Author: Shean Shields

     Are you spending time with God daily?  You are being bombarded with trials daily.  Maybe your job is stressful.  Problems at home, perhaps.  Financial stress.  The devil bothering you and your loved ones.  Struggles with your own sin.  Sickness.  Persecution.  The world system creeping in.  You need time with God daily to have all the love, joy, peace, strength, and hope you need to endure and overcome your trials!

     This isn’t a have to.  It’s a want to, and a need to!  Where else can you go for enough love of God to fill you up but to the One who loves you the most?  Thank God for godly people around us!  But even their love isn’t enough to fill our cups to overflowing!  Only God can do that!  Psalm 23, a famous and well-beloved psalm tells us:

     The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want [lack].  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.  yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. [King James Version]

God is the One who fills your lacks.  He refreshes you as if you were in a green pasture.  He calms the troubled storms in your soul and life and leads you to His still waters.  He restores your soul when you are worn out from just surviving each day, dealing with the pain others inflict on you, and enduring your trials of sickness and spiritual, emotional, and physical pain.  He shows you the paths of righteousness to walk in so that you don’t end up shipwrecked in sin.  Even if you face impending death, you don’t have to be afraid!  God is with you!  He lovingly corrects you and comforts you with His divine protection from the attacks of the devil.  To be sure, the attacks will come; but when You call on God in the mighty Name of Jesus, He is there to defend you and make the devil leave!  Even when others around you are persecuting you, trying to intimidate you into backing down from living in the Spirit of God and speaking by the same Holy Spirit, God has spread a banquet on His table for you!  When you read the Bible enough daily, He anoints your head with oil, the Holy Spirit!  Spending time with Him will cause the cup of your heart to overflow with love, life, peace, and joy!  You can ask Him for healing for your sick body, as well, and He will answer in His perfect timing and way!  This may be immediately, gradually, or when you are promoted to heaven in death!

     Are you spending time daily with God?  I love Psalm 103!  It says:

     Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name.  Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies: Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.  The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.  He made known his ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel.  The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.  He will not always chide: neither will He keep His anger for ever.  He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.  For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him.  As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us.  Like as a father pitieth His children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear Him.  For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.  As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.  For the wind passesth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.  But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children’s children; To such as keep His covenant, and to those that remember His commandments to do them.  The LORD hath prepared His throne in the heavens; and His kingdom ruleth over all.  Bless the LORD, ye His angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word.  Bless ye the LORD, all ye His hosts; ye ministers of His, that do His pleasure.  Bless the LORD, all His works in all places of His dominion; bless the LORD, O my soul.

God is the One who forgives all your mistakes and errors and removes the shame!  He is the One Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, and Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies!  He satisfies your mouth with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s!  The LORD executes righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed!  He is so merciful and gracious and doesn’t get angry quickly!  He is overflowing with mercy!  He doesn’t always get on your case, and He doesn’t hold grudges.  He doesn’t dish out to you the judgment you deserve when you ask Him for forgiveness!  Fear God, and He will show you great mercy!  He takes your sins away as far as the east is from the west!  He shows pity to you like a father does his child!  He remembers you are weak and that you were made out of dust (see Genesis 2:7).  People will fail you and die, but the LORD’s mercy is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and He blesses your godly descendants (if you have them).  God’s/Jesus’ kingdom rules over all.  He is so worthy of our praise!!!

     Are you spending time with God daily?  The devil will try to make us so busy that we do not have time to spend with God.  A five-minute “power time” with God each day is not enough!  I’m not against apps that give you a scripture a day.  However, that is not enough spiritual food to fight the devil, friends!  You need to read the Bible each day.  You need to read from Genesis to Revelation, the whole counsel of God, not only your favorite passages!  Just because you read the Bible through once doesn’t mean “you are good”, that you need no more.  You need to be reading the Bible from cover to cover the rest of your life because otherwise you will forget what it says!  God’s Bible is His love letter to you.  With the aid of the Holy Spirit and a good version of the Bible (I like the King James Version and the New American Standard Versions best), He can help you understand it and apply its wisdom and hope to your life.  Every answer you need in your life is in that Book somewhere.  God will show it to you as you spend time reading it for revelation of its meaning.  Jesus is the Word of God (see John chapter 1, especially verse 1).  If you want to get to know Him better, He will speak to you consistently with what is in the Bible!

     You need to go to a loving, Bible-believing church somewhere regularly.  That could be a large or medium assembly.  –Or it could be one or two others you meet with to have church.  Jesus Himself said, “Where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:20.  I like to go to both.  If you are a Christian, you are part of the Body of Christ.  You will languish and be lonely if you don’t meet together with other believers for worship, teaching of the Bible, communion, and prayer.  Perhaps you left churches because of rejection and persecution.  Sometimes you have to leave in such abusive situations.  However, don’t forsake the assembling of yourselves with other believers (Hebrews 10:25).  Ask God to lead you to a loving assembly.  Don’t just stay shipwrecked on the side.  Let God lovingly heal you and help you find other believers with whom to meet together in His Name.

     That being said, if all you do is go to church and you never spend time with God alone, except maybe an occasional prayer in distress, you will not be able to be very close to God!  Being close to another person takes much time.  It is no different with God.  God wants to be spiritually intimate with you.  He wants Himself and you to be best friends and in love as spiritually engaged to one another until the rapture, after which you will get spiritually married!  If you are a Christian, Jesus is your Bridegroom, and you are His bride!  If you want to be spiritually intimate with God, it will take more than merely going to church.

     Are you spending time daily with God?  Are you attending church regularly?  Are you reading the Bible daily?  You also need to pray to God.  Pray from your heart.  Speak respectfully and sincerely.  He is your very best Friend!  Jesus understands you completely.  He became a man and suffered all the kinds of trials you have.  He knows how to comfort you and help you through everything.  He will give you the love and affirmation you crave and help you with all your problems.  Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”  He will use you to intercede for others to become more like Him and close to Him.  Sometimes you may even need to pray all night like Jesus did to His Father.  Luke 6:12 says, “…And it came to pass in those days, that he [Jesus] went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.”  Nighttime is a great time to spend alone with God when all is quiet!

     Perhaps the demands of life and job are so difficult that it is difficult to find time during the day to spend with God.  Let me tell you a well-known story with a promise for you.  Mary, the brother of Lazarus and Martha, had chosen to spend time at Jesus’ feet listening to Him teach.  Martha was in the kitchen, distracted and worried about all there was to do to show hospitality.  Martha told Jesus to tell Mary to help her.  Here is His response: to Marth, “And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her” [emphasis mine].  I believe that is a promise from God/Jesus to us, too, that if we choose to spend time daily with God, even if we are bombarded with many things to do, He will make a way for that time; and it will not be taken away from us!

     Are you spending time with God daily?  Get that time with God you need every day.  Find a quiet place, and shut the door [if there is one]!  Jesus is waiting to dine with you in prayer and in the Bible.  In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says to His church–catch that, to His church:  “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man [or woman] hears my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”  What a wonderful banquet of love and lovingkindness awaits you and me as we sup with Jesus in His word and prayer every day!!!

Below are some songs that will encourage you!  The first is “Private Temple” by Karl Kohlhase.  I love this song!

Here is a lovely song, “Where Could I Go but to the Lord.”  I think going to the Bible is going to the Lord!  Enjoy!

     Are you running the race to win?  If you are a Christian, you, my friend, are in a race.  First Corinthians 9:24-27 tells us, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may win.” (New American Standard Bible)

Jesus Is the Prize

     What is that prize?  The apostle Paul sheds light on this in Philippians 3:7-15.  He starts by describing his “spiritual pedigree”, and then goes on to say,

     But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.  Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.  Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you….

     Paul didn’t hang onto his natural credentials to please God.  He counted it all as a loss and as garbage in order for the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus his Lord!  He gave up anything and everything that would stand in his way of knowing and following Jesus!  He laid down his spiritual and natural pride and made it His greatest ambition to know Jesus and to have faith in Him.  His righteousness came from Jesus’ blood through His death on the cross, not by Paul’s trying to be good enough.  Paul knew he needed Jesus and the same power that raised Jesus from the dead.  He chose to fellowship with Jesus His sufferings, being conformed to His death.  That means he chose to follow Jesus and to suffer for being a Christian, getting persecuted for it, and to die the death to his own selfish ways.  Paul was willing to forget what lies behind, including the mistakes and hurts of the past, and to reach forward to what lies ahead, His destiny with God/Jesus.  He pressed on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  He further enjoins us to have the same attitudes as he.

Does Anything Hold You Back?

     Are you running the race to win?  What hurts in the past hold you back?  Give them to God and ask Him to heal your heart and set you free!  He understands perfectly, He cares deeply, and He absolutely will heal your heart and set you free!  Lay aside your pride and ask Him for help in all you do.    First Peter 5:5 tells us, “…God is opposed to [King James Version says “resists”] the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”  Ask Him to help you realize your God-given destiny, which is a spiritually and psychologically intimate relationship with God/Jesus, fulfilling your God-given purpose on earth, and ruling with Jesus in the next age!

Following Jesus Involves Wise Choices

     Think about a professional runner for a moment.  He or she cannot sit in front of the television, eat a family-size bag of potato chips, and drink a six-pack of beer!  He or she has to make sacrifices to attain his/her goal of winning a race.  So, in the same way, you and I need to make sacrifices to attain our spiritual goals, the first and foremost to know God/Jesus better, and, secondly, to attain the spiritual goals He sets for us, which we hear in prayer.  Everyone gets only 24 hours per day.  Each day is a gift from God which you can spend wisely or blow in a foolish way.

