Discipleship for Today

Scripture: “God’s glory is to overlook a transgression.” See Proverbs 19:11b Simon is an archetype, or typical example of all of us really. We are flawed, weak, unpredictable human beings especially when we are ruled by our mental arena, or carnal minds. When we allow our minds to dictate to us we carry unforgiveness, immorality, unfaithfulness and many of the ills of the world in our hearts. We cannot see clearly or have a revelation of God when we allow the mind to corrupt our view of heaven and our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Peter was God’s chosen because he believed Jesus was the Son of God, he had this revelation even when he ran for his life, he knew this. That is why God gave Peter, the rock, a second chance and a third chance and, as we too, as believers, we can also see how many chances God has given us because of His love for us. Psalm 107:1-3 in the Passion Translation “Let everyone give all their praise and thanks to the Lord! Here’s why- He’s better than anyone could ever imagine. Yes, He’s always loving and kind, and His faithful love never ends. So, go ahead- let everyone know it! Tell the world how He broke through and delivered you from the power of darkness and has gathered us together from all over the world. He has set us free to be His very own!” The Bible, (the New Kings James version), is always the standard. Some paraphrases for clarity. The Passion translation was used also.

Truth vs. Facts Description. Can you identify in our culture, our world and differentiate what is truth and what is fact? Sometimes it seems murky trying to differentiate truth from facts. It is like walking through a labyrinth. But we have our standard of truth, the Word of God. We need to understand that the enemy will take some truth and mix it with some falsehood to deceive us. This is called syncretism. Even some Christians cannot determine truth from facts. So always ask God for help, because even the very elect will be deceived at the end of the age. We must be diligent and use God’s wisdom before making crucial and life changing decisions. Some may ask what about dinosaurs? Well the Bible discussed this is in the book of Job in chapter 40 and 41 respectively. It mentioned two gigantic animals like the behemoth and the Leviathan. The behemoth was described: in Job 40:15-24, maybe this description is of a dinosaur, tell me what you think. It was strong and powerful with sinews of cedar, and it ate grass like an ox. The Leviathan, in Job 41 was described as “strong with fearsome teeth”, and “nothing on earth was equal to it without fear.” Evidently, there were extremely colossal animals on the earth. If they actually existed they would have been destroyed during the flood of Noah. This is not truth but a conjecture. But the Bible did mention extremely mammoth-like creatures that existed. What do you think? First Corinthians 15:39-40 stated: “All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh for animals, another of fish, and another of birds. Verse 40, there are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. This is the same as in Genesis One when God made everything after it’s kind. God has territorial jurisdiction over His creation and He has placed a restraint or boundaries for His creation, as He separated the light from the dark, the seas from the land and everything He created after its kind. It cannot be duplicated or replicated.Thank you for tuning again in and please give me a thumbs up and pass it forward. Let us endeavor to continue to live free by grace. And do a kind thing for another by passing these videos to others who may need to know about Christ and the Word of God. Be blessed my lovelies. See you all next week. I love you all and so does God.

Divine Wisdom Description: If God gave Solomon His wisdom He would do the same for us. First Kings 4:29 stated: “And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore.” (NKJV) Let us look at the Good News Translation, and it said: “God gave Solomon unusual wisdom and insight, and knowledge too great to be measured.” If Solomon was under the Old Covenant of the Law and we have a better Covenant, don’t you think we would have much more wisdom than Solomon did. Why? Because we have the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom in our born again spirit. We just need to learn, or to be taught how to access what God has already placed in our hearts. Matthew 7:24 tells us, “whoever hears God’s words and does them, is like a wise person who built their house on a rock.” Proverbs 16:16 tells us also the eternal value of wisdom. The wisdom we receive from God is a flow of His Spirit in us and the Holy Spirit is our Tutor and teaches us spiritual matters, because God’s wisdom is a spirit and natural man cannot perceive from his or her natural mind spiritual matters, because they are spiritually discerned. (See First Corinthians 2:12-14.) As you read these words and watch the video you will receive more understanding and the wisdom of God will flow unhindered if you yield your spirit to the Spirit of Wisdom. In our chaotic world we need God’s wisdom. It takes godly wisdom to choose the right mate. It takes godly wisdom to make sound decisions for our lives and our family’s. It takes godly wisdom to find the right job, to attend the right church, to spend our money wisely and to take care of our health. In every area of our lives we need godly wisdom because it is the principal thing, and we will never stumble. They are our life. My friends. Continue to live free by grace. And always choose godly wisdom before you make any decision. You will know that you have chosen correctly, by the peace of God in your heart. God Bless.

