THE FLY AWAKENED ME

Have you heard of people getting messages from God in dreams or other ways? Well a couple weeks ago a common housefly woke me up by continually landing on my face. It was very annoying. After this happened numerous times and many failed attempts to fall back to sleep, a Bible verse came to me about overcoming evil and good and evil being in the world. I can not recall the exact verse, but it prompted me to write on good and evil as when I finally got up I was thinking "overcome evil with good." I can not recall ever waking up to a Bible verse like that before. It indeed was rather bizarre.

So I can thank that annoying house fly for giving me an idea. The housefly itself reminded me of the pesky annoyance of bad junk in our lives. It kind of reminds me of Hebrews 12:1(NIV) which says '

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.' Some versions use the word "beset" in place of entangle, but that word "entangle" really is a word picture. A person can get all tangled up in sin until they are trapped. Think of being in a jungle or in a bunch of weeds and with no clear path how easy it would be to get stuck or "entangled" in a the underbrush. I have prayed the prayer before that Jesus would help "detangle" a situation someone was in as only Jesus can, and I have seen Him do it. I believe is was my friend Stephanie who I first heard coin this creative word. Jesus can indeed "detangle" a person from a trap that the enemy has laid for them. Do you need a fly to wake you up to give you a reminder about something? Can you recognize and run away from evil or sin that has kept you "tangled" up? Turn to God. He is the great "detangler" and indeed can help you run your race to win. PRAYER: Lord Jesus I know the enemy sets traps he wants me to fall into it. I will keep my eyes on you so I am not tripped up. Keep my eyes wide own to the schemes of the evil one as I focus only on you. In Jesus' name. Amen. Click on link for awesome song of praise: http://youtu.be/BJ4jOX6f_1s

NO SECRETS FROM GOD

You may be able to keep secrets from people in your life but there are
no secrets from our Lord and Saviour. He knows it all.  Things you
have done in the past that bring you guilt or shame do not shock God.
You may be fearful of sharing something with even those close to you
as Satan has told you they will think bad of you. Remember that Satan
is called "the accuser of the bretheren" in Revelation 12:10. That is
the way Satan makes people hold on to their guilt even long after the
offense was committed. He will remember your sin no more!  Psalm
103:12(NIV) says it this way 'as far as the east is from the west, so
far has he removed our transgressions from us.'

You can run but you can't hide. Be sure your sins will find you out.
Luke 8:17(NIV) says 'For there is nothing hidden that will not be
disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out
into the open.' Maybe you have done something incredibly stupid or
messed up in a big way and you just do not want anyone to find out.
Sometimes sharing things with our trusted Christian brothers and
sisters or a family member can help.

Psalm 44:20-21(NIV) reminds us 'If we had forgotten the name of our
God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, would not God have
discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart? ' Once again
He is God. He is Lord. He knows all things. Your conscience will make
you feel guilty but you can run to God and talk to Him in prayer and
know that He cares and loves you. Ask Him for the strength to resist
doing evil or staying away from things that tempt you the wrong way.
God loves you no matter what.

PRAYER: Lord I know you love me no matter what I have done. I do not
want to walk a life that separates myself from you. Father help me
each day to get into the word of God and know you better. Turn me from
doing anything that does not please you or brig you glory. In Jesus'
name. Amen.

UNDER THE RUG

How many of you out there are guilty of hiding things when unexpected company drops by? Maybe not under a rug but say underneath the bed, in a closet, or on a kitchen chair? You maybe are embarrassed by the clutter and not time to do anything with it so whisk it away till another time. The visitors probably could care less as everyone has a pile or two around their house but at times we feel a compulsion to hide it. Perhaps to create a different image. Not sure of everyones reasoning. It is not as bad of course as on the TV show "Hoarders" but still we hide it.

Are you guilty of treating sins in your life that way? You either make excuses for them and justify them or try to hide them from certain people. After all you have an image to live up to. Jesus is always at your house and everywhere you go so there is no hiding our sins from Him. Guess what? He knows them all. There is no sweeping your sins under the rug or putting them in a closet. You must deal with them.

