Category: Bible Believing

Set Apart to Be ‘Holy’

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Imitator of Christ, Obedience, RighteousnessLeave a comment

Scripture: Leviticus 20.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Leviticus 20:6-8 (NLT)

6 “I will also turn against those who commit spiritual prostitution by putting their trust in mediums or in those who consult the spirits of the dead. I will cut them off from the community.

7
So set yourselves apart to be holy, for I am the Lord your God.

8 Keep all my decrees by putting them into practice, for I am the Lord who makes you holy.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

Although God had proven Himself to the Israelites for a number of years while on their journey to the Promised Land, in this passage He is still coaching them to live a life pleasing to Him. In fact He is helping them rid the land of folk that have turned against Him, and who have caused a stench in His nostrils, so He is working with the Israelites to insure that they don’t become just like them. I am convinced that everything is placed in God’s Word with a purpose in mind. I am also convinced that just because we live in what some may consider a ‘Christian’ nation, God has reason to be very angry with us because of our disobedience to His commands and disregard for His leadership. In fact, He may even accuse us of ‘spiritual prostitution’, as He did in verse 6, because we cater to other gods rather than our Father, God. My favorite part of this passage is where God commands that we set ourselves apart to be holy, for He is holy, and if we are His and committed to following Him, then we are to be holy. ‘Holy’ people will make a ‘holy’ nation. We will then be looked upon as a ‘holy’ nation! In the meantime, I believe that God has as much work to do with us, as He did with the Israelites. Verse 8 tells us how we are to be a ‘holy’ people – we are to get back to the basics and keep God’s commands, decrees, commandments, laws. These things were not established to restrict us, but to help us identify with the Creator of this universe. In other words, He meant for us to live under certain rules and guidelines so that we might represent Him well and do the Father’s will. He provided the rule book and guide book to help us do just that. Let’s turn our eyes away from the television long enough to see and hear what’s in the Book so that we may follow the commands of our Savior, be more like Him, represent Him well before a lost world, and be the ‘holy’ people that He chose us to be. This is a deliberate act by us, so let’s go ahead and make the move by setting ourselves apart from this world, and seek God’s face as we journey towards a life of holiness, even as our God is holy.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father, we may look at ourselves and wonder if we could ever be considered ‘holy’, especially by a Savior who epitomized the meaning of holiness to us. But because You have demanded this of us here in Your Word, I have no reason to doubt that You can direct me and lead me to a life of holiness. In other words, a life that exemplifies You in every way. Father, please teach me Your ways. Teach me, and lead me in a life of holiness. Not that I may impress anyone here on this earth, but that I may follow Your will for my life, and allow my life to be pleasing to You. I believe that most people have heard of You and probably long to see someone like You here on this earth. You have demanded that we be holy, even as You are. May others see this holiness in me each day, all for Your glory, and to draw them to the cross where they too may know true divine holiness.

Holiness in Personal Conduct

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, God’s Word, Imitator of Christ, Listen to the Word of God, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Pleasing to God, Reflecting Christ, Righteousness1 Comment

Scripture: Leviticus 19.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Leviticus 19:1-2 (NLT)

1 The Lord also said to Moses,

2 “Give the following instructions to the entire community of Israel. You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

The very first words I read in this chapter this morning caught my immediate attention. Let me set the stage and compare this to how applicable I see this to our lives today. God had just rescued the Israelites from the abuse of the Egyptians. He brought over 1,000,000 people through days, weeks, months and years of challenges through a wilderness travel experience. He kept them safe from theirs enemies, healed their sick, provided food and water in miraculous ways, and while not just proving Himself holy before these people, He provided many ways of showing them how they should live. Does this not sound like the way that our God still loves, protects and directs us today? In the verses observed here though, we can see how God seemed to have said to Moses: look, I want you to share with my people that they are set apart as my chosen people, they have seen my hand at work among them and they have seen that I am a holy God. I want them to live their lives imitating me, so they must be holy also. Wow, in applying this to our lives today, I believe that we can see that God is saying that we should leave the dirt and filth of our old lives behind us, and as taught in our decision to accept Jesus, we are to make a 180 and turn the other way, for we no longer follow the ways of Satan, the world and sin, but now serve a wonderful Savior that has shown us the way to finally be holy, loving, kind and destined for heaven. The rest of this chapter goes on to explain various principles that Moses was to bring to the attention of the Israelites, and these are still applicable to us today, because we have fallen into the same bad habits. Here are a few of the highlights that I feel are still applicable to us today:

