Prayer, A New Revelation

It Is Written, Matthew 21:22, and whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.
All of us have prayed at one time or another. Maybe we didn't even realize it. Maybe we aren't convinced that prayers are really answered. We have all been there.
If we pray with the right motives, and a clean heart, prayers will be answered. When most people pray, they either beg, or they have a, "if it is your will Lord" prayer. You can do that, but you will probably be disappointed. You can repeat Scripture when you pray. That is good, but unless you believe it completely, it more than likely won't accomplish much. Verses are not magic bullets.
So what do you do? Let us start off by realizing that prayer usually involves time. A part of the problem with most of us, is that we expect instant results, the way we expect them. While that does happen, it is not the usual thing. I think those answers usually fall into the category of miracles. We need to look at normal results. And yes, prayers are always answered for our good.
Now that we have the lightning bolt kind of answer to prayer taken care of, let's look at the normal answers.
In order to have prayers answered you must believe that prayer is always answered. Using verses of Scripture helps us believe, if we understand and trust the verses that we use. The other part is trust in Jesus name, and the power of the Holy Spirit. I will now tell you what made the difference for me. Your own version of this will help you get your prayers answered.
When I read the Bible and saw a blind man healed when Jesus put mud on his eyes, or Naaman  dipping in the river seven times to cure leprosy because that is what the prophet told him, I really didn't ask myself why these miracles happened that way.
What slipped past me, and a lot of other people, was the fact that the washing and dipping was an act of faith on the part of the persons being healed. It then struck me, that the answer to prayer is acting on faith. This was an epiphany to me. I will now give you a quick idea of what I do, and have told others.
I start out by telling the Holy Spirit that I claim whatever I want in Jesus name. As in the case of healing for example, I claim it on the fact that Jesus already did it by His stripes. I receive in my heart, and I believe it.
At this point I thank the Holy Spirit for the answer as often as I think about it. Here is a part most of us miss.  Patiently wait for that small inner voice, and follow it. It will tell us the steps of faith we must take to get our answer. For example, maybe you need to lose weight. You can diet, or you can listen to the Holy Spirit. You can be eating, and a little voice tells you to stop. Do it. You will lose the weight just by listening to that voice. It works that way with all prayer.
When you get your answer, remember what Jesus told the adulterous woman, and several others. "Go and sin no more". If for example in the overweight case, stop doing what caused the problem in the first place.
Don't worry about hearing the Holy Spirit, you will. You will come away with more faith in prayer, and if you keep it up, you'll get to a point where everything you do, you will ask the Holy Spirit to help you. I ask Him every day for wisdom, guidance, and His help. Praise The Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Jesus Love for You

It Is Written, Proverbs 8:17, I love those who love me. Those who seek me diligently will find me.
Quite often, I have thoughts about how much all of us under appreciate what Jesus did for us. The first thing most believers mention when asked about what Jesus did, is the crucifixion. It wasn't like we see in Hollywood versions. What Jesus suffered was so bad, there is no way to describe it. Isaiah 53 will give you a small idea.
The best way to get a tiny idea is to study the story of the crucifixion, starting with the Last Supper. Jesus knew everything that would happen to Him, but He functioned pretty much like He wasn't overly concerned. Think of the apprehension we have thinking about a  dentist appointment. Can we possibly get a real feel for what He was going through?
Don't forget, He was here as a man and suffered pain like we do. To my knowledge, I have never read about what Jesus went through in His mind that day, as He was being tortured. Based on how Jesus loves us, I am sure that with each  whip stroke, punch, and all manner of abuse, He was thinking about what His suffering would accomplish. He could've escaped all of it, but His love for us made Him do what He did.
Think real hard about each thing that happened. The description of the scourging, and how it literally ripped His body apart. Pull out a couple of your hairs, then think about Jesus beard ripped out of His face. I'll tell you right now, whatever horrors you can imagine about that day, isn't the tiniest fraction of how horrible it really was.
Sometimes I get frustrated and upset with myself for not appreciating enough,what Jesus did for me. Let me explain. I think most of us look at the death and resurrection of Jesus as the greatest show of love ever.
I have to sit down and think about salvation for instance. My sins are forgiven, my whole being has been healed, I am a son of God, and I have eternal life. There is much more, but going into it right now would take too long. It is very hard, if not impossible, to wrap your mind around what this really means. The human brain needs a frame of reference. There is an answer however. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you just how great these blessings are, and to help you keep this example of Jesus love in your heart. He will.
You can go to Google, and search for a topical Bible. Many downloads are free. Start finding out more about everything Jesus did for you. It is hard to appreciate something that you don't know anything about. You could spend the rest of your life meditating on Jesus life. Then you can start to see a little of what He did for you. He is waiting to reveal His love for you personally. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Choices

