HAVE HOPE

 Do you ever feel hopeless, beat down, in despair and just have no clue how to pull yourself out? Well the first thing is you have to get your mind off yourself and onto God. You might want to try reading the book of Psalms in the Bible. Everyone has probably felt hopeless at one time or another. God is a giver of Hope.

God's word is the ultimate "hope manual" with it's many promises to lift you up and sustain you. One verse that comes to mind right now is Isaiah 40:31(ESV) which says 'They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.' Jeremiah 29:11-12(NIV) may be familiar to some readers and it says '"For I know the plans I have for you", says the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you."'

What is it that has got you down? Unanswered prayer? Condemnation? Worry? Fear? No matter what God is greater than mere man who brings most of our troubles upon us. You may be in anguish because of the lies that Satan has made you believe. God is much more powerful than demons. Whatever it is that is troubling you, why not let God take that from you today?

PRAYER: Father use me to bring hope to those who need it. Fill me with love and compassion. Give me just the right words to say. I know when resist Satan he has to flee. You are mighty to save. In Jesus' name.Amen.

Check out my friend Kathe Wunnenberg website at www.hopelifters.org

KEEP THE FAITH

Have you ever felt we are in the center of a culture war and the
Christian side is losing? That is what our enemy wants us to think. We
are truly in a battle of good and evil but if you read the end of the
Bible you know the "good guy" wins.

God is supreme. He will not be mocked by a corrupt government. He will
not be "redefined" as His word is yesterday, today, yes, forever
unchanging. He will not be ruled "unconstitutional" as He is God. Many
may try to ignore Him trying to defend their way of life but He is
still here and He represents truth and forgiveness for those who
repent of their sins.

I drive home the point allot in my writings of how important it is to
know the word of God for in it lies truth and the answers to many of
life's issues. God is so much bigger and powerful than puny mere men
who try to legislate Him away.

When we ignore him doing our own thing and listen to the lies of the
enemy, Satan, he is sad.

A good Bible verse for this modern "do my own thing" era is found in
the book of Romans chapter 12 verse two and it says simply 'Do not
conform anymore to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind then you will be able to test and approve what
God's will is.His good, perfect, and pleasing will.' In other words
you have to be a non conformist to things you know are not right. This
does not mean start fights but this means to speak up in love and do
not allow God's word to be mocked.

Galatians 6:7(NIV) says 'Do not be deceived. God can not be mocked for
whatever a mans sows that will he reap.'

Whose voice are you listening to today?

PRAYER: Today I pray for a soft pliable heart so that I do not become
desensitized to sins around me or in my own life. Keep my eyes opened
to your truth. Give me Holy boldness to speak the truth in love. In
Jesus' name, Amen.

Click on link for a powerful song.
http://youtu.be/MpWozyQ2QH4

ATTITUDE OF PRAISE

Last Sunday evening no doubt most televisions  were tuned to the Discovery Channel to watch the amazing attempt of daredevil Nik Wallenda to walk the high wire across the Grand Canyon and without a net or a safety harness. Needless to say the 25 minutes or so it took Mr. Wallenda to successfully complete this harrowing task seemed long and brought cheers and sighs of relief from his family, onlookers, and to viewers at homes when he safely reached the other side.

Mr. Wallenda is a devout Christian and before he attempted his crossing of the canyon he was seen having prayer with Pastor Joel Osteen. Later during the duration of his very careful "stroll" across this wire with an "open mike" he was wearing, you could hear him constantly in an attitude of prayer and praise. He would say things like "Thank you Jesus for your strength. Thank you Jesus for calming the wind. Help me relax Jesus. Praise you Jesus. Thank you for your beautiful creation. " I loved it! His praise and talking to God went on the entire time he crossed. What a testimony to millions of viewers! 

You don't need to be in a dangerous situation to cry out to God but you can praise and talk to Him all the time. When you do, wait and see if your fears start to melt away. Psalm 113:3(NIV) says '

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.' Psalm 18:3(NIV) says ' I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.' In Proverbs 18:10 we are told  'The name of the Lord is a fortified tower, the righteous run to it and are safe.'

You can call on Jesus who is worthy to be praised and you will be saved from your enemies. His name is mighty and powerful. Don't wait till you are doing something dangerous but call on Him each and every day. He will see you through.

PRAYER: Thank you Lord for your word. Thank you Lord for your protection. Thank you Lord that your word does not return void. Thank you for being my shield. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Note: Go to www.nikwallenda.com for more on his faith

ARE YOU PASSIONATE FOR THE THINGS OF CHRIST?

