The Grace of God Ignites Faith!

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you. Titus 2:11-15 NIV

Remember hearing anyone say, "if not for the grace of God, there go I?"

Usually, this statement is made by people who look upon the tragedies endured by others--homelessness, addiction, loneliness, dissonance, isolationism, all those things that set them apart from the "normalized" view of the world. And it's true, if not for the grace of God, where would I be?

I could have been lost in sin, but Jesus stepped in

Reminded me of His love and why He came from above,

To shoulder all I could not handle on my own,

And not only to me, has His love been shown.

Whenever I see, helplessness and despair in the eyes of others,

I'm reminded to help all my sisters and brothers,

In Christ for if it had not been for His grace,

I could be standing in their place.

I could be as despicable as those who hate,

But in this life, loving others was always my fate.

So, how could I give up or give in to defeat,

When His Grace has my made my triumph complete?

A word of encouragement for all who read and see just how much we have to be thankful for in spite of the greed and corruption we see emanating from the White House and those court jesters in charge.

We have an opportunity to change the landscape and our fate by voting out those who are abdicating their constitutional responsibility and electing those who care about all people and will uphold the constitution--no matter what. Congressional representations should not be shackled with party partisanship, but bonded to serve all Americans--no matter who voted for them. That's what it means to be a true Patriot.

 

With this in mind, I still implore those who will to support my impending run for president in 2020. The foundation is being laid and more information will be updated on a regular basis as need warrants, but for now, I am encouraged and inspired by the Grace of God to move forward in the face of immeasurable odds.

Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you can lose. - Tom Krause

I will not allow any negative thoughts or dastardly deeds by others to deter me. I will continue to fight the good fight of faith and prepare to enter the White House in 2021 as the next president of the people. Hope you'll join me in this venture so we can all celebrate the victory and triumph of being Everyday Americans!

Power of Truth!

The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” Even as he spoke, many believed in him. To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:29-32 NIV

When we have done all we can do--the only thing is to depend on God and the power of Holy Spirit giving courage and boldness to all who speak truth.

For today, with the testimony of those who know truth--when truth is spoken and received--it has the power to destroy the lies and plots of the enemy and set us all free from the debacle that resides in the White House.

On the road to freedom--truth will be the foundation on which we rebuild trust and respect in the world.

30 Days of Prayer and Praise--30!

I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; before the “gods” I will sing your praise. I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness, for you have so exalted your solemn decree that it surpasses your fame. When I called, you answered me; you greatly emboldened me. May all the kings of the earth praise you, LORD, when they hear what you have decreed. May they sing of the ways of the LORD, for the glory of the LORD is great. Though the LORD is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me. The LORD will vindicate me; your love, LORD, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands. Psalm 138 NIV

Day Thirty!

Lord Jesus,

You have kept us focused on the prize in our obedience to praising You. You have given us boldness, courage, stamina and insight with wisdom from above to keep moving forward, daily exercising our gifts in giving You praise.

Lord, thank You for continuing to pour into us knowledge and wisdom and desire to know truth and to always speak truth about all things. Daily, we'll lift our hearts and sing praises unto You for there is no other like You worthy of our praise!

Thank You for always quickening our spirits when dismayed and providing us with a circle of others who love You to keep us encouraged. Thank You for keeping our thoughts from straying as we continue to work to seek justice for all and to right wrongs perpetuated against others.

Thank You for being a beacon of light in the darkness of a world filled with hate and giving us boldness to speak love, dispelling the darkness in the hearts of those who do not know You, anointing them with Your love.

Thank You for being in the chambers of the Senate and House--speaking a word of encouragement to the hearts of those who stand up and speak out for those whose voices are not heard through their own attempts to speak loudly. Thank You for giving all elected representatives hearts of flesh and not of stone so they'll be moved with compassion and put country before party.

Lord, our Lord--who is mighty in battle and a conqueror never defeated--thank You for pouring into us Your spirit so we too can keep fighting the good fight of faith and are strengthened by the love You have for us in doing what is right for all people.

Blessed is the name of the Lord and blessed are those who obey Him in all things. Blessed are we who love You, O Lord that we might be a blessing to others and all who do not know You will come to know You through our living example of The Word.

In Jesus' name we pray and thank You, Amen!

Who Do We Turn To?

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:12-16 NIV

When in trouble--who are we going to call? Perhaps, one of the reasons we are facing such difficult times in our society is that we are looking in the wrong direction for help. There is no help from the government coming our way unless The Lord moves upon the hearts of all those in authority to make a real difference in our world. And while many of those in authority do not have a heart for God, it is up to us who do--to seek Him to radically change hearts towards Him.

The Word of God tells us, "We don't have what we need because we don't know how to ask for it." (James 4:2,3)  How do we ask? We boldly approach God, knowing that our Father loves us and only wants the best for us, therefore His ear is inclined to hear us. When we know we live to please Him, we don't need to hesitate to put our requests before Him and have faith that He will respond to our requests.

Unfortunately, too many people approach God timidly--fearful and hesitant--because they think He won't hear them.  They are like that child who wants something from their parents, but mumble under their breath--afraid to speak up--with their heads down--not wanting to face them. Some parents have to prod this child to even understand what it is they are asking and sometimes, frustration gets in the way of the request and no one is happy. Is that how we approach God when we need help? Are our heads hanging down because we know we have not obeyed His Word? Is this why we are hesitant and fearful?