It Is Written, Hosea 14:9, Who is wise? Let him understand these things . Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.
It seems that many people miss it, when it comes to living a Christian Life, the way God wants us to. Yes, we think we are obeying the 10 Commandments, but is it following them by God's standards or ours?
You might say God standards are so high, that no one could follow them His way. You would be right. None of us can. That is why Jesus came to save us.
The Bible is full of do's and don'ts. The majority of them are more like suggestions. Since they appear that way to us, it diminishes their importance in our lives. The devil tries to get us to look at these sayings as trivial, rather than what they really are.
The Bible is an owners manual. Just like when you buy something like a lawnmower, you get an owners manual. The purpose of the manual, is to instruct you in how to keep that equipment in the condition that is required in order to do the best job it can. Ignore the instructions at your peril.
Our instruction manual works that way for us. However, ours is more important. If you ignore the lawnmower, it will not perform right, you will be unhappy, and it will end up as junk. The same is true for us, except instead of the junkyard, our destination will be much worse. If we follow the instruction manual for us, when our working life on Earth is through, we will become a new and improved model that will last forever.
What many of us have a hard time accepting is, that each instruction we get is like a piece of a giant puzzle. Only the artist knows what it will look like when it is complete. He knows where each piece goes. If you try to put the wrong piece in the right place, it won't fit. If you calmly work on it, with patience, doing it right, you'll see the same picture the artist saw .
There are many benefits if you follow the instructions in your manual. As you progress in life, you will feel good about yourself. You will begin to see what God saw for you. If you try to stick a wrong piece in, He will point it out to you. He sent His only son to get rid of your mistakes, and keep you out of the eternal junk pile.
As humans, we sometimes try to do as little as possible. If Jesus is our Savior in our hearts, we can get away with it. We will still get to heaven, but our life won't be what it could have been. I found out a long time ago, that what we do is for us. If you lived an identical life, except in one you took the lazy route, and the other was the Bible route, the difference would amaze you. The Bible route gives you fellowship with God, peace in your heart, happiness, and countless blessings. Your choice. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

More About Sneaky satan

It Is Written, one Peter 5:8, be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
It seems that most of us think we have satan figured out. We are pretty confident that we know what to be aware of. satan is pretty obvious. Or is he?
We know for instance that pride, complaining, not loving your neighbor, are repulsive to God, and He says they are sins. What many people, including me, didn't realize is that satan has a way of disguising things, so they don't look like sins. He knows that sin blocks prayer. Unanswered prayers are blamed on God, because we don't think we are sinning.
Have you ever seen someone do something you didn't like or agree with, and say to yourself or someone else "I would never do that". A perfect example is a young person parking in a handicapped space, and practically running into the store. Ring a bell? Well my friends, your statement is pride, the statement is also judging people, and of course possibly anger and in extreme cases, a level of hatred for that person. A better way is to look at that person, and in your heart just say what he did is between him and God. Not my concern.
Another example. We all know someone who doesn't always think about someone else. They do what we think is so ridiculous that it is laughable. Someone who is a guest in your home for example. This person comes in and criticizes the size of your shower, the brand of soap, and everything else they see. This is the kind of person who most of us at one time laughed about and talked about. We thought they were a joke.  Again our pride comes in because we think this person is self-centered, and we are judging them. Beginning to get the idea?
Your job, your life in general, is wide open to satan and sin. If your life is not going the way you would like, don't complain. This is a hard thing to deal with sometimes. I look at it as one of three things.
In the example we just looked at, maybe God is trying to get your attention. He has something better for you, but you have to ask Him. Many times people turn to God as a last resort.
 Maybe you ask God to guide your life according to His plan, and then you try to follow your plan. This is really pretty common. I know because I did it for a long time. If you ever use the GPS you have an example. The GPS guides you as to how far for how long to your destination. If you miss one of the instructions, the GPS recalculates and tells you how to get back on course. That's kind of how God does it. Pay attention.
If things are going really well, examine what you are doing. It could be God and blessings, or it could be satan. Be honest with yourself. If God is not your constant companion, or you don't talk to God, beware! It could be a trap. You may not agree with some of what I just said, but I found out in my own life what I have just told you.
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

