Be strong and of good courage, do not fear not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6

The greatest history text book is the bible. There are hundreds of stories about God's faithfulness for His people. David, Moses, Noah....the list is endless. Today's passage is one of many things Moses told the people of Israel. As they moved forward towards the "promised land", he told them God would be with them, protecting them and providing for their needs. All they had to do was trust Him. 

As a child of God, we have a promised land, Heaven. Between this moment and the time we enter His presence, is a life of challenges and trials that prepare us for each advancement towards that promised land. Sometimes victories and mountain top experiences await us, other times those valley experiences make us feel like we are wondering in the wilderness all alone. Fear not child of God, for He is with you in all occasions. Deuteronomy 31:8 says...."And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you.... we have the promise that God is not only with us, but He goes before us. He knows what lies ahead and gives you the resources to safely pass through the next mile of your journey. 

What are you facing today? Health issues, loss of a loved one, A life changing event might lie just around the corner. Do you trust God? You can. History shows us Moses words still reign true today as Israel has survived years of attacks and threats, yet God still shields her from the enemy. He will do the same for you. Trust Him with every mile...He knows what's ahead and He has the provisions you need for the journey ahead. Trust Him today and every day and walk in confidence towards that promised land. God bless.

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7

Have you ever had "words" with the devil? There are times in life when it seems all hell is breaking lose and the devil is heaving troubles and chaos all around you. He uses people and circumstances to torment you to the point where you just want to give up. In your anger you yell at him to leave you alone. Friend, you are speaking to the wrong person. 

I've found in life when the devil comes at me with everything he's got, turning to God is the only protection from this spiritual battle greater than me. The devil can't come close to God, but we can. His power reaches out beyond our capabilities to battle the enemy. When we completly submit ourselves to God and ask for His help, He provides just enough strength and protection to help us through the satanic attack. 

How do we submit? The most important thing is to walk in obedience. God blesses obedience and when we walk closely with Him every day, the devil can't touch us. Yes, he may put something across our path to make us stumble, but God will help us step safely over when we hold tightly to His hand. When life is good, we seem to let go of God's hand and run ahead of Him....leaving us vulnerable to satan's attack. 

Trust God, obey God and walk closely with Him every day and the devil doesn't stand a chance. Maybe you are feeling the whiles of Satan. Stop and pray for God's help, clean up your act and remove anything that resembles "darkness" from your life and watch as God power disolves the satanic attacks that have come against you. God is the Victor in life, only when we walk closely with Him will we see more victories and fewer defeats. Have a blessed day friend.

For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost. 

The Apostle Paul spent much time traveling to different cities, spreading the message of Jesus Christ. In his travels, he longed to be in one city by a certain date to celebrate the important religious holiday of Pentecost. He knew that to arrive on time, he would have to forgo visiting certain areas so his timing would be dead on. 

In your daily life, do you put aside your personal agenda to be dead on time for special days of worship with the Lord? Do you look forward to Sundays and Wednesdays, when you can come freely to worship the Savior, the one who saved you from eternity in hell? Life and it's busy schedule can be a stumbling block to those special moments with God....make time for the Lord. He stepped off the throne in Heaven to spend time on earth to prepare a special life for you and every believer. 

What are you willing to sacrifice, this Wednesday,  to spend time with Him in prayer and worship? Consider all He gave up for you....nothing in this day's agenda is more important than worshiping God. Make time for Jesus every day and find blessings in your personal sacrafices. See you at chuch this evening friend. 

God bless.

Then He (Jesus) came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said "Young man, I say to you, arise.". So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.

Luke 7:14-15

The pastor of the church I attended Sunday shared this story in his message. One thing the pastor said that stuck with me...."everywhere you read in the bible, no one stayed dead when Jesus came around". From bringing to life this boy who was the son of a widow to Lazarus and even Jesus himself....no one stays dead when Jesus comes around. 

