Finishing The Race!

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:1-8 NIV

No one ever said that living a life of righteousness would be easy. In fact, most people are warned about the traps of temptation that Satan would set the moment a person accepts the love of Christ in their hearts. To avoid the pitfalls, one must always keep their eyes on the prize that can only be obtained if we stay in the race.

In the midst of hardships, turmoil and chaos, confusion, stress and doubt--we must never lose sight of our purpose--whatever that purpose is for we will not achieve our goal, if we quit before we reach the end.

Think of a marathon--any kind of marathon--the goal or purpose is to finish and we all know--there can only be a limited number of winners--those who finish ahead of all the rest. But most people who enter a marathon are not doing so to win, but to finish--for them the finish is a win--and no matter how difficult the course becomes, no matter how tired they get or much muscles ache, their determination to finish is their reward.

This is the determination we must all have in life--to finish--whatever it is we start that is honorable in God's sight--by staying in the race. Though we may get tired from all the obstacles put in our path, we must keep our eyes and hope on the end--when we'll see the fruits of our labor and know we were on the right side of history.

And this is what The Resistance is all about--staying in the race--the goal to see wrongs righted in our society and force truth to surface by any means possible--at the end, to see all treated with equality and ability to live in peace and harmony.

No matter what each day brings--especially when it seems that efforts are wasted--we don't give up; that's just the trick of the enemy to create doubt in the minds of those who are determined to stay the course.

We continue the fight for justice against tyranny by keeping one another encouraged.

When we feel overwhelmed by news reports that appear to take a turn; we back up, rest and refuel the drive that led us here in the first place--ready for the next fight.

Wisdom is the principal thing and with all our getting--we must get understanding of all we read, hear, and see that could alter the direction of our fight. We cannot be deterred by minor setbacks and lies yet uncovered or by those who refuse to speak truth when asked. We must believe that there are others who will uncover all truth and even if the truth uncovered is not what we expect, we must be prepared to accept--the whole truth and nothing but the truth--no sugarcoated lies, no half truths, no white lies, no little lies and certainly--no alternative facts.

Though there may be many battles and all not won--we can rest assured that in the end--the war against tyranny, hatred and bigotry--will be won with Jesus on our side. We just have to stay in the race--no matter what!

I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. Ecclesiastes  9:11 NIV

Just Watch!

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

"Call on Him, call on The Lord!"

When we call upon Him, acknowledging Him for who He is--The King of Kings, The Lord of Lords, the Great I Am, The Alpha and Omega, Our Rock, The Truth, The Light, The Way, Our Deliverer, Our Healer, Our Refuge--just watch and see what He does for those who love Him.

The terrorist in the White House will fail and all those surrounding him with all the lies and buffoonery will be the shame of the world, for they do not know God so they will not hear Him when He speaks. And those who support him shall know the wrath of God--measured by what they say--those who claim to know Him will suffer the most for when they say, "I know The Lord," and yet will not live as instructed by The Lord, they lie and their punishment will be even greater.

Some of the Christian leaders who reluctantly supported 45 are now waking from the delusion and see him for who he really is and are backing away. Is it too late to repent and regroup--now ready to tell people the truth? They'll have to try and see while the rest of us--just watch!

Those in Congress who are ignoring their oaths of office--will see just how much God does not like those who use and abuse the poor and the needy and yet support a pathological liar. Their time is coming--just watch!

Once a con man, always a con man. 45 conned his way out of paying contractors and conned banks into loaning him money by running a smooth sales pitch that made it appear that he was a successful business man. Watch closely at how he ran his businesses--especially the 17 failed ones. And then consider--how the others are only for  the rich;  for those who support him--his base supporters--the middle-class workers cannot afford to play on his golf courses or sleep in his hotels--they were conned. They bought the bull without close inspection and ended with a barren cow.

Because of his attempts to run America like one of his businesses--there will be many failures and loud screams and cries because he does not know that America is not a business and cannot be run like one.

Is there any hope for him? Only God knows. Is there any hope for the rest of us? There is always hope for those who call upon The Lord for He hears our cries and sees our plights and knows those who truly belong to Him--we can count on His Word!

Though things may appear chaotic, the truth muddled and minds deluded--just watch and see how God works on behalf of those who love Him. For God is not the author of confusion and He requires that all things be done decently and in order.

Where there is order--there is no confusion and peace reigns. Just keeping watching!

It's Time To Repent!

Then the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the LORD will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry. I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.’ “Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices! Ezekiel 14:2-6 NIV

The Word of The Lord!

If we keep our focus on Him--the Sovereign Lord--and worship only Him, we would not need to repent of detestable practices, but since we don't--we need to repent!

But many will say, "Repent of what? I've done nothing wrong."

When men and women see themselves as the only authority in their lives, then there is a need to inspect what they do, measure it against The Word, and see if what they're doing is based upon The
Word or their own desires. Once they realize--how out of order they are, they need to repent--turning away from whatever they're doing that is not like God and turn to God and do things God's way.

So, here's the list of things we need to repent from:

We need to repent from lying and spreading falsehoods just to make a point.

We need to repent from supporting, endorsing, and enabling those who are doing ungodly things.

We need to repent from promoting fear, hatred, and bigotry to win people's hearts with an ungodly strategy.

We need to repent from worshiping people.

We need to repent from doing ungodly things.

We need to repent from trusting people more than we trust God.

We need to repent from seeking the news media outlets for truth rather than seeking God's Wisdom and His Truth in His Word.

Once we repent from doing all the things that we know are not like God, and ask Him to forgive us, then we will see restoration--of civility, and the promotion of love and the establishment of peace.

Without repentance--totally turning away from ungodliness and a complete turn to God--there is no forgiveness. God knows our hearts and insincerity has no place in our lives when we are seeking God to guide us.

Believers know or should know the heart of God and His desire for all to love and live in peace. It's time for us to repent of any wrongdoing--according to God's Word--and do things God's way. We are His ambassadors--the example of who He Is--but if we are living in opposition to His Word--the world will never know who He Is and how much He loves all who come to Him.

Jesus--The Only Way!

"Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." (John 14:6 NLT)

One of the reasons I love the Gospel of John is the very personal--close-up--we get of Jesus. Now, some might say (if they are scorners) that Jesus is very arrogant. There is a difference between being arrogant and confident and here--Jesus displays His confidence in knowing who He is!

"I am the way!" The way to having eternal life and the path we all should follow for the abundant life, right here on earth, that He promises in the tenth chapter.

"I am the truth!" He is the truth--revealing the character and attributes of God in person. Every thing He did was because of the Father's DNA in Him.

"I am the life!" He is the life--the personified life of the Father, who loves us so much that He willingly gave His life for us that we might be saved from ourselves. No one else can make that claim, truthfully!

"No one can get to the Father except through Him!" That's a pretty bold statement. Basically, what He's saying is that it doesn't matter what else you believe or who else you believe or not--the only way to come into the presence of God is through Him.

Let me take this a step further. Jesus said that whatever we asked of the Father--in His name--He would do. Using the name of Jesus in our communications with God, brings us into His presence and we have the boldness--empowered by the name--to ask what we will (aligned with The Word) and have a right to expect it to come to pass.

Nowhere in The Word are we told to "pray" in another person's name or pray to another person. When we do--we negate our ability to be in His presence, and have no confidence in our prayers which is why some people--never see prayers answered. We are not told to "repeat words"--ad nauseum--to receive forgiveness. We are not told to go through Mary to get to Jesus. We are not told to pray to statutes or to expect answers to prayers by rubbing beads, or stones or any other man-made item. The only way (and He is the way) we can confidently pray (communicate with God) and expect answers is when we ask of God--whatever it is--in the name of Jesus!

If anyone is teaching anything other than what God has said in His Word--they are liars and the Truth is not in them. Muhammad is not the way, Buddha is not the way, Mary is not the way, Jesus is the Only Way--we come into the presence of God! Hallelujah!

No Division In The Body!

"I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought" (I Corinthians 1:10 NIV).

While reading the beginning of this letter that Paul sent to the church at Corinth, I was inspired to address "the division" in the Body of Christ that is revealed through all the "disagreement" about what God says and means.

Brothers and Sisters-in-Christ,

If we all serve the same God--who loved us enough to come down from Glory to hang on a cross for our benefit so that we might one day reign with Him, why is it that we are all not saying what He says?

Have we allowed religiosity and denominational banners to interfere with or dominate our thoughts over what God has said? Are we not able to "rightly divide the Word of Truth" so we are all preaching the same Word of Truth? Do we not all have access to Truth by the same Holy Spirit who imparts all spiritual gifts to all who are willing to receive? Is our belief divided by specific segments of the Bible so that some actually think "that is all" they should believe or that the entire Bible is not meant for all of us to understand? Do we not know how to pray to the Father and receive an answer from Him? Are we so hung-up on glorifying men and women in ministry that we have missed God completely?

No where in the Bible will anyone find that heaven is reserved for those of a specific denomination; especially since the denominations or divisions of the Body were formed by mortal man. No where in the Bible will anyone find that only those who "belong to a mega-church" are going to enter into heaven. No where in the Bible will anyone find that only those who are in places where they are few in number will be the only ones entering into heaven.

No where in the Bible will anyone find that God changes His mind about what He says--from the beginning to the end--about sin or what is sinful.

If we all serve the same God--The God of Heaven, the One who created all things and without Him nothing was created--we would all have the same understanding about who He is and how He wants us live.

My prayer, brothers and sisters-in-Christ is that we will all become one as they are One in unity and in the preaching of the Gospel so all will be saved--not to our glory, but to His. Until we who know The Truth are able to promote The Truth as one Truth, we will be bombarded by the half-truths that are perpetuated by the enemy's influence and many will believe the whole lie (a half-truth is a whole lie).  We who have a relationship with God, must function in the earth realm as God directs, not men (mankind)--who have demonstrated they do not know God.

Promote and assist those who are promoting the Truth of God's Word, knowing this--God knows those who are His and He also knows those who are counterfeits--seeking only what they can get. Let us get on one accord, teaching only those things that we have been taught--through study of the Word and relationship with God.

God give you strength and courage to stand firm in the face of adversity and continue to fill you with His joy and wisdom.

With all the joy and love that abides within me, I declare unity will abide in the Body of Christ-worldwide! I also declare that the Truth will destroy the works of the enemy and we shall be at peace--one with the other.

Love to love you!

God's Humble Servant,
Evangelist Mary M. Hall-Rayford

All I Can Do!

No matter how many resolutions we make,
No matter how often we reflect upon the past,
Seeking understanding, paths we don't want to take
Studying The Word, so our endeavors will last,
Trying always to please God in all things,
Expecting the Blessings obedience brings
So we can enjoy the abundant life,
The promise of our King of Kings!

And when we have done all we can do, the only thing left is to wait to see the promises fulfilled, knowing that God is not a man that He should lie and what He has said, He will bring it to pass. What He has begun in us as a good work, He is faithful to complete and we have to know that there is no good thing, He will withhold from His children.

We are children of the Most High and we walk in His favor--when we believe we receive we shall have all we have asked for and we know there is nothing impossible with God.

All shall be as God has ordained it to be from the foundation of the earth, He knows and understands the trials we face and He has provided a means of escape from all that would attempt to bombard us with doubt--we simply trust Him to do all things well on our behalf.

When we pray, we give thanks and praise to the Only Wise God, Creator of Heaven and lover of our souls. He is the great I Am, The Truth, The Light and The Way, making ways where there were none for us to enjoy the abundant life--the enemy hopes to steal from us. And in all things, we present our petitions and requests in the name of Jesus, as He has said and He will be our advocate with the Father and it shall be done.

Having done all we know to do, then we stand firm on our faith in The Word, immovable, without any doubt, knowing that He and He alone can bring us out of the turmoil and into the pleasant places of His design.

I have done all I can do and now Father, in the name of Jesus, I ask  for Your divine intervention in all things so I may move forward, promoting the gospel and encouraging others to Your glory. Tear down the strongholds in the minds of those who have been blinded by the enemy and cause all of his plans to cease and desist, immediately. I surrender my will and thoughts for You to mold and direct as only You can and I wait with patience to hear Your reply.