It Is All in the Believing

It Is Written, Isaiah 26:3, you will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
Over the last year or more, we have discussed the power of words. Words can do great things, and words can do great harm. Many times we say things by instinct, or without thinking. Sometimes we regret what we said, almost as soon as we said it. Is there no hope?
Fortunately there is an answer to what words we use. The words we blurt out, are usually a result of our belief system. Change your beliefs, and your words change seemingly with no or little effort.
A good place to start, is looking at your relationship with God. You don't have to be a super saint, just someone who believes in God, and asks Him for help. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom and guidance in everything you think, say, and do. Ask each morning for that day.
Many older people have problems, because they expect to have them. Memory is a good example. People have been conditioned to think that the older you get, the worse your memory gets. For instance. You forget the name of someone, so you say, I guess I am getting old, and you know what they say, first the mind goes. If you believe that in your heart, your mouth will say it, and what you say will happen.
If you keep that up, you will face self fulfilling prophecies, as everything you believe that way, will get worse and worse. A few years ago, by the grace of God, I found the answer for me.
If I misplace something, or forget something, I simply say, I don't know offhand, but I will remember it. I don't give it another thought. Later on, say an hour or two later, I might be cutting the grass, and the thing I temporarily forgot pops into my head. This has happened so many times, it should be a scientific law.
The whole point is, what you believe will eventually come to pass. It will come to pass because you will end up speaking it, and your mind and body will start fulfilling your words.
You must remember, that even saying something as a joke, can start the ball rolling. For instance if you say I am sick and tired of something or other, you may not mean it, but you said it. Pay attention to what you believe, and work on changing harmful beliefs.
One more thing. Many people worry about family curses. I believe that the tendency for certain things passes to a generation. For example, drinking, gambling, abusive personality. If you don't condemn yourself to something by accepting it as true, the chances are, it will stop with you and your descendents. The trick is to stop believing what people tell you about being cursed. If you don't accept the curse, and believe that you are just fine, you will be. That is the best way to stop the so-called family curse.
One more time. What you believe is what you will say. What you say is what you will get. This is fact. Look at your beliefs, and your life, and the words you have used, and you will see that this is true. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the Cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

The Word Is Truth

It Is Written, John 1:1, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
People in general are amazed when someone quotes chapter and verse from the Bible. Most of us would love to be able to do that, but we can't. That is no crime. While it is admirable, memorizing the Bible by itself, does not bring salvation.
You hear a lot about the end times these days. Quite a few scholars think that it has started. The Bible tells us in revelation, what is eventually going to happen. It is important that all Christians know what to expect.
There is a big difference between reading and studying. Reading is what we usually do for enjoyment. As an example, if you read Moby Dick, you do not try to remember every detail, and how it affects the story. If however, you had a problem with blood pressure, you would look for as much information as you could find about the causes and remedies. You would take your time and learn. That is studying.
We usually talk about reading the Bible, because that is what most of us do. We need to study the Bible. We know it is 100% true, so we are not wasting our time. Take a verse or two, and really think about it every which way. If you are an avid sports fan, do it the way you look at a team's stats, or those of an individual player.
The Lord Jesus does not grant us  favor and blessings, based on how many words we read or study. Five verses that you understand completely, are better than 10 chapters of just reading.
The point is, we must study the word, and see it as God sees it. How can we know how to please him, if we don't know what he expects from us. How would we know how to claim blessings from Him? How would we even know that we are entitled to those blessings?
Most important of all, how would we know how Jesus death and resurrection affected us? You will feel very good every time you learn something, I know I do. The other thing that is important. Just because you read a verse 10 times in the past, don't skim over it. Study it and you may gain new insight. People that can recite the whole Bible from memory, still learn. I think you would agree, that the more you know about God, the better your relationship with Him will be. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
AmenIt Is Written, John 1:1, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
People in general are amazed when someone quotes chapter and verse from the Bible. Most of us would love to be able to do that, but we can't. That is no crime. While it is admirable, memorizing the Bible by itself, does not bring salvation.
You hear a lot about the end times these days. Quite a few scholars think that it has started. The Bible tells us in revelation, what is eventually going to happen. It is important that all Christians know what to expect.
There is a big difference between reading and studying. Reading is what we usually do for enjoyment. As an example, if you read Moby Dick, you do not try to remember every detail, and how it affects the story. If however, you had a problem with blood pressure, you would look for as much information as you could find about the causes and remedies. You would take your time and learn. That is studying.
We usually talk about reading the Bible, because that is what most of us do. We need to study the Bible. We know it is 100% true, so we are not wasting our time. Take a verse or two, and really think about it every which way. If you are an avid sports fan, do it the way you look at a team's stats, or those of an individual player.
The Lord Jesus does not grant us  favor and blessings, based on how many words we read or study. Five verses that you understand completely, are better than 10 chapters of just reading.
The point is, we must study the word, and see it as God sees it. How can we know how to please him, if we don't know what he expects from us. How would we know how to claim blessings from Him? How would we even know that we are entitled to those blessings?
Most important of all, how would we know how Jesus death and resurrection affected us? You will feel very good every time you learn something, I know I do. The other thing that is important. Just because you read a verse 10 times in the past, don't skim over it. Study it and you may gain new insight. People that can recite the whole Bible from memory, still learn. I think you would agree, that the more you know about God, the better your relationship with Him will be. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Loving God