In Romans 3:23(NIV) it reminds us 'for all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory.' Think you are pretty good you say? Romans 3:10(NIV) says 'there is none that is righteous, no not one.' Actor Kirk Cameron on doing his man on the street interviews on Trinity Broadcasting will ask a passerby if they are a sinner. The response is usually something like 'oh I am pretty good.' Next he says 'well have you ever told a lie' and of course the answer is yes. Next he says 'do you look at someone with lust ever' and once again they have to say honestly yes. The next question may be 'Have you ever cheated on anything' and once again the honest answer for most is yes. So then Mr. Cameron says 'then by your own admission you are a liar, adulterer, and cheater.' Sort of puts it in a different light wouldn't you say? Most people think of adultery as divorcing someone or cheating on a spouse but in Matthew 5:28(NIV) it says 'But I tell you anyone who looks upon a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.' I did not say it, it is in the Bible. Our society sure gives plenty of opportunities for that sin doesn't it?

Let me leave you with a verse from the book of Numbers 32:23(NASB) which says 'But if you will not do so, for you have sinned against the Lord and behold your sins will find you out.' You can only hide so long. Eventually you will have to fess up and admit your faults and ask God to forgive you and cleanse you and give you the strength to stay on the path He has planned for you.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus I thank you that you are a loving and forgiving God and nothing is hidden from you. Give me the strength to live a life pleasing to you. Convict my heart of wrong and keep me from secret sins or any sins. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Click on link below to worship the Lord and get your heart filled with a song of praise.
http://youtu.be/Jv0C1gCuayI

JESUS WEPT

The title refers to the shortest verse in the Bible found in John 11:35. Do things you do bring tears to God's eyes? Sometimes do you sense that what you are engaging in will not help bring anyone to Jesus or glory to God? Do you participate in activities you know are wrong and certainly will not identify you as a believer?

Some like to poke fun of the 'WWJD' acronym, but really ask yourself before you do anything, 'What Would Jesus Do' and perhaps it might keep you from making a terrible mistake. The Holy Spirit brings conviction of sin. When you wonder how Jesus would react it may make you think twice before engaging in some activities.

Many things could make Jesus weep. When you sin and you know better it makes Him sad. Misusing your body, which is God's Holy temple, by joining it with a prostitute, committing adultery, defiling it with homosexual sex , or sexual relations before marriage all would seemingly make Jesus weep. He created us for a purpose and when we especially disregard our 'temple of God' it makes the Lord sad. Temptation may be strong but it says in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that "No temptation has seized you except that which is common to man. And God is faithful and will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear but when you are tempted will also provide a way out so you can stand up under it."

What in your life is not pleasing God right now? Judging others? Caught up in sexual sin? Looking at pornography? Drinking way too much and on the verge of a DUI or alcoholism? Talking about others behind their back? Lying? Stealing? Cheating? Adultery? (By the way the Bible says in Matthew 5:28 "That looking on a woman lustfully" is adultery).Gluttony? Men, speaking harshly to the wife of your youth? Not managing the resources God has blessed you with? Abortion? (You can be forgiven). Homosexual tendencies? Cursing?

Cry out to God today. He loves you and wants you to run to Him and leave sin behind. Do not allow Satan to lie to you making it sound like God will not ever love you. The enemy tricks,deceives, and tries his best to get Christians off the path God has prepared for them. Run away from the devil and I to the arms of a loving Saviour . He is waiting to forgive you.

PRAYER: Lord God I love you and I know at times my life brings sadness to you. Help me Lord resist the attacks of the enemy to dismantle my spiritual walk. I pray for family members who are caught up in Satan's web of deceit. Open their eyes to the truth. In Jesus name. Amen.

Click on link below to worship the Lord in song.
http://youtu.be/rtD-_q2kl-Q

EMPTY BOTTLES

One day while cleaning house I found several empty bottles in the bathroom,garage,and kitchen that had not been thrown out. It is easy to get sidetracked and forget to toss these in the trash or recycling. Say you are washing your hair and the shampoo bottle is empty and you forget to put in in the trash can. Honest mistake.