Things to remember about the act of baptism: After we repent and acknowledge Christ as our Savior and Lord we confirm this with baptism. We must be truly converted by faith in Christ. Mark 16:16 stated: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” It is the act of purification of sins, by water. We must be remitted of our sins and then we will receive the Holy Spirit. Sometimes repentance and baptism can occur simultaneously. Sometimes we may repent and receive Christ as our Savior and then find a church where a man of God could perform this rite. Baptism of the Holy Spirit as I have said is a separate gift and we need to ask for it by faith. This gift regenerates and empowers us as believers. Most Christians who believe and have been born-again have been baptized by water, and not the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is as one godly man stated: “It is a separate and distinct experience from conversion.” Luke 11:13 stated…”how much more will our heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.” Let us ask God for the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of Him. Pray daily over yourselves and your loved ones Ephesians 1:16-20 and Ephesians 3:14-19. Putting your name in the prayer and those you wish to pray for. Let us continue to live free by grace and always choose the love side. Thanks Everyone and be blessed.

God’s nature was reflected through His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Everywhere Jesus went He demonstrated the love, compassion, and mercy of the Living God. He never did anything without the Father. He healed in the Father’s Name and He dispossessed the evil spirits that enveloped humans and many, many miracles He did while on earth. This was the true heart of the Father- His love and passion for us. Jesus said to us in John 11:20, “if we believe we will see the glory of God.” The Amplified version said it this way: “Jesus said to her, did I not tell you and promise you that if you would believe and rely on Me, you would see the glory of God?” What do you believe? Do you believe the attacks of the enemy more than God’s inerrant Word? Do you truly believe that a good God who sent His own Son will destroy us, kill us, take our lives prematurely, will steal from us and hurt us and leave us to languish? Would He leave us to self-destruct if we ask for help? No, No, No! That the devil’s jurisdiction, his arena. Not God’s. God is always perfect, always good and always loving. When Jesus was on earth He had complete command over death, over the demons, over the curse and over every vile and evil thing. Anyone who asked for His help, He helped them, He healed them and He wept with them and died for them. He is our Best Friend and we can absolutely trust Him. So my dear friends, I submit to you, whatever you have heard in the past that was contrary to God’s Word, or what wrong teaching you received, or wrong thought processes you allow yourself to entertain, it will behoove you to dispense of them. I submit to you a more profitable way, simply trust God, have faith in Him, obey His instructions and believe His word; not what you may have learned years ago in Sunday school, or performance based legalism or religious tradition; it will benefit you to place all of that aside and turn to the True and Living God and as you seek Him, you will find Him. We will not entertain anymore cynicism, or preconceived notions the enemy has subtly placed in our minds. God loves you my friend, the real you on the inside. Remember He already knows you and still loves you. He died for you and all He wants to do is for you to draw close to Him. Kind and Everloving Father, Thank You, “You are never far away from me. You are a breath away. You are my strength and You hasten to help me when I call upon You. You deliver me from my sword. When I cried out to You, You heard me.” I magnify You Lord, in Jesus’ Name. (See Psalm 22.) Live free by grace and God bless you.