It Is Written, Galatians 5:22, the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.
We know we are supposed to love God with our whole being. Our love is supposed to put Him above everything in our lives. That all seems reasonable, but how do you do that?
I think most of us have a problem with that. For a long time I was concerned about my love for God, or seeming lack of it at times. I prayed to the Holy Spirit, and He put on my heart I should have faith and trust in God and that is the love He wants from us.
As you can probably guess, at first I ignored what the Holy Spirit said. Instead I made excuses for the way I love God. I told myself that when I was growing up, my parents loved me I guess. There was no hugging or warmth. How do you love a God you don't know, when you don't know what love is?
When I got married, I loved my wife and my children as they came along. It was the first time I had a clue about love. There were however a couple of other problems. I was looking at love the way humans do, and expected to feel the love the way I felt about my family. Then, the other thing was, we are told to love our neighbor as ourselves. I didn't like myself very much. Need I go on?
When I found Jesus and accepted Him, I received the Holy Spirit. After a while I got baptized in the Holy Spirit. With that my eyes were opened, and so was my heart. The Holy Spirit showed me so many things that needed to change. For one thing I didn't trust anyone so it took a little bit of effort to trust God. Remember I was just starting to learn, so that statement seemed reasonable to me.
I started to ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom, guidance, and help, every single day. He never failed me, so my faith and trust grew. I started talking to Him during the day. Sometimes it was only a few words. Finally I arrived at the point that I was having real faith. I depended on Him for everything, and my faith grew even more.
One day as I was talking to the Holy Spirit , He put on my heart that I was starting to love God. Since God is a spirit, and we are spirits, we have to stop looking at things through human eyes. We love God by faith, and trust in Him. It is by faith we know how much He loves us. So just relax, and start talking to the Holy Spirit. Even if you just trust Him for little things at first, you will find your faith growing, and along with it, your love for God without even realizing it. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

The Truth about Temptation

It Is Written,1 Corinthians 10:13, no temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
All of us have had temptations in our lives, and we will continue to have them. Even the famous Christians are tempted, after all, even Jesus was tempted. Realize right now there is no way to avoid temptation.
God does not do things like tempt people to sin. satan does it, because he is a leader of this broken world, and he wants to steal God's people. I am sure that he knows that he cannot have what belongs to God. God has all believers in His mighty hands and will not let go. It is satan's ego that will not let him realize that he was defeated by Jesus on the cross.
God allows temptation, and gives us a way to defeat it. We can quote verses all day long about God and His love for us, such as in Philippians 4:13, where it says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Let's remember that temptation by itself is not a sin. We will never be condemned because we were tempted. Sin comes when you do what you were tempted to do. Even then, God still loves you and will not let you go.
The Word is the most powerful weapon to defeat satan. When you can tell him what Jesus says, and stand on your faith, satan flees and your faith grows. The better your relationship with God, the more you can exercise power over satan through Jesus.
It all boils down to this. satan travels the Earth, seeking whom he can destroy. Don't hide under your bed. Put on the armor of God and face him. He prefers to attack those who are weak, or don't know who they are in Jesus.
So don't let satan tell you any lies. He tempts us with things that will lead to our destruction if we accept them. The Holy Spirit is always around to protect what belongs to God. 0h by the way, that means you. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

