the power of the wicked will be broken,
    but the Lord upholds the righteous.

¹⁸ The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,
    and their inheritance will endure forever.
¹⁹ In times of disaster they will not wither;
    in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

²⁰ But the wicked will perish:
    Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
    they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.

²¹ The wicked borrow and do not repay,
    but the righteous give generously;
²² those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
    but those he curses will be destroyed.

²³ The Lord makes firm the steps
    of the one who delights in him;
²⁴ though he may stumble, he will not fall,
    for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

²⁵ I was young and now I am old,
    yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
    or their children begging bread.
²⁶ They are always generous and lend freely;
    their children will be a blessing.^[b]

²⁷ Turn from evil and do good;
    then you will dwell in the land forever.
²⁸ For the Lord loves the just
    and will not forsake his faithful ones.

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed^[c];
    the offspring of the wicked will perish.
²⁹ The righteous will inherit the land
    and dwell in it forever.

³⁰ The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
    and their tongues speak what is just.
³¹ The law of their God is in their hearts;
    their feet do not slip.

³² The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
    intent on putting them to death;
³³ but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
    or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

³⁴ Hope in the Lord
    and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
    when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

³⁵ I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
    flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,
³⁶ but he soon passed away and was no more;
    though I looked for him, he could not be found.

³⁷ Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
    a future awaits those who seek peace.^[d]
38 But all sinners will be destroyed;
    there will be no future^[e] for the wicked.

³⁹ The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
⁴⁰ The Lord helps them and delivers them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they take refuge in him.