Disclaimer, I am not advocating anyone to stop their doctor’s medical treatment or medication protocol. This is for biblical believers, not professed Christians who do not ascribe to God’s words in its entirety. Or to those who have been taught wrongly on religious ideologies. This is meant for those who know who they are in Christ and their identity in Him and their inheritance. Scripture said in Galatians 3:13: "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us.” We are as believers, all children of God, through faith in Christ Jesus. But how strongly we believe we belong to God will determine our relationship with Him and our Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot get or receive anything from God without faith in His word, full confidence and assurance that what His word says belongs to us. We are not to permit wrong thoughts of unbelief, fear, deception or of bad reports to muddy our faith in the word. We are to apply the word to the sickness or the symptom. God’s word is right thinking and a good report. We are not denying the symptoms but denying Satan has any rights to our bodies. We are to hold fast to God’s inerrant word without wavering, without fear, regardless of the enemy’s opposition. If we resist the devil he has to flee. We must submit to God and take our authority over the sickness. Dodie Osteen and many others on the brink of death did it. Andrew Wommack's young son died in 2001 and was already toe-tagged and put in the mortuary cooler in the morgue. He and his wife prayed and God raised his son back up from being dead for five hours; completely whole. Mark 11:24 stated what things we desire, when we pray, believe that we receive them and we shall have them. Praise the Lord. If there are any sick among us we pray for complete healing for that person or persons. God loves us and He hates when we are hurt or attacked by the enemy. He gave us tools to defeat any attack of the enemy upon our families or ourselves. We must command the mountain (name the disease, or the sickness) to be cast into the sea without doubting. And say the faith command: for for example: Isaiah 53:4-5, 1 Peter 2:24, and Psalm 107:20. In Jesus’ Name. Then give God thanks and praise. Continue to live free by grace. Be Blessed.

Emotions Part One Our emotions are of the mental arena and are of the five senses. They are there to add flavor to our lives, not to dominate or dictate to us. Our feelings originate from our thought life. Proverbs 23:7 (a) declared : “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” In other words our thoughts can either lead us to health or to sickness, to life or to death and so on. Most people may need to see a psychiatrist or a psychologist if they do not have a foundation built of God’s Word. When Jesus was on earth He healed everyone. As Christians we are to do the same. We are not subject to the wiles of the enemy or his demonic plots and plans. Those of the world, or who do not have a relationship with God, need these mental health professionals. If Christians need them they just don’t know enough and Christ said “according to your faith be it unto you.” See Matthew 9:29. If you have strong faith, stand firm for what is already yours- Divine health, healing and recovery. Feed on the promises of God for your healing. If you struggle with your faith, ask God to help you and to show you how to develop your faith. 1 Corinthians 2:14 (CEB) “But people who are unspiritual don’t accept the things from God’s Spirit. They are foolishness to them and can’t be understood, because they can only be comprehended in a spiritual way.” This is a very important thing to remember, healing or anything we need comes from the inside, from our born-again spirit, and not from the outside. That is why there are no cures for mental health issues or physical health issues. The only thing these professionals can prescribe is medication or some dangerous treatment. When we keep our minds and emotions restrained and on Christ then we can have Victory. And by the way we are already victorious in Christ Jesus. Praise God. Thanks for tuning in and giving us a thumbs up.

To fulfill God’s vision for our lives it takes good organization, discipline, endurance, faith, patience and discernment. It takes a positive mindset and total reliance on the integrity of God’s word. Our future is in God’s uncompromised Word. We also need to hear a specific word from God regarding our desires and hopes and dreams. God speaks to us in various ways as recorded in His Word. The reason He does this is for us to know His will for our lives. He appeared to Joseph, Mary’s fiance in a dream in the New Testament several times, and He appeared to Joseph, Isaac’s son in the Old Testament, not once but twice. God even gave a pagan, King Nebuchadnezzar a vision in the book of Daniel. God sends His angels also to proclaim His will over many people in the scriptures both Old and New Testaments. God gave Abraham a vision of his future when it was quite biologically for both he and Sarah to have a child, because of their advanced age. God told him to use his imagination and picture his offspring like the dust of the earth, the stars in the skies and the sand on the seashore. God told Abraham his descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. See Genesis 22 :17. God gave us our imagination to create what He places in our hearts, desires, dreams and visions. Our imagination was meant to be used for God’s purposes not for evil or for our own wishes and desires not congruent to His. So let us imagine the best of God for ourselves this year and create what God Himself has placed upon our hearts. With God nothing is impossible. Remember, Jesus has already done it all for us, all we need to do is to appropriate it by saying out loud in faith in Christ and we shall have it. See Mark 11:22-24 Thanks again for tuning in and have a prosperous New Year. God speed.

