Soon And Very Soon!

A psalm. My God, whom I praise, do not remain silent, for people who are wicked and deceitful have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues.With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause. In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer. They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship. Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy; let an accuser stand at his right hand. When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him. May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership. May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven from their ruined homes. May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor. May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children. May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation. May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD; may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.May their sins always remain before the LORD, that he may blot out their name from the earth.  For he never thought of doing a kindness, but hounded to death the poor and the needy and the brokenhearted. He loved to pronounce a curse— may it come back on him. He found no pleasure in blessing— may it be far from him. He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil.May it be like a cloak wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him. May this be the LORD’s payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil of me. Psalm 109:1-20 NIV

I am #TheResistance

Did God honor this prayer for David? Yes, He did and He will honor every prayer we pray, when the prayer aligns with His Word. Contrary to the thoughts of some about prayer and praying for others--we see in this passage--there is a time when we stop expecting God to change people. People will never change people; they only change when they see a need to change and that from within. So for those who telling people to pray for 45--it is an exercise in futility since he sees know no need to change.

What should our prayer be then? My prayer is that The Lord will bring an end to this atrocious situation soon, by whatever means He sees fit to use. I know there are those who think--"give him a chance."

He's had a chance to show us who he is and he has. He is a bumbling buffoon who is out to benefit himself and no one else. His billionaire friends are using him and he's too foolish to see it because he wants to be "accepted." He doesn't realize that people are laughing behind his back and the only people who think anything of him are his base--the ones who are undereducated and ill-informed. They look upon him as some kind of god and can't see what's right in front of them. We know this is true because they think he speaks truth and the actuality is--he and truth have no relationship whatsoever. They have never met and every time he opens his mouth--the discerning majority population--know it.

While I was praying for those who are going to lose the most--his fan base--I have stopped praying for them. They want to idolize a man who will soon be cause of their having toxins in their water, air and no oversight as to what is put into their foods. They're going to lose access to the type of medical coverage they need because they were too foolish to know--the Affordable Care Act-was deemed Obamacare by bigoted Republicans. Now, they're fit to be tied because they screamed about getting rid of Obamacare, not knowing it was the healthcare they needed. It is really sad to see such hatred for a person that  don't realize the good that was done for them.

Now, if we're watching closely to what's happening aside from the distractions 45 creates, we'll see North Korea and Russian attempt to make a move against the United States. This is what giving 45 a chance has done.

If I don't live beyond today, I can safely say, my destination is secure and heaven is my home. Where 45 will end up is anyone's guess, but I doubt there will be a mansion waiting for him.

Nevertheless, soon and very soon, Lord--remove the oppressive fascist from our midst and when he is found to guilty of treason, remove any lingering doubts from the minds of any who thought he cared about--the average working people. And let his fall from grace and public opinion be seen worldwide so the world will know--we--the majority of Americans--are not like him.

Gallup's daily poll, which is based on a three-day rolling average, has Trump's approval rate at 38 percent and his disapproval rate at 56 percent, with a 3-point margin of error.

And though the Republican party approves of his performance (entertainment I guess), by 87%--the overall public opinion of his job performance is lower than any other president's before him. The reality of the situation is this--45 is not doing anything other than making noise and signing whatever is put in front of him. He has no idea how to govern and others are making all the important decisions for him because he doesn't have a clue. Then there are those who "complained about Obama taking vacations more than once a year" and this idiot apparently thinks the job of a president is a 9-5 week day only situation and has spent more time doing nothing in 4 weeks than Obama did in 8 years. And the taxpayers--those of us paying taxes (he doesn't) are footing the bill to the tune of over 10 million dollars for the past four weeks, when Obama (who paid taxes) only spent 96 million in 8 years. Get a calculator all you loyalists and see what your loyalty to a buffoon is going to cost America!

For those who put political party before country--May God deal with you in a manner that will make you remember--the welfare of the country should always come before a party's agenda. But if you don't know--you will--soon and very soon! As it has been said, "Patriotism is loyalty to country--not a president."

30 Days of Prayer and Praise!

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.“Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” Psalm 91 NIV

Day One!

I will be spending the next 30 days in prayer for the sake of our nation and all Americans who truly love The Lord and praising Him--for all I know He's doing on our behalf--in spite of what appearances may cause us to think. The Lord loves those of us who are diligently serving and obeying Him in whatever capacity that is as He has directed us. I encourage any and all to join me for this dedicated 30 days of prayer and praise of our God! Every daily blog will start with a prayer based upon a Psalm and end with a praise to the Only Wise God!

The Lord is my refuge--the place where I know I am safe.

He is my fortress--with a relationship solidly constructed to protect me against the tricks of the enemy.

I am covered--with the blood of Jesus--the symbol of His love--against which nothing the enemy attempts  to do shall prosper or harm me.

Though I see the faith of some waver and falter in the midst of the storm, I will stand firm on His Word.

Nothing I see or hear shall deter me from serving My God--the creator of all that was ever created and without whom, nothing was created.