  • Respect for our parents;
  • Observing a day of rest and worship – Son worship, not ‘sun’ worship!!
  • Helping the poor and needy;
  • Honesty in our dealings with others;
  • Careful in our speech – may others know whose we are through our speech and mannerisms;
  • Respect and help those who are handicapped – blind, deaf, etc;
  • Be a Christian boss and/or employer;
  • Don’t gossip – lift up, don’t tear down someone else;
  • Love your neighbor as yourself – physical neighbor, relative, anyone we spend time around;

Instead of highlighting the whole chapter, I hope that I have given you enough to encourage you to get into the Word and follow its teachings. As a practicing professional you would follow the guidelines and rules of the profession so that there will not be grounds for a suit. In Christianity, we follow the ways of God and His written Word (the Bible) so that we may honor God and look forward to His future rewards in heaven!

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord Jesus, thank You for being my God. Thank You for showing me how to live my life pleasing to You. Help me to brush aside the ways of this world and stay focused on serving You, and practicing my everyday living in accordance with Your directions that are spelled out in Your guide/rule book, the Bible. Please may I be holy, even as You are holy!

We Will Act Like Our Master

On By Ed AlgreenIn Allegiance to the Lamb, Bible Believing, Christian, Fruit of the Spirit, God our Helper, God’s Word, Imitator of Christ, Obedience, Reflecting Christ, Victorious LifeLeave a comment

Scripture: Leviticus 17-18.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Leviticus 18:2-5 (NLT)

2
“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. I am the Lord your God.

3
So do not act like the people in Egypt, where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan, where I am taking you. You must not imitate their way of life.

4 You must obey all my regulations and be careful to obey my decrees, for I am the Lord your God.

5 If you obey my decrees and my regulations, you will find life through them. I am the Lord.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

God delivered the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt. He took care of them in some miraculous ways each day while in the wilderness and yet He found it an ongoing opportunity to see them overcome their worldly weaknesses each day. Friends, this is exactly how I see our situation today. God received us as a forgiven people when we accepted Him as Lord and Savior, yet we struggle through life each day facing very serious temptations and subsequently very challenging decisions on which master we will follow. Jesus is reminding me through His word today, that He alone is God and considering that I have accepted His as Lord and Ruler of my life, I must act like Him, obey His decrees/laws/written Word and follow His will and way every day. I must act so much like He did when He walked this earth that folk will take me for a ‘Jesus kid’ or a Christian or a child of God. In growing up I remember my parents saying that I was not to act like my unruly friends, but in a manner like they had taught me and brought me up. I feel like God is reminding me here to do the same. Some key ways of doing this are included in the verses observed above:

  1. Do not act like the people that do not know God;
  2. Do not imitate our old way of life;
  3. Obey God’s regulations and decrees;

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

I am a blessed man, and I feel like I can say that because although I may not have been looked down on as an awful person, yet God accepted me as His child when I invited Him to rule and reign in my life. As part of my commitment to Him I promised to follow His will and way every day. Thank You for reminding me in the above of the areas that I must emphasize on to truly declare You Lord each day. Thank You for Your Word to guide me each day. Thank You for Your love that surrounds me every day. Thank You for the hope that is mine in knowing that one day I will be with You in heaven. While here on this earth, I humbly ask that You guide my every step, my every decision, my every word and every action so that I may declare who is Lord of my life. Without ever saying a word, may others recognize to whom I belong.

In Need of a Doctor today?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Eternal Life, Evangelism, Humility, Imitator of Christ, Love your NeighborLeave a comment

Scripture: Mark 2.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Mark 2:15-17 (NLT)

15 Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.)

16 But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?”

17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

It is so easy for Christians to hang out with Christians because we have so much in common, and we feel comfortable that no one will question us if seen associating with folk of the same belief. Praise God, Jesus was different in this respect. He shows us that if we are to reach the unsaved, and if we are to truly show God’s love to all people, then we had better make ourselves friendly to all. When we look down our noses at folk, we must remember that they have a very hard time looking up to us and accepting anything that we may have to say to them. Jesus came so that sinners might recognize their need for a Savior and feel welcomed in coming to Him for forgiveness of their sins. As Christians, we are to be Christ followers and therefore follow the lead that He displayed while here on this earth. How are we doing? Do we show love to the sometimes unlovable? Are we humble enough to sit and listen to the deep struggles and concerns of someone that may be deep in sin? Unless we do this, how will they know Jesus?

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father, I pray that You will open my heart today and make me aware of those that need You as Savior. Make me very aware that although they may not look like me, or they may not follow the same guidelines of living that I follow, and they may not even attend or ever attended church, please help me to see them and You see them. Please allow me to present myself in way that they will see Your love, acceptance and willingness to listen and help them to overcome their shortcomings and see a better way – a way that leads to Jesus! Help me to set my selfish desires and ideals aside so that You may shine through me today!