There is an explosion of people with mental illness all over the world. It is of pandemic proportions. People do not know how to think critically anymore, which means ‘to analyze incoming information from our environment and from others and draw some type of rational conclusion to make an informed decision. We suppress our emotions and hide behind masks the truth of who we truly are. We have this dual personality, one for the public and one for the private areas of our lives. We do not know who we really are and that can cause a host of mental and physical disorders and problems. But the good news is we can be transparent with God and He will accept us just as we are, if we approach Him with humility. He will bring His best on our confusion, our messes, flaws, shortcomings and whatever we struggle to maintain. God loves us and He wants us to reciprocate that love to Him. He will give us the desire of our hearts. We do not need to pretend, or hide ourselves as we do in the world. God loves us so much He wants to bring order to our lives, help us to see who we truly are in Him. His son, or His daughter. His child. If there is anyone suffering silently with mental health issues and believe that God is your healer, go to Him and ask Him to show you how to appropriate what already belongs to you. He will answer your prayer. Feed on healing scriptures three times per day and if it becomes worse, feed some more on the Word. But if you have little faith please get the help you need from a licensed professional and pray as you take their treatment or medication and believe for your healing. There is no shame, just let the Spirit guide you. Be well my friends. ‘I command all demonic activity to leave my friends in the Name of Jesus. I command a sound mind over you and no weapon formed against you shall prosper, in Jesus” Name. Praise the Lord. Thank You Jesus, for healing my friends.

Scripture: (Psalm 89:3-4) 3. “I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn to My servant David: 4. Your seed I will establish forever, and build up your throne to all generations.” Christmas has the spirit of unification, diversity in celebration and revelation of the birth of Christ and His mission here on earth. He is our Salvation, our Deliverer and our Prince of Peace. God recognized we were in serious trouble again and He knew we needed His help, so He sent the best of heaven, The Word, the Son of God. John chapter one, verses 1-5: stated: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. 2. He was in the beginning with God. 3. All things were made through Him, and without Him, nothing was made that was made. 4. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men (all humanity). 5. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” In this same chapter, scroll down to verse 14. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” This is the true story of Christmas and the reason God sent The Word, Who became flesh as the Living Christ Jesus. In heaven He is known as the Son of God, The Word. On earth He is both Son of God in the Spirit and Son of Man in the flesh. His Name on earth is Jesus of Nazareth. Christ is His title- The Anointed One and His anointing. Jesus said something very radical to His followers in Matthew 10:34: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace on the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword (of division between belief and unbelief). There are two camps here on earth or two tribes and they are polar opposites: one camp believes in God and His Son and follow and obey His Word. The other camp follows the enemy and his demonic forces and they have been deceived and follow the deception instead of searching for the truth. They will be judged. Even though Christ was heralded into our world as our Redeemer, and brought peace with Him, He was also specific in His words about whom we serve will determine our final destination, and it will also determine our quality of life here on planet earth. This Christmas let us find the time to spend with Christ and let us do an inventory of our love for Him. Is He reigning supreme in our lives? Are we putting family and family issues above Him, above our time with Him? Our love for Christ must trump love for anyone else. Yes, even before those who we whole dear. This does mean we are to neglect our loved ones; that is not what Christ is saying. He is saying without Him we can do nothing. In John 15:5 Jesus stated: “I am the Vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” Without Him being first place in our lives we put our families and loved ones at risk. Because the enemy sees everything we do and we put our loved ones in jeopardy when we place them above the Triune God. Let us remember this Christmas to put Him first place in our hearts and honor Him and He will bless and honor us and our loved ones. Have a blessed Christmas everyone and may all your dreams and prayers come through. Let us share our faith in God, it pleases Him. Psalm 103:11-12 stated: 11. “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear (our reverence and devotion) Him. 12. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” This is the purpose of Christ coming to earth. Rejoice in His birth! Thank you for giving me a thumbs up and subscribing. Thank you also for tuning in, it gives me delight to share God’s Word with all of us. Listen to the songs: “Mary Did You Know?” by Danny Gokey and “O Come All Ye Faithful” by Casting Crowns.