     Are you running the race to win?  Do you make time to pray and read your Bible each day?  Do you make time each week to go to church?  Or do you let other things, such as too much TV or too much cell phone time, fritter away your day?  You cannot waste your life away in less important things and expect a close relationship with God.  A close relationship with God takes spending time with Him daily.  Could a married couple be close if they only spent one hour together each week?  In the same way, we need to spend time with God/Jesus daily!

     Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us, “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.”

So, we see from these verses that to successfully run the race, we must lay aside sin, as well.  We will be able to endure the race by fixing our eyes on our precious and wonderful Lord Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, Who endured His race for the joy set before Him.  We are His joy, and He is our Joy!

You Can Become a Join-Heir with Jesus!

     May God help us to make wise choices and run the race to win the prize of a close relationship with God/Jesus!  Those who do will become join-heirs with Jesus and reign with Him!  Romans 8:16-18 tells us, “The [Holy] Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us [King James Version says “…in us”].”

     Press on, Runner!  You will run into His arms!  There could be no greater Prize than Jesus Himself!

Listen to Chris Rice’s song “Life Means So Much” below.

Listen to Twila Paris’ song Runner below:

     Are you in despair?  Are you grieving the loss of a loved one?  Are you weary with weaknesses in your marriage?  Are you continually concerned about flaws in your children?  Are you disheartened by imperfections in your friends, if you have any?  Are you disappointed with yourself and your own flaws and lacks?  Have you been betrayed by a close friend?  Are you under constant attack from your enemies?  Do you lack the motivation to keep living?  All of these things can cause despair.  The devil lies to you and says things will never get any better.  You begin to fear you are trapped in a “twilight zone”!  Wait on God!  He will bring you out of your despairing circumstances and bring you into joy, peace, and victory!

God Will Show You His Goodness in the Land of the Living

     Psalm 27:13-14 (New American Standard Bible) offers us this encouragement when we are at rock bottom:  “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.  Wait for the LORD; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.”  If you wait for God, or keep waiting for God, you WILL see His goodness here on earth!!!  He can make you strong in faith, and your heart can take courage!  Isaiah 49:23d says, “Those who hopefully wait for Me shall not be put to shame.”  One translation says those who hopefully wait for God will not be disappointed!  God will not disappoint you if you are trusting in Him!  He can be counted on to come to your rescue!

Christ…Is Our Life!

     One time I bawled my eyes out and pitifully asked God, “Please give me a reason to live!”  His loving answer was “…Christ, who is our life.”  Jesus Christ is the best reason to live!  I felt immediately better when He said that!

Pleasing God is the Best Motivation for Ministry

     If you minister to others like I do, you may find as I did that ministry itself isn’t always enough of a reason to want to be alive.  You may look at your ministries and ask, as I did, “Is this it?  Is this all the harvest I get?”  Sometimes love for people isn’t enough motivation to keep ministering.  A higher motivation is this:  “God, I just want to please You.  If You want us to do this together, then I will.”  The deepest kind of ministry to others is this:  God/Jesus is our divine Lover, and we are holding hands with Him walking through His garden.  Song of Solomon 7:11 tells us, “Come, my beloved [our Beloved is Jesus!], let us go out into the country, let us spend the night in the villages.  Let us rise early and go to the vineyards; let us see whether the vine has budded and its blossoms have opened, and whether the pomegranates have bloomed”!  Our service to others is a way of spending loving time with God/Jesus in obedience to Him, as if strolling through a garden!

Jesus Did on Earth What He Saw His Heavenly Father Doing

     When Jesus was on earth, He did what He saw the Heavenly Father doing.  It says in John 5:19,

     Jesus therefore answered and was saying to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.  For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and greater works than these will He show Him, that you may marvel.

  Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane with His impending death on the cross just before Him, “…Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup [of suffering] from Me; yet not My will, but Thine be done” (Luke 22:42).  Wanting to please the Father kept Him motivated to give away His life and be crucified on a cross!  Love for us also compelled Him!  Jesus Himself said, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).  This is what Jesus did for the entire human race!!!  When everyone left Jesus right before His crucifixion, He stayed true to the Father and the Father’s will!  Knowing God’s will for us and doing what pleases God is the motivation that will keep us ministering and serving others when people’s reactions to our ministries are disappointing!

God Will Hide Us, Preserve Us, and Deliver Us

     Can you relate to King David, a psalmist, who wrote, “For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.  [Selah.” (Psalm 32:4).  I sure can at times!  On one such occasion, the devil told me, “Things in your circumstances will never change.”  I believed his lie and felt despair!  It was one of the worst weeks of my life!  David goes on a few verses later to say in Psalm 32:6-7,

     Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to Thee in a time when Thou mayest be found; Surely in a flood of great waters they shall not reach him.  Thou art my hiding place; Thou dost preserve me from trouble.  Thou dost surround me with songs of deliverance.  [Selah.

Are you in a flood of many waters?  Turn to God!  The waters will not reach you!  God will hide you in Himself!   He will preserve you from trouble!  He will surround you with songs of deliverance!  He has done the same for me in my times of trials!  Have you found Him so, as well?  Charlie, my husband, and I have encouraged each other many times, “God hasn’t brought us this far to drop us!”  It is definitely true! (…because the Bible says so!)

Mercy Shall Compass You About

     A few verses later in Psalm 32:10-11, David testifies, “Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him  about.  Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.”  If you trust in the LORD, mercy shall compass you about!  It will be all around you!  That is something to be glad about, rejoice about, and shout for joy about!

God’s Eye Is on the Righteous

     We are offered this encouragement in Psalms 33:18-22:

     Behold, the eye of the LORD is one those who fear Him, on those who hope for His lovingkindness, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.  Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield.  For our heart rejoices in Him, because we trust in His holy name.  Let Thy lovingkindness, O LORD, be upon us, according as we have hoped in Thee.

Did you catch that?  If you fear, or reverence, God, His eye is on You!  You are never out of His sight!  He sees and knows all you are going through!  Hope in His lovingkindness!  He will deliver your soul from death!  He will keep you alive in whatever kind of famine you may find yourself in!  His lovingkindness will be upon you as you hope in Him!

A Shout of Joy Comes in the Morning!

     Psalm 30:5b says, “…Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.”  Are you weeping?  Does your life feel like a dark night?  You will shout with joy when God brings your spiritual morning!

God Will Deliver You Out of All of Your Troubles

     Psalm 34:6 says, “This poor man cried and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.”  God will not save you out of some of your troubles, but all!  The next verse in Psalm 34, verse 7, says, “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.”  God will encamp around you and rescue you!  (Charlie and I believe the angel of the LORD is none other than Jesus Himself.)

     Let me make an important point here.  Your circumstances may or may not change right away.  But your attitude toward them can change!

Those Who Take Refuge in God Will Be Blessed!

     A couple of verses later in Psalm 34, verse 8 says, “O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!”  Amen to that!  Have you discovered this astounding truth?  If you take refuge in the Lord, you will be so blessed!  In Psalm 34:10, a couple of verses later, it says, “The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.”  What a wonderful promise from God’s Word, the Bible!  Sometimes we look at circumstances and fear God is not going to meet our needs and desires.  Then we might even start trying to get our needs met in some spiritually unlawful ways.  That is called idolatry.  But that could be another blog.:)  Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.”  What a promise!  As you delight in God, He will give you the desires of your heart!  He will implant within you the desires He intends to fulfill!  Hallelujah!

God Hears Your Prayers and Will Bring You Out of Your Trials!

     Do you ever wonder if God hears your prayers?  Psalm 34:15 says, “The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry”!  Do you believe that Jesus died on a cross and was resurrected, brought back to life, to forgive you and the rest of the world for your wrongs/sins?  Do you live for Him?  If so, you are righteous, and His ears are open to your cry!

     Psalm 34:17-22 goes on to say,

     The righteous cry and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.  The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit.  Many are the afflictions of the righteous; But the LORD delivers him out of them all.  He keeps all his bones; Not one of them is broken.  Evil shall slay the wicked; and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.  The LORD redeems the soul of His servants; and none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

When you, the righteous, cry, the LORD hears and will deliver you out of all your troubles!  He is near you when you are brokenhearted!  He saves you when you are crushed in spirit!  You will have many afflictions, but the LORD will deliver you out of them all!  He keeps all your bones (spiritually)!  Not one of them will be broken!  If you are persecuted, the LORD will deal with your enemies and redeem your soul because you are His servant!  If you take refuge in Him, you will not be condemned!

Psalm 42:6 says, “O my God, my soul is in despair within me; Therefore I remember Thee from the land of the Jordan, and the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.”  Remember God in your despair, and He will bring you out!

Are You Being Attacked by People?

     If you feel attacked by people, I encourage you to read Psalm chapter 35!  Psalm 41:9 says, “Even my close friend, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread has lifted up his heel against me.”  Has that happened to you?  It has happened to me!  Boy, is that painful!  One close friend turned on me, and it took a year for me to recover!  But God did heal my heart and comfort me greatly during that year!  I read the book of Psalms four times in a row to heal!  God is faithful!

You Will Again Praise God, the Help of Your Countenance and Your God

     We read in Psalm 42:9-11:

     I will say to God my rock, “Why hast Thou forgotten me?  Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”  As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me, while they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”  Why are you in despair, O my soul?  And why have you become disturbed within me?  Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.

We also read in Psalm 43:1-4:

     Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation; O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!  For Thou art the God of my strength; why hast Thou rejected me?  Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?  O send out Thy light and Thy truth, let them lead me; Let them bring me to Thy holy hill, and to Thy dwelling places.  Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and upon the lyre I shall praise Thee, O God, my God.

Psalm 43:5 says the same as verse 11 above.  Again, put your hope in God, and you will again praise Him!  He is the help of your countenance (face), and your God!  He will make you smile again!  He will deliver you from oppressive enemies, including Satan, the devil, and from people who are speaking his lies!

