You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 2:3

 

In battle, soldiers must remain committed to the fight. Together as a unit, the soldiers fight the enemy as a unified force. Yes, they might be scared, tired and feel defeated at times, but they can never give up no matter how intense the battle.

 If you are a living, breathing child of God, you know the struggle is real to sustain your faith. It seems everywhere you turn, things and people are working against you through their actions, beliefs, words, especially the restrictions we see put on Christians trying to live in this crazy world, and lets not forget the challenges during the Covid pandemic.

 

Thankfully you are not an army of one. You are in the Lord’s army, one of millions who have marched through the peaks and valleys of life, even in the shadows of death, committed to Jesus to the very end. But what’s important is that you remain committed to the Lord and your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, no matter how intense the battle. We are unified in the body of Christ. There is no turning back from your faith, just the journey ahead.

 

Find strength and courage to live out your faith, day by day, looking to the Lord for sustainment as you endure hardships as a good soldier does. One day your greeting into Heaven will be “well done my good and faithful servant”. God bless!

 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14

 

I’ve seen a lot of new relationships form with my friends on social media. With this Covid pandemic, singles have had more time at home, on their computers, connecting with people, in hopes of developing something further. That’s how I actually met my wife and it has been a wonderful union.

 

Today’s verse is a reminder for the child of God to connect with fellow believers. I can tell you from personal experience, some of the most trying relationships for me have been with people who haven’t had a personal relationship with Jesus. Yea, they might have been good people, but good is not enough in the family of God. We all come clean by the precious blood of Christ.

 

Joining in a relationship with someone of faith, brings more stability to the relationship by being equally minded, having one goal, to live for Christ. When your partner doesn’t have the same priorities as you, someone usually has to compromise, and sadly many children of faith fall short of their walk just to please their new found friend. God never intended for you to sell yourself short of his blessings with someone opposite of your beliefs.

 

Partnering with a fellow believer makes it easy to pray for one another, encourage each other in their walk with the Lord and attend worship service together. I encourage you friend, if you are in an unequally yoked relationship, it might be best to sever ties now than to lose out on God’s blessings and weaken your faith. Be equally yoked and let God be the center of everything you do with your partner! God bless!

 She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household is clothed with scarlet. Proverbs 31:21

 

Happy Valentines Day everyone. I wanted today’s blog to center around my amazing wife. Of course, I went to Proverbs 31 for a special scripture that captures the wife she is, because she truly is a Proverbs 31 wife. Then, I came across this passage in verse 21 and thought it very fitting as we are in Illinois right now and in the middle freezing temps and lots of snow! And if you know my wife, she loves snow, but not the cold. So, say a pray for warmth for her.

 

So where are am I going with this blog? If I can say one thing my wife does, she provides for the needs of our marriage. She is always conscious of our needs for things to get us through. Example, when this Covid pandemic hit, she immediately began searching for comfortable masks for us to wear and provided them at the right time. She is always picking up little things that bring blessings to me and our relationship. Oftentimes she goes out of her way, sacrificing herself, to provide. I am truly blessed to have her as my wife and I hope I provide the same for her.

 

Love is more than romance and just being there. Its being aware of each others needs and going the extra mile to meet those needs. Having the confidence that your partner has your back and you have theirs goes a long way in marriage and will bring blessings to you both.

 

Thank you Lori for your love and commitment to support me, support us and see us through whatever we face in life!

 Jesus wept. John 11:35

 

One of the hardest things you’ll go through in life is lose those who are closest to you. As I watch my mother slowly drifting away, the emotions often grab my heart and result in tears of sadness as I know the end is near. Sometimes I do my best to hold back the tears, but it only builds up for a later moment in time. One thing I’ve learned in life, its ok to cry.

 

This morning God reminded me of His heart in this verse, Jesus wept. Such a powerful thing to know that the God of this universe has a heart for His creation and He too is stirred by the things we go through in life.

 

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”  Matthew 5:4

 

Friend, no matter what troubles you in life, its ok to cry. Our tears are a cry for help, and God is there to bring comfort and healing in the most darkest times of your life. I promise you, His Spirit is with you and is praying on your behalf: Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26.

 

Find relief through your tears as you release your troubles into the healing and comforting hands of God. He will carry you through this moment. God bless!

 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as in the manner of some, but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see in the Day approaching. Hebrews 10: 24-25

 

Just this week I have heard of several people I personally know who’ve lost loved ones due to Covid. These loved ones have been life long partners, and now my acquaintances find themselves alone, paralyzed by sadness and want to isolate themselves from others. My dear friend, the last place you want to isolate yourself from is church.

 

I want to share one simple thought that God laid on my heart last Sunday. The truth is, if your loved one is a child of God, he or she is worshipping with God right now. As you come together to worship in church, you are joining in on the Heavenly worship service with God Himself. Jesus said it in Matthew 18:20: “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

 

Think about it, church attendance with God and your loved one. And if you truly come to worship God, I’m certain He will bless you with His presence and your loved one will be praising in unison with you. It might be hard to comprehend in your deepest moment of sadness, but trust me, God is there with you, reaching out His hand to join you in spirit with the one you’ve lost.

 

You have brothers and sisters in Christ who love you, have been praying for you and want to embrace you at this most difficult time. Most of all, your loved one wants you to join in with the worship service. Together you can praise God in one spirit, one mind, in one accord. Come home to your family of God. God bless!

 Jesus said, “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” Matthew 5:44

 

Do you have any enemies in your life? Maybe through an event or series of events a conflict developed and this person or group does all they can to make your life miserable. If you are breathing, you most likely have an enemy out there and you can probably identify them pretty quick. Experiencing this first hand, God reminded me of this verse. The one part that really stuck out was “pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”

 

How and what do you pray, when you pray for your enemy? I’ve got a few ideas I’d like to share.

 

1.    Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Luke 23:34. I think the first thing you should do is follow Jesus example and ask for their forgiveness. I know that’s a tall order, but forgiveness helps remove the bitterness that has developed between you and them. Forgiving them might seem impossible, but if Jesus can do it while hanging on the cross, you can too, with His help.

2.    And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8. Ask God to pour out His love onto this person and help you to love them as God does you, a sinner washed clean by the blood of Jesus Christ. Loving your enemy is impossible on your own, but with the Holy Spirit’s power from within, you can grow to love even the most vile person who constantly tests you.

3.    Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16. Pray and ask God to provide an opportunity to bring the two of you together to talk and confess what’s on your heart so you can take the first step in healing. Trust me, you don’t want to go through life, constantly battling this person. God will help you in this matter, trust Him when He opens the door of opportunity to find common ground on the battlefield.

4.    Likewise the Spirit helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26. Sometimes the hurt we feel from our enemy paralyses us where we don’t know what to pray. As a child of God, you can have the confidence to know that the Holy Spirit is praying on your behalf and is working behind the scenes to help restore peace in your life. Lean on Him during the difficult moments of battle and know the battle has already been won by your loving Savior! God bless!