Who Am I ? There is an historical and Biblical account in Matthew 19:16-24, of a rich young man whose identity was in his wealth. One day he saw Jesus and approached Him and asked: “Good Teacher, or Messiah, what good thing shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? Jesus responded with a question. “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but God alone. But if you desire eternal life then keep God’s commandments. The young man asked Jesus, which ones? Jesus said, “ you shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness against another, honor your father and mother and you shall love your neighbor as yourself. The young man responded: ‘all these things I have kept from my youth. What do I lack? What Jesus said next was meant for only this young man because this is where his identity was, in his wealth. Jesus said to him: "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow Me.” Please note: Jesus said this to this particular young man. Jesus had no problem with wealth in itself but it was a test to this particular young man and we will see how he responded to Jesus’ request. When the young man heard what Jesus said, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” NKJV. (Paraphrased by this author). The young man truly desired to follow Jesus as one of His disciples, that is why he approached Jesus. But Jesus knew this man’s heart and He also knew the man’s identity was in his possessions and the things of this world. His self-image and self-esteem was tied to his wealth. His worth and intrinsic value was connected to his money. He had a tight fist around material and tangible things and rather than trust Jesus for his supply, he could not relinquish what he had accumulated. His security, self worth and everything he understood of himself was attached to his possessions. Little did he know how much more God would have blessed him if He had trusted in Him. God wants all His children to identify with Him and not our possessions, or careers, or families or sports or anything we place above him. Things that are only temporary and fade away as we do. The thing is we can’t take any of it after we leave this present earth. Solomon, King David’s son, was one of the richest men of the entire world at that time. God had blessed him with immense wealth and great wisdom. Abraham and Jacob and many others had great wealth. No God has no problems with us having wealth because we can use it to further His kingdom here on earth. But some of us identify with tangible, fleeting things and the tighter we hold on to it, the more fearful we grow that someone will steal it or rob us of it. This is not God’s best for us. Our identity is only in Christ Jesus and the Almighty God. The Bible is my firm foundation. Today I used the King James Version, the NASB, NLT and AMPC, and NKJV versions, more for clarification and understanding. I also used the Webster 1828 Dictionary. One pastor said: ”If we won’t give it, we probably are not safe with it.” Can God trust us to trust Him, no matter what it looks like in the natural realm? Thanks again for tuning in and applying these timeless truths to your lives. I have chosen to pass it forward to you what God has taught me through my fellowship and life experiences through Jesus Christ. God bless everyone. Please do your own research and allow the Spirit to guide you. Talk to you soon. Listen to the music by Casting Crowns: “Who Am I?”

Isaiah 53:6 stated: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” God was clear in His assessment of us, as humans we can be very unpredictable, unstable and unfaithful. If left to our own devices we will end up on the ‘road to perdition,’ meaning ‘utter destruction. God sent His own precious Son, the Word of Life, Christ Jesus to literally save the inhabitants of this world. You and me and many, many others. This was the most valuable Gift God had to offer as a sacrifice for the soul of everyone of us. He did it because He loved us so passionately. He created us to love Him in return. Yet, there are many, many people who chose to create their own gods, even making themselves gods and denying the Gift of God- His Son. Some of us have gone astray because we did not know enough. I was once on the crossroads of life until I met Christ and turned to Him. I have made so many missteps and taken so many wrong turns, but I realized in retrospect Jesus never left me and was watching me from a distance, waiting for me to return to Him. And one day, I did. I never looked back. Some have gone astray because of their unrenewed minds and believing the lies of the devil. Some were just victims caught up in the tide of life. Some chose not to believe and turned to rebellion and unbelief. Jesus is our Good Shepherd and as sheep we hear His voice and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out and when He brings out His own sheep, He goes before us and (as) sheep (we) follow Him, for we know His voice. Yet, by no means will we follow a stranger’s voice, but will flee from him, for we do not know the voice of strangers. (John 10:3-5). That stranger’s voice is the voice of our enemy, the wolf in sheep's clothing. Psalm 23 is a beautiful song written by David. It gives hope, assurance and confidence that as sheep, our Good Shepherd (Jesus Christ) takes excellent care of us. He is our Provider and Protector. He is our Restorer and He leads us on the paths of righteousness. When we are in a difficult situation and have been walking through the valley of death, we have no fear of evil because our Good Shepherd is always with us. If we should stray, we can be assured His rod and staff will protect and comfort us, and pull us from dangerous terrain. The best part is His goodness and mercy follow us wherever we go, all the days of our lives. But we must choose to believe that He is our Good Shepherd and we can trust Him to preserve our lives and be our Refuge and Strength, always ready to help in trouble. God is with those who obey Him,” (Psalm 14:5). Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! (Acts 18:9) Pass the Word of God forward to someone in need of encouragement and bring hope to the hopeless. Let them know how much God loves them and desire their love in return. God wants us to fellowship with Him and to be the God in our lives. When we share our faith it is discipleship. There are many hurting people in our world and many of them wear masks to disguise their pain and trouble. But God knows each broken heart, each broken soul and He sends people across their paths to help them but most of the time they are unaware of His Presence. “Be still and know that I AM God” is what He said in His Word, because it is the only way we will remain on the right path. Home-work: Everyday take five to ten minutes and sit in silence, clear your mind of the chattering voices and focus on God and His goodness and His amazing love for you. Close your eyes if you can, to block out distractions. Breathe deeply in and out from your diaphragm. Think of the most peaceful time of your life and be still and listen from your spirit, your core, for God’s voice. Practice listening to God’s voice because it could very well save your life, a loved one or simply bring peace in your life. Or receive a word from Him for your future. Our spirit is always communicating with us but there is too much noise for us to hear, that’s why we need to quiet our minds from the noise. The Bible is my foundation. The Holy Spirit is my Inspiration. God always gets all the glory. I am “the pen of a ready writer.” (Psalm 45:1 (b). Subscribe and please give me a thumbs up. Thanks again for tuning in. Bye, Y’all!