The Remedy for an “Ashy Coal”

     God gave me a vision last year.  I saw myself as a coal.  My coal was ashy and almost out.  Then I saw Jesus as a hot coal next to mine.  God told me, “You’re an ashy coal.  Set your coal next to Jesus’ hot coal, and you will catch on fire again.”  So, I stopped complaining about my problems and just started reading the Bible like crazy!  Soon my joy returned!  My ashy coal started heating up again!  If you feel like an ashy coal, pray and read the Bible a lot.  Jesus’ “hot coal” will fire you up again with love, inspiration, joy, and hope!

God Is the Strength of our Heart and Our Portion Forever!

     In closing, let me share an uplifting passage with you, Psalm 73:21-28:

     When my heart was embittered, and I was pierced within, then I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before Thee.  Nevertheless, I am continually with Thee; Thou hast take hold of my right hand.  With Thy counsel Thou wilt guide me, and afterward receive me to glory.  Whom have I in heaven but Thee?  And besides Thee, I desire nothing on earth.  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  For, behold, those who are far from Thee will perish; Thou hast destroyed all those who are unfaithful to Thee.  But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge that I may tell of all Thy works.

Maybe you and I don’t feel righteous sometimes.  Maybe in our embittered state we feel like a senseless and ignorant beast before God.  Nevertheless, we are continually with Him!  He has taken hold of us by His right hand!  With His counsel He will guide us, and afterward receive us to glory!  No one can be there for us like God, as if He is the only One for us!  Compared to Him, no earthly desire should be as great.  That is the place of refuge and safety, when God Himself and pleasing God is our greatest desire!  Those who are far from God will perish and be judged.  But for us, the nearness of God is our good!  He is our refuge, and we will testify of all of His works!

     These verses above agree with Psalm 39:7, “And now, Lord, for what do I wait?  My hope is in Thee.”

God is the Remedy for Despair

     Get on God’s side through a relationship with Jesus!  He will pull you out of despair and hopelessness!  He will turn all your sorrows to joy!  He will give you the strength and peace to carry on!  For God’s children, every trial has a happy ending!

     Send me an email from the Contact page on my website, and tell me how I can pray for you in your trying times!

Here is an encouraging song from Toby Mac if you feel in despair, or even just discouraged:

TobyMac – Help Is On The Way (Maybe Midnight) (youtube.com)

I love this song from Tauren Wells and have listened to it many times when I have felt discouraged or in despair:

Tauren Wells – Carry On (Lyrics) (youtube.com)

This song is a beautiful prayer that I loved even as a teenager.  It is by Leslie Phillips:

(622) Leslie Phillips – Strength Of My Life – YouTube

     Has someone hurt or disappointed you?  Did your parent let you down?  Did your spouse say something insensitive?  Is your spouse not romantic enough at times?  Did a friend say something hurtful?  Did a stranger insult you?  There are many ways that people can leave our hearts lacking for love.  The wonderful news is that God will fulfill those needs; and, truly, He is the only one who can fully do that!

     Pain and disappointment can be very hard to bear.  In those times, hopefully, we are especially inclined to look to God for those needs to be met.  We cry out to Him, “Help me, God!”  Sometimes the pain is too great for words; and tears, groans, and sighs are all we have.  If we turn to Him, He is there for us no matter how eloquent or not we are.

     Has someone hurt or disappointed you?  The truth is that God is the best One who can meet our spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical needs.  He loves us more than anyone!!!  Song of Solomon 2:3 (King James Version) speaks of Jesus, “As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons.  I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.”  Jesus is our Apple Tree of life!  Other people, compared to Him, are “trees of the wood.”  He is the One who has the nourishment our hearts and souls need!  True, He uses people to minister to us; however, He is our source of love and sustenance.  If you believe in Jesus, He is your Bridegroom; and you are His bride!  Ephesians 5:25-26 says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.”  Verse 29 of that same chapter says, “For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church….”  Did you get that?  Jesus loves you, nourishes, and cherishes you like a man does his wife!  If you are a man, you may or may not feel comfortable with that notion.  However, you will be happy to receive His love, nourishment, and cherishing!

     Song of Solomon chapter 2 goes on to say in verse 4, “He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.”  Jesus and God’s love for you is a banquet!  Jesus will be your home, or house, even in this “wilderness” of life!  He will one day announce to everyone over you, as if with a banner, this is my beloved!  He will one day proudly show others His beautiful bride, whom He made spotless and without wrinkle!  Back to Ephesians 5, verse 27 speaks of Jesus, ‘That he might present it [the church] to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing: but that it should be holy and without blemish.”  One day Jesus will perfect us and deliver us from sin and the sin nature!  Hallelujah!!!  This will happen at death or at the rapture, whichever comes first!

     Song of Solomon 2 goes on to say in verse 5, “Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.”  The one speaking here is the Shulamite, Solomon’s bride, a type of Israel as well as a type of the church.  She is crying out for her Beloved to sustain her in her lovesickness.  She is needy for love and wants him to sustain her while she waits to marry him.  Do your prayers to Jesus feel like that Shulamite?  “Jesus, I need you!  Please sustain me in this life because I am lovesick for You!”

     Song of Solomons 2:6 gives us the happy answer to her and our plea:  “His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.”  Jesus will embrace you when you are needy for love and lacking!  When you are longing for Him to return and aren’t receiving from people all the love you need, He will cover you with His “wings” where you will find refuge!

     Psalm 91:1-4 says,

     He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God; in him will I trust.  Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.  He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

What a wonderful chapter!  If you like the verses you just read, I encourage you to read the rest of that psalm!

     There is no cozier place than under the shadow of God’s and Jesus’ wings!  In fact, I will be so bold as to say that God will not allow us to get our needs met completely from people so that we will turn to Him and find Him to be our “enough”!  What a sweet place of refuge in the arms of Jesus and under His wings!!!  We feel this “embrace” through the Holy Spirit.

     Now we are only receiving the downpayment of the Holy Spirit, bringing us God’s love.  Ephesians 1:13-14 tells us,

     In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation–having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”  The Holy Spirit is our pledge, or downpayment, of our inheritance.  Friends, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!!!  COME, LORD JESUS!!!  Jesus is going to return with more of His incredible love to give us, and we are headed for heaven!!!  “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’…” Revelation 22:17a.  “…Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:20b.

     Has someone hurt or disappointed you?  Are you depressed about it?  I encourage you to spend some time thanking God and worshipping Him.  Often, getting your mind on God will lift you right up out of that depression!  I know that firsthand.  Praise and worship will take you out of your circumstances and help you get caught up in His glorious Presence!

     If you want to delve more into the Jesus and His love for you as your Bridegroom, I encourage you to read the commentary on the Song of Solomon my husband, Charlie, and I wrote.  It is on my website.  Here is the link:

A Romantic Journey With Jesus: Commentary On The Song Of Solomon – Bride Of Jesus Ministry

     Here is a fun song that talks about the subject of this blog:

(448) Cody Carnes – Ain’t Nobody (Official Live Video) – YouTube

Listen to this amazing, beautiful song about this subject from Michael Card!

(448) I Will Bring You Home – Michael Card – w lyrics – YouTube

     Is someone jealous of you?  Are you like a crab trying to escape a bucket and follow God, and he/she is trying to pull you back down in the bucket?  This can be very painful if the one jealous is someone you love and have been close to.  The Bible is full of such examples and offers us encouragement how to persevere in the face of jealous mistreatment and false accusations.

     The gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, are full of accounts of jealousy.  The Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes, the religious leaders of the day, were all jealous of Jesus.  In fact, Jesus was crucified because of jealousy, or envy.  We learn this in Matthew 27:18 (New American Standard Bible) where it is written about Pilate, the Roman governor, “For he knew that because of envy they had delivered him up.”

     The book of Acts is filled with accounts of jealousy, as well.  Let’s look at Acts 5, starting with verse 12 through verse 16:

     And at the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s portico.  But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem.  And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number; to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets, and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on any one of them.  And also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits; and they were all being healed.

It sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?  God was on the move, and the gospel was being spread!  People were getting saved left and right, and the sick were being healed!  Hallelujah!  However, not everyone was happy about this move of God.  Continuing in verses 17-18 of the same chapter:

     But the high priest rose up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy; and they laid hands on the apostles, and put them in a public jail.

How about that?!  Peter and the other apostles were being obedient to God.  Peter was feeding Jesus’ sheep like He instructed him in John 21:15-17.  Yet the Sadducees put the apostles in jail because of jealousy!

     Is someone jealous of you?  Have they put you in a “jail” of heartbreak and pain because of their hurtful words and actions?  I know I have been in such a “jail”!  John the Baptist found himself in a similar jail because he corrected King Herod, who unlawfully married his brother’s wife (Mark 6:17-18).

     However, God came to the apostles’ rescue!  Continuing with verses 19-21a:

     But an angel of the Lord during the night opened the gates of the prison, and taking them out he said, “Go your way, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life.”  And upon hearing this, they entered into the temple about daybreak, and began to teach….

Like He did for the apostles, God will deliver you from that prison of heartbreak and will send you back on your mission to share the gospel and serve Him!  He will make you bold and help you overcome intimidation and persecution!

     The high priest and his associates sent officers to bring the apostles to them.  But they weren’t there!  Then someone reported that the apostles were standing in the temple and teaching the people!  So the captain went along with the officers and brought the apostles peacefully for they were afraid of the people.  Continuing with verses 27-29:

     And when they had brought them, they stood before the Council.  And the high priest questioned them, saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”  But Peter and the apostles answered and said, “We must obey God rather than men….”

