Victory in Jesus

“We can certainly conquer it.” Numbers 13:30

Do you have some things in your life that need to be conquered?

Addiction	Self	Illness
Anger	Jealousy	Bitterness
Obesity	Laziness	Negativity
Debt	Fear	Doubt
Pride	Workaholic	Sexual Immorality
Obsession with money	Broken Marriage	Satan’s Stronghold

                     

Whatever it is-YOU AND I CAN CERTAINLY CONQUER IT!

How? Through Jesus, His grace,  the work of the Holy Spirit, meditation on His word, a positive outlook, perseverance, willingness, and endurance to go the distance.

In other words Brethren our victory is in Jesus, from Jesus and for Jesus.

So are you willing to conquer it for the sake of Christ Jesus?

He sure was willing to conquer death for you and me!

Prayer: Jesus thank You for going the distance so I might have life everlasting. It is because of Your willingness, love, mercy and grace that I am able to overcome sin. It is through Your shed blood that has set me free from the bondage. Praise You Jesus-thank You I am forever grateful. Help me to keep persevering and fighting the fight, always keeping my eyes on You and the victory that awaits me. Amen

Praying beyond Victory

"We can certainly conquer it.” Numbers 13:30

Well Brethren today the battle begins and as Avery, Dax, and I suit up in our warmest armor (and I mean our warmest 30 degree weather armor) and head out to help lift the arms of daddy I must say I am a little nervous. Though we have been suiting up for battles every Friday this particular game seems different.

Of course different in the fact that if we lose we are done, but different in the fact that I want something so astounding to come from this battle just as it did for the Israelites when they defeated the Amalekites and then again when the walls of Jericho came crashing down.

And I am not talking about the victory. Yes the victory was AMAZING and is amazing, but beyond victory, beyond winning came something even greater for them and I hope for us. It was what they learned, what they experienced, and how they saw God in the midst of the battle that was the greatest. And that is the different I want for this battle. I want it to go way past a win, even a loss and straight to the heart.

I pray this battle tonight whether through a conversation, an action, or just God being His amazing self and showing up through something as ordinary as a cheer, a toss of the football, or the crisp fall breeze will leave a lasting impression on the life of someone in such a way they will come to know Jesus our Precious Lord and Savior in a more personal and intimate way.

So if it be one fan, one player, one coach, or everyone in attendance, I pray for something so different, so astonishing to come over them that they leave changed, changed for the better, changed victoriously, changed new, and changed beyond the win or loss of a football game. Changed for Jesus Christ!

Really in all honesty I pray it makes such an impact that the eyes of every person in attendance will look to Christ.

Prayer: Jesus do something remarkable tonight in the life of one of the thousands of people who too have suited up for the battle. Jesus maybe You will go even beyond remarkable and come riding down on the clouds to take us to be with You for eternity. O’ Jesus would You do something tonight that only You can. Something that will place the eyes of all people on You. Whatever You do Lord, I know it is going to be wonderful and whether I get to be a part of it or not, I believe a life will be changed for Your glory and for that Lord I praise You. It is not about the 99 it is about the one that is lost, broken, and wandering searching for the one thing that can only be found in You. Amen

The Sincere heart

“We can certainly conquer it.” Numbers 13:30

There is no greater expression of love and thankfulness than the one that comes from a sincere heart. So as you gather around the table with family and friends reflect upon the scars of our Savior and let that bring your heart to a place of humbleness, thankfulness and praise.

Remember how gracious, loving, and merciful the Lord has been. Let the words of David resonate in your heart as you reflect upon God’s goodness. May these words bring healing to the hearts of those who gather with one less loved one. May these words bring hope to the hopeless, encouragement to the discouraged, comfort to the broken, strength to the weak and weary and pure joy to all of us as we reflect on the faithfulness of the one and only Jesus.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
            His love endures forever.
² Give thanks to the God of gods.
            His love endures forever.
³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
            His love endures forever.

 ⁴ to him who alone does great wonders,
            His love endures forever.
⁵ who by his understanding made the heavens,
            His love endures forever.
⁶ who spread out the earth upon the waters,
            His love endures forever.
⁷ who made the great lights—
            His love endures forever.
⁸ the sun to govern the day,
            His love endures forever.
⁹ the moon and stars to govern the night;
            His love endures forever.

 ¹⁰ to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
            His love endures forever.
¹¹ and brought Israel out from among them
            His love endures forever.
¹² with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
            His love endures forever.

 ¹³ to him who divided the Red Sea^[a] asunder
            His love endures forever.
¹⁴ and brought Israel through the midst of it,
            His love endures forever.
¹⁵ but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
            His love endures forever.

 ¹⁶ to him who led his people through the wilderness;
            His love endures forever.

 ¹⁷ to him who struck down great kings,
            His love endures forever.
¹⁸ and killed mighty kings—
            His love endures forever.
¹⁹ Sihon king of the Amorites
            His love endures forever.
²⁰ and Og king of Bashan—
            His love endures forever.
²¹ and gave their land as an inheritance,
            His love endures forever.
²² an inheritance to his servant Israel.
            His love endures forever.

 ²³ He remembered us in our low estate
            His love endures forever.
²⁴ and freed us from our enemies.
            His love endures forever.
²⁵ He gives food to every creature.
            His love endures forever.

 ²⁶ Give thanks to the God of heaven.
            His love endures forever.

Prayer: Lord as we gather around the table, may we feast not on the food before us, but on Your every word. May we celebrate our freedom, our salvation, and You. Thank You Jesus for Your mercy, grace, and precious blood that covers us daily. Amen

The Scouting Report

"We can certainly conqueror it.” Numbers 13:30

Yesterday I mentioned to you that the team we are facing up against is going to be a very tough team. One of the tougher teams we have faced all year, which makes me nervous, especially since I have the awesome opportunity of holding my husband’s arms up and watching from the top of the hill (the stands) the battle as it is played. Even though I have faith in my husband and the kids, I still precede to ask my husband EVERY single day, “So sugar, what do you think? Are your kiddos ready? Are you ready? Are we going to be able to stop them?”  And he always says the same thing. “Yes we are ready, I will be ready, they are good, but we are better.”