Faith is not timid but courageous and fearless. Faith calls, it calls those things which do not exist as though they did. Even in the midst of dire circumstances, it calls us to victory. Faith is a Spirit and it is a force of God. Faith does not doubt or fear but only believes. Faith is loud in its calling and is not ashamed of the gospel. Faith is strong and does not waver at the promises of God. Faith gives all the glory to God and is fully convinced in the Words of God. Faith believes that God’s word will not return void and that God is able to perform His word. Faith believes that God raised Jesus Christ up from the dead. Faith gives us peace with God because we choose to believe in Him. Faith is transformative and forges new paths to propel us to our God-given destination. Faith is God’s spiritual gift to us that might establish and encourage us. Faith abides in God and it is obedient to His will. Faith never questions God but trusts Him unequivocally. Faith stands for righteousness, justice and integrity. Faith does not compromise with anything not of God. Faith is always grateful and gives God “the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and declares His works with rejoicing,” see Psalm 107:22. Faith delights in God and in His Word, His laws and His principles and does not listen to the dissenting voices of the world. Faith is always spiritually minded and is full of life and peace. We have become “sons of God as we are led by God’s Spirit”, ( Romans 8:14). We are the children of God by adoption because of the sacrifice and crucible of the Cross. Faith waits with perseverance despite the mutability of the seasons of life. Faith in God allows us to “present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God and we do not conform to the dictates of this world, but follow what is good and acceptable and the perfect will of God,” (Romans 12:1-2). We are to receive each other, especially those who are weak in the faith and we are not subjected to judgment or disputes. “Our faith is of the wisdom of God,” (1 Corinthians 2:5). Fear stymies faith. It becomes inoperable or functional. Faith is our servant and it works for us in the fertile ground of patience. According to James chapter one, verse two: ”My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, (3) knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. (4) But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” We know patience, and love are intimately linked with Faith. We need our love-walk to be in good standing for our faith to work and we need patience in the waiting seasons of life. James also reminded us our faith will not work without the works of faith. For example, if there is another believer who is in desperate need and we choose to give him or her our platitudes instead of helping them when they are naked, or destitute of daily food, and we do nothing this is “dead faith.” Remember it is our faith in action that truly pleases God. Divine faith creates, builds up, and speaks to the end result. So, let us endeavor to have faith in God. The Holy Bible is always my foundation. Pay it forward. Please give it a thumbs up.