Peter and the other apostles kept on course with determination, fueled by the Holy Spirit!  Is someone jealous of you?  Are they trying to hinder your ministry?  You can keep on course with determination as you are fueled by the love and encouragement of the Holy Spirit, as well!

     The apostles gave those persecutors a mini-sermon.  What was their response?  Verse 33 tells us:  “But when they heard this, they were cut to the quick and were intending to slay them.”  Jealous people can be filled with rage about your obedience to God and your speaking the words He gave you!  Psalm 118:6 (King James Version) offers us encouragement in this situation:  “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear:  what can man do unto me?”  You will not die a day earlier than God plans!  God is in control of your life and what happens to you!  He is on your side, and you are safe in Him!

     Back to Acts 5, starting with verse 34 and continuing to verse 39:

     But a certain Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and gave order to put the men outside for a short time.  And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men.  For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody; and a group of about four hundred men joined up with him.  And he was slain; and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing.  After this man Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew away some people after him, he too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered.  And so in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action should be of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.”

Wow!  Gamaliel gave some great advice, no doubt inspired by God!  Are you doing God’s will?  No one can stop you, or else they will be fighting against God!

     How did the high priest and his associates respond to Gamaliel’s advice?  Verse 40 tells us, “And they took his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them to speak no more in the name of Jesus, and then released them.”  Peter and the other apostles were beaten for their obedience to God!  How did they respond?  Verse 41 says, “So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.”  Is someone jealous of you?  Some people will try to shame you for serving God!  I love verse 42:  “And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.”  The apostles didn’t let persecution deter them from their mission!  Don’t let persecution deter you from your mission God sent you on!

     Psalm 57 is very encouraging in this matter.  It is so good that I will type it out for you:

     Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, For my soul takes refuge in Thee; And in the shadow of Thy wings I will take refuge, Until destruction passes by.  I will cry to God Most High, To God who accomplishes all things for me.  He will send from heaven and save me; He reproaches him who tramples upon me. [Selah.  God will send forth His lovingkindness and His truth.  My soul is among lions; I must lie among those who breathe forth fire, Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.  Be exalted above the heavens, O God; Let Thy glory be above all the earth.  They have prepared a net for my steps; My soul is bowed down; They dug a pit before me; They themselves have fallen into the midst of it.  [Selah.  My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!  Awake, my glory; Awake, harp and lyre, I will awaken the dawn!  I will give thanks to Thee, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to Thee among the nations.  For Thy lovingkindness is great to the heavens, And Thy truth to the clouds.  Be exalted above the heavens, O God; Let Thy glory be above all the earth.

Is someone jealous of you?  God will take care of you and protect you.  He will put a song of praise in your mouth that you can sing before the nations!  You can offer it as a sacrifice of praise before your trial ends.  And you can offer it after He delivers you from the painful trial you are enduring!

     We read in Acts 7:9 about Joseph:  “And the patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt.  And yet God was with him, and rescued him from all his afflictions, and granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharoah, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his household.  Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction with it; and our fathers could find no food.  But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time.  And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family was disclosed to Pharoah.  And Joseph sent word and invited Jacob and his father, and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five persons in all.

     Here we have a summary of Genesis chapters 37 and 39-50.  I love the story of Joseph in the Bible, and I sure can relate to his experiences.  I didn’t become a governor or anything, lol; but I have been rejected and persecuted quite a bit by my Christian “brethren.”  What did Joseph do when his brothers sold him into slavery and when he was unlawfully jailed?  Did he seek vengeance and make his brothers pay for what they had done?  No!  He fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept!  He continued weeping and kissed all his brothers!  (See Genesis 45, especially verses 14-15.)  He fed them in the famine and took care of them!  We learn from Joseph to show kindness to our fellow family members, whether naturally related or related through Christ!  (Yes, he did teach his brothers a lesson in respect.)

     I do have to add that there are some toxic people who continually hurt us whom we just have to get away from.  We forgive them with God’s help and move on.  God will reconcile us with them in heaven.  In the meantime, we pray for them for God to change them.

     Is someone jealous of you?  Are they saying unkind words, falsely accusing you?  Rejecting you?  Putting you in prison?  Trying to hinder your ministry?   God is your refuge, we learn in Psalm 63:7-8:  “For Thou hast been my help, And in the shadow of Thy wings I will sing for joy.  My soul clings to Thee; Thy right hand upholds me.”  Verse 11 in that same chapter tells us, “But the king will rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him will glory, For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.”  God will eventually stop those who lie about you!

     John the Baptist’s imprisonment ended in death by beheading, which for him was immediate deliverance (Mark 6:17-29, especially verses 27-29).  However, he had already completed his race of serving God.  Some of us may be called to martyrdom, as well.  If so, God will be with us as He was with John.  Not many of us want to die for our faith in Jesus; but I must say there could be no greater honor on earth than to die for Jesus, the One who died to forgive the whole human race for all of our sins!

     In closing, I can testify that God has truly healed me and helped me overcome the prison of heartbreak and the pain of persecution by those who were once close to me!  He has been giving me the grace to carry on serving Him in spite of opposition.  Isn’t He wonderful???

Send me any of your prayer requests, testimonies, or other comments.  I would love to pray for you and to hear from you!

Here is a lovely, encouraging Twila Paris song for you called “I Feel It”, back-up singing by Kelly Willard!  I encourage you to listen to it, especially if someone close to you has wounded your heart:

(322) I Feel It – YouTube

     Are homosexual acts sin?  Gay marriages are legal in some states, including Virginia.  Peer pressure everywhere is to tolerate gay relationships and accept them.  People are proud to “come out” of the closet of secrecy.  Some people don’t like the scriptures condemning homosexual acts, so they have printed bibles omitting them.  But what does God think about homosexual acts?  Whether or not they are legal in man’s eyes, are those acts to be commended, or are they harmful?

     I’m not meaning to stir up trouble or unnecessary conflict.  However, I love you enough to tell you the truth.  –And God laid this message on my heart to lovingly share with you.

“Hate the Sin, Not the Sinner”

     Someone once said, “Hate the sin, not the sinner.”  I couldn’t agree more.  Some gay people may not feel loved by some Christians but actually hated.  That isn’t right.  Perhaps the most famous verse in the Bible, John 3:16 (King James Version) says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son [Jesus, who died on a cross to pay for our sins], that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  The next verse goes on to say, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”  God loves the world, so He loves gay people.  So, we should love them, too.  But should we morally agree with their actions?

Homosexual Acts Are an Abomination to God

     We must not look to people and governments for our opinion on this matter.  We must go to the scriptures, the Bible, (and not an edited one) to find out God’s opinion.  In Leviticus 18:22, God says, “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.”  Leviticus 20:13 says, “If there is a man who lies with a man as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death.  Their bloodguiltiness is upon them.”  Before you stone me, God spoke this to the Jews in an age of law.  God thought this sin of homosexual acts is so serious, He said it deserved capital punishment!  Since Jesus came, we are in an age of grace.  I don’t believe God will put us to death for homosexual acts while we are alive.  As long as we are alive, we can repent, change our mind, turn away from that sin and ask God to help us not to do it ever again!  However, the verses above show us that homosexual acts are indeed sin; and God despises them!  Are homosexual acts sin?  Yes!

     Romans 1:18-32 sheds light on this subject:

     For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident to them.  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.  For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.  Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them.  For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.  Amen.  For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions, for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.  And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and, although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

     While God loves us unconditionally, He gets angry about our persisting in sin.  This passage is a picture of each of us without God intervening in our lives and giving us new natures.  Even some Christians give in to homosexual acts, and we can clearly see from this passage above that God hates homosexual sins.  He says that homosexual acts are unnatural and indecent and dishonor our bodies.  They are driven by lusts, degrading passions.  He also says that these erroneous acts lead to penalty.  Again, God affirms in this passage that homosexual acts are worthy of death, and He discourages people from condoning them.  Are homosexual acts sin?  Yes!

     I am not tempted homosexually, but I have had friends who were.  My desire in writing this blog is to tell you why homosexual acts are sin, and how so very important it is to get free or to stay clear of them.

It is Not Wrong to Be Tempted

     Some people claim that homosexuality is something someone is born with.  That being so, the issue isn’t whether you have the tendency in that direction.  The issue is:  What do you do with the tendency in that direction?

    There are also circumstantial reasons why people encounter this temptation.  Some females give up on men because one or more men hurt or abused them.  They feel another woman would understand them better.  Some men may have been hurt by mothers or other women leading to this conclusion to abandon females.  For various reasons, it is obvious some people feel this temptation.  It is not wrong to be tempted by homosexual sins, as long as we don’t give in to them.  Hebrews 4:14-16 tells us about Jesus,

     Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.

We can conclude from the verses above that since Jesus was tempted in every way, He was also tempted homosexually.  However, He didn’t give in and sin.  He is our great High Priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses because He has “been there” in temptation and yet came out victorious!  If you draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, you will find mercy for past sins, including homosexual ones, and will find grace to help you not continue to sin!

Homosexual Temptation Is Not Unusual and God Will Provide a Way of Escape

     First Corinthians 10:13 gives us the awesome news:  “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.”  If you are tempted homosexually or in any other way, you are not alone and you are not a freak!  God will not tempt you beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will provide a way of escape so you can endure the trial victoriously without giving into sin.  He will be with you every step of the way!  Finding that way of escape may include getting away from the person who tempts you.  I have had to do that myself in other areas of temptation.

Persisting in Homosexual Acts Disqualifies One from Ruling with Jesus Christ in His Kingdom

     Are homosexual acts sin?  Yes!  We learn a very important reason not to practice homosexual sin in 1 Corinthians.  I am not referring to someone who is struggling against it, but rather those who persist in it.  First Corinthians 6:6-11 says:

     Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.  And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.