The True Power of Words

It Is Written, Proverbs 18:7, a fools mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.
A lot has been written about the power of words. Words produce what is in your heart, whether you agree with that statement or not. The Bible says, as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. Proverbs 23:7.
Jesus said ,I have told my people that they can have what they say, and they are saying what they have. I suppose there are many times in the average person's life that that would apply.
There are many examples of this truth in the Bible. Mark 11:23, and numbers 13, are just two examples. In numbers we hear the story of the 12 spies who went into Cannan. They looked at the same things, but 10 saw with worldly eyes, and 2 saw with spiritual eyes. As you know, the 10 spoke negative words about what they saw, and the two spoke faith filled words.
Your tongue has a way of saying what is in your heart. Many times the message in or out, bypasses the brain. Your brain can tell your heart what to believe. The heart sorts the truth, depending on whether the thought is spiritual or not, and if it should accept the thought or not.
When you hear your own words, the tendency to act on them is great. But don't kid yourself. If you let your brain operate everything, you can still have problems. If you accept negative words or thoughts, a bad outcome is usually the result. Remember, as a man is in his heart.
Now I come to something a lot of people don't realize. The reason is people are so conditioned in the world today, and life in general, that they accept things that hurt them, and don't even know it at the time.
Have you ever thought something like "I'm too old for that" or "I'm getting older so my brain isn't as sharp as it was" you are conditioned to look at many things that way. If you live in the spirit as you are supposed to, your life won't go downhill like people say.
Sitting around and stewing over something, is just as bad as saying it, because sooner or later you will say it. There's an old saying from sports, the best defense is a great offense.
So take charge of your life. Pray in faith and use  faith filled words. If you believe it, and say it, nothing is impossible to you. Jesus said so. Praise the Lord!
There is a great little pamphlet written by Kenneth E Hagan, many years ago. The title is You can have what you say. You can probably get it for about a dollar at www.Rima.org.
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Patience Is a Weapon

It Is Written, Hebrews 10:36, for you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.
Have you ever considered the word patience? It can be a weapon against satan. You need it to make your faith and trust grow. If you don't have patience, satan will use it as a weapon against you. He will try to diminish your faith, and if he has his way, he will steal your blessings.
Even though most of us realize what was just said, we sometimes find it very difficult to be patient. No matter what happens a part of the problem with patience is the circumstances we find ourselves in. When many people pray for something, for instance a healing, they hardly ever give a thought to patience.
We have been taught to have faith and trust in the Lord when we pray. We try really hard to do that. We don't realize it takes patience to wait for our answer. As a result, doubt and fear can sneak in through satan trying to take advantage of a lack of our patience.
It occurred to me as I write this, that most of us have trouble seeing some basic facts. Doubt and fear are prayer blockers. Here comes the main point. When we doubt or fear, we end up with a self fulfilling prophecy. Our prayers go unanswered because they were blocked. It started with the lack of patience.
So if the above is true, and it is, the solution is simple. When you pray for something, recognize up front that the answer will probably not be instant. It will take some time, so fill your head with positive thoughts. Know that God hears and answers. Relax and rest in faith and trust in a God who loves you. He will answer.
Before you say you can't do that, take a look at your relationship with God. You believe he loves you? If the answer is yes, you can do it. If the answer is no, you need to get to know our Lord better.
It may take you a while to get there, but always remember the Holy Spirit is waiting to help you, if you let him, and ask. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

What Is Complaining?

It Is Written, Philippians 2:14 – 15, " do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world".
Most people do not want to be known as a complainer. Being a complainer is a very negative thing. The problem is, the definition of complaining is different to different people.
Complaining is defined generally, as being unhappy or annoyed about something. Complaining goes deeper than just voicing your displeasure to someone else. Just because you aren't telling everyone about your problems, does not mean you aren't  complaining.
If you are a normal person, you probably are acquainted with problems of varying seriousness. The way you handle those problems is what matters.
Some people can take a small thing and turn it into a big thing. They do that by dwelling on the perceived problem so much, that satan has an opening to step in. When satan steps in, the problem gets bigger and bigger in your eyes. Sound hopeless? Let's see.
What I am about to say may seem foolish to some, to others it will probably reinforce what they already believe. I know some Christians that do what I am talking about, and it works for them. I learned it the hard way.
There are some things that really help if you pay attention to them. God hates complaining. Complaining is in effect telling God that there is something wrong with His plan for you. Not a good idea. Then you must remember that God knows everything.
You may look at a problem and call your opinion of it as distressing. God may look at it as a test of your faith. Remember what God thinks is what counts, not what you or I think. So now what?
When something unpleasant happens, don't dwell on it. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you, and tell you what to do. It may be difficult at times, but do it anyway. If you are really having a hard time, cry out to the Lord for help. Put the problem in His hands. He does not look at this as complaining.
The Lord always answers. Trust in Him and let it go. Put your cares on the Lord, because He cares for you.
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Jesus Presence