The Desire and faith for Healing

On By Ed AlgreenIn Ask and Receive, Bible Believing, Bold Confidence, Christian, Healing, Humility, Obedience, Victorious LifeLeave a comment

Scripture: Mark 1.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Mark 1:40-42 (NLT)

40 A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said.

41 Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!”

42 Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

On our first reading of this we may feel sorry for the man with leprosy because we know that it is such an awful disease. We need to look at a few other factors in this story though, and apply them to our lives today:

  1. The man had a desire to be healed of the disease that had a grip on him. He was tired of people rejecting him and scorning him. He wanted to be useful in his society, but had very real limitations because of his disease.
  2. He had heard about the miracles being performed by Jesus, and he was convinced that he too could be healed.
  3. He was in need so he didn’t demand anything of Jesus, but he wanted to make Jesus aware of his faith.
  4. He didn’t feel so sorry for himself so as to exclude himself from the presence of, and possible healing from, Jesus.
  5. Jesus had compassion on the man. I believe that he was touched by his boldness, his desire and his faith.
  6. Jesus was willing to oblige. This sounds to me like Jesus may have meant: now that I see you are willing and ready for a miracle, I am willing to perform it.
  7. Jesus has the power to do ALL things. This leper may have never heard about another leper being healed, but he had heard enough that he placed his faith and trust in Jesus and that He would fulfill His (Jesus) will for his life.

Friends, I believe that you will see that this story has many similarities to what we face today. We may have separated ourselves from God, from the church and perhaps even from the general populace. It’s not until we want to do something about that, and stop feeling sorry for ourselves that we can truly move forward. It is also important for us to stop and recognize the source of all power, all healing, all perfection. Then we must be willing to give up the old life, humble ourselves before a righteous, yet powerful God, and allow Him to heal us of our imperfections and provide the strength, boldness and direction for a new life in Him. What are you waiting for? Jesus is waiting for your decision, your wish, and your desire to see change in your life. Let it be today, friend. You may not be around for another opportunity tomorrow.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord Jesus, what a powerful reminder this morning. Please help me to surrender my weaknesses and imperfections to You today knowing that as I am willing to receive a touch from You, and give up the illness/sin that hold me back, then You will answer my call for help. Like Mark in the very first verse of this chapter, I am excited about the ‘Great News’ of Jesus Christ, and I seek to allow You to have Your will and way in my life today, dear Jesus! Praise be to God!

Be Holy, Even as God is Holy

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Celebrate God, Christian, Humility, Obedience, Things that make God angry, WorshipLeave a comment

Scripture: Leviticus 9-11.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Leviticus 11:45 (NLT)

45 For I, the Lord, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. Therefore, you must be holy because I am holy.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

Most of these 3 chapters are about how God ordered Moses, Aaron and His people to prepare the temple and themselves so that as they come into His holy place/temple they might come as a prepared people showing respect for the Master of this universe and the One who saved them from many things as they traveled through the wilderness for 40 years. In 10:2 it was sad to note that even in the days of which this scripture is based, people tried to cut corners and do what they thought was right, not what God was so careful in detailing to them, and the consequences led to death. However, it was exciting to note in 9:23 that as God’s commands were carried out, God showed Himself to the people – through a consuming fire from heaven. It really concerns me today how casually we come into God’s house and how little respect we show for His holy place. If we knew that we were going to be in the presence of an earthly ‘king’ or president, we would probably seek professional help to make sure that we dress properly for the occasion and that we follow the right etiquette. Yet, the King of all kings, the master of ourselves and our earth, the Savior of this world, the One who sacrificed Himself for our sin and our benefit, and we show little to no respect for walking into His holy temple. Instead of sacrificing, we reluctantly give of our tithes and offering, we can’t find time to give of ourselves to His service. We are quick to ask and beg of Him, but yet we are too proud to lay ourselves at His feet and truly let go and worship Him. Can someone remind me again why God owes us a blessing under such circumstances? I’m surprised that He hasn’t done something terrible to us like He did to Aaron’s sons when they did their own thing. In the verse I am using here, God reminds us that we are to be holy, just as He is holy. I don’t think this means that we are to be like the world so that they might think we are cool and they will feel comfortable worshipping with us. As the world sees God at work in our midst, they will flock in to worship with us, because they want to see the mighty hand of God, not the proof that we can be just as ‘cool’ as them.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father, over in the New Testament You became so angry about what was happening in Your holy temple that You lost Your cool and disrupted the party. This is yet another reminder that You house is to be a place of prayer, a place of worship, a place where You are the focus of our attention and a place where Your Holy Spirit can manifest Himself to us. I’m so afraid that we have come a long ways from where You expect us to be, and therefore tons of reasons why You have refused to move in our midst like You would really like to. Lord, I need to be sure that You are first in my life, and that my heart is prepared and ready to worship You when I enter into Your sanctuary. As a church leader, I need to be sure that ample opportunity is given for Your people to get their hearts right and aligned with You as they come for worship. May I stop spinning the wheels, doing the usual, and following what has become the worldly expectation of church. May I be so prepared in my heart to worship You in Your temple, that everything else will be oblivious to me and may I therefore see Your glory shine all around me. May You resume control of Your temple and Your people who have come to worship You in Your temple.