When I call upon Him, He shall hear and answer because He knows my love for Him is wider than the widest stretch of land, deeper than the deepest ocean, and my praise for all He has done and will do for those who love Him, rises higher than the highest mountain.

And because of His great love for all who cast all their cares upon Him, He will save us in our hour of need, rescue us from the plots of evil that many may plan, and cause our faith to soar like eagles--seeking higher ground--far away from those who would harm us.

Great is His faithfulness towards us--His Children--and we can have confidence in the knowledge that He will never leave us or forsake! Hallelujah! There is none like Him, no one else who can do what He does that we might know of His love! 

Thank You, Lord for Your love, grace and mercy that accompany us--all the days of our lives!

Singing!

Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. Psalm 33:3 NIV

Singing praises to our God is a wonderful way to not dwell on our surroundings, especially when those surroundings can cause us grief. The beauty of singing a new song, one no one has ever heard before is that no one can criticize the words, the rhythm, or our voices--since we usually sing them to ourselves.

Over the years, whenever I prepared to minister to God's people, He always gave me a song to conclude the message. Reception to these songs was usually pretty good and at one time, the church I attended had an awesome musician who could play anything just by listening to a few bars. And when a musician couldn't pick up the song, I sang it acappella.

Now, when things get too embroiled for me to address without causing more turmoil, I sing a song. Sometimes, it's a new one--whatever is poured into my spirit--and sometimes, it's a song that really ministers to me. Recently, I sang to myself--Encourage Yourself In The Lord--and I had to keep singing it in order not to respond to foolishness.

Lately, I find myself singing quite a bit. Most of the songs are based upon The Word, so I can get a chance to meditate on The Word as well as to calm me. Like David playing to keep Saul calm, singing has supernatural power to keep us calm before we create a storm.

Most mothers sing to their infants to calm them. Choirs sing to magnify The Lord. There are songs that make people want to dance and some that make people cry, but singing is a good way to wipe out negativity and the desire to avenge oneself when one feels they have been wronged.

O Lord, You who know everything,
Soothe my heart and let my voice ring,
With a melody that praises You,
And encourages my spirit, too,
Praising You for all You have done
And will do, creating all under the sun,
Providing us with its marvelous light,
Negating the wrongs, to always do right,
As unto You, not to cause others flight,
Away from You. O Lord, I sing
And hear angels' voices ring,
Carrying the melody meant to calm
In the midst of every storm--until joy,
Releases its healing balm.
There is indeed a balm in singing unto You!

Whenever we feel like we're about to lose it--our tempers or get emotionally distraught, we can solve it all, by singing!

Joy With The Lord!

I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (Psalm 16:8-11 NIV)

 Though the mountains shake and the earth opens and water covers the land, I will fear no evil for the joy of The Lord is my strength. And with Him, my joy is complete--no devil in hell or demonic spirits on earth, can move from being with my Lord, Jesus Christ or obeying His Word!

This is my confession today and shall be embedded in my heart for the rest of my life. And if by chance I should happen to forget it, I'm creating a poster--declaring the same for I will not allow the fickleness of people to persuade me to do anything that God has not already shown me.

David was singing His declaration in the segment of the Psalms noted and throughout all he wrote; he knew that in order to keep negative thoughts at bay, he had to keep the joy of the Lord before Him. All of the Psalms are a message in themselves, messages we can apply to our daily lives and when the naysayers, doubters and unbelievers attempt to discourage us--we have a song to sing and declaration to make--Our God is more than enough--to see us through whatever comes our way.

Though some of us may not be able to carry a tune or sound much better than a croaking frog, we can all sing His praises and make our own declarations--expressing our love and trust in Him--for all the world to know. When we learn to become as bold as the enemy, we will discover the power within us--driven by Holy Spirit--can change the very atmosphere in which we exist--from the lowest to the highest--level or station in life, every Believer must know that within us--we can change the World--if we simply keep our eyes on Jesus and never allow the trials and challenges of the world to burden us so that we forget, who we are and who we have in Him.

Now--it's time to open our hearts to Him--allowing Him to give us a song--inspiring us to greatness by doing great things, trusting Him to provide all our needs, while we take care of others. Hallelujah! Speak Lord, for Your servants are listening, ready to obey!

Hiding In God, Not Behind Him!

Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I entrust my life. Rescue me from my enemies, Lord, for I hide myself in You. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. (Psalm 143:8-10 NIV--emphasis mine)

There is such a great difference between hiding in something rather than hiding behind something. I was reminded of an Internet exchange with someone who accused me of hiding "my bigotry behind my religion." This was in response to an article that I, once again, stated an obvious truth, that many did not want to accept. But when asked a question about who he would allow to mentor his high school, if he had one, Joshua Jordan never responded. Instead, I was told I was hateful and hiding behind religion.