Let’s just say his scouting report is like Caleb and my scouting report, well…it tends to be like the other ten.

After 40 days of scouting the land of Canaan the 12 men return with their scouting report.

“We arrived in the land you sent us to see, and it is indeed a magnificent country-a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is some of its fruit as proof. But the people living there are powerful, and their cities and towns are fortified and very large. We also saw the descendants of Anak who are living there! The Amalekites live in the Negev, and the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country. The Canaanites live along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and along the Jordan Valley. But Caleb tried to encourage the people as they stood before Moses, ‘Let’s go at once to take the land,’ he said. ‘We can certainly conquer it!’ But the other men who had explored the land with him answered, ‘We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are! So they spread discouraging reports about the land among the Israelites: ‘The land we explored will swallow up any who go to live there. All the people we saw were huge. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. We felt like grasshoppers next to them, and that’s what we looked like to them!” Numbers 13:27-33

Sometimes we have a tendency to let our fears, lack of faith, and our negative attitude spill out onto others when it comes to our problems, trials, and or upcoming battles. And though we might be just stating the facts of what we see, hear, or are up against, we are still to have the attitude of Caleb. “We can certainly conqueror it!” That would be the attitude of Garrett-he sees what his kids are going to be up against, and he believes in them, in God, and in the game plan he and the other coaches have come up with.

Garrett is not only that way in football, but he is that way about everything in life. When our boys are sick, when I am sick, when he is sick, if we are facing a difficult situation, in an argument, or facing a big decision for our family-Garrett’s mentality-“We can certainly conqueror it!”

Me on the other admitting to you right now-am often like the ten men who allowed their fear, lack of faith, and just negative mind spill out. I have to admit to you and am only able to do so because I want the Lord to receive all the glory, have been that way for so long –negative, fearful, and have lacked true faith that my God is all-powerful and capable of doing anything. Let’s just say my mentality has not been that of Caleb or Garrett’s –We can certainly conqueror it.

The Lord in His greatness has been opening my eyes to this area for some time now and has really shown me that this has been displeasing to Him. He has also been pulling this root up which HURTS, is embarrassing, shameful, but extremely humbling and freeing.

My part in all of this is letting go of the fear and negativity and just obeying and believing, which I have been failing at miserably lately.

The Holy Spirit has been going back where the roots have been pulled and has been placing thankfulness, positivity, and the mindset that everything about Jesus is positive and no matter what “We certainly can conqueror it!”

Prayer: Father You are ever so faithful to reveal areas in our lives that are displeasing to You and I am so thankful that You love me enough to continue to work in my life making me become Christ-like than the day before. Lord as painful as it is, as much pride as I have had to swallow, as mad as I get I ask that You continue to search me and know my heart, test me and know my thoughts I ask that You point out anything in me that is displeasing to You and that You will lead me along the path of everlasting life. Lord because of You I am certainly able to conqueror this. Amen

The Scouting

“We can certainly conqueror it!” Numbers 13:30

We are about to face up against a team that is very athletic, quick, skilled, and well-coached. According to my husband who has spent countless hours watching film, breaking down film, and coming up with a defensive game plan, has made several comments about this team being one of the best teams he has seen since being at Carthage. He has come to that conclusion because he has done the scouting.

Just this week my husband has over 8 tapes on their opponent Dallas Madison. Now eight might not seem like a lot, but when each tape is broken down according to the preference of Garrett 8 seems to turn into 40. (You will get that in a minute) And according to the coaches that break it down it is like reading the entire Bible in ONE day. L OOOONNNNGGGG! I have said before he literally looks at what foot they step with, which direction their shoulders are turned, and what they do on every single down, 3^rd and short, 3^rd and medium, and 3^rd in long. The list and details go on and on, and though he might be very particular, detailed, and look at everything with a fine tooth comb, He has also been EXTREMLEY successful and his athletes have been prepared, warned, and has had it driven into them during practice and film.

 I always tell him if people studied the word of God like he does film, this world would be full of people madly in love with Christ. Wouldn’t it be awesome if God’s word was the film, and practice was applying His word? It would be SO awesome!

Anyway, let’s look at a group of men who were sent out to do a little scouting of their own. There were a total of 12 men. They were each tribal leaders. They were being sent to explore the land of Canaan, the land that God would be giving them. As they were heading out Moses gave them instruction on what he wanted to be scouted, and he too was very specific and detailed in what he was looking for and wanted the scouting report to contain when they returned.

“Go northward through the Negev into the hill country. See what the land is like and find out whether the people living there are strong or weak, few or many. What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? Do their towns have walls or are they unprotected? How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there many trees? Enter the land boldly, and bring back samples of the crops you see.” (It happened to be the season of harvesting the first ripe grapes.)

It would take 40 days of scouting in order to obtain all the information Moses wanted and needed.

So what is my point to all of this? Just like these 12 men and my husband if they did not scout out their opponents they would be entering into the battle unprepared, lacking the appropriate armor and would not have any knowledge of the ability their opponents had or what type of schemes or plays they did, therefore being defeated. 

And so will we if we do not do our own scouting individually and as the body of Christ. We need to become specific and detailed in reading and studying the word of God. So we can be equipped with the right armor, full of knowledge and wisdom and have a better understanding of the schemes of the enemy.

Prayer: Lord there is a reason You gave us Your very word to read, study, know, and live out. May we spend more time scouting out the 66 books so we can be prepared for the battle that lies ahead. Amen

Where it all began

“As long as Moses held up the staff with his hands, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites gained the upper hand.” Exodus 17:11

The Amalekites were the descendants of Amalek. Amalek was the grandson of Esau. Esau was the son of Isaac and Rebekah and Jacob’s twin brother. Esau was the first twin to enter the world therefore receiving the birthright. A birthright was given to the firstborn son and involved the family’s inheritance and the opportunity to become the next leader.

Well Esau having the mentality of “I want it right now” gave up his birthright to his brother Jacob for a bowl of red stew, thus turning over his family’s inheritance and position as the next leader to Jacob.