It Is Written,1 John 4:17, as He is in heaven, so are we in this world.
It Is Written in Mark 16:15 – 18, and Jesus said to them " go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
The other day, I was sitting in my chair and studying the picture of Jesus that is supposed to be the closest to what He really looked like. In this picture that is hanging in our living room, the way Jesus face was posed, He is looking right at me.
As I was staring at Him, I asked Him in my heart, why people have such strong emotions concerning Him. A few thoughts crossed my mind, that I felt I had to share. Form your own opinion, and it may help the way you think.
I believe that Jesus had an overpowering presence. When He showed up, the atmosphere changed, causing people to realize that He was special. In order for Him to attract followers, there had to be something about Him that touched the soul of people. I believe the Holy Spirit helped people recognize who He really was.
Right now, you are probably wondering, if all of this is true, how could anyone hate Him as much as some of them.? And of course there were those who were undecided.
We have to take a look at the people of the time. Unlike a Hollywood movie, where even a beggar quoted the Old Testament, we have to realize that copies of Scripture were not available to everyone. Even if they were, hardly anyone would be able to read them.
What most people knew, is what the Pharisees taught them. Most of what they taught, was to their own benefit. The Pharisees quoted Moses law to the people. The people didn't know any better, so they believed. Moses probably wouldn't recognize half of  what the Pharisees were teaching in his name.
The Pharisees had money, influence, position, and benefits beyond measure. They were in fear of losing what they had, so that increased their jealousy of Jesus whom they considered a threat to their lifestyle. The people were also ruled by fear, but their fear was of disobeying the Pharisees. They basically did what they were told.
What it all comes down to is this. Who can tell what really caused all of the hate. All any of us can do is speculate, but what I have mentioned, would probably be a part of it. Of course there are other reasons besides that, in today's modern world. But that is for another day. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Believe For Answers

It Is Written, Proverbs 3:5, trust in God with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.
If you talk to people about prayer, and ask them if they pray, a majority will probably say yes. Ask them if they're prayers get answered, and again you will have a majority but this time they will say no. There are many reasons for that answer, but God is not one of the reasons. Let's take a look at some of the possible reasons.
The first reason is probably the most common. Some people do not know the requirements for proper prayer. Forgiveness in the heart, love for God and others, faith in the word, to name the main ones. I have known a few people that prayed every day. They had unforgiveness toward many people for many years, or angry all the time about something, and so many other things that do not describe a true believer, that it is unbelievable.
Another reason for many, is lack of faith. They do not expect their prayers to be answered. I think the fact that they thought they were praying, made them feel better. Besides, maybe a prayer will be answered someday.
Now we come to one that I delt with for a long time before  I woke up. I prayed for a certain thing to happen, believed then took a step in faith. Didn't happen. I tried five more times, each time a little different. Still no. Then I felt in my heart it was for my good, that I did not get what I asked for. I asked the Holy Spirit to forgive me, and give me peace. Almost immediately, I had total peace in my heart, and I still do. If I didn't lean on my own understanding, I would've had peace much sooner.
Now we come to fear and doubt, satans favorite way to block prayer. Sometimes God waits a while before He answers, in order to test our faith. satan tries to take advantage of that. Realize that is what is going on, and keep God in your heart, and there will be no room for satan.
God always hears, and He always answers. Sometimes we may not like the answer. Just remember, God sees the whole picture, while we just see a piece of it. He knows what His good plan for our life is. The fact is, sometimes no is an answer. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Are You Forgetting God?

It Is Written, Ephesians 4:32, be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Do you feel that you never forget God? Many people would answer no to that question. But is that true? Let's take a look at a couple of examples. You will have the correct answer for you, if you are honest with yourself.
When people are going through times that they perceive as difficult to impossible, even if they are Christians, they push God into the background without realizing it. They concentrate on the problem so much, that they lose sight of God. satan is right there making things look worse than they are. Some people at this time blame God. What they don't realize is that God would not do that to them.
Another time we humans have a tendency to not even think about God, is when things are going really well. We attribute all of the good stuff to our own efforts, brains, or even luck. Whatever we give credit to, it usually isn't God.
As you think about this, I throw in one more point to ponder. There are many who will agree with me, and many who won't. Regardless, I think it is very important to mention.
When you see a person who has everything you can imagine, and everything they touch prospers, it may not be a good thing. If the person has a relationship with God, he is blessed. If he doesn't, it may be satan giving him everything to keep him from God.
If you are up in life, or down in life, always keep God in your life. If you have it all, thank God every day, and live his way. If you are down, never forget God, and tell Him what is on your heart. God always loves and forgives. God and satan cannot live in your heart at the same time. Choose God. He will never leave you or forsake you. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Direction From God