The Purpose of the Church

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Disciple, Evangelism, Faith, Imitator of Christ, Listen to the Word of God, ObedienceLeave a comment

Scripture: Matthew 28.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT)

18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.

19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

I am touched by several things in these verses and observed several things commanded by Jesus for His disciples today, the church, even as He commanded His first disciples:

  1. Jesus is in charge – many times we try so hard to push our own agendas, and this could either be the pastor or the leaders or even some of the influential members of a local church. However, we can see from Jesus’ statement in verse 18 that He has been given all authority not just in heaven, but also here on earth. This means that as a church, or a people, aiming to do God’s work, we had better keep our ears to the ground listening very closely to what Jesus commands, then follow His instructions, so that our efforts will not be in vain;
  2. Make Disciples and Baptize Them – As we succeed in the above we are to encourage and make more just like us. In today’s vocabulary we call that ‘evangelizing’. Christianity is not a selfish act. We are to convince others to also accept and follow Jesus. We are then to baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Baptize people because baptism unites believers with Jesus Christ in their death to sin and their resurrection to new life. Baptism symbolizes submission to Christ, a willingness to live God’s way, and identification with God’s covenant people.
  3. Teach them to obey God’s commands – Although I read this verse many times before, I though the verbiage here is interesting. ‘Teach them to obey’ tells me that these folk already know what to do, we just need to teach them to obey what they know – the commands of God. We call this ‘discipleship’ as we are to teach Christians what the Word says, and convince them to obey the Word. I believe it is evident that the Christian faith is not one where disciples/Christians sit and sour, but actively share the joy – both the Word and the witness of all that Jesus has done, and is doing in our lives.
  4. God is with us as we go – what an awesome reassurance this is! Knowing that as we do these things commanded of us, He will be there with us ‘ALWAYS’. Praise be to God!

What an awesome reminder of the Great Commission of the church in this passage!

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Thank You for this awesome reminder this morning dear God. So often we, as Your church, lose sight of what You have ordered us to do, and we lose sight of who is in charge. I pray that we will always follow Your command here in this Great Commission for it clearly defines the work of the church. Thank You for Your direction and also Your assurance that You will be with us every step of the way. Thank You for reminding me that our Christian walk is very much an active role, and not one of just survival. I must share my faith and not just sit and let it soak in.

Be Alert and Pray

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Discerning, Imitator of Christ, Power of Prayer, Righteousness, Victorious LifeLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 26.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Matthew 26:40-41 (GW)

40 When he went back to the disciples, he found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you stay awake with me for one hour?

41 Stay awake, and pray that you won’t be tempted. You want to do what’s right, but you’re weak.”

 

Matthew 26:74-75 (GW)

74
Then Peter began to curse and swear with an oath, “I don’t know the man!” Just then a rooster crowed.
75 Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before a rooster crows, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” Then Peter went outside and cried bitterly.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

When Jesus went into the Garden of Gethsemane on the night He was betrayed, He asked the contingent of disciples that followed Him there, to stay at a given point while He went on a little further to pray. As in any prayer meeting, you would think that the disciples would have also entered into a time of prayer seeing that Jesus was so burdened about something that He went in to pray privately. Instead, the disciples fell asleep. On Jesus’ return He shared with the disciples His disappointment and reiterated to them that it was important that they stay alert and pray while He went to…. Friend, likewise Jesus has left us to be alert and pray until His return. Alert for what you might ask? This means that we are to be aware of the possibilities of temptation (look at verse 74 to see what Peter faced shortly after Jesus’ warning that they be alert and pray), and we are to be sensitive to the subtleties that will occur if we are unprepared and unequipped to deal with them spiritually. Temptation will come when we are most vulnerable and most often we can’t resist it alone. Prayer is the key to seek God’s strength and presence, and it is only with these essentials that we can be assured of our defenses and equipped to deal with the power of Satan. Imagine if our military was as unprepared as we are at times; imagine if they were as ill equipped as we are times. Friends, we must be alert, always seeking God’s presence to defend us against the enemy.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord Jesus, please help me to always be in a state of readiness to defeat the vileness of Satan. Please help me to obey Your Word so that I will be closely in tuned with You and empowered by You to defend against the temptation and/or subtleties of Satan that may directed at me each day. I need Your power in my life to stay strong and ready for Your return. Only in You can I find that power, and the peace in knowing that I am safe and secure. Please forgive me for seeking this through any other means. Thank You for reminding me of where my true strength comes from, especially at those times that I’m tempted to do otherwise.