You can see by reading Genesis 25:31-34 that Esau never took into account the big picture and the costs of giving up his birthright. He also never took into account the effects it would have on his own family from generation to generation.

“Jacob replied, ‘All right, but trade me your birthright for it.’ ‘Look, I’m dying of starvation!’ Said Esau. ‘What good is my birthright to me now?” So Jacob insisted, ‘Well then, swear to me right now that it is mine.’ So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his younger brother. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate and drank and went on about his business, indifferent to the fact that he had given up his birthright.”

Now let’s fast forward to Esau’s grandson Amalek. Amalek and his descendants would also become a “right now” generation that would thrive off of attacking other settlements in order to steal and even kill for the immediate pleasure of having what they wanted. This being the reason they would attack the Israelites.

Only this go around the Amalekites would soon realize they were messing with the wrong group. They were attacking a group led by God Himself. They would also come to see the wrath of God later on in 1 Samuel 15:2-3 when God would order Saul to wipe them clean for attacking the Israelites as they were coming out of Egypt.

Now let’s fast forward even farther and look at ourselves. Why are we where we are today, and why do we do what we do and believe what we believe. Where did all begin for each of us? Did we break the mold of generational Godlessness? Did we break the mold of addiction? Or have we too formed to the mold and are continuing to pass it down from generation to generation?

Take a little bit to examine the generations before you (your family) and then ask God to help you break the mold and begin to pass down Godly Christ-like living.

Prayer: God I am in love with You and Your word-I am actually a little obsessed with You. Thank You for filling me with such a desire to know You, may I pass my obsession down to my boys so they can pass it down to theirs. Amen

Beyond the War

“As long as Moses held up the staff with his hands, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites gained the upper hand. Moses’ arms finally became too tired to hold up the staff and y longer. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side, holding up his hands until sunset.” Exodus 17:11-12

This story has become so personal to me on so many levels.

1. It has opened my eyes to see beyond the exterior of someone.
2. It has opened my heart to those who have been fighting battles alone for so long they are now weak, tired, and worn. All while their hearts are crying out and desperately seeking to be heard and seen.
1. It has moved me to step outside of myself, comfort, and fears and offer them a stone to sit upon, no matter what battle they are fighting. Letting them know they matter and can be victorious.
2. I want to share Jesus with them so they can be rescued, encouraged and saved.
3. It has made me realize that there are people who want to be better for Christ and are willing, they just need to be shown through love and Christ-like actions.
4. I desire companionship with those who desire to be like Christ in every area of life.
5. It has placed my eyes upon Christ and the power, victory, and love He holds, thus reassuring me that I have the advantage as His child.
6. And finally I am thankful for those whom Christ has placed in my life that have held up their arms for me, who have held up my arms and have went with me into battle.

Prayer: Lord I praise Your word. Yes! Lord I praise Your word. Thank You for Your spoken word and for the impact it makes in my life daily. Amen

Companionship

“As long as Moses held up the staff with his hands, the Israelites had the advantage.” Exodus 17:11

God never designed us to fight the battles of life on our own. Nor did He design people to be completely independent of one another. The Lord reveled this to us in the very beginning when He created Adam. Adam alone in the Garden of Eden had everything, except the one thing that would complete him and help him-a partner in life.

Though the Lord could have very easily kept Adam alone, He didn’t. He saw the absence and need of a partner. “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a companion who will help him.” Genesis 2:18 Therefore God created Eve. Eve filled the void (the animals did not) she became flesh and bone.

So it began-companionship and help, thus fast forward to Exodus 17: 11-12 and read again how important the help and companionship of Aaron and Hur were to Moses during this phase of reaching the promise land.

“Moses’ arms finally became too tired to hold up the staff any longer. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side, holding up his hands until sunset.” Exodus 17:12

Do you know God could have very easily held up Moses’ arms, He could have filled him with so much strengthen to do it alone, but He didn’t-He used Aaron and Hur and I believe He did so to show us the importance of three things; companionship, encouragement and help. As a body of believers we are not to work independently of each other but as one, just as God shows us Moses, Aaron, Hur, Joshua and the Israelites all did.

Listen to what Isaiah says we are to do as believers and partners of Christ Jesus.

“With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. Say to those who are afraid, ‘Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies.” Isaiah 35:3-4 Help and companionship!

Look at Hebrews 12:12

“So take a new grip with your tired hands and stand firm on your shaky legs. Mark out a straight path for your feet. Then those who follow you, though they are weak and lame, will not stumble and fall but will become strong.”

Christ is our source of strength, through Him we can press on, and help others press on. We should always look to our first and real companion Christ Jesus to give us the strength we need, and then we must be willing to help others with that strength we are given.

Prayer: Lord thank You for opening my eyes to see the importance of companionship and helping others. May I always draw on Your strength and then help others with the strength You have given me. Amen

The Outstretched Arms

"As long as Moses held up the staff with his hands, the Israelites had the advantage.” Exodus 17:11

We too can have the advantage while in the battlefield. But we must remember to always keep our eyes on Christ, our thoughts on His word, live in obedience, and keep our hearts open and willing. Even when it seems like everything is falling apart or when the enemy is closing in on us. 

Do you know why we will always have the advantage as children of God?

Because of Jesus! He did not just raise His arms; He outstretched His arms and took on a war that only He could-the war of sin and death. And He conquered it!

Praise God for Jesus! Praise God that His Son willingly outstretched those arms so that you and I could have the advantage in this fallen and sinful world.

Prayer: Thank Jesus for the sacrifice You made so each of us could overcome the battles of flesh, sin, and the enemy. Jesus thank You that we can look at the palms of Your hands and see the battle scars that You took on our behalf. You did way more than hold up Your arms, You defeated and fought the war for us. Praise You Lord, thank You. Amen

The Shepherd's Staff

“As long as Moses held up his staff with his hands the Israelites had the advantage.” Exodus 17:11

One of the most interesting things to me in this story and the story of Moses in general, is the significance of his shepherd’s staff.