There are many attacks of the things of the Lord these days. These are areas where it clearly states in the Holy Bible they are wrong or an abomination. Yet are we believers upset or do we simply say "God is in control" and go about our daily life? It is my humble opinion that we should be a little upset at Satan for making so many believers complacent about sin takingaz over and changing our wonderful country. "Well this is 2013 and things change" but guess what? God's word never changes. Hebrews 13:8(NIV) says 'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, yes, and forever.' In Malachi 3:6 it says 'I am the Lord, I do not change.' Pretty clear wouldn't you say?

We are truly in a battle for our very souls and the soul of what used to be a God fearing nation. Do we, who know what is wrong, just sit on the sidelines? Of course all of us need to be in prayer. And we are not to hate people who are being led to believe Satan's lies. History shows clearly what happens when a nation forgets God. Think of the Roman Empire for instance. How about Sodom and Gomorrah?

Psalm 119:89 tells us 'Forever oh Lord your word is settled in heaven.' Deuteronomy 12:32(NLT) tells us 'so be careful to obey all the commands I give you.Be careful not to add anything to them or subtract anything from them.'

Are churches preaching "feel good sermons" or are they out there on the battle lines equipping their people with the truth found in God's word?

God can heal. God can change. God can deliver. God can set the captive free. What are we captivated by today in 2013? Even in government we are condoning sin and passing laws to protect it. It indeed is a sad time. But there is hope.

First believers need to be in an attitude of love and prayer. Next don't just give Jesus lip service but get excited about following him. In Revelation 3:16(NIV) it says 'And because you are lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth.' It is not too late. 2 Chronicles 7:14(NIV) reminds us 'if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.' Think about what that verse really truly means.

Don't be so captivated by the things of this world that you lose your passion for truth and the Lord.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus I thank you today for another day you have given me to be on the battle lines for you. Every where I go I know there are hurting people. Help me be tuned in to ways I can share Jesus' love and truth in the world I live in. In Jesus' name.Amen.

MORNING HEADLINES!!

"Extra, extra, read all about it. Jesus loves you! Jesus can and does forgive! Jesus wipes the sinners slate clean!" You were hoping for something more exciting and national perhaps? Jesus is the BEST news ever! If we read our Bibles before our newspapers each day our life would probably be filled with much more peace.

Jesus and God's word are indeed good news. The Bible is the best thing ever for helping you deal with situations that may come your way. When you make time to read the Bible each day just see if your day isn't better.

When we "know" His good news then we are to go out and spread it around to others. We are like seed planters. In the book of Isaiah 61:1(NIV) we are told that '

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.' Are you able to help out spreading this good news to others? I once heard someone say we may be the only "Bible" some people may ever "read". Knowing that, what would others learn from you if they "read" you? That is your question to ponder for the day. The best "news" ever is found in John 3:16(NIV) which most people are probably familiar with even if they know no other scripture verse. It says 'For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but will have eternal life.' Now that is the best headline ever wouldn't you say? PRAYER: Today Lord I thank you for the "good news" found not in the newspaper but in the word of God. Forgive me when I have neglected it. I know I can not have victory in life without you by my side. In Jesus' name. Amen.

MILESTONES IN LIFE

Life is a celebration! Birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, and other various accomplishments. Today for me marks my 1000th writing of God's Lemonade Stand and I could not have kept going without both the grace of God and encouragement from my friends and readers. I indeed am grateful! Milestones of all sorts are very special!

God gives you the staying power to complete a task whether it is the loss of weight, running a race, finishing a project, celebrating another year of marriage, or working for years to be able to maybe retire and take on something else waiting to be done.

As a runner I used to keep track of my miles both when I was in the Army and as a civilian. After a certain mileage I would get a reward of sorts to keep me plugging in on the task of staying fit. The local YMCA gave me a "run for your life" tee shirt after reaching my milestone of the initial 50 miles. In the US Army there was a voluntary running program where I received certificates when reaching 50, 100, 250, 500, 1000 and so on. It was fun to set a goal and get rewarded.

What are you striving for in life? Is God part of the equation to help you get there? Maybe it is even being faithful to read your Bible and try to get entirely through it or maybe to set the goal of a daily quiet time.

Let me leave you with a couple verses to encourage you on your journey no matter what it is!

Isaiah 40:31(KJV) 'Those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.'

Hebrews 12:1-2(NIV)'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 perseverancethe race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.'

Go for your goal today!! Give God the glory!

PRAYER: Father thank you for helping me persevere through tasks in life. It is with your strength I can get through things. I need not compare myself with others for your have a special purpose and goal for me. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Click link and praise God.

http://youtu.be/L_C5_crIwps

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