These verses warn us that we will not rule with Jesus in His Kingdom if we practice homosexual acts.  God encourages us in these scriptures to be spiritually washed by the blood of Jesus to forgive us for our sins; to be sanctified, to be made clean from our sins, including homosexual ones; and to receive the justification from our sins in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ by the Spirit of our God, the Holy Spirit.  God doesn’t want us to practice homosexual sins because He wants us to inherit His Kingdom!

God Wants Us to Repent of Homosexual Acts So We Can Enter the New Jerusalem!

     The beautiful city of the New Jerusalem on the new earth that God will create is described in Revelation 21 and 22.  We learn as Jesus spoke in Revelation 21:7-8:

     He that overcometh [sin] shall inherit all things; and I [Jesus] will be his God, and he shall be my son.  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers [immoral people], and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

In Revelation 22:13, Jesus adds;

     I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.  Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.  For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

Jesus did us a favor to let us know which sins would keep us out of the city of the New Jerusalem.  It is not because He is condemning.  He just wants us to be holy as He is holy.  First Peter 1:13-16:

     Wherefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance; But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation [lifestyle]; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

God Wants to Protect Us

     There is another important reason God does not want us to commit homosexual sins, or any kind of fornication (sleeping around).  It is because these sins can cause us to have AIDS and other venereal diseases. God wants to protect us from getting sick with these!

Children Need Both a Male and Female Parent, If Possible

     We read in Genesis chapters 1 and 2 that the first family on earth was Adam and Eve, not “Adam and Steve” as someone pointed out.  God made it so that children could not be born without a male and a female.  The whole population of the world is dependent on both males and females!

     Children need their fathers for leadership and self-esteem.  While that is not always possible because of issues a father may have, children suffer without their fathers.  I know this from personal experience.  Growing up was very difficult without the leadership and approval of my father.

     Children need their mothers.  They can provide comfort and nurturing that comes more naturally to women.  I realize this isn’t always possible, either.  However, children will suffer without a good mother.  My mother died later in life, and I miss her dearly!  I was wishing I could seek her advice two days ago!

     The awesome news is that God will meet these unmet needs for those who are not able to have one or both parents.  However, God’s design for the family is ideally one man and one woman joined in marriage.

Summary

     Are homosexual acts sin?  Yes!  They are an abomination to God.  It is not wrong to be tempted, but we need to ask God to help us not to sin.  He wants us to rule with Him in a future age; and He wants us to inherit the New Jerusalem, as well!  God wants us to forsake sin, including homosexual sin, and seek God for forgiveness and deliverance.  God loves us in our current condition.  He also wants us to be holy as He is!  First John 1:9 says the great news, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  Tell God you are sorry for your sins, and ask Him to help you be delivered from them!  He understands you perfectly and what it is to be tempted!  He will deliver you because He loves you so much!

   The issue in all of this, as in all things, is a heart that wants to please God.  The willingness to place any issue we are dealing with into His hands for His wisdom and guidance is pleasing to Him.  If we do so, He will make the way clear before us; and in His perfect timing, He will give us the victory and the assurance that we are in His will!

Is the Lord your treasure?  That’s an important question to ask yourself and for me to ask myself.  What is your greatest dream?  Is it to please God and be with Jesus or is it to be rich on earth?  What is your passion:  God or money?  What is the driving force behind all your flurry of activity?  Are you too busy trying to make money to spend time with God?

Life Does Not Consist of Possessions

     While we all know we need money or provision to survive on earth, our Lord Jesus had a lot to say about our relationship with money.  In Luke 12:13-15 (New American Standard Bible), we read this story:

     And someone in the crowd said to Him [Jesus], “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.”  But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbiter over you?”  And He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”

I love that!  Our lives do not consist of our possessions.  Money won’t make us fulfilled.  It may buy us our needs and our wants, and I’m all for having financial blessings.  However, if riches are our number one pursuit, they just won’t make us happy, just like a pot of gold doesn’t really exist at the end of a rainbow.  Is the Lord your treasure?

Let Us Be Rich Toward God!

     Continuing on in Luke 12:16-21,

     And He [Jesus] told them a parable, saying, “The land of a certain rich man was very productive.  And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’  And he said, ‘This is what I will do:  I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”‘  But God said to him, ‘You fool!  This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’  So is the man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Jesus is not against people being wealthy.  He blesses some people in that way.  What concerns Him is when wealth becomes someone’s #1 pursuit instead of God (including Jesus).  None of us is guaranteed tomorrow to live.  We could die today.  Is the Lord your treasure?  Let us pray for Him to be our treasure!  Let us be rich toward God!

Do Not Be Anxious and Afraid about Food and Clothing

     Luke 12 continues to record Jesus’ teaching us about money in verses 22-34:

     And He said to His disciples, “For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on.  For life is more than food, and the body than clothing.  Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; and they have no storeroom nor barn; and yet God feeds them:  how much more valuable you are than the birds!  And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life’s span?  If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why are you anxious about other matters?  Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these.  But if God so arrays the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you, o men of little faith!  And do not seek what you shall eat, and what you shall drink, and do not keep worrying.  For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things.  But seek for His kingdom, and these things shall be added to you.  Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.  Sell your possessions, and give to charity; make yourselves purses which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

I know what it’s like to be anxious about paying the bills.  I wasted much unnecessary time fretting over paying the mortgage to our house.  God finally delivered me by showing me these verses above.  If the Lord is our treasure and we are seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness, He will make sure that we have food to eat and clothes to wear.  Hey, He even took care of the mortgage!  Bills don’t worry me anymore.  God has proven He keeps His promises!  I pray if you worry about paying the bills, He will set you free as well!  Is the Lord your treasure?  If so, He will definitely take care of you!  Even if you are homeless, put your trust in God; and He will provide for you!

     I love that verse above that says, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.”  More important than your physical wellbeing is the wellbeing of your heart.  Your heavenly Father wants to give you His kingdom so you will be, most importantly, rich spiritually!

Lay Up Unfailing Treasures in Heaven

     Jesus instructed His people in this verse to sell their possessions and give the money to the poor.  God may lead some people to do that, others maybe not.  However, we can certainly glean that we should spend our money not only on ourselves but on helping those in need.  This is called “laying up unfailing treasures in heaven” that thieves can’t steal and moths can’t eat.  Not even stocks falling can affect that stored up heavenly treasure!  Give to the poor as God leads you, and you will definitely be blessed!  Proverbs 19:17 says, “He who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, and He will repay for his good deed.”  If you give to help the poor, God will repay you!  He will reward you for your generosity!  More could be said about this, but let’s return to the topic at hand.  Is the Lord your treasure?

We Can Only Serve One Master

     In Luke 16:13-15, we read of more of Jesus’ precious instruction about money relating to the motives of our hearts:

     “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to one, and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon.”  Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things, and they were scoffing at Him.  And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.”

The world teaches us that making money should be our #1 priority.  I’m all for working, and the Bible supports making a living and fathers and/or mothers providing for their families.  However, is the Lord your treasure?  Is He your #1 priority?  Jesus says in the verses above that we can only serve one master:  God or money.  We cannot serve both.

God Can Save the Wealthy

     In Luke 18:18-27, the Bible records a conversation Jesus had with a rich, young ruler.  This rich, young ruler wanted to know what he could do to inherit eternal life.  Jesus told him some of the Ten Commandments from Exodus 20.  This young man told Him, “…All these things I have kept from my youth.”  Jesus told him, “One thing you still lack, sell all that you possess, and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”  Jesus doesn’t give that command to every one of His children.  However, that man was clinging to His money and serving it as his god.  Verses 23-27 say:

     But when he had heard these things, he became very sad; for he was extremely rich.  And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!  For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”  And they who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”  But He said, “The things impossible with men are possible with God.”

Those who are wealthy tend to cling to their money, so much so that they may not even want to become a Christian and follow Jesus!  However, God can change any heart that asks Him!  Is the Lord your treasure?

Verses 28-30 go on to state the promises to those who do sacrifice financially to go on the mission field.  I encourage you to look that up. 🙂

If You Struggle with Loving Money, Jesus Still Loves You

     Mark 10:21 adds a wonderful comment about this same encounter Jesus had with the rich, young ruler.  It says (King James Version), “Then Jesus, beholding him, loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest…”

I love this comment.  If you struggle over the issue of money, maybe even idolize it, Jesus still loves you!  Give Him the struggle, and He will give you the victory!

Repent of Lukewarmness and Dine with Jesus!

Jesus instructs us in Revelation 3:14-22 about our relationship with money, as well.  We looked at part of this passage last week.  Let’s look at it more in detail:

     “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write; The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:  I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot.  So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.  Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,’ and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.  I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich, and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eyesalve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.  Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and repent.  Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me.  He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Do you like to drink lukewarm beverages?  –Or do you prefer them iced or hot?  Our love for Jesus can be hot, lukewarm, or cold.  Jesus said He would rather we be hot or cold toward Him than lukewarm.  He says if we are lukewarm, He will spit us out of His mouth.  Does that mean that He will stop speaking to us until we repent?  Maybe.  I don’t know.  But I don’t want to find out firsthand!

     Jesus went on to say what insipid love for Him looks like:  “Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,'”  If we have many riches, we must ask God that they will not steal our hearts’ affection for Jesus!  Whether or not we have wealth, WE NEED JESUS!!!  We can’t say we have need of nothing!  That is deception!  Jesus said people who think that way don’t know they are “wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked”!  Money can’t love us and fill our deepest needs.  Only God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit can!

     Jesus goes on in the passage above to invite His people (!) (not only the spiritually “lost”) into a deeper communion with Him.  Then He will make us spiritually rich and clothe us in His righteousness (white garments) so the shame of our spiritual nakedness will not appear.  He promises to open our spiritual eyes to see in the spiritual realm.  He says those He loves He reproves and disciplines.  He invites us to repent and promises that if we do, we will sit down with Him on His throne!!!  Those who by His grace overcome the flesh, including the love of money, will rule and reign with Jesus in His heavenly kingdom!!!