A shepherd staff was a common accesory back then. It was a long slender stick that often had a hook or crook on the end of it. The staff’s purpose was one of comfort, support, and to draw sheep together in an intimate relationship. For example if a newborn lamb was born and its mother wandered off, the Shepherd would use it to lift the newborn lamb and bring it to its mother.  It was also used to keep the sheep together and to bring close to the Shepherd for examination.

For Moses it became something greater than just a stick/staff. It became his assurance that God’s power and presence was with him.  We see that in Exodus 4:2-4 and Exodus 4:17 “Then the Lord asked him, ‘What do you have there in your hand?’ ‘A shepherd’s staff,’ Moses replied” Throw it down on the ground, the Lord told him. So Moses threw it down, and it became a snake!...Then the Lord told him, ‘Take hold of its tail, So Moses reached out and grabbed it and it became a shepherd’s staff again.”

Exodus 4:17 God tells Moses to take his shepherd’s staff with him so he can perform the miraculous signs God had shown him. “And be sure to take your shepherd’s staff along so you can perform the miraculous signs I have shown you.” Exodus 4:17

An ordinary stick became and extraordinary stick-one that would fill Egypt with plagues, part the red sea, rain down manna, provide water from a rock, and bring victory to the Israelites as they defeated the Amalekites.

You know what else is amazing; we each have our own staff that God has given us. For some it is the use of their hands, for others it might be their vision, even one’s ears become a staff of God’s power and presence as they listen to the needs of others. Maybe your staff is your ability to sing, or write, or heal, or even to encourage.

Whatever your staff is use it for the glory of the Lord-just like Moses did.

Prayer: Lord thank You for giving each of us our own staff. May we use them for Your glory and honor. May we use our staff’s Lord and not take them for granted or think they are not useful enough. God all things made by You are useful. Amen

Fight, help, lead, and keep your arms up!

“As long as Moses held up the staff with his hands, the Israelites had the advantage.” Exodus 17:11

I have no idea where you are right now but wherever you are I want you to put your arms straight up above your head and leave them there as you read this devotional.(If someone asks what you are doing, ask them to join you or even help you) I hope you will because it will bring you that much closer to experiencing what Moses went through. And if you do participate whatever you do don’t let them down until you finish!

I wonder this morning who you and I are in this story (Exodus 17:8-11). Maybe some of us are Joshua’s leading the army into battle. Maybe some of us are Moses’ holding up the staff of God so that the men in battle will be victorious. Maybe we are Aaron’s and Hur’s who have now come to the aid of the Moses’. Maybe some of us feel like we are the Israelites who are on the battle field fighting the enemy.

Wherever we are, God has a purpose for us, and He has positioned us in those places for a specific reason.

For the Israelites fighting-know that this war whatever it may be; cancer, a broken marriage, addiction, depression, loss of a job, maybe even your job, persecution, or sin will come to an end if you just keep fighting .

For the Joshua’s who are leading the army-stay focused on Christ, trust in the commander in Chief; be encouraging, supportive, and positive. Pray for your army, (family, friends, and the body of Christ). Stand firm against the attacks, and endure for victory is near.

For the Moses’-keep your arms up no matter the cost, no matter how weary, or heavy your arms become. Keep your eyes on the Lord and be in constant thought and prayer for those you are interceding for.  Don’t let Satan get into your mind consuming you with thoughts of self, because then you are more likely to lower your arms, let up your guard, and those whom you are helping will begin to be overcome-including you. And remember you are where and who God chose for this task, therefore He will equip you with the strength you need to endure as long as you focus on Him.

For all the Aaron’s, and Hur’s –you are so important even if you feel as though your task, job is overlooked. It is not and it is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. You are the ones who God has called to be at the aid of the Moses’. Your help in sharing in the responsibility, your commitment, your prayers, your encouragement and your selflessness is what brings victory. We need more Aaron’s and Hur’s in this world because our Spiritual leaders are becoming tired from holding up their arms.

So brethren take pride in where God has placed you in this season of life, because victory is near, so keep fighting, keep leading, keep your arms up and keep helping.

Did your arms become heavy and tired? Imagine keeping them up through a war?

Prayer: Lord Your banner over us is love. Thank You! Thank you for all the Israelites who are fighting today, thank You for all the Joshua’s, Moses’ , Aaron’s and Hur’s.  Lord we rejoice today because victory is ours in Christ Jesus. Yes indeed the end is near, hasten the day Lord Jesus. We are ready to meet the Savior. Amen

Get your arms up

“As long as Moses held up the staff with his hands, the Israelites had the advantage.” Exodus 17:11

It is that time of the year for my husband when things become a little more intense in his job. The hours away become longer, the stress intensifies; the amount of film to watch doubles, the competitors get tougher, and the stakes become higher. You either win or go home. To most it is known as playoffs, but to me it is known as the Battle of the Amalekites.

This battle began two years ago when my husband’s football team began advancing further in the playoffs. As I was studying one morning, I began to feel the Lord impress on my heart to really intercede in prayer for Garrett and the team. I had never prayed diligently for victory I just prayed for safety and a good season. But this time the Lord asked differently of me. So much He led me to Exodus 17 and told me I would be the one to hold up the arms of my husband as he and the rest of the army (football team) fought every Friday. At that point I had no idea what the outcome would be, but I knew it would require obedience on my part, faith on my husband’s part, and continual steadfast prayer because the battle is long leaving us weary, exhausted and our arms heavy.