My Friends
It Is Written, Proverbs 16:9, a man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.
It Is Written, Psalm 138:8, the Lord will perfect that which concerns me.
It Is Written, Psalm 37:4, delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.
I think most people feel that life can be a real challenge at times. That certainly is true for many people. You face all sorts of problems every day, and as you know some of them can seem overwhelming, and almost drive you to despair.
When you are going through the various trials, it is easy to get frustrated and want to give up. It seems that everything you try fails. At times you may even feel that the devil is working overtime to make your life miserable. Some people blame God, because they feel He allowed something to happen that they didn't agree with. That kind of thinking hardens many hearts to God. And then you have the people who cry out to God, because in their desperation, they believe He is the answer, or they feel they have nothing to lose.
Does any of this seem familiar? With so many things going against you, God may be the last thing you want to hear about. satan has his dirty hands and all of this, because he wants you against God. He can even take something that is really good for you, and make it look like God is persecuting you.
Well my friends, that scenario does not have to be true for you. I am probably older than most of you, so I went through all of this stuff, and felt the same way for a large part of my life.
I have been a Christian for a while now, and the Holy Spirit showed me a few things. This is not a sales pitch for God, because He doesn't need it. As I look back in my life through the eyes of God's love and mercy for me, I see a different picture. If I had to live my life again, the same way, except this time I knew what I know about God, I would never worry about anything.
When you follow Jesus, all the pieces of the puzzle of life fit together to make a beautiful picture. You can never be too young, or too old to follow the most high God. As the verses I quoted at the beginning tell you, God is on top of the situation at all times. Just believe it and trust in Him. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Don't Skate

It Is Written, Proverbs 23:19, hear my son, and be wise, and direct your mind in the way of the Lord.
In case you are not familiar with the word skate, it basically means to take something lightly. For instance, when I was in high school, I got pretty good grades with practically no effort. I skated through school.
Most of us have that type of attitude at one time or another. Some of us have it most of the time. If something is unimportant to us, we try to get by with as little effort as possible. One of the biggest problems with that, can occur with something that is important. For instance, suppose you have a job you do well because you have been doing it for a long time. If you start to let up on your effort, you could over period of time, end up with disastrous results.
Now to get to something important. When you become a Christian, you eagerly read the Bible, talk to the Lord, and act better toward people. You could be this way for years. Then one day something comes up, and you miss your prayer and Bible time.
Being a Christian, you know that God is not going to condemn you. Thank God for that. As time goes by it happens again. If it happens often enough, it starts to get easier to miss that prayer time. You may even stop prayer or Bible time, or both. Believe it or not, you may even start to feel, that all of that prayer time is really unnecessary, and you know everything you need to know. Besides weren't  we saved by grace and not works. Well my friend, you have just experienced skating.
The other thing is, if you stop completely God will not condemn you, but you will start losing the closeness and faith you used to feel. Your faith suffers.
Praise the Lord, all you have to do is go back to Him. He loves you no matter what. You left Him, He didn't leave you. Go back to Him and talk to Him. If He never leaves you, never leave Him. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

I Did It My Way

It Is Written, Proverbs 3:5, trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.
That verse contains the key to salvation, and a blessed life. Many people don't realize the power it holds. I certainly didn't.
I have a normal amount of intelligence. I was blessed with an extra helping of self-confidence, and the ability to figure most things out. Maybe you fit that picture too. If you do, and you are still young, pay close attention to what I am saying, for your own good.
I have in the past, been able to do many things without much effort on my part. I spent the biggest part of my young life with few challenges, and everything coming pretty easy. It really didn't matter if it was a job, money, or even girlfriends, it was all easy. You might say I skated through the first 20 years of my life. I don't mention any of this in a boastful way, just as a way of background to the rest of my story.
When a person gets married and has kids, many things change. Usually though, self-confidence doesn't. As you go through life, you face many ups and downs. For the most part things usually go pretty well. You live kind of like the average person you know. Sometimes something happens that shouldn't have, and other times things don't happen that should have. You face all kinds of challenges. Frustration occurs much more often than you would like.
After a number of years with disappointments on the job, or health, you try to figure out just what is wrong with your life. Something is missing, but you don't know what. The family is good, so what is the problem?
Man was created as a child of God. Along with that, God had a plan for each one. Part of that plan was to guide us in our lives for our good. We also received a big problem at the time. That problem is called free will. We get to choose. If you have a large amount of intelligence, or self-confidence, it is usually harder for you to see that you need God.
When you finally wake up to the fact that you do need God, your life changes. You may still face a lot of the same problems, but now God will get you through them. As I said, follow His plan, accept what Jesus did for you, and the bonus  is eternity with God.
This has been a very condensed version. Believe me when I tell you, everything I did my way was less than spectacular. So make it easier on yourself and your family. Follow God's plan to begin with. Don't do it your way, it doesn't work. I found that out the hard way, after many many years of futility. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my life as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Get The Upper Hand On satan