It's not like He doesn't know what we need or want before we even ask. He just wants us to be bold enough to ask Him. That boldness is demonstrated in an assurance that He will grant our request--not arrogance in thinking He has to do anything--but confidence in His love and living right before Him.

Instead of looking for an individual--mere mortals in government to change our situations--let's look to The Lord, boldly putting our requests before Him and then let's listen to what He has to say and obey!  If our motives are right, He will hear and grant our request--of that we can be sure of!

Are We Praying?

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." (Colossians 4:2-6 NIV)

When I think about what I might do if I was in chains, I wonder if I would have had the fortitude that Paul had. I honestly don't know the answer to that because I've never been locked away from people or in chains. I can only pray that my devotion to God would enable me to do likewise.

But that's the key--devotion--totally dedicated and committed to doing what is needful. Although most of us are appalled with the way the terrorist groups treat Christians, we must admit they are totally devoted to their goal--no matter how inhuman it is. They are so committed to accomplishing their goal they are willing to die to see it come to pass.

I don't want to be involved with taking the life of a another human being, but wouldn't it be great if the rest of us were as devoted to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the terrorists are in trying to decimate us?

This, then is why Paul encouraged the church at Colosse (and us) to devote ourselves to prayer--being in constant communication with God about everything that concerns us. He cautions us to be watchful--paying attention to the changes taking place around, hearing Holy Spirit when He warns us of things to come, and taking whatever action we need to take to make sure the way of the Gospel is never blocked or closed to all those who desire to hear it.

Let's face it--we have not always heeded Paul's advice which is why there are so many changes in our society--and not all of them good. We were not being watchful when Madeline Murray O'Hara decided that her children didn't need to be exposed to anyone praying in schools. The Body of Christ didn't think she'd accomplish her goal and did nothing and so today, the school systems all over the country are running amuck because open prayer is not allowed. In other words--the devil won that round. But there are still those who are devoted to praying--and students are leading prayer circles in limited situations. Hooray for the brave, bold students, but what happened to the adults who should have been fighting for the rights of all to hear and agree with the prayers?

Once again, Christian Leadership in the country failed to act on warnings by Holy Spirit and the Supreme Court has led the way for the downward spiral of morality and we shall soon see such decadent immorality that it will make our dead ancestors cringe in unbelief. Were we praying before issues reached the Supreme Court? Were we praying that our elected body of legislators would do their jobs?

Are we praying--even now--or have we become complacent and apathetic--willing to just let things take their course?

My daily prayer includes thanking God for wisdom being poured out upon every leader in this country--that they will hear from heaven and act accordingly. I'm praying that those who made the decision to legalize sin would repent and for those participating in sinful acts would repent and seek God. I thank God for the ability to love, the boldness to teach His Word, and the wisdom to know what to say and when. I thank God for inspiring me to teach my children and grandchildren to learn to please God, not man. And more importantly, I've taught them to seek God--communicating with Him on a daily basis--for answers to all their questions and solutions for all their problems.

Are we praying? Are we devoted to seeking God for every situation we encounter--for peace in the world and salvation for all?

Lord, give us insight to know that we will never have the answers for all the world's problems, but You do. And when You speak to us--directing us in how to help solve them, give us an ear to hear and a made-up mind to do--just as You direct us to do, exercising Godly wisdom at all times. Thank You for loving us enough to give us chance after chance to get things right before You return. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen!

Speak Boldly!

"Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech—" (2 Corinthians 3:12 NKJV).

In the beginning of this passage of scripture Paul is making a case for how people felt when they looked upon Moses saw the glory on his face. Now, the glory that Moses had, ceased to exist with his death, but the glory of the Spirit, that lives within us, never passes away, never ceases to exist whether we remain or not. The Spirit of the Lord is in the earth realm, abiding in whoever will receive Him and as such, we have no need to be shy or doubtful when we speak The Word of God!

Speak The Word boldly wherever you go, whenever a need arises, never doubting or being fearful of what others may think. Speak what God has already said, knowing all glory belongs to Him and not us. Speak with clarity, demonstrating both a relationship with God and understanding of what He has said. Speak as the Holy Spirit urges to speak, whether it is convenient or not; whether people want to hear it or not, speak The Word of God boldly!

When the enemy rises up with false doctrine, speak the truth boldly, countering every word the enemy speaks with God's truth. Speak the Word boldly--in the face of ignorance and wilful disobedience. Speak the Word boldly--to preachers who have backed down from preaching God's Word and into preaching their own doctrine. Speak the Word boldly to the lost so they might be saved. Speak the Word boldly to those who are trying to understand, but are yet flailing in a sea of doubt. Speak the Word as boldly as the enemy attempts to dilute, pollute, and convolute God's intent of the Word.

After praying and asking for God to give you boldness, get up and get out and Speak The Word, boldly so that none will doubt your sincerity as a follower of Christ. Don't back down, don't turn around, look forward and speak boldly--God's Truth--knowing that we will be judged for all that we either do or don't do.