“While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek came to fight against them. Moses commanded Joshua, ‘Call the Israelites to arms, and fight the army of Amalek. Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.’ So Joshua did what Moses had commanded. He led his men out to fight the army of Amalek. Meanwhile Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of a nearby hill. As long as Moses held up the staff with his hands, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites gained the upper hand. Moses’ arms finally became too tired to hold up the staff and y longer. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side, holding up his hands until sunset. As a result, Joshua and his troops were able to crush the army of Amalek. Then the Lord instructed Moses, ‘Write this down as a permanent record, and announce it to Joshua: I will blot out every trace of Amalek from under heaven.’ Moses built an altar there and called it ‘The Lord is my Banner.’ He said, ‘They have dared to raise their fist against the Lord’s throne, so now the Lord will be at war with Amalek generation after generation.” Exodus 17:8-16

I know it might sound crazy, it did to my family and even Garrett at first, but the outcome in 2008 quickly changed their minds when Carthage won their first State Championship.  I remember telling Garrett the night God laid it on my heart and I remember telling him "Get your arms up" and I will be there to hold them up and intercede in prayer. He did just that and so did the defense. Since then in 2008 they have won another State Championship and are on their way once again. God is SO good and when we are obedient to Him, He does GREAT things. He not only does great things, He even works in our hearts opening our eyes to realize what is the most important, and though championships are great, trophies are cool, and the rings are awesome, they are all temporary, and the satisfaction only lasts a little while. The most important thing is that God is glorified, praised, and receives all the attention, otherwise all the fighting and holding up of arms is in vain.

Besides learning true obedience and a deeper faith, God taught Garrett and I one of the most important lessons in 2008-we are in this profession for no other reason than to save souls, glorify God and to put our eyes on the real Head Coach-Jesus Christ who will always be victorious. Win or lose I know God is able to do more than I could ever dare to ask or hope for, and I will continue to believe in His Sovereignty, I will continue to believe and pray for souls to be saved, and I will keep holding up the arms of my husband as he enters the battle year after year until the final victory is won-the victory of Christ's return.

Prayer: Lord two years ago You taught Garrett and I that it is not about the trophy or rings, it is about the souls of the athletes. Lord it is those souls we are fighting for. It is the saving of souls that makes Garrett raise his arms and it is those very souls that encourage me to help keep Garrett’s arms up. Thank You Lord, may You be glorified in every win and every loss. Most of all Lord use us to build a team of students who know You, serve You and love You. Amen

Daily Deposits

"He felt great pity for the crowds that came, because their problems were so great and they didn’t know where to go for help. They were like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, the harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send out more workers for his fields.” Matthew 9:36-38

He has been working and tugging on my heart so much, and though it has been more than enough, He in His Sovereignty tugged a little bit harder today.

He knew the exact person to use who could get the job done-my DAD!  And it all came through a text.

This is what it said, “Could everyone please check your bank accounts and make sure of your balance. Are there regular deposits going in there?”

My first thought was okay, I have no idea what he is talking about, and being that G handles all our finances I have no clue whether all our deposits are going in regularly. So I sent the message onto him to handle and went on about my morning.

Well later on I received a phone call from my dad and we began to discuss the text. This is what I LOVE so much about my dad. He was not asking about our worldly bank accounts he was asking about our spiritual bank accounts. Wow!

Broken and even hesitant to answer I didn’t say much, when he spoke the words as though he heard them deep within my heart. “I wish I could check my spiritual bank account.” “Me too daddy, but the problem with that is mine is probably empty.”  I replied.

Oh Brethren God has really been hitting me so hard in certain areas and this is one of them. As hard as all this has been on me, I am excited and joyful because I know He is preparing me for something REMARKABLE! But before I can get there I need to be cleaned up, transformed, mature, and wiser.

There is a world beyond this computer that is full of hurting, broken, lost and poor people who are hungry and desperate to be loved and taken care of. There are people who actually want to know about Jesus, who want to grow and not just maintain. There are children who want to be loved. They want to know they have a significance and purpose. There are people who want to be accepted just the way they are.

Then you have me, who has been so blessed for 30 years but who has been consumed so much with herself, and with encouraging those who already know better, that she has wasted and missed out on so many opportunities to deposit into her spiritual bank account.

God is changing my heart in a huge way that I cannot explain but that I hope to be expressing. I hope one day to get to heaven and see the faces of women who have been changed because of Christ working in and through me. I hope from here on out to begin depositing daily into my spiritual bank account, by reaching out to those who NEED Jesus, His love, and hope.

So how about you, do you have deposits going in regularly?

Prayer: Lord continue to open my eyes to see beyond myself and into the lives of others who need You. Lord use my family to be Your hands and feet. May we never become content in our spiritual walk. Show us daily where there are needs. Amen

The shoe box

“He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live to please themselves. Instead, they will live to please Christ, who died and was raised for them.” 2 Corinthians 5:15

Do I spend more time doing things that benefit me or that will bless others? If I am honest with myself and you, I will say that a majority of my life has been to please me. How sick that is to even type. Christ never once lived to please Himself. Instead He devoted Himself to please His Father and to bring all people to Him.

 

If I am living to please myself than I am also focusing on myself and not on Christ, therefore I cannot claim to love the Lord with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength. I must be willing to die to myself daily, shoulder my cross and follow Him.

Let me share a story with you that was shared with me at our Women’s Retreat by our speaker Jen Hatmaker. It has left such an impression on my heart and really drives the point home that I believe the Lord is wanting to get across. This is my paraphrase and does not do this story justice.

Jen and her husband were taking a missionary to dinner one night who had returned to the states from the Dominican Republic. Jen had asked him what it was like coming back to the United States and this was his reply to her. “One night I was staying in a little room and I received a knock on my door. When I opened the door I saw a woman standing there holding her dead baby. She said, “Pastor could you please help me find something to bury my baby in, I don’t have anything.” So together we found a shoe box and pieced it together. (This woman had already lost her husband, and other children who had starved to death, just as this baby.) We went out to bury her baby when she hit her knees, outstretched her arms and said, “Lord I know You are here with me because You provided a shoe box for me to bury my baby in. Thank You Lord for loving me and taking care of me.”

He then said when he returned to the states and attended a church a woman stood up and said, “God is so good to me. I have wanted to get a new SUV for a while now and I wanted it to be periwinkle. So my husband and I worked with our dealer who searched everywhere for our periwinkle SUV. They could not find one anywhere so I thought I was going to have to settle with gray, but we received a phone call from our dealer who finally found one in periwinkle.”

Lord teach me how to be a real follower of You. Move me to the place Lord where I am no longer living to please myself. Instead may I please You the one who died and was raised for me. Lord I confess to You today that my heart has been divided, one part me, one part you. Lord forgive me. I want to follow You, I want You to have my entire heart. Lord design my heart to be like the woman who saw Your grace, mercy and love from a shoebox. Keep me from ever desiring to be blessed worldly. Amen

What marks you?

“This is a celebration of what the Lord did for us when we left Egypt. This annual festival will be a visible reminder to you, like a mark branded on your hands or your forehead. Let it remind you always to keep the Lord’s instructions in your minds and on your lips. After all, it was the Lord who rescued you from Egypt with great power.” Exodus 13:8-9

What marks you as a follower of God?

Can your speech alone mark you?

Can being good morally mark you?

What is it that sets you apart?

The Festival of the Unleavened Bread would be the mark that set the Hebrews apart. It would be their reminder of what God did for them, in freeing them from Egypt. 

Christ’s blood is our mark that sets us apart, if we are a “true” follower of Christ. His shed blood reminds us of the sacrifice He paid for our freedom. It is His blood that redeems us and sets us free.

We must also tell our children and our children’s children of what Christ has done for us and for them.

One who has been marked leaves visible reminders on others by the way they live, speak, love, and in their actions and behavior.

Prayer: Lord Jesus may I leave visible reminders on the lives of my family and others. Thank You for covering me in Your blood and what an amazing honor and privilege it is. Thank You Jesus for setting me free from slavery. Amen

Because He said so

“But the Lord said to Joshua, I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its mighty warriors. Your entire army is to march around the city once a day for six days. Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. When you hear the priests give one long blast on the horns, have all the people give a mighty shout. Then the walls of the city will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the city.” Joshua 6:2-6

They could taste the promise land, but only one thing, one really big thing stood in the way, the city of Jericho.  I have fallen in love with this story for so many reasons. One big reason is the lesson it teaches me –obedience, faithfulness, and complete trust. No matter how crazy God’s assignment sounded Joshua and the Israelites were going to do it. At this point they had grown into complete obedience and knew if God said do it, they needed to just do it, even if they didn't understand it. Why, because over the last 40 years from generation to generation they saw the effects of not listening and the rewards for listening and doing.

I too am learning in so many ways and in many areas of my life the importance of listening and doing what God says no matter how crazy people think I am, how far off they believe I am, or how far off I believe I am, or even God for that matter. I am learning the cost of following Christ is a place of un-comfortableness, lots of shaking my head, even sometimes closing my eyes and just walking in His steps. All while knowing full well He knows exactly what He is doing and it is for His glory and my benefit. So, if God says do it, I am learning to just do it even if I don’t understand it. I have experienced the consequences of my lack of obedience and I have had the privilege of relishing in the greatness of God through my obedience.

Reason number 2- Just as Joshua and the Israelites saw the power and greatness of God as those walls came crashing down, I too have seen His faithfulness and power in my own life as He has brought down the obstacles and walls that stood in the way of my progression towards the promise land.

So remember this as I do daily. No wall or obstacle is greater than God. There is not a broken heart, relationship, or home that He cannot heal and mend. There is no learning disability, failure, or struggle that He cannot overcome. God can overcome any obstacle that stands in our way. He did for Joshua and the Israelites and He will for us. But in order for us to see past those obstacles we have to be able to see the power of God and know in our hearts that absolutely nothing is impossible for Him. We must also be willing to do all that He requires of us through obedience to Him.

What are some obstacles in your way today?

What do you need to do in order to overcome those obstacles in your life?

Do you believe God can and will deliver you and bring you through to the other side?

If you ever wonder why you cannot seem to overcome some of your obstacles, stop and evaluate your life. Are you obeying God? Are you reading God’s word? Are you stepping aside and allowing Him to go before you?

Prayer: Lord this I know: You are on my side, O God I praise Your word, Yes! Lord I praise Your word. I trust in You the living God, so why should I be afraid, there is no obstacle or wall that You cannot demolish and there is nothing mere mortals can do to me. Praise You Jesus, Praise You. Amen

Pt.3 Solving the Man-Made Riddle

One final notation needs to be made here and then I will make some closing thoughts. 

 Acts 4:1-3 says, “When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples), He left Judea, and departed again into Galilee.  Jesus came to this earth for 2 main reasons:  1. To pay the price for our sinfulness, and 2. To model for us how our ‘newness of life’ should look

HE lived a life without sin, HE paid our penalty on the cross, HE rose again, HE showed us prayer, HE showed us good works, and HE preached His gospel wherever He went.  However, HE did not perform the physical act of baptism, He had His disciples do it.  This shows us two things about baptism – 1.  Baptism must be of great importance because He Himself was baptized and He honored the practice, and 2.  The importance is found in terms of the witness of baptism because baptism could NEVER save anyone.

My closing thoughts to kind of bring this issue to a summation are:  It is faith/trust/belief (whichever word you’d like to use and ALL genuine of course) that saves a person.  Upon this genuine faith/trust/belief, certain things occur such as “repentance” which means ‘a turning/changing of the mind’ in the Greek…..receiving the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13 – baptism by the way still meaning the same in the Greek as stated above), and THEN following the Lord in obedience through baptism as Scripture so states and as Jesus modeled for us.  Adding anything to salvation other than true faith/trust/belief in the blood of Jesus and His resurrection is blasphemous and it states that Christ’s sacrifice wasn’t good enough.  I truly hope that through this study anyone who has these questions or who needed some true answers as I did can benefit from this and come away knowing what the Scripture truly says.  Never get tired of studying the Word we’ve been given.  God bless you.

PS – other issues were brought up such as “security of the believer” and “the Holy Spirit”, which I will do another write-up for later on.  I wanted to go ahead and stop here on Baptism for length issues.

Ryan is not only a gifted writer, he is also a phenomenal Preacher! I will be posting his sermons on here for you to watch and I hope you will, you will be extremely blessed. The first two sermons are from his series titled, "Defending the Faith" it is four part series consisting of; 

1. Evolution

2. Islam-

3. Political Correctness- Part A-Homosexual Movement

4. Political Correctness-Part B-Secular Humanism (truth is what I want it to be)

Pt.2 Solving the Man-Made Riddle

Still a little skeptical?  I still wanted to dig deeper myself, so here is a bit more evidence on the subject to leave no doubt.