It Is Written, 1 John 4:4, you are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
There is a lot of comfort in that verse, but we will cover that later.
Many Christians associate just about everything that is bad or unpleasant, as the work of the devil. That is probably true most of the time, but it isn't a reason to live in fear of him.
I have known quite a few people, who constantly search the Bible for verses to fight satan and all evil spirits. They recite them as though each verse was a magic bullet against satan. Some people use them so much, they don't even have to think about it, they just say them.
I am not suggesting you stop doing it. I do think however that you need to consider a couple of things. First of all satan knows these  verses too. He isn't stupid. He knows who he is dealing with. He has been around a long time, and he recognizes who is a believer or not. I am sure you have heard people talk about constantly rebuking the devil, and the attacks keep coming. Most of the time, these rebukes are made in fear, and because of that, satan laughs and he keeps working.
You have probably heard the expression that the best defense is a good offense. That is so true in so many things. In dealing with satan, burn the  1 John 4:4 on your heart. When you get up in the morning, attack satan and all evil spirits, by calmly saying that verse out loud a couple of times. Add a few more verses like it. That lets the bad guys know that you know they have no power over you.
Remember this important thing. satan can only put thoughts in your head. He cannot make you do anything. He only does what you allow. Arm your self with the Word, and never fear satan and his evil helpers again. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen
A few more verses that fit the situation. Psalms 23 – 4,1 Corinthians 12:27, Romans 12:21, James 4:7

Don't Beat Yourself Up

It Is Written, Ephesians 2:8, for by grace you have been saved, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift from God.
If you read my messages, you will note that from time to time, I mentioned my morning ritual. My day starts with the Lord. I speak mostly to the Holy Spirit. It goes like a conversation where you tell your best friend what is on your mind and what is in your heart.
After the conversation, I study the Bible for a while. Then my wife and I thank the Lord for a number of specific things, and have communion.
This may appear to some people as works. The fact of the matter is, it is far from works. Let me explain each item, I think you'll see what I mean.
The quiet time and conversation at the very beginning of the day is like first fruits. Giving the first part to God. I seek the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit each day, every day.
I study the Bible to get to know the Trinity as much as possible. After all, how can you love or trust someone you don't know.
Then there are Thanksgiving prayers every day for blessings received, even though some may not have happened yet in this world. Remember God operates in the spiritual world. He is way ahead of us.
Many people don't realize what communion means. By His stripes we were healed, His blood washed away all our sins, by His grace, death, and resurrection, He gave us salvation if we accept it.
So you see, the parts of my routine each have a reason. Unlike works, this routine helps my relationship with God. If something comes up and I miss one or all of these steps, He does not condemn. He loves me no less. I just feel that I am missing out on the closeness.
So there you have it. Some things strengthen your relationship with God, but if you're routine gets interrupted, don't worry. Nothing changes His love for you. He only wants to bless you, not punish you. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Feel Guilty Needlessly

It Is Written, 2 Timothy 1:9, who has saved us with a Holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.
People today are still being taught the fire and brimstone philosophy. Many religions beat people over the head with rules and traditions as a way of getting to heaven. If you are good enough. But what is good enough? No one knows. As a result, people are afraid of God, and are always concerned about where they will go after they die.
The problems with this kind of teaching can be briefly stated in the following. This type of teaching overlooks what Jesus did on the cross, namely forgiveness , healing, and salvation to those who accept Him as Savior.
It plainly states in a number of verses in the Bible, including the teachings of Jesus himself, that we are saved by grace, not works. There are literally too many verses to quote here. So it comes down to, do you take someone's word for it, or do you check it for yourself. Do you put your trust in what a man says to determine where you spend eternity, or do you trust the creator. If the Bible says salvation is not by works, you can work yourself silly, and not be saved.
Another point is this. If you choose a work your way to heaven route, you will really miss out on many things. The most important is, you will miss heaven. You will miss a relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit during your lifetime. You will miss countless blessings, and a fantastic life, besides knowing for sure that your future home is heaven.
If you enjoy life with  few blessings, and look at God as someone waiting for you to slip up so He can punish you. If you are constantly wondering if you will get to heaven, all I can tell you is the choice is yours. You don't have to live that way.
Once again, if you are works person, it would be a good idea to ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand the word, and get an amplified Bible. The amplified Bible is easier to understand. No matter how good you think you're excuses are for not reading the Bible, God is not buying it. After all it is a very small price to pay for eternity with God.
When you accept the fact that you are saved by grace, and not by your own works, the anxiety in your life will disappear, and blessings will be poured out on you. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen