Then the priest who bore the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan. 

Joshua 3:17

 We are all familiar with the story of how Moses was called to help free the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. Not too long after crossing the Red Sea to escape, the Israelites  started complaining and questioning God's provisions. 

Despite their grumblings...God continued to provide for their daily needs. Over a period of 40 years living in the desert,  this group of refugees learned to trust and obey God.

Moses passed on and Joshua became their leader. At that point God gave him the green light to cross the Jordan river into the promised land. Can you imagine how thrilled and excited the Israelites must have felt to finally be in the land hand picked for them by God after spending 40 years wandering in the hot desert? 

Our journey with the Lord will eventually lead us to the promised land, our eternal home in heaven. Until that time we must struggle in the desert. This world is not our home. We have a home, a land much more plentiful without pain and sorrow. Although our time on earth may feel like we are wandering and struggling, God is with you every step of the way...providing for your daily needs. 

The desert experience helped transform the Israelites into a trusting and faithful generation. We can have confidence in knowing every heartache and tough situation we go through in life is for our benefit, part of that "sanctification" process...transforming us more into the likeness of Christ. 

How about you? Are you experiencing the trials of life? That is normal and we need to remember it's for our benefit. God is with you...trust Him, thank Him and praise Him for His goodness while in the desert of life....your promised land awaits you! Have a blessed day friends!

For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lords. Romans 14:7-8

Over the centuries, wars have been fought. Something that always impressed me is the soldier "fight until death" commitment. No matter how many enemies that came against them, no matter how out numbered they might have been, they took up arms and fought to the bitter end. Their loyalty,  to the nation they served, was without a doubt courageous and victorious. 

As Christians we fight a daily battle against the Devil. His schemes and attacks can weigh us down, make us feel defeated and all alone. My friend, that's right where the devil wants you...alone, fearful and questioning God' promise to protect you and keep you safe. Nothing you can do on your own can defeat Satan. 

Fortunately we have someone who fought that battle for us....Jesus Christ. Although He died for a brief moment in time, He rose again from the grave to claim victory over the greatest enemy known to mankind, Satan. Jesus fought the good fight until the bitter end so you and I could live an eternal life with Him. 

Who are you living for? If you have accepted Christ into your life you should be loyal to the one who saved your soul. Are you willing to surrender your life for His eternal life? There is victory in Jesus Christ. Live for Him each day and call on Jesus to extinquish the flaming arrows of Satan. He'll do it! He is worth living for. Surrender to Him today. 

God bless.

And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing you will receive. Matthew 21:22

I recently overheard a man sharing his struggle to get a lawnmower started. He claimed to have worked on it for over 2 hours. Wow, 2 hours of his time and life had passed...frustrated I'm sure, and most likely he had better things to do with his time. 

As I heard his story I thought to myself...I wonder if he asked God for help?  As Christians, we have an open line of communication with God. He is ready and willing to help us resolve the challenges we face on a daily basis. All we have to do is have faith in Him that He will hear our request and respond. 

The thing we always need to remember is His response time is part of His plan to answer our request. Sometimes we will experience an immediate response, other times that response takes time...possibly years. ‎

The strength of our faith is measured by our trust in Him and willingness to wait on His timely response. Knowing God is looking out for our best interest, we can have confidence in knowing He will respond at the appropriate moment. By waiting on God, we know we are getting the best answer, the best response we could ever hope for. He will bless you for your obedience to wait and trust Him. 

Trust Him with all your concerns and He will respond in a magnificent way...keep the faith! God bless. ‎

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me. Psalm 138:7

 When you look at the definition of "enemy", you see its someone who is against you, someone who wants to do you harm, someone who makes your life uncomfortable of difficult. Mmmm...that person might be your spouse or child. Let's hope not!

As we go through life we encounter people who come against us and can make life difficult...some can make life seem like a living hell. We have to always remember, God can and will sustain us from the attacks of our enemies. We might suffer physically or emotionally...but the solid rock, the firm foundation we stand on is God himself. 

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Our enemies draw us closer to God. There are days when I know my enemies are up to something. That's when I pray even more and focus on God's promise to protect me from their attacks. It's totally awesome when I can see God silence the mouths of those lions from their desire to disrupt my life. He always comes through. 

Our enemies are also reminders that Christians have a plentiful harvest of lost souls who need to know Christ and change them from their heart...outwards. Our enemies are most likely non believers...because what Christian would be mean and come against someone else? Right? 

Question, are you someone's enemy? Do you seek to disrupt the calm in someone's life...check yourself against God's word....living a Christ like life is a surrendered life of "self". Pray for your enemies. Continue to love them and always display Christ in your actions...by doing so you are a living testimony of your faith. 

Our first defense is God. Bring your enemies before God and let Him fight your battle. He will win every time. God bless friends. ‎

For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 1 Peter 3:17-18

 Recall a time when you did something special for someone. They were grateful and happy, you felt a sense of satisfaction....maybe someone else recognized your good deeds and expressed their accolades. It's very rewarding to do good things in the eyes of others. 

Sometimes though,  doing something "good" in line with God's will might not have the approval of others. Maybe God has called you to give up something that hinders your relationship with Him..but the thing you give up won't favor well with friends...possibly God has called you down a different career path that results in less money...the list is endless. Unless you live a solitary life, most decisions you make will affect other lives in your circle of friends and family. 

Christ gave himself up to be judged and condemned to die on a cross. Can you imagine the pressure He experienced from His disciples to not let this happen? They wanted Him to live....they cherished His existence and loved Him. As we all know, Christ was 100 percent faithful to God and surrendered His life that paid the sin debt of mankind. His obedinece to God paved the way for us to have a personal relationship with the creator of everything and everyone. 

What challenges and influences are you facing today that aren't  favored by friends or family? You know deep in your heart God is directing you down a certain path....Friend...FOLLOW GOD and don't turn aside from His direction. It might not be in other's best interest...but it is the will of God. By following in faithful obedience, you will be blessed and something much greater will result from doing the will of God. 

Walk in faithful obedience to His calling. It's a step in the right direction. God bless! ‎

Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Ephesians 5:28

Have you ever stole anything? If you have, the feeling of having something "more" was probably short lived and hopefully a feeling of guilt for your wrong doing followed which then lead to regret. When you read today's passage you see it talks about a thief. Most likely someone who doesn't work and his means for survival is to steal from those blessed with plenty. 

The second part of this passage is encouraging..."that he may have something to give him who has need". Not only does it say to stop stealing and get a job...it also says once working and earning money to give to those in need. 

The question for the day: "are you robbing God of your wealth and abundance"?  You see, everything you have worked so hard for is actually blessings from God. We like to think that we "earned" our education, home, job and wealth. But the fact of the matter, God created you with talents and abilities to be the person you are and has blessed your life with more than other Americans and others worldwide. 

My challenge for today...let lose some of your blessings and give to others in "need". God loves a cheerful giver and will bless you even more for your selfless acts of service and giving to a world who needs to see the "Savior" in action. By giving of your self and resources...you model the love of Christ to others....opening up the opportunity to share the word of Christ. 

Trust me friends, that $5 or $20 bill in your wallet will go much further when you place it in needy hands than holding onto it. Give it a try today and experience the joy of giving! God will bless you and others will be blessed by your willingness to share your abundance.  Give freely, give generously, give today! God bless friend! ‎

No one will strengthen himself

Who lives in iniquity. 

Ezekiel 7:13 (b)

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Let's face it, it takes strength and determination to succeed on a daily basis. We are bombarded with daily challenges and obligations that can zap all of our energy. It's important to take care of self...eat right, exercise and get adequate sleep. Never take your health for granted. 

As Christians, we also have an inner strength, the Holy Spirit, who guides us through the day, providing Godly wisdom to help us make right decisions and vision to see clearly the path ahead. We have the power of His Spirit available to us 24/7. ‎

So why are we weak and tired so often, make wrong choices and seem to flounder throughout the day feeling like we have no purpose or direction? It could be the deliberate sin that is in our life. God is Holy and righteous. Sin hinders the connection we have to the Spirit. When we sin we become spiritually weak and can literally wither away from the inside out. 

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We all will sin. We live in a fallen world. But, when we stay "on guard" to temptations and say no to sin, we get spiritually stronger throughout the day...Ready to fight the next temptation or challenge that comes our way. It's a moment by moment decision to stay focused on God so we can draw upon the greatest source of power available..the Holy Spirit. 

Make the decision today to stay in touch with God through constant prayer, turn from temptations and His Spirit will strengthen you continually. By the end of the day you will feel refreshed instead of defeated. Walk in obedience and see the blessings He has for you. God bless.