Let’s look at John 3:5 – “Jesus answered, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”  Again, seems pretty self-explanatory.  The phrase ‘born of water’ obviously means we must be physically baptized with water for salvation.  Or does it?  For this, we must go back to the original text, as well as to parallel Scriptures to back it up further.

Here, the term “water” actually refers in parallel to the Word of God and its cleansing qualities.  (examples of this parallel text are found in John 15:3, Ephesians 5:26, and 1 Peter 1:23)  In each of these instances, the same Greek phrases are used, however in English they are translated as “water”, “Word of God” and “the word.”  Knowing this, it all comes together.  We parallel to Titus 3:5, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”  Highlight the word ‘regeneration’ here.  ‘Regeneration’ in the original text means ‘to become again.’  Here, the concept has to do with personal regeneration.  At the moment a person exercises repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ, he is born again in the context of “being born from above” (parallel to John 3:3).  It is the Holy Spirit that makes us a new creation which is received upon true faith/belief in Christ (Acts 1:5, 2:38, 10:47)

Solving the Man Made Riddle

3 Part series on Baptism-written by Ryan Burchett

The title of this came about from recent series of discussions I had with a friend of mine.  I’m truly blessed to 

know someone who is so willing and so passionate about studying the Scriptures and getting down to the truth.  During our discussions, my friend brought up some interesting questions that I had never really had to have an answer before in my life.  The Bible says that “iron sharpens iron” which perfectly describes this situation.  It was through these discussions and tough questions that I have now been able to get to the core truths and solve some of these ‘man-made riddles.’

1.      Baptism - Have you ever had someone ask you “what do you think about Mark 16:16, John 3:5, or Acts 2:38?  During the discussions with my friend, these verses of Scripture were brought up (amongst others which spoke the same messages).  When these verses were brought up to me, the question was then asked, after some discussion, “how can we possibly say that baptism is not required for one’s salvation?”  “By saying that baptism doesn’t have a role in saving someone, wouldn’t we be adding/taking away from Scripture and twisting it to say what we want it to….which by the way is condemned by Scripture?”     

I must admit, when these questions were asked and these verses were available as ‘back-up’, I really didn’t have an answer.  I had my own interpretations, I knew what the answers were, and I KNEW WHAT I BELIEVED……or did I?  Any answer that I did have, which went along the lines of “we are saved by the grace of God through the shedding of Jesus’ blood on the cross for our sins.  Baptism is merely an outward symbol, a public showing of one’s newness of life, and an act of obedience to the Lord.”  

However, my friend said “show me Biblical proof.  Show me actual verses that say this.”  And rightfully so.  If we answer someone about Biblical things yet we don’t have specific Scriptures to back them up, our answers or interpretations mean nothing.  So, when I say I’m very thankful for my friend in asking me these questions, I tell you the truth.  He forced me to look deeper into these issues than I ever had before – “iron sharpens iron.”

So, what did I find out?

First of all, as my friend brought up in our discussions, we must allow Scripture to speak for itself……which I totally agree with.  We are not to add or take away anything from the Scripture we have been given…..doing anything of the sort would be blasphemous.  However, we must be careful with this ‘rule of thumb’ as well because it can set us up for many misinterpretations.  If Scripture is taken literally on every front, we will be in for some sad misinterpretations, let alone the fact that our interpretations are 99.9% of the time based off of our English translations.  If we really want to let Scripture speak for itself and know what it is truly saying, we have to look into the original language, which in the New Testament case is in Greek.  Why?  Because there are many words such as ‘baptism’ and ‘repent’ which are two extremely crucial words in our English language, however in the Greek they often have more than one meaning and sometimes they are even used as references or parallels for other words found in other verses.  This is why God commands us to “meditate on the Word….and to write it on the tablet of our heart.”  We have to STUDY Scripture to really get it, not just READ it.

With that said, here is what I’ve discovered about ‘baptism’ –

        In Acts 2:38 for example it says “….Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins….”  Seems obvious and simple to understand correct?  We first must repent and BE BAPTIZED for the what?  Remission of sins……..

Is this a point where in the English language we should take this literally?  Let’s consult the original Greek text. 

“Repent” in the Greek is a second person imperative, indicating a mandate for ALL to repent…this is of course an absolute in the Christian faith. (Luke 13:3)  Here’s the tricky part in the English translation – “Be baptized” is a third person passed imperative, stressing individual responsibility to obey (“BE” – the Greek word here being ‘kerygma’ meaning ‘proclamation’).  Knowing this, the phrase “be baptized” in the original text gives us the meaning in English that being baptized is an outward evidence of the genuineness of repentance and faith.  Therefore, it should read something like this:  “because of the remission of sins.” (another parallel to this word ‘kerygma’ is used in Acts 10:47 to name one example)

Let’s race to the cross

“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise to return, as some people may think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and everything in them will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be exposed to judgment. Since everything around us is going to melt away, what holy, godly lives you should be living!” 2 Peter 3:9-11

I wonder if there has been a time in your life when the Lord has really grabbed a hold of you and brought you to the other side of the cross. Literally picking you up, dusting you off from all the mud, mire, and sin that covered you, opened your eyes and revealed to you that the time to turn was now.

I ask because I know He is able and that He does. He did it for me. I wonder if now, being on this side of the cross, you realize the urgency to continue to confess and repent daily. I wonder if you know the importance of  living a pure and blameless life that is not of complacency, or being a maintainer, but living on this side as one who daily hurries to bring others to this side as well.

He is coming brethren, He is coming so soon and all I can say is, "Hasten the day Lord Jesus, we long for Your arrival!"

May our hearts desire be that all people long for the return of Christ Jesus.

Use today to be the day you speak out for Christ with boldness and love. Don’t wait for the right time, the right time is now. People are dying, broken, and desperate, let’s not wait until it is too late. Desire and want more of people and for people, Jesus does.