Ask God to Give You a Heart that Pants after Him!

     In closing, let us look at the kind of heart God wants to give us.  It is found in Psalm 42:1-2:  “As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for Thee, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?”  Do you pant after God?  Is He your passion?  Does your soul thirst for Him?  Do you long to please Him and to be with Him more than anything else?  Is the Lord your treasure?  This is the kind of heart He wants to give us!

     Let us ask Him right now for this kind of heart!  Let us repent if riches or anything else or anyone else means more to us than Him!  He will greatly bless us with a deeper relationship with our loving Lord Jesus!  –And He will take care of our physical needs, as well!

     Please leave any comments or prayer requests you have.  I would love to hear from you and would be honored to pray for you!

     Here are three songs that may bless you about this topic:

(158) Tauren Wells – Empty (Lyrics) – YouTube

This one is by Shannon Adducci:

(158) Where My Heart Is – YouTube

Love this oldie but goodie!:

(158) FOOL’S GOLD by PETRA Lyrics Video – YouTube

     Do you hear the precious Voice of the Lord?  No sweeter voice exists!  The precious voice of the Lord is loving, majestic, powerful, convicting, comforting, and reassuring!  The voice of the Lord is Truth and encourages us in all of our problems!  His voice set us on the path which leads us closer to wonderful Him!

A Famine for Hearing the Precious Voice of the Lord

     For over four hundred years after the book of Malachi, there was a famine for hearing the precious voice of the Lord!!!  This was predicted by Amos in chapter 8, verse 11:  “‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the LORD.”  Can you imagine not hearing the precious Voice of the Lord in your life or the lives of your descendants for centuries?  That sounds awful to me!

     For three consecutive years in my life, I did not hear the precious voice of the Lord except one time.  That made me very hungry to hear Him and to experience His loving Presence!!!  The saying, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” is definitely true!  Even now, I often tear up when I hear the precious Voice of the Lord in my heart and mind and feel His sweet Presence!  I hope in writing this blog to convey somehow the wonder and grandeur of the precious voice of the Lord.  I hope this helps you hunger to hear His amazing Voice, too. 🙂

Jesus Is the Word of God

     Jesus is the Word of God.  John 1:1 (New American Standard Bible) says, “IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  Verse 10 in that same chapter says, “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.”  We can conclude from this verse that verse 1 is referring to Jesus.  The next verse, verse 12, says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, even to those who believe in His name….”  In verse 14, we read, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the father, full of grace and truth.”  This verse definitely proves that Jesus is the Word of God.  So, the precious voice of the Lord God is that of Jesus.  It is also the voice of the heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit.

The Precious Voice of the Lord Is Powerful!

     Psalm 29:3-11 tells us about the precious voice of the Lord:

     The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; The God of glory thunders, The LORD is over many waters.  The voice of the LORD is powerful, The voice of the LORD is majestic.  The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; Yes, the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.  And He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, And Sirion like a young wild ox.  The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.  The voice of the LORD makes the deer to calve, And strips the forests bare, And in His temple everything says, “Glory!”  The LORD sat as King at the flood; Yes, the LORD sits as King forever.  The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.

So, the voice of the Lord is powerful, breaking down tall, strong cedar trees!  He has power over nations and shakes the wilderness!  His voice causes deer to have offspring and strips the forests bare!  In His temple, everything cries, “Glory!”  He is Lord of floods and sits as King forever.  At the same time, we learn He will give strength to His people and bless His people with peace!  This is a voice we can trust.  This is a voice we want to stay close to and obey!

Wonderful Promises of Heeding the Precious Voice of the Lord

     We learn in Revelation that we can have an ear to hear what the Holy Spirit says and are enjoined to have one.  Chapter 2, verse 7 records Jesus as saying, “‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.'”  Verse 11 adds, “‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.'”  (The second death we are told in Revelation 20:14 is the lake of fire, what Christians refer to as “hell”.)  Revelation 2:17 records Jesus as further saying, “‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.'”  In verse 26 of that same chapter, we read the words of Jesus,

     “And he who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS; AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My Father; and I will give him the morning star.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

     Jesus continues in Revelation 3:5:  “He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  In verses 9-13, He continues:

     “Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews, and are not, but lie–behold, I will make them to come and bow down at your feet, and to know that I have loved you.  Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth.  I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, in order that no one take your crown.  He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

     In verses 18-22 in the same chapter, we read the promises of Jesus:

     I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich, and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eyesalve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.  Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and repent.  Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me.  He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

     Wow!  Having an ear to hear God and obeying the precious Voice of the Lord has extraordinary benefits!  Those obeying His lovely voice will have the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God!  We can escape the lake of fire!  We can eat the hidden manna for our hungry hearts!  We will receive a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it!  (Jesus will give us a unique name, which is a secret term of endearment known only to Him and you!)  We will rule with Him!  We will get the morning star, which Charlie and I believe is a close relationship with Jesus before He returns!  We will be clothed in white garments!  Our sinful deeds and lifestyles will be cleansed by the blood of Jesus, and we will become the righteousness of God in Him!  (See 1 Corinthians 5:21-22.)  Our name will not be erased from the book of life!  Jesus will proudly confess our name before His Father and before His angels!  He will make our enemies honor us and know that Jesus has loved us!  We can avoid the tribulation!  We will receive crowns of victory!  We will be made pillars in the temple of Jesus’ God, the Heavenly Father; and we will never have to leave safety!  Jesus will write on us the name of His God, and the name of the city of His God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from His God and His new name!  We will become spiritually wealthy and delivered from shame!  We will be given eyes to see in the spiritual realm!  ***Best of all, we will get to dine, or commune, with Jesus Himself!!!  We will get to sit down with Jesus on His heavenly throne!  Folks, it just doesn’t get any better than this to follow the precious Voice of the Lord!!!

The Voice of the Lord Is Refreshing and Sweet!

     Recently, I shared with you Song of Solomon 5:13:  “His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers:  his lips like lilies, dropping sweetsmelling myrrh.”  The precious Voice of the Lord Jesus is refreshing, as spices, and sweet like fragrant flowers!  His lips are like lilies that drop sweet-smelling myrrh!  So His voice is not only powerful and full of promises, but also ministering!

We Need God to Open Our Spiritual Ears to Hear the Precious Voice of the Lord

     Not everyone has this “ear to hear what the Spirit is saying.”  Jesus told us in Matthew 13:13-17,

     “‘Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.  And in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; AND YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, LEST THEY SHOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I SHOULD HEAL THEM.’  But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.  For truly I say to you, that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it; and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

We see from these verses that it is possible to hear the words of the Bible and not really get what He is saying!  He is the One who can give us ears to hear His precious Voice.  God must open your spirit’s ears to hear His lovely voice.  Let us ask for the priceless gift of an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches through the Bible.

     Can you hear His voice?  If not, ask Him to open the ears of your heart to hear Him.  You may hear words in your heart that agree with the Bible, or you may just feel inspired as you read the Bible.  Either one is His Voice.  As I pointed out in the recent blog “You Can Overcome in Spiritual Warfare”, God’s Voice will always agree with the Bible and give you a hand up.  If the voice you are hearing is condemning and beating you down, it is not the precious Voice of the Lord.  Reading the Bible a lot will help you distinguish the precious Voice of the Lord and give Him something to talk to you about!

Jesus Sheep Know His Precious Voice

     John 10:1-5 tells us the words of Jesus,

     “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.  But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep.  To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out.  When he puts forth all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.  And a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”

If you have given your heart and life to Jesus and you believe He was crucified and risen from the dead to take care of your sins, you are His sheep!  You will learn to discern His loving Voice and will learn to tell when the devil speaks to you.  The devil’s voice is the voice of a stranger.  Do not follow the devil’s voice.  Flee from him!  Follow Your Shepherd who loves you so much that He gave up His life to save you!

God May Whisper to You

     In 1 Kings 19, Elijah’s life was threatened by Jezebel; and he was at the end of his rope, ready for God to take away his life.  In verse 11, we read,

     And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD.  And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.  And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.  And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave.  And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?…

God’s voice was not in the strong wind that tore the mountains and shattered the rocks.  He was not in the earthquake or even in the fire.  The precious Voice of the LORD was a still small voice, maybe even a whisper!  God will speak tenderly to you, as well!

God Will Sing Over You!

     The precious Voice of the Lord woos us to Himself!  Zephaniah 3:17 (NASB) tells us, “The LORD your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior.  He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.”  The King James says, “…he will joy over thee with singing.”  Imagine being serenaded by the King of Kings!!!  This will happen for Israel; and if you heed the precious Voice of the Lord, He will sing over you, too!

The Precious Voice of the Lord Jesus Invites You to Spiritual Mountaintops!

     The precious Voice of the Lord Jesus invites you to spiritual revelations of Him and adventures with Him!  We read in Song of Solomon 4:8 the words of King Solomon, a type of our Lord Jesus, “Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon:  look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions’ dens, from the mountains of the leopards.”  As my husband, Charlie, said in our book, A Romantic Journey With Jesus:  Commentary On The Song Of Solomon, there is no better view than from the top.  Charlie explains that because it is the place of lions and leopards, it is most likely a place where few people go.  (See pages 156-157 in our commentary for more about this verse.  The link is below.)  Seek the precious Voice of the Lord to obtain spiritual revelations of Him and go on adventures with Him!  He is the ultimate adventure!

We Will Hear the Precious Voice of the Lord Jesus at the Rapture of His Church!