However, I don't see speaking God's Truth as hiding behind religion; especially when I'm not religious, but in relationship with Him. That's the difference that many doubters and unbelievers have not figured out yet. When we're "in" relationship with God, we don't need to hide behind anything for He speaks to our hearts and we hear and obey. In another passage of The Word David tells God, "Your Word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You." If the Word is hidden within us, we have no need to hide behind anyone or anything. For when we open our mouths to speak truth, The Word should bubble up in us and spring forth like that fountain of living water we were told we would be.

I do recognize the "hater" tactic employed by any who disagree with God and promote living in opposition to His Word. They are always attempting to put us on the defensive because they cannot stand our offensive stance in The Word. Let me try putting this another way. If we are hidden in a tree and our enemies search for us, they will not see us--they will only see the tree. When children play "hide-and-seek" they usually hide behind other things and are seen, or found eventually because they are not completely hidden. In the tree, we are completely covered; Behind the tree, we can be caught. So, I'd rather be hiding in God so the only person people see is God, than hiding behind Him. Glory to His name!

Paul tells us, "Let this mind be "in" you that is also in Christ Jesus. Notice, he didn't say, "let this mind be "behind" you. We are to abide in Him--live in His Word so when people see us, they see Him and not us. Are we capable of hiding in Him, forgetting about ourselves, wanting others to see only Him and not us?

I believe we can hide in Him and we demonstrate that when we boldly, courageously, speak God's Word no matter how many times we are attacked for our boldness in Him. The haters really hate themselves for they have nothing or anyone in whom they can completely trust or hide themselves in--except what the enemy feeds them--hatred of all who disagree with them. That is so sad on so many levels that my heart hurts for them. With all of the love God has for everyone willing to receive Him and His purpose for our lives, there should be no room on earth for hate or haters of any kind. And this is why, we can rise every morning, knowing how much we're loved by God, and keep going--doing His Will.

Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray for all those who are hurting because they have not received Your love. I ask You to fill them to overflowing, washing away hate and creating in all a desire to hide in You, trusting You completely, and not hiding behind anger, frustration, and hatred of anyone who promotes You and Your love. Cut  away the anger and bitterness that have embedded themselves through experiences with those who did not know You and heal and save them, now. Amen!

The Lord Is!

The Lord is my my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me to lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for name's sake.(Psalm 23:1-3 NIV)

A familiar passage of scripture reference should always be re-viewed for fresh introspection and although what I am inspired to say today may not be fresh for some, it will encourage others. We have no need to fear what the enemy might do when we know--The Lord is--everything we need.
Since David was a shepherd caring for his father's sheep, he knew exactly what a shepherd's role was--as a caretaker for the flock which would later provide for the family.

So what does a shepherd do? The shepherd's role is to make sure the sheep--all of the flock--are kept safe from harm, led to good grazing areas and by water. The shepherd makes sure that the sheep lack for nothing and when some stray or fall off cliffs, the shepherd is there to lead them back to safety or to rescue them, making sure they get back in the sheepfold unharmed.

Considering the fact that most leaders in the churches are supposed to model the role of a shepherd, are they doing so? Are church leaders feeding the sheep or fleecing the sheep? Are they concerned with the welfare of the sheep or do they only care about their own well-being? Are they guiding the sheep along right paths--The Word of God--or are they pimping The Word, selectively, to make the sheep think they are more than they are and emptying the pockets and bank accounts of the masses?

If we truly understand the picture that David paints for us of the role of a shepherd, we'd have to admit that many of our church leaders are not good shepherds--with a heart to please God. And this is why so many congregants are mislead, misused and abused by those in leadership for their hearts are far from God and when they distort The Word of God for personal gain--the enemy gets a foothold in the heart of the building which influences the sheep and they are lost.

But if The Lord is--our Great Shepherd--we are confident that all of our needs are met in Him. We know that He will never lead us astray, but will always lead us to rich pastures (or passages in The Word) so we'll be well fed and have our thirst quenched by The Word. When The Lord is our Shepherd, we can sleep at night without worry about tomorrow because we know that angels are guarding us throughout the night and we have nothing to fear. When The Lord is our Shepherd--He speaks those things to us that the Father says and we develop a desire to please the Father--knowing how He wants us to live, thrive and survive the attacks of the enemy.

The Lord is--our healer, our comforter, our provider, our counselor, our teacher, our guide through all the muck we face in life and when we hear and obey--we are victorious and nothing the enemy does, no weapon tossed our way, will have any effect on our lives or our desire to please God. The Lord is everything we will ever need and He will lead us to those He has anointed and appointed to lead His sheep--in all truth, according to The Word.

We need to know The Word for ourselves so when we hear someone say something that is not The Word, we'll know it and not be led astray, opening the door for the enemy to step in and destroy our lives. Know The Word--Know The Lord. If we don't know The Word, any fool can lead us astray when they make sounds like they know The Word, when they don't even know The Lord. Be wise, knowledgeable and realize that wolves (in shepherd's clothing) disguise themselves with just enough Word to get close enough to devour. If they are not saying what The Lord says and reminding people who The Lord is--run and don't look back!