Prayer: Lord place me in the path of someone today who needs to hear about You. Amen

Not a moment wasted

“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise to return, as some people may think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and everything in them will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be exposed to judgment. Since everything around us is going to melt away, what holy, godly lives you should be living!” 2 Peter 3:9-11

As I sat in the waiting room observing all God’s people, I was filled with amazement, amazement because each of them are patterned after God, made in His likeness, His image. He cares for each one individually. He sent His Son whom took upon Himself every one of their sins, their parent’s sins, their children’s sins and so on from generation to generation, including mine.

He desires them, He desires me, He desires for us to pursue Him. He even at the very moment I sat in there was also sitting next to each one of us. I could see Him as He sat next each one placing His arm around them, and even beyond that He slipped Himself under them placing their entire body on top of His lap. The needs in that room whether big or small are needs He knows and supplies for. He hears the heart as it speaks in the quietness of every soul. Though silent to us, it was very loud and clear to Him. He listened, He comforted, He loved and still loves and He desires intimacy and love in return.

As I sat in that room picturing my Savior I felt the strongest urge to mention the name of Jesus. To announce His presence, and though I did not have the opportunity in that room, I had the opportunity past that room and into the room I would enter with a young lady who ran the tests.

She was a sweet young woman who filled the bland, colorless, cold room with comfort, peace and happiness. And she was a young woman whom I got to share Jesus with, talk about Jesus with, laugh with, and pray with. I got to hear how God grabbed a hold of her, changed her, and was still changing her from the woman she used to be. It was pure joy and my absolute deepest desire in life!

I walked out of that room after 2 hours knowing not a moment was wasted in silence, fear, or wishing. I also left knowing that for two hours my Savior, our Savior sat in that room absorbing all the attention being placed upon Him.

Prayer: Lord I want every moment to be spent speaking about You, sharing in the joy with those You have redeemed. Thank You for such an amazing opportunity and the privilege of sharing Your name with that sweet young woman. Bless her and her family Lord, fill her every day with more and more of You and Your word. Lord may there never be a day from here on out that I do not mention Your name, share Your word with someone I speak to. I want every day to be filled with divine appointments. Lord I am blessed because of You, I am filled with joy because of You within me. You truly are my Redeemer, Lover, and Provider. Amen

Urgency to become more

“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise to return, as some people may think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and everything in them will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be exposed to judgment. Since everything around us is going to melt away, what holy, godly lives you should be living!” 2 Peter 3:9-11

It is an overwhelming feeling that arises up within me, one that leaves me feeling as though my insides are on fire, crying out to be relieved of the pressure that has become so strong it is reaching the point of suffocation.  This strong sense of urgency that consumes my soul is the very thing that also consumed the soul of Jeremiah.

“O Lord, you persuaded me, and I allowed myself to be persuaded. You are stronger than I am, and you overpowered me. Now I am mocked by everyone in the city. Whenever I speak, the words come out in a violent outburst. Violence and destruction! I shout. So these messages from the Lord have made me a household joke. And I can’t stop! If I say I’ll never mention the Lord or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am weary of holding it in!” Jeremiah 20:7-9

Not only do I feel and sense such an urgency in burning within me to share God’s word, I have this yearning, this hunger and thirst that goes beyond my gut, beyond what my mortal body can express, for such intimacy with Jesus. One that leaves my heart in constant desire to communicate, to grow, to express, to share, to step out of all comfortableness and into a place so uncomfortable it leaves me vulnerable, dependent, and ever so present with Christ.

A huge sense of joy fills every inch of my body when I ponder on that closeness with Christ not only for myself but for others as well.

Yet the Lord has brought me to a stopping point, one that has left me wide-eyed, broken, and even more desperate to walk in His likeness. And up to this point in my life I have been so blind, so unwilling …until now.

It is now that I am ready to become a real follower of Jesus Christ, a follower that unleashes this explosive amount of pressure within me.  A follower that has counted EVERY cost to follow Him and still takes that huge step over and says, “YES, yes Lord I have counted the cost and I am willing, I am ready, I am trusting and believing, and I will GO THE DISTANCE, despite what will lie ahead, what I will lose, what I will endure, how I will be mocked, etc.”

I have been a lover of Christ, but I have not been a follower, a disciple of Christ, I have been reserved, I have been weary and afraid of going the distance because of the fear of suffering, loneliness and rejection.

Oh Father forgive me for believing I have truly been a follower of You, when I have been clinging to the security of myself, my family, my possessions. Lord design within me a new heart, the heart that beats as Yours beats, hungers for what You hunger for, and follows You no matter the cost. Lord make my heart like Yours. Amen

It’s time!

“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise to return, as some people may think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and everything in them will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be exposed to judgment. Since everything around us it going to melt away, what holy, godly lives you should be living!” 2 Peter 3:9-11

It’s time for us who claim to be children of God to start living like true children of God.

It's time we start denying ourselves, shouldering our cross and following Christ, no matter the cost.

It's time we start taking a stand against homosexuality

It's time we start acting on the word of God.

It's time we start speaking out for Jesus.

It's time we get prepared to suffer.

It's time to realize that there is only ONE God?

It's time to stop fighting over man-made laws, thus dividing churches, and start standing on the only law that matters.

It's time for us to start selling out for the Lord?

It's time to sound the alarm, wake up and start stepping out in faith, confidence, boldness, love, and with our eyes fixed on the Cross.

“You should look forward to that day and hurry it along-the day when God will set the heavens on fire and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world where everyone is right with God. And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to live a pure and blameless life. And be at peace with God. And remember, the Lord is waiting so that people have time to be saved.” 2 Peter 3:12-15

Now do you see why it is time to wake up, and fix our eyes on what awaits us? I am so excited, and I want  you and me to be prepared, ready and waiting for the day our Father comes to get us.

Prayer: Lord thank You for all my brothers and sisters around the world who are sharing Your word, running to save the lost, encouraging the drifters, and who clothing themselves in the armor of Christ. Thank You Lord, may we each do our part right where we are. Amen