     As wonderful as hearing the precious Voice of the Lord is today, won’t it be incredibly wonderful to hear His shout when He comes back for His Church, the Body of Christ, at the rapture!  We read in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18,

     For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Oh, to hear that shout from the Lord Jesus’ lips!  This passage describes the rapture.  Whether you like that term “rapture” or not, the truth of these verses remain.  (–And anyone who convinces you that there isn’t going to be a rapture of the church is deceiving you.)  I can’t wait to hear the precious Voice of the Lord Jesus in person!!!  How about you?

     We see a picture of the rapture in Song of Solomon 2:10-13:

     My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.  For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell.  Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

I believe our beloved Jesus will speak these words to us when He returns for us and brings us into the ultimate spiritual springtime at the rapture!  Oh, what a glorious day that will be, and I can’t wait!!!

The Precious Voice of the Lord Will Guide You

     In closing, Isaiah 30:21 tells us, “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.”  Let us ask God for an ear to hear the precious Voice of the Lord.  We will hear His Voice telling us the way in which to go, ways that lead us closer to Him and help us to avoid the dangerous pitfalls of sin and of the devil.  Oh, Lord, speak to us!!!

     What are you waiting on God to speak to you?  How can I pray for you to hear the precious Voice of the Lord?

     Here is Charlie’s and my commentary on the Song of Solomon:

A Romantic Journey With Jesus: Commentary On The Song Of Solomon – Bride Of Jesus Ministry

     God gave me a song called “The Song Of The Bridegroom (A Lullaby From Jesus)!  You can hear it here by clicking song #3:

My Music – Bride Of Jesus Ministry

Twila Paris sings this lovely, touching song, “Sing Me a Lullaby”:

(127) Sing Me a Lullaby – YouTube

I love Tauren Well’s song about the precious Voice of the Lord:

Love this oldie but goodie song about the majesty of the precious Voice of the Lord by Maranatha Singers:

(127) Maranatha! Singers – Give Glory To The Lord (Psalm 29) – YouTube

Here is a touching challenge to listen to the precious Voice of the Lord from Michael Card:

(127) Michael Card – Will You Not Listen? (Lyric Video) – YouTube

     God will help you over selfish pride.  We can be proud of our spouses, proud of our children, and even feel happy about an accomplishment we did.  This is not the kind of pride to which I am referring.  I am talking about comparing ourselves with others and feeling superior to them, feeling better and more important than others, or thinking we don’t need God.  This is called selfish pride.

Pride Runs to the Rescue of Insecurity

     I have struggled with this sin of selfish pride a lot during my life, so I can tell you what not to do.  What is the root of selfish pride?  I have discovered that proud people have a root of insecurity for which they are trying to compensate.  Proud people may really be insecure under all that pride.  They may really be unsure of themselves.

     Pride runs to the rescue of insecurity.  We try to look better than others or perform better than others to convince ourselves we are worth more than they are.  We want to be better to convince ourselves we are loveable.  We are trying to attain self-esteem in the wrong kind of way.

    We don’t have to perform for God’s love or acceptance.  He gives it to us as a gift!  We are never worth more than others based on our looks or performance. The truth is that each of us humans is so precious to God just the way each of us is!  Of course, God loves us so much that He will not leave us in our miserable, sinful condition.  He will help us to become more like Him as we surrender ourselves to Him in humility.

     Pride is also the attitude, “God, I don’t need You.”  It’s trying to find happiness and our life without God.  This kind of selfish pride is the essence of sin.  Isaiah 14 tells us of how the great sin of spiritual pride, trying to be God, is what led to the downfall of the king of Babylon, and in type, Satan, the devil.  Any religion that tells us that we are God is leading us into the greatest sin and deception!

God Resists the Proud, But Gives Grace to the Humble

     God will help you over selfish pride.  First, we must humble ourselves before God.  We learn in James 4:6b (King James Version of the Bible), “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”  In Luke 1:51-52, we read of Jesus’ mother, Mary’s, testimony, “‘He [God] has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.  He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble.'”

     God will deal with those who persist in pride.  We need God.  We can’t do it on our own.  In John 15:4-5 we read the words of Jesus to His disciples (that includes us),

     “Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me.  I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me, you can do nothing.”

True Happiness Comes from Receiving God’s Love and Depending on Him!

     Why would we want to do it “our way”?  True happiness comes from receiving God’s love and depending on Him!  Revelation 4:11 tells us, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”  You and I were created to glorify God!  We were created for God’s pleasure!  If you humble yourself before God, He delights in you!

Give Glory to God

     Jesus’ followers will one day be glorified (given extreme honor) if they follow Him.  Romans 8:29-30 tells us this:

     For whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Hallelujah!  We will be glorified one day!  However, that is then, and this is now.  Psalm 115:1 tells us, “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy Name give glory….”  We were created to give God glory and praises, not to exalt ourselves.  Truthfully, glorifying and obeying God is where we find joy and happiness!  God will help you over selfish pride!

Everything Good About Us God Gave Us

     Everything good about us God gave us.  First Corinthians 4:7 (New American Standard Bible) says, “For who regards you as superior?  And what do you have that you did not receive?  But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?”  We have no room for boasting because of the good things about us and the talents we have.  We are not superior to others.  God gave it all to us!

     There is no such thing as a “self-made man”!  God created each of us.  He put us in our mother’s wombs and knit us together.  He chose to whom we would be born and where in the world we would be born.  Most of us were kept alive by our parents.  We survive on air He created for us to breathe and water He gave us to drink.  We eat food He so lovingly made to grow for us.  So many things we eat, consume, and wear were grown and made by other people.  Other people taught us how to talk and read.  We ride in cars and on bicycles others made.  Doctors, nurses, and nutrition-minded people may help us with our health.  I could go on and on.  It is truthful that God Himself takes care of us and uses many other people to help us stay alive and fulfill our earthly callings.  We are not self-made men!

Pride Comes Before a Fall

     Proverbs 16:18 tells us, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”  If we persist in pride, God can arrange trials where we fall to humble us.  Sometimes it isn’t a fall, just an uncomfortable situation to humble us.  It is part of His loving discipline.  I have experienced these embarrassing situations many times in my life.  You can read all about it in my autobiography on my website, A Little Person With A Big Testimony:  My Autobiography (link below).  God knows how to crucify our selfish pride.  It’s not pleasant and could even be painful, but it’s all a part of His making us into His spiritually beautiful sons and daughters!  Hebrews 12 tells us not to despise the chastening of the Lord because He does it for our good to bring us to a place of peace.  I encourage you to read that chapter! 

God Will Exalt the Humble

     We read good news in 1 Peter 5:6-7:  “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.”  He cares for you!  He is there to lean on!  The humbling trials don’t last forever.  After we humble ourselves, God will eventually exalt us!  By then, we will be able to handle the honor properly.

    God is not against a good self-esteem based on His love!  He just wants us to see ourselves as precious to Him as others are precious to Him, as well.  He does not want us to compare with others.  Second Corinthians 10:12 says, “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves; but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”  Let us not compare ourselves with others.  That is an unwise trap.

     God will help you over selfish pride, as He is helping me.  Be the best you can be by God’s grace, His enabling.  Use your strengths to serve God and others.  We are admonished in Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance.  It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”

     As my husband, Charlie, said, “The answer to pride is getting more of God’s love.”  Sounds good to me, count me in!  How about you?  Are you willing to give God all of you?  He will love away that insecurity and give you a good self-esteem based purely on His love and acceptance!  Bring it on, God!!! 🙂

Send me your prayer requests how I can pray for you to overcome pride (if you want).  I love hearing your comments!

If humility is the cry of your heart, you may enjoy my song “Save Me” on my CD, Prepare To Meet Your God.  I recorded this CD myself in my home.  Go to this page and click #9:

My Music – Bride Of Jesus Ministry

Here is my autobiography where you can learn about my journey with God to get over pride, insecurity, people-pleasing, and other issues:

A Little Person With A Big Testimony: My Autobiography – Bride Of Jesus Ministry

I talk about this issue on p. 68 in A Romantic Journey With Jesus:  Commentary On The Song Of Solomon.  My husband, Charlie, and I co-authored this with God’s inspiration:

A Romantic Journey With Jesus: Commentary On The Song Of Solomon – Bride Of Jesus Ministry

This is a great song by Twila Paris about this subject:

This is a great song about this topic by Shannon Adducci.  It is called “Loved.”

I love this one below!  I especially love to sing it and play it on my guitar!

I find myself listening to Tauren Wells often this year.  God has ministered to me so much through his music!  Here is a favorite.  Catchy, huh?

Love this one, too, by King and Country with Jordin Sparks:

     You can overcome in spiritual warfare!  Are you having a bad day?  Maybe a bad life?  Are troubling thoughts condemning you?  Do you feel like a failure and that you will never improve?  Do you feel hopeless and depressed?  Has someone said something that wounded your heart?  You are in spiritual warfare!

     You may be hearing voices in your head, and that doesn’t necessarily mean you have schizophrenia!  God may speak to you loving thoughts or words in your heart and head.  –Or the devil may be trying to convince you he is God and tell you troubling lies.  How do you know the difference between the voice of God and the voice of the devil?

The Difference Between the Voice of Jesus and the Devil and the Cost of Discipleship

     The book of Song of Solomon in the Bible talks a lot about the voice of the Lord, as does the whole Bible.  In Song of Solomon 2:8 (King James Version), we read, “The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.”  The voice of the Lord is the voice of victory.  He is leaping upon the mountains.  It is the voice of freedom.  He is skipping upon the hills.  Song of Solomon 5:13 tells us, “His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweetsmelling myrrh.”  This verse speaks of King Solomon and is a type of our Lord Jesus.  Jesus’ cheeks are full of spiritual spices.  His words bring healing and refreshment to our weary hearts, souls, and bodies.  His cheeks are like sweet flowers.  His words bring beauty and happiness to us.  His lips are like lilies, dropping sweet-smelling myrrh.  Myrrh was used in biblical times to purify the living and anoint the dead for burial.  Myrrh represents death to our old natures.  To follow Jesus, we must take up our “crosses” daily and follow Him.  In Luke 9:23 (New American Standard Bible) we read,

     And He [Jesus] was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake he is the one who will save it.  For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?”