This scenario got me to thinking about how sin in our lives can linger like empty bottles. We continue to practice or engage in a sinful lifestyle knowing it is wrong and knowing we need to stop but yet these sins hang around like empty bottles needing to be tossed out. The sin we hang on to clutters our lives like bottles clutter shelves where they are left. We have to let go of them and throw them away before we have an organized home. Sin has to be let go in order to walk with the Lord and have victory.

You have to realize you are sinning then repent of it and get away from it. Hebrews 12:1 says "therefore since we are surrounded by so great a crowd of witnesses let us throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles us and let us run  with perseverance the race set out for us."

What are you dabbling in that you know displeases the Lord? What area of your life needs some work in order to achieve holiness? Do you spend time daily getting to know God through His word? It is when we study The Bible that we realize what the Lord requires of us.
I will close with Malachi 3:6 which says "He has showed you, O man, what is good and what does the Lord requires of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God."

PRAYER: Lord it is my desire to get rid of things in my life that separate me from you. This could be as simple as judging some one or thinking wrong thoughts or even 'innocent' gossip. Lord I am sorry for not spending more time with you. I know my life is not perfect and I know I need you to guide me so I can resist the attempts of Satan to get me off track. Help me Lord as I seek you each day. In Jesus name. Amen.

Click on link for another great song of praise.
http://youtu.be/eNhz8BMTqsk

35 MEANS 35!!

When you are driving you need to be obeying the speed limit. Especially if you are sporting a Christian bumper sticker,vanity tag that says "Jesus" or something that says "Meet Me In Sunday School" but regardless of whether these adorn your vehicle or not you still should be obeying the law and setting a good example. Laws are meant to protect us and speed limits in particular can help us not get injured or killed. If you break the speed limit there is a chance the police will be nearby with a radar gun and catch you driving like a NASCAR driver. If you speed you may end up with a fine or have to appear in court. When  the speed limit sign reads  '35 MPH' it means to drive 35, not 45 or 55. If you do not obey you may suffer the consequences. Scripture even tells us to obey authorities therefore that means law enforcement officials and their signs.

Similarly in life we have laws set forth in the Ten Commandments and other places in the Bible  meant to protect us as well. When we rebel against these rules we face consequences. We are all born sinners. But we are to try to leave a sinful lifestyle and not purposely be doing things that we know are displeasing to God or separate us from Him. When you purposely sin, not unlike breaking a speed limit, you face consequences. God can and will forgive your sins and remember them no more but to willfully do things you know are wrong keep you from receive all His blessings.1 Corinthians 6:11 says "as far as the east is from the west,    so far has he removed our transgressions from us." Psalm 66:18 says "If I had cherished sin in my heart,  the Lord would not have listened." So in other words if you are saying your prayers but willfully doing things to displease him that breaks the line of communication with the Lord. Romans 3:23 tells us "For all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory". You know some of those sins things like adultery, fornication, lying, judging, gossip, homosexuality, murder, coveting others things and the list goes on. I did not make these things up but they are found within the pages of God's word. Read it, study it and you will see for yourself.

The good news is people can be forgiven from their sins and set free. 1 Corinthians 6:11 reminds us referring to being sinful "And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."  Watch out judging others and starting to feel you are better because you do not do 'such and such'. This kind of haughty attitude may cause you to stumble and get a taste of your own medicine. One of the best places that I hear people come to the Lord is in prison when they are at life's lowest point. Prison and jail ministries thrive and help bring many to the Lord. Be careful when you pass those men and women along the highway in orange jump suits picking up trash as you are only one car wreck from being out there with them. For instance, what if you are texting and accidentally hit a child crossing the road and they die. You very well may go to jail for manslaughter and end up out there with the trash brigade too.