Maybe you've heard about God and Jesus but not sure what the hype is all about. People going to church on Sunday may seem like a waste of time to you, but it's important to the life of those who believe in Jesus Christ. Without having Jesus come around in your life, you are spiritually dead. And because you haven't called Jesus your way, Hell will be your eternal home. I know that sounds pretty bold to say, but it's truth. 

"That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.". Romans 10:9. Trust me friend, Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. Nothing you can do on your own will earn you enough good to go to heaven when you die. Pick up a bible and read it, start in the book of Romans, and learn about Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross to forgive you of your sins. He wants to bring life to your dead spirit, call on Him today and come to life in Christ. Life is better when your spirit is alive in Christ. God bless!

Do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases. 

Song of Solomon 2:7b 

There is nothing I enjoy more than a delicious cake or bread. I've made both in my years of cooking and one thing I learned....dont leave out one single ingredient. If you miss a step in the cooking process, your baked treat will either be a flop or not taste as good as it should. Always take your time and follow the instructions closely. 

The same wisdom can be applied to relationships. From the beginning of time, God created man and woman to have a relationship with one another. He has a plan and purpose for every relationship that forms. During the process of two becoming connected, He slowly develops the relationship through conversations, experiences and often times stirs up the relationship ingredients to bring about consistency in the mix.

 One thing He needs from us is  NOT get in a hurry in the development of the relationship. If you hurry through the process, especially at the beginning, you might miss a special ingredient God is trying to place in your relationship to grow you or show you the way forward. As scripture says above...do not stir up love til the proper time. 

Maybe you have just started a new relationship or in the process of getting to know someone. Put God at the center of your mixture and allow Him the opportunity to reveal truths about the other person and be open to His hand working through the mix. He knows what's best and His plan for your union might be temporary or long term. But without staying in step with Him, the outcome could be a flop. Remember, God has a plan and purpose for every aspect of your life, live by His timing and everything in life will be sweet. God bless.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? Psalm 42:2

One of the most important things to have while hiking is water. As you hike, you expire moisture from your body. Unless you take breaks to drink and stay hydrated, your muscles become weak and other body organs don't function very well. As I hike, I sometimes get in a hurry and don't take those nourishing breaks, then after a while it hits me...exhaustion and my body makes me stop. 

As a child of God,  journeying through life, it's so important to stay hydrated in the Lord. Starting each morning with a full cup God's Gatorade...reading His word, and mentally preparing your journey with prayer time. Throughout the day, you should stop and acknowldge God and seek His refreshing face....for the daily journey can be discouraging and you need encouragement often. Without taking those spiritual breaks, your day will seem more tiresome and exhaustion will hit...halting you before the day is over.

Stay hydrated with God, every day, throughout the day and find your mountain top experience come easier than doing it alone. Seek Him out today! God bless.  

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Psalm 51:12

One thing I enjoy is researching things on the Internet. Here lately I have developed a passion in historic churches. While surfing I click links that take me to the next page....sometimes the link is a dead or has useless information....thankfully the "back" button returns me to the home page.

God is like that "back" button. Sometimes we take our spiritual journey down dead end paths with little or no benefit. Sometimes those journeys navigate our spiritual life into dangerous territory that  cause us undue pain and suffering, even regret. As David called out to God, in today's scripture, God answered His prayer and took Him back into His good graces. David made many mistakes in life...painful, miserable mistakes that even caused death to other people. After walking down the wrong path and making poor choices, the Spirit of God convicted him, and he was able to ask for forgiveness and restoration. 

God is in the "back" business. He wants us back in His graces. Where are you here and now? Are you walking on the right path, or has your selfish and prideful ways moved you away from God and you are heading for a spiritual wreck? Call out to God and He will restore your life and spirit. He promises to answer you..."ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you...Matthew 7:7. Hit the back button of your life and go back to the home front of God. He is ready to receive you! Blessings friend.