Following Jesus is going to cost us living in the flesh, the sinful nature.  We need to give Him all sinful attitudes and forsake all sinful actions with His grace and enabling.  Galatians 5:19-21 says,

     Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are:  immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outburst of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing (noisy partying with alcohol), and things like these, of which I forewarn you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

My husband, Charlie, and I believe that inheriting the kingdom of God means ruling and reigning with Christ during His millennial kingdom over the earth.  We don’t believe this verse speaks of losing your salvation after you prayed to be saved.  But if you habitually practice sin and don’t repent as a Christian, it could cost you ruling and reigning with Christ in the next age.  On the other hand, if we give all our bad attitudes and sins to God, He will help us get victory over them!  

     Ephesians 4:27 in the NASB says, “…and do not give the devil an opportunity.”  The King James Version says this verse this way:  “Neither give place to the devil.”  The New International Version says, “…and do not give the devil a foothold.”  You see, if we live in the flesh, we are giving the devil an opportunity to control us, to get a foothold in us.  We mustn’t give place to the devil.  He must not find a home in us.  Matthew 6:24 says, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other….”  We cannot serve God and the devil.  We must choose by the grace of God to follow God.

     We will need to follow Jesus’ loving voice every day.  His lips drop sweet-smelling myrrh.  Though we have to die to ourselves, His call to loving intimacy with Himself is sweet-smelling.  What is the reward for taking up your cross daily and following our Beloved Jesus?  The best reward is a deeper relationship with the One who is Love, including marriage to Him after the rapture!  However, there are many other promises for those who follow Him in this self-sacrificing way.  He is our Way, our Truth, and our Life (John 14:6)!  He promises in Revelation 2:26,

     And he who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS; AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My Father; and I will give him the morning star.

If you follow the Lord wholeheartedly, you will one day rule and reign with Christ in the heavenlies!  You can read more about this subject in the book Charlie and I co-authored:  A Romantic Journey With Jesus:  Commentary On The Song Of Solomon (link below).

     So, the voice of God and Jesus is loving, encouraging, uplifting, full of hope and blessing.

     The voice of the devil is condemning.  He says things such as “You will never measure up.  You aren’t good enough for God.  He is going to give up on you and reject you.  You are worthless….”  The lies go on and on.  He will even use scriptures sometimes, twisting them to condemn you!  Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”  If the voice you are hearing is beating you down, you can be sure it is not God!

How to Overcome in Spiritual Warfare

     You can overcome in spiritual warfare.  The first step is submitting yourself to God.  James 4:7-10 says,

     Submit therefore to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you doubleminded.  Be miserable [mourn over your sin] and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

     Once we do this and humble ourselves in the presence of the Lord, He will exalt us and give us joy back!

     You can overcome in spiritual warfare!  A step in doing this is discerning where negative thoughts are coming from.  They may not be just your thoughts.  If they don’t line up with the words in the Bible, you can be sure that they are not from God!  God will not beat you down and discourage you!  He will always give you a hand up higher!  First John 4:1 says,

     BELOVED, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.  By this you know the Spirit of God:  every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.  You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you that he who is in the world.

You can overcome in spiritual warfare because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world!  Resist the devil as we read above in James 4.  Tell him to go in the name of Jesus!  If you are walking close to God and repenting of sin, he will flee from you!  He is a bully that looks for weak people to pick on.  He will pick on everyone, if we let him.  First Peter 5:8 says,

     Be of sober spirit, be on the alert, Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.  And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

     Second Corinthians 10:4-5 says,

     …for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.   We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

If your thoughts don’t line up with what the Bible says, lasso them in!  Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.  Make war on thoughts of unbelief and lies from the enemy.  Give them over to God and ask Him to take them away!

You Can Only Resist the Devil in the Name of Jesus with the Aid of the Holy Spirit

     You can only resist the devil in the name of Jesus.  Jesus is the One who gives you authority and power over the devil in your life and in the lives of those around you who are seeking God’s help.  You are no match for the devil by yourself.  You need the Holy Spirit to fight in spiritual warfare.  However, Jesus will give you the Holy Spirit and authority over the devil if you stay close to Him and depend on Him.  Mark 6:7 says, “And He [Jesus] summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs; and He was giving them authority over the unclean spirits….”  Jesus gave His disciples authority over unclean spirits.  He will do the same for you!  You can overcome in spiritual warfare!

     Jesus has all power in heaven and on earth!  We read in Matthew 28:18:  “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”  In Luke 10:18-20, we read,

     And He [Jesus] said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.  Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you.  Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”

     Luke 11:13 says, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

You not only have authority in Jesus with the aid of the Holy Spirit over Satan, the devil, but also over spirits, demons!  Yet a greater truth is that if you believe in Jesus and trust Him for the forgiveness of your sins, your name is written in heaven!

Some Spiritual Battles Require Prayer and Fasting

     Some spiritual battles require not only prayer but also fasting.  In Matthew 17:14-21 we read this story.  Jesus’ disciples were trying unsuccessfully to cast out a demon who made a child a very ill lunatic.  The child often fell into the fire and into the water.  Jesus rebuked the demon, and it left the child who was immediately cured.  Verses 19-21 say:

     Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”  And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it shall move, and nothing shall be impossible to you.  [But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.]”

     The sentence in brackets is included in some ancient manuscripts and left out in others.  I believe Jesus said it.  So again, some spiritual battles require not only prayer but also fasting.

     Here is a caution in casting out unclean, or evil, spirits.  Another word for these is demons.  We find this warning from Jesus in Matthew 12:43-45:

     “Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it.  Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order.  Then it goes, and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.  That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”

A Word of Caution

     Before we go casting out demons, we need to be sure the person is willing to follow God and fill themselves, “their house”, with God.  This even applies to ourselves.  You can cast a demon away from yourself if you are walking close to God.

Quote Scripture Like Jesus Did to Fight the Devil

     You can overcome in spiritual warfare!  How did Jesus fight the devil when He was on earth?  Matthew 4:1-11 tells us.  Each time the devil tempted Him, even using scripture to do so, Jesus quoted a scripture to combat him.  I will not write that out here, but I encourage you to look it up.  This is how we fight the devil, too.  We study the Bible.  Then our faith grows.  Romans 10:17 (KJV) says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  We can quote the truth from the Bible when the devil comes with his lies.  It is important to know what God’s Word says.  I encourage you to read the Bible daily.  One verse per day may not be enough.  The Word of God is your spirit’s and soul’s daily Bread.  Jesus is the Word of God.  (See John 1:1-14.)  Eat heartily!  You need to be strong in the Lord to overcome in spiritual warfare.

Be Strong in the Lord and Put on the Full Armor of God

     We read in Ephesians 6:10-18,

     Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might.  Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [people], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.  Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one.  And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints….

Take up the full armor of God to resist the devil in this evil day.  You may have to resist him over and over again until he gives up.  Having done all, stand firm.  Gird your loins with truth from the Bible.  Put on the breastplate of righteousness to protect your tender heart.  Shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.  Be ready to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with those you meet.  In addition to all, take up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one.  These missiles may come to your mind directly, or the devil may inspire people around you to shoot them!  Either way, these flaming missiles come from the devil!  He is your enemy!  Take the helmet of salvation to protect your mind from evil thoughts and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  We talked about that earlier.  With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.

God is on Your Side!

     Bottom line:  God is on your side!  Psalm 56:8-11 says,

     Thou hast taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Thy bottle; Are they not in Thy book?  Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call; This I know, that God is for me.  In God, whose word I praise, In the LORD, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid.  What can man do to me?

     Romans 8:31b (KJV) tells us, “…If God be for us, who can be against us?”

     God is for you!  No one can withstand you with Him on your side!  Not the devil, not the people against you.  Second Corinthians 2:14 says, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.”  God will lead you into triumph!  He will manifest through you the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place within you and wherever you go!  You can overcome in spiritual warfare!

God Will Give You the Victory Over the Devil When You Praise Him

     Praise God in the midst of your battle!  In 2 Chronicles 20, we read a powerful story about how God fought the battle for Israel when they sang His praises.  You may want to read the entire chapter to get the full impact of it.  However, I will share a snippet with you.  In verses 21-22, it says:

     And when he [King Jehoshaphat] had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the LORD and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, “Give thanks to the LORD, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.”  And when they began singing and praising, the LORD set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were routed.

When you sing, or make a joyful noise to the Lord, and praise the Lord, He will route your enemies as well!!!  God had told King Jehoshaphat,

     “‘You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you.”

We read earlier how when they followed God’s advice, God fought for them!  God is fighting for you, too, against the devil.  Stay close to Him, and He will cause you to win your spiritual battles!  You can overcome in spiritual warfare!

     Send me your comments and prayer requests how I can pray for you in your spiritual battles!  I would be honored to stand alongside you in your trials.  Here is a song sung powerfully and beautifully by Hannah Kerr to inspire you!

(75) Warrior – [Lyric Video] Hannah Kerr – YouTube

This is an encouraging song sung by Mandisa sure to bless you:

(77) Mandisa – Overcomer (Official Lyric Video) – YouTube 

Here is the book Charlie and I wrote I recommended:

A Romantic Journey With Jesus: Commentary On The Song Of Solomon – Bride Of Jesus Ministry