Better Than Life Love!

"Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you." (Psalm 63:3 NIV)

People may have a number of different opinions about David and I've heard many of them. He was a hero, he was murderer, he was adulterer, he was callous, he was... and the remarkable thing about David is that he was probably all the things many say about him, but he was also quick to repent when he was wrong and he had no problem remembering who God is and praising Him, even in the midst of trials.

In this Psalm, David is in the desert and begins it my talking about how his thirst is quenched by God even when there is no water in the land. Jesus reminds us that when we hunger and thirst for righteous we will be satisfied.  But when we are lacking in the natural substances--food and water, are we praising God simply because His love is better than life?

We are so quick to complain about current circumstances rather than praising God for His love that we sometimes lose our focus and become bitter and angry and our faith wanes. David is our example of how we should treat those moments (and we all have them) when things are going exactly the way we want them to go. Instead of complaining, let's sing a song of praise, even if we have to create one--just for our moment. When we sing praises to God, it lifts our heart and the weight of circumstances become lighter. If we would just remember that every trial is only for a season and we can determine--in that season--how we respond to it.

I've often said out loud when trials come that appear to want to take me out, "Devil, I will come through this and even if I don't, I get to go home sooner so I still win!"

If we exercise our lips to lift our hearts, we will experience the love of God that truly is better than life--just surviving it-- and know that God's love will help us get through anything.

Exercise for the lips to lift the heart:

You, O God, always know what I need when I need it,
You, O God, are the creator of my life, know my every thought and deed,
And You, O God, love me enough to life me from the bottom of the pits in which I fall,
In the face of all those who would scorn me and You shower me with favor so they understand,
Just how much You love me and that Your love is better than life,
Because it is You, who makes life worth living!
And I praise You, lifting Your name higher than any trial that comes my way,
You, O God, have already established victory as the end result! We Win in the end!

Saved From Enemies!

“I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and have been saved from my enemies." (2 Samuel 22:4 NIV)

When people have been saved from disasters and they know The Lord, they understand God's saving grace in situations beyond their control. David knew The Lord and knew that it was The Lord who had saved him from Saul's relentless pursuit to kill him.

Let's step back for a second review the relationship between David and Saul. It was David who struck Goliath with a stone from his slingshot. It was David who was able to soothe Saul with his music ability. It was David who was loyal to Saul beyond measure and refused to kill him, even though he had a chance when Saul sought to kill David out of jealousy. The real issue here with Saul was his jealousy, which reigned over logic in his head and led to his destruction. Jealousy--the monstrous emotion resulting from insecurities that blinds people from seeing reality and is a tool of the enemy--Satan.

When Samuel anointed David as the next king over Israel--predictively--David was put on the road to notoriety and acclaim. He was a hero to the people, but a pain to Saul because the people exalted David--because of his military success over Saul, who was king.

How can someone who claims to love a person become their enemy? When a person is influenced by demonic influence, love won't stand a chance if the person who is influenced would rather express their desire to hold onto negativity.

Instead of taking the opportunities to kill Saul and become King as prophesied, David ran, formed his own armies, still fighting on the side of Saul's reign, but keeping far away from him. Throughout Saul's pursuit of David, David's faith in God did not fail and he knew he would be saved. When Saul was killed, David sang praises unto The Lord. In fact, during the pursuit, David wrote and sang many songs and we have access to some of them in the Psalms.

Now, the bigger question for us today is, when we are pursued by an enemy, do we sing praises unto our God or do we cringe in fear and hopelessness? Do we sing when we know we have been delivered and saved by that enemy that influences our fear and makes us feel abandoned?

I've learned to sing God's praises, no matter what is happening in my life. I may take a moment to be sad, but I straighten my back, hold up my head, and bellow the songs that are deeply embedded in my spirit--knowing that God has the last word over the things that happen in my life and I know--through Him, I will be victorious in the end. Hallelujah! Thank You, Jesus for victory in every situation in my life--no matter how dark the night may be, morning is coming and with it--Sonshine (The Son will shine brightly and dissolve any despair in all types of weather) and new mercies! Glory to God! I am saved from my enemies!

Unfailing Love!

"the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love." (Psalm 147:11 NIV)

As we approach the day many celebrate as a demonstration of their love for another (Valentine's Day), we see that God's unfailing love is not like our "temporary interest" love.

Of course His love for us is not "Eros" but "Agape" and God's love cannot be measured in time or by our standards. His love towards us--is infinite, immeasurable, enduring, no matter what. He did not "fall in love" with us, so there's no falling out of love with us--as we do with others. He simply--loves us!

The Lord delights in those who have a "reverential" fear (hold Him in reverence as an authority in their lives) and know that His love--will never fail. Do we dare have that kind of love for any other human being? I think not! Human beings do not have the capacity that God has to love us--no matter what we do.