There are those who like to make up sins and say they are wrong such as with the issues of smoking and drinking. They are not sins but they are not good for the temple of God, your body, and in the case of drinking you could become an alcoholic and end up hurting yourself and others. The Bible warns about drinking and its' effects but does not say it is a specific sin. (See Proverbs 23). Likewise tobacco products cause cancer and make you stink but no where in the Bible does it say smoking is a sin. So be careful trying to play God. Smoking and drinking may hurt someones witness but they are not listed as a sin per se but they can wreak havoc in your life if not under control. Do not get me wrong. I am not condoning going out now and frequenting bars and partying. I am simply stating that these are things that can in fact hurt you but  yet are not listed in the scriptures as a sin. Mankind likes to occasionally make his own rules. Overeating is in fact mentioned as bad in the Bible(called gluttony) yet how many churches have potlucks and people gorge themselves on too much food in the name of fellowship? Be careful trying to decide which things in life God would accept and those He would send someone to hell for if they did not repent. Dancing in some denominations is sort of classified as a sin and frowned upon. I do not see anything in my Bible about that but I think these well meaning people are referring to when someone dances in a lewd of immodest way.All things in moderation. If you feel what you are doing will cause someone to stumble then do not do it. But do not look your nose down on others. Remember when you point a finger at someones faults you have 3 pointing back at you. 1 Corinthians 8:13 says "Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall."

If you are in a ministry role within the body of Christ often times others are looking at you as an example. You have to decide in your heart what you are going to do. The best thing is to run away from anything that is dragging you down and keeping you away from the Lord or causing you to be an ineffective witness for him. Each of us whether a leader or not should remember to glorify God in what you say and do. No go out and be a blessing and live for Jesus!


PRAYER; Lord Jesus I choose to lead a life that pleases you but it is not my place to be finger pointing at others. Bring conviction upon me when I am straying from what is in your word. Help me to always keep my spiritual light burning so that I can help show others the love of Christ. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Click on link for an awesome worship song.
http://youtu.be/GCKxteuDfEM

CONFESS AND REPENT

When we have done something wrong or sinful, in our time of prayer we need to confess that to God or else our line of communication for prayers will become muddled and disconnected.

Confess means to say you did something wrong and repent is a turning away and running from that sin. Get away from what is dragging you down and keeping you from a closer walk with Jesus. Inside of everyone is a little voice, the Holy Spirit, convicting us of what is wrong. Some choose to go their own way foolishly ignoring that conviction of sin. Scripture says "there is a way that seems right to a man but in the end is death."( Proverbs 14:12).

Psalm 66:18 tells us "If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened". This verse speaks loud and clear. If you are hanging on to some sin, and cherishing it, then the prayers  you utter may be falling on deaf ears. You can not sin willfully and expect God to just say "Well okay".

We all have sinned. (See Romans 3:23). Sin is sin, period! Do not start feeling you are better because your sin "is not as bad as his sin". Watch out having a haughty attitude like that. Pray that you not be led into temptation in the first place. (Mark 14:38). We all will mess up sometime in our lives and God is there ready to listen to your prayers and your cry for forgiveness. Proverbs 28:13 says "Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy." Here once again we see that if we are intentionally hiding sin then we lose communication with God.

 Running the race to win includes running away from things that so easily beset us as scripture says in Hebrews 12:1. Turn away, ask God to forgive you, then if necessary do a lifestyle change or a friend change to get away from what is pulling you down. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says "wicked friends lead to evil."

It is hard in the world we live in as we are bombarded by so much and even our own government, which was originally set up using the Bible as a guide, has turned its back on some sins and made them acceptable and penalizes those who do not agree or accept them. I am referring to same sex marriage and abortion. God will not continue to bring his blessings on this land unless we turn away from sin and turn back to Him. Many within the church turn a deaf ear to sins they feel are 'okay'.

2 Chronicles 7:14 says "if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven will forgive their sin and heal their land."

It is time in our personal life that we ask God to give us strength to stay on his path and turn away from influences that tear us away from Him.

 PRAYER: Lord I am sorry when I do things I know does not please you. Even things as simple as gossip, small 'white lies', judging others, holding resentment or anger in my heart, are all not pleasing to you. I choose this day to stay on the path of godliness and I pray for those in my family not listening to you to recognize it and run from evil. Help me be a good witness for you and be alert to sin. In Jesus Name.Amen.

Click on link and worship the Lord in song.
http://youtu.be/tcuiuIwtpa4