Do You Have Judas Traits?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Bold Confidence, Eternal Life, Faith, Imitator of Christ, Obedience, Pleasing to God, Reflecting Christ, Repentance, Righteousness, Separation, Thank You JesusLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 26.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Matthew 26:14-15 (NLT)

14 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests

15 and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

Although a familiar passage, I was reminded this morning about how little it takes for us to betray Jesus. We look down our pious noses at Judas, call him a traitor and all sorts of bad things, but which of us are better today? Stop and think about this friend, Why do we have so many church members that never see the doors of a church week after week? Could it be that they accepted the bribes of worldly pleasure, or bribes from family to spend more time with them, or the bribes of Satan that this is the only day for them to rest, or the only day for them to do what they want to do? In my opinion, this betrays the love of, and dedication for, Jesus in return for these types of bribes/excuses. Have you asked the question that Judas asked recently – “what will I benefit from turning away from God (betraying Him)?” Money/greed was the motive behind Judas’ betrayal. What’s your motive/excuse for betraying Him today?

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father, with everything You had to offer, You showed Your love for me, You sacrificed everything so that I might live eternally with You. Please help this child of Yours to stand firm on the decision I made some 35 years ago, and to follow You wholeheartedly each and every day. In fact, may I follow Your ways and Your commands so closely that non-Christians would recognize You in me and in my actions. More importantly, may You find me faithful, worthy to represent You to the unsaved that I come in contact with, and encouragement to those that have accepted You as Lord of their life. Lord, please correct my attitude and/or actions long before I ever get near enough to even think about betraying You. Thank You for loving me, now may I love You in return without any hint of betrayal.

It Will Be Worth It All

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Bold Confidence, Celebrate God, Christian, Encourage, Faith, God Cares For Us, God Reigns, Hope, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Peace, ProtectorLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE: Exodus 39-40.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Exodus 40:38 (NLT)

38 The cloud of the Lord hovered over the Tabernacle during the day, and at night fire glowed inside the cloud so the whole family of Israel could see it. This continued throughout all their journeys.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

This last verse of Exodus sums up how the people of Israel had maintained their faith in spite of all the challenges they faced during their stint in the wilderness. In fact, the book begins by telling us of their slavery in Egypt, but as we can see from this verse, it ends in glory by telling of God’s presence being evident during the day and the comfort of knowing that His presence was there during the night. During our Christian walk we encounter ups and downs like the Israelites encountered. I know that our challenges have been, and probably will be much different to anything we read in Exodus, and depending on how we look at those challenges, many of us will probably even say that ours were a lot greater than anything the Israelites faced. Friend, if we truly know and trust God then we will agree that we are on the winning side, the victorious team, with a bright future ahead of us, regardless of the circumstances we have come through or find ourselves in the middle of at this time. I love that song, “It Will be Worth It All“, for whatever I may go through here on this earth, it will be worth it all when I see the face of my Jesus, and live forever in His presence singing praises to Him. While here on this earth, I must learn to look beyond my challenges and see what victories will result for Jesus because of my circumstances. It’s all about Him friend of God! My challenges, or even what I may see as my setbacks, are all for His glory. What am I learning from these circumstances and how am I being made stronger because of these, should be my points to ponder, not crying the blues because of what appears to be heartaches and trials to challenge me. Thank You Father for being by my side and holding my hand each and every day!

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father, please help me to look at each day as a victory for You. Many days may appear to be normal and filled with challenges that may make me question if You were even there with me, but as a child of God, I know that You love me and that You hold my hand through all of life’s ups and downs. Please help me to not lose sight of Your presence and your promises to hold my hand each and every day. Please help me to be Your obedient servant by placing my hand in Yours each day so that I may stay connected to the power source and the source of encouragement, strength, guidance, protection and love that I need every day. I am on the winning side, and I have You as my Savior, Lord and soon coming King. There is nothing more that I need dear Lord! Thank You!