The problem with our society and its understanding of love is that it has confused the word "love" with "lust" and this is why "romantic" relationships--sometimes flounder. We are attracted to other people because of one attribute or another, but it is primarily based upon our reaction to people that is stirred below the waist, not a heart-response. That is the lust in us for another.

The "romantic" relationship that begins with the heart (and no other body part involved) is the one that is more like God's love towards us and it means we love the person simply because we are to love them--whether we like what they do or not. Let's face it--none of us are perfect and we all have our shortcomings and habits that may annoy someone. But are the habits and shortcomings enough for us to "stop loving" the other? When we understand God's love towards us and allow His love to fill us to overflowing, that love should be overflowing onto everyone we come into contact and when the heart connects to another heart of like-minded interests, the love should stand the test of time and strengthen the relationship.

So, while planning the perfect celebration for your love interest, make sure your love is based upon The Word of God, you have received His unfailing love, and you are in a position to hear Holy Spirit to have the very best celebration that demonstrates your unfailing love. When we do things God's way, He delights in us and gives us the desires of our hearts--even to overflowing, unfailing love, coming our way!

Wait For It!

"I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." (Psalm 27:13,14 NIV)

How many times have we heard the phrase--wait for it? Usually, the phrase has more to do with some spectacular event about to unfold and because it was spectacular, we're never disappointed. And we won't be disappointed as we wait to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living--this side of heaven.

How will we see the goodness of The Lord? When every born-again believer truly walks in their calling--whatever that might be and do the greater works that Jesus said we would do--the entire world will see the goodness of The Lord in everything we do!

Are we not created in His image? Are we not His children? Are we not able to do all He has put on our hearts to do, to His glory? When we become living epistles, read of men, others will see The 
Lord in us because we won't be able to hide the light of His love under a bush, but we shall shine brightly, as a beacon, drawing all the lost to The Lord by the love we show them.

Showing others love does not mean we compromise The Word of God by condoning sin in any matter. We must encourage people to live according to The Word, not in opposition to The Word.

Within the next few weeks, I am re-distributing a book on Amazon that will sound an alarm in the hearts of many and be a wake-up call to the Body of Christ. Some will hate the book (and probably me), some will love it, and some will be wary of the intent. The intent of the book, quite simply is to remind all of God's Word, what He has said about sin, and our what our response should be to those who propose to promote sin rather than godliness. And we can do this--showing love--not displeasing God in order to win people to us.

Our ability to win souls should never be about winning someone to be in our cheering section, or church, but encouraging them to repent, be forgiven, and develop a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Are you ready? Okay, just wait for it and wait for The Lord to see His goodness--through us--to overwhelm the land!

The Path of Life!

"You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." (Psalm 16:11 NIV)

Only God can set our feet
Upon the path to His victory
Planned before our birth
Determined success upon the earth
For all who believe and obey
Every Word God spoke
To hearts He provoked
To write and proclaim
His goodness, praise His name!

The path of life that God has determined for all who love and obey, may have obstacles and challenges, but if we stay on the path, He has already determined how we shall overcome any obstacle that appears in our lives. We just have to believe and keep our feet on the path, never straying or led astray by fleshly desires to deceiving us, delighting in our failures and demise, when to listen to Satan's lies.

We shall reap the bountiful rewards God has planned for us when we keep our focus on Him, and accomplish all that He has put on hearts to do, to His glory.

Leaning on His every Word, determined to make it to the end as He has planned, trusting and obeying, loving and moving in victory in spite of every snare set before us, crossing the finish line victorious in all things--this is the path of life!

Won't He Do It?

"The LORD upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing." (Psalm 145:14-16 NIV)

What God will do for those who love Him and look to Him to have all their needs met would fill volumes if anyone had the time to write about them! In fact, many books have been written--testimonies--by those who understand His power, mercy, and grace. And even those who proclaim to "not believe" have written books as to why they don't--another testimony of His greatness. I certainly would not spend time writing about someone I did not believe existed. Think about that!

No one would know better than David, what The Lord will do for all those who love and obey Him, even when they occasionally mess up. For The Word says that David had a heart to repent when He did wrong. For those who fall down--He will lift us when we repent and seek His forgiveness. When we look to Him, He provides our every need--food enough to eat and everything else we need and when we please Him; He gives us the desires of our hearts. What a mighty God we serve!

Even when we don't always do the things we should do, He is faithful to His Word and to us and if we listen carefully, we'll reap the benefits of obedience because of His mercy--not that we're so great, but because He is so great!

I wish I had the time and space to proclaim just how merciful He has been in my life. When I have done all He has asked me to do, He opened doors and gave me favor of men and women I could not have dreamed of; He spoke to hearts of people to assist me when I didn't know where to look for help. When my body needed healing, He was right there and a disease I was told could kill me, disappeared and the doctors didn't understand it. Neither did I, I just trusted God then, now I know and understand why He did it. He had plans for me and His plans will be fulfilled!

If He did marvelous things for me, won't He do it for others? Yes, He will and He has! All we have to do is trust, obey, repent, and receive and what He's done for others, He'll do for all who look to Him!

Is This You?

"Declare me innocent, for you see those who do right.You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night. You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong. I am determined not to sin in what I say. I have followed your commands, which keep me from following cruel and evil people. My steps have stayed on your path; I have not wavered from following you." (Psalm 17:2-5 NLT)

Does any of our communication sound like David's prayer?

When we have reflected upon what we do and have done, do we dare ask God to declare us innocent--knowing He sees everything we do, knows our hearts and certainly knows our hearts? Can we realistically say to Him, "You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong?"

Considering we are saved by grace--not because of anything we done to deserve God's favor, but because of who He is--our sins are forgiven and we have a right to declare whatever it is we want to Him.

When we understand we are forgiven for those things we did when we did not have a relationship with Him, it is so much easier to understand David's declaration. It is also easy to understand the importance of "staying on the path" which God has established, not following evil people or trends, and not wavering from following His directions.

We know what and who we were--notice the past tense--before we knew and understood Him.

I refer to some aspects of my life as my "BC" time--before I had understanding of Christ and what He has done for me. I am now living in my "AC" time--after obtaining understanding of who He is and grateful for what He has done and is doing for me. 

If we never acknowledge that we have done anything that needs to be forgiven, how can a forgiving God, forgive us? If we never obtain a relationship with Him, how can we expect to communicate with Him--knowing He knows all about us and loves us anyway? If we never change our ways, how can we expect to be a beacon of light in the darkness that pervades the earth so others will come to know Him? Can we be like David and make such declarations?

David was not perfect by a long shot and neither are we, but right now--I declare I am the righteousness of God; I am redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; I am forsaking all those people who might lead me astray; I am staying on the path that God has set me upon and I will not be moved! I am Blessed and highly favored and never alone because He is always with me!

Is this you?

I Am All That God Says I Am available on http://www.amazon.com/Mary-M-Hall-Rayford/e/B00BAW31CQ/

Morning Joy!

"For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime!
Weeping may last through the night,
but joy comes with the morning."(Psalm 30:5 NLT)
No matter how dismal life may seem at any given point, we can see morning joy--if we refuse to give up.

When a room is in total darkness, nothing can be seen, but if we have to rise in it, we can find our way--to the light switch and when the switch is turned on, darkness is dispelled. Our lives can sometimes be the dark room, but we really have nothing to fear; we simply have to "rise up in the midst of the darkness" and turn on the switch--our hope in Jesus--and allow Holy Spirit to dispel the darkness that attempts to invade our thoughts and actions.

When we hurt--we cry and allow the tears to cleanse and then give ourselves time to be comforted.

When we despair--over anything--we should sit still, doing nothing for a moment and wait for it to pass. When we act out of despair, sometimes, we cause the night to linger longer than it should have.
In the midst of life's trials and challenges, we must learn to wait--though the storms may come, they eventually move out and when they move, we can see clearly.

Our nations are in the midst of storms--the future indeed seems cloudy and few can see any horizon of hope, but we must hold onto to hope; this is just the darkness that will be dispelled with hope and love of one another. We just need to rise up and shout, praising God for His goodness even though we cannot see goodness. We need praise God for His mercy even though we cannot see mercy. We need to praise God for restoration even though it seems like all has been destroyed. While we may be in the throes of darkness and cannot feel our way out, we know that morning is coming--and with the light of the Son--who will dispel the darkness and move us from glory to glory--showering us with His favor--if we would just have hope in Him!

Take comfort in the knowledge that though we may have to deal with dark moments and nights, morning joy awaits us--if we just wait for Him to show us the way!

Surrounded With His Favor!

"Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield" (Psalm 5:12 NIV)
The fact that being in right-standing with God puts one in position to be a recipient of His favor should not surprise or amaze anyone. Everyone wants to walk in His favor, but how many are willing to do what is right in order to be in right-standing with God? The amazing fact is that so many either do not have a clue as to what it means to be in right-standing with God or they do not care and refuse to do what is right.
Let's face it--there are a lot of people who believe they are in right-standing with God because of their own "self-righteousness." These are the people who take it upon themselves to judge (unjustly) everyone else who is not living according to their standards. For some reason, they feel they have the right to set standards for others when in fact--their own relationship with God is non-existent--they have a relationship with religion, not with God. The real problem is--they do not know the difference.
When people are in right-standing with God and have an established, maintained relationship with God--not only do they know and understand The Word--they live it. They are loving, forgiving, full of mercy and compassion and yet they tell people the Truth about God's Word without condemning them. When people only know how to spew The Word at others because of what "they see" they are extremely judgmental and quick to send people to hell, without realizing the danger which they put themselves of ending up there.
Not one of us walking on the face of the earth can "send anyone to hell." If a person ends up in hell it is because of their choices, not our decisions. If those "hell-senders" really had a relationship with God and not religion, they would know that God doesn't intend for anyone to be in hell other than Satan, but the provision was made for those who "choose" to follow Satan.
Okay--so there are consequences for our behavior--that determine where we spend eternity--heaven or hell. While I cannot speak for others, I can say with assurance that I am heaven-bound; not because of any righteousness that I have attained, but because of my relationship with God and being in right-standing with Him. I have received His love, know how to give love and to love all, forgive, have mercy and compassion for others and can and do teach the uncompromised Word of Truth. Whether people receive The Word of Truth is up to them--it is my responsibility to teach it, not to make others receive it and live it. That is being in right-standing with God.
Therefore, I am surrounded with His favor because of my willingness to be in right-standing with Him. Glory to God! I pray all get into the position to know--with assurance--what their standing is with God.
Getting into The Word for yourself puts you into good position to know and receive all God has for you!

Action Gets It Done!

"Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday." (Psalm 37:3-6 NASB)

I am who I am--an English teacher. When I look at certain passages of scripture, I always look for the subject-verb agreement. While teaching the parts of speech, I've often discovered that verb use is the most difficult one to teach. For some reason, even though people use verbs all the time, many fail to master the use. Verbs are words that describe action or state of being. Some are active and some are passive. In the above-noted scriptures, I see a great deal of action--on our parts and on God's.

Any time a sentence begins with a verb, the implied subject is "you," the reader. We see in this passage--trust, do, dwell, cultivate, delight, and commit--things for us to do. Then, after we do what we are asked to do, we see what He will do. If we "trust" Him and do good, live in the land and cultivate (practicing) faithfulness, delight (finding ways to please) in Him; He will give us the desires (those things we want, above our needs). If we commit our ways (allow Him to determine our plans and direction), to the Lord, trusting His way is better, He will get the job done. And when He is finished doing for us--He will allow others to see our good works and know who we serve.

Awesome--just awesome is our God.

However, the reason many do not know how awesome He is is because they have yet to do their part. When people say there is no God, they are certainly not going to do what He has asked them to do. If they won't do, He won't do and since they cannot see Him doing for them, or they discover they cannot manipulate God into getting what they want, they choose to ignore His existence. Then, there are some who think that with the acknowledgment of His existence (without living for Him), their lives should be perfect without any struggles at all.

Those of us who know God, intimately, know that with His love and His guidance, there are often storms and struggles, but because of Him, we can make it through victoriously, never defeated in spirit when we rely upon Him. We understand we must do in order to see Him do.

Awesome--just awesome is our God.

He is love and He loves us (in spite of our imperfections) enough to give us chance after chance to get living right for Him. We do and He does--all things well, for our benefit.

The Righteous Delivered!

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all" (Psalm 34:19).

Throughout the bible we see how those who God chose to be His are treated. They were ridiculed, enslaved, mistreated, mocked, and killed--just because they chose to obey God.

That was then and it is still the unfolding story of those who choose to live a life that is pleasing to God. We are ridiculed, mistreated, mocked, and persecuted and some are still being killed, simply because we choose to obey God.

God has said, "obedience is better than sacrifice" in reference to the sacrifices mandated to atone for sins. If we were living according to The Law and had to make animal sacrifices to seek forgiveness, we would all be in trouble.  Some of us again, wouldn't be able to afford the elements used for the sacrifice and would be prohibited from being forgiven. Some of us would become so discouraged that we would cave and give into the status quo for living--serving idols, instead of the Living God. Only a remnant would remain strong enough in their faith in God to know that even though the enemy influences persecution, God will deliver us out of them all.

Some things may never change with regards to those choosing to live in disobedience. Unfortunately, some attitudes towards those who do obey may never change. Regardless of all the stuff that may never change, we can count on God to "never change" His mind or intent for how we live and He will deliver us from all the afflictions that we encounter. He will deliver! He has done it in the past, He is doing it now, and He will forever be--our deliverer! Hallelujah!

Deliverance is near--whether that comes in the form of people changing their minds about living for God or whether we see God's wrath poured out on all the land, deliverance will come.
Be encouraged today! Stay in faith--knowing that God will never forget those who are His and He will deliver us from the fiery furnace! There is nothing too hard for our God! With Him, all things are possible that give Him glory; without Him--whatever we do is a waste of time!

Lies and Liars Exposed (Part I)

The truth about those who proclaim that homosexuality (same-sex sexual relationships) is all right with God!

A warning about those who deceive occurs 27 times in King James Version, and the wise person is able to discern that Satan is always behind those who deceive for he had no love towards God or God’s Creation.  The deception occurs in the “rhetoric” about the word or label “homosexual” not existing in the bible. It is not mentioned by that label, but the act is graphically described in both old and new testaments.  “Rape” is not mentioned by name in the bible, but the act is graphically described.  AIDS is not mentioned in the bible (along with a host of other diseases/ailments) by name, but if we read Deuteronomy 28 with understanding and know how inference works, we will see it. But these detractors—are simply another means of deceiving and many are receiving and believing the deceptive practices that will keep people from having God’s best in their lives.

These are some of the warnings about those who would deceive: (Please read entire chapters to understand the full context and intent.)

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Matthew 24:24

For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. Romans 16:18

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; Ephesians 4:14

Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Ephesians 5:6

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. I John 1:8

Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. I John 3:7

And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. Revelation 20:3

And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. Revelation 20:8

Tom Horner, wrote in 1978, Jonathan Loved David, in which he perverts the scripture and the relationship between Jonathan (Saul’s son) and David who served Saul and Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi. What Horner overlooks—intentionally—is the context in which the scripture discusses these relationships.  Apparently, he does not understand the contextual nature of “loving someone” which does not mean they have lust for people. I believe that it is evident from his attempts to “deceive” the masses that he does not know the meaning of love or at the very least, cannot distinguish love from lust. He obviously did not bother to research the meanings from the original language in order to not confuse them. But then again, I believe that was deliberate. When Satan chooses those who can be easily influenced by him, he blinds them to truth to promote his own agenda—hatred of mankind because God loves us more than him, who was created an angel, who made beautiful music in worship of God until he decided that he was better than God—hence the battle and he was thrown out of heaven.

Horner also suggests that Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” was a struggle with homosexuality even though Paul clearly opposes the practice as stated—specifically in Romans 1.  Tom Horner, for the record, is (or was) an Episcopal priest who from all that is stated in his book, is (or was) gay (conclusion based on what he says).

It appears that he very selectively chose to use scriptures out of context to promote a lifestyle in which he was involved and to make it appear that God had no opposition to the lifestyle. This position of course is refuted throughout the Bible. Whatever God said was sin, is sin, and that never changes. Man changes—his belief systems, religions, attitudes, and politics, but God is not a man that He should lie and He said, “He is the same, yesterday, and forever.”

Greg. L. Bahnsen, in 1978 wrote—Homosexuality—A Biblical View, refutes the position and philosophy of Tom Horner.

In 1996, I was inspired by the Word of God and unfolding events to write, It’s Not 

Normal—The First Word on Homosexuality, a small book in which I write about what current trends are and how they will affect the future of all. This book garnered me a television interview on CTN with Glenn Plummer soon after its publication.

Recently, Rick Warren, in an interview with CNN supports the Bible’s position.

What some groups do not understand is that when Christians say their views align with The Word, we are not saying we “hate” anyone, we are simply standing on God’s Word as truth. That’s the spiritual perspective.

Joyful Heart!

"Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing" (Psalm 100:2).

With our whole hearts, and joy overflowing, we should be glad to serve the Lord!

If we cannot think of anything else for which we should be glad, we should be glad that He loved us enough to die for us--so we would have access to heaven.

For whom we truly love, we serve with a joyful heart and are glad to have the opportunity to serve. Hopefully, this is our attitude towards spouses, children, other family members and friends--who we claim to love. It is extremely difficult to "serve" someone when a person does "have" any love for them.

We say we love the Lord. Are our hearts full of joy? Are we glad to serve Him in whatever capacity He has called us? Do we have the audacity to burst into song at any given time--just because we love to serve Him? If we serve Him because of our relationship with Him, doing what He has called us to do, brings joy to us and others. There is no hardship in serving the Lord, even though the enemy is always on the attack, we know that the Lord has never forsaken us and when we are doing what He has destined us to do, He will get the glory!

It's shouting time! Hallelujah! Don't look back--look forward and be glad He has called you into service and let your heart overflow with the joy serving Him brings! Bless The Lord! It's time for a praise dance--excuse me while I sing His praises as I move along this morning! Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised!

Lip Service!

"The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught" (Isaiah 29:13 NIV).

How insightful is the Word of God that what was spoken hundreds of years ago, is still relevant today! Isaiah was speaking to the children of Israel in an attempt to get them to understand obeying God and hearing what God has to say was more important than what the men of tradition had been teaching them.

Are we "these people" who will hear, cannot understand, and only worship with our mouths?

We must be careful that we are not guilty of making the Word of God of no effect because we love our traditions more than we love living The Word.

It's check-up time--for all to examine self. Are we fair-weather Christians--those who only talk about being a Christian, but have no idea how we're supposed to be living, but we go to church on Sundays? Are we convenient Christians--we do only what Christians are supposed to do when others are paying attention. Are we bench-warmer Christians--those who go to church to keep a seat warm, but do nothing else?  Are we "look-at-me" Christians--those who do everything they can in church to draw attention to themselves? Are we still like the Israelites--saying all the right things--singing, shouting, and praying empty prayers, and yet have no room for God in our hearts since we do not know His Word? David said, "Your Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against You!" Do we have God's Word hidden in our innermost parts so we won't sin against Him?

If our hearts are right with God, our lips need not say much because our actions will speak for us!

Lord, search us and see if we are everything You need us to be. If we are not, give us a clean heart, a heart with room enough to receive all You have for us and to live a life that pleases You. In Jesus' Name, I pray, Amen!