A Sacrifice of Thanksgiving Scripture:Psalm 50:14, “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High.” The word in Greek for Thanksgiving is, “eucharist”, which is the action of giving thanks. A nuance of thanksgiving is grace and glorification. Thanksgiving is not only meant for gathering together for a traditional feast it is also a memorial tribute to the goodness of God. We praise God for “His wonderful works toward us, for satisfying our longing souls and filling the hungry souls with His goodness.” Psalm 107:8. When we cry out to the Lord in our trouble, He graciously saves us from our distresses and He delivers us from our destruction. He calms the storms in our lives, so that the waves are still and He guides us to our desired safe haven. (See Psalm 107). We offer our thanks for the beauty of His creation: a resplendent sunset or sunrise; the brisk, crisp air of autumn, the enchantment of the changing of the seasons, the dazzling of the solar system and its constellation of stars. Everywhere we peruse nature in its raw and natural form we see the hand of God in His creation. We offer our thanks to God for redeeming our lives from death, hell and the grave. In Him we have our redemption complete through Christ Jesus. He gave us His own Son, Christ, who laid down His life for His friends, for us, on the Cross so we may have eternal life if we so desire. Once we were slaves bound by the chains of sin. Jesus, our Redeemer delivered us and set us free by paying the price for our sins, so we may live. Titus 2:14 corroborates, “Christ gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity (sin), and purify to Himself a peculiar people, (that us, not those of the carnal world-non-believers) who are zealous for good works.” “We now have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” Ephesians 1:7. We thank God for sanctification, a gift of God’s unlimited grace. We are now declared “holy people,” whom God chose from the beginning for Himself, for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth. (See 2 Thessalonians 2:13.) It is simply having a holy relationship with God and our Savior. We are now separated from the darkness of this world, and we all can attest how evil the world has become. We do not need to look very far and we sometimes experience it personally. Remember, we have the authority over our enemies, and they are not people but the devil and his demonic bunch. We always choose to walk on the love side of everything. It is our safe place. When we walk outside of love we are not safe, we are in the devil’s domain or his realm and we have given up all rights to him. He will steal from us, hinder our prayers, attempt to destroy us or kill us through sickness, disease or some other means. Love is such an awesome gift from God and we always choose to love since God is Love. Happy Thanksgiving to every one of you and your loved ones. Be safe and when in doubt about something ask God for His help and His wisdom. God bless you all. Your challenge is to share with others what you are thankful for and give God all the glory and praise. I am thankful for you, my friends, co-laborers for the Kingdom of God. Please pass it forward.

A Sacrifice of Thanksgiving Scripture: Psalm 50:14, “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High.” The word in Greek for Thanksgiving is, “eucharist”, which is the action of giving thanks. A nuance of thanksgiving is grace and glorification. Thanksgiving is not only meant for gathering together for a traditional feast it is also a memorial tribute to the goodness of God. We praise God for “His wonderful works toward us, for satisfying our longing souls and filling the hungry souls with His goodness.” Psalm 107:8. When we cry out to the Lord in our trouble, He graciously saves us from our distresses and He delivers us from our destruction. He calms the storms in our lives, so that the waves are still and He guides us to our desired safe haven. (See Psalm 107). We offer our thanks for the beauty of His creation: a resplendent sunset or sunrise; the brisk, crisp air of autumn, the enchantment of the changing of the seasons, the dazzling of the solar system and its constellation of stars. Everywhere we peruse nature in its raw and natural form we see the hand of God in His creation. We offer our thanks to God for redeeming our lives from death, hell and the grave. In Him we have our redemption complete through Christ Jesus. He gave us His own Son, Christ, who laid down His life for His friends, for us, on the Cross so we may have eternal life if we so desire. Once we were slaves bound by the chains of sin. Jesus, our Redeemer delivered us and set us free by paying the price for our sins, so we may live. Titus 2:14 corroborates, “Christ gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity (sin), and purify to Himself a peculiar people, who are zealous for good works.” “We now have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” Ephesians 1:7. We thank God for sanctification, a gift of God’s unlimited grace. We are now declared “holy people,” whom God chose from the beginning for Himself, for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth. (See 2 Thessalonians 2:13.) It is simply having a holy relationship with God and our Savior. We are now separated from the darkness of this world, and we all can attest how evil the world has become. We do not need to look very far and we sometimes experience it personally. Remember, we have the authority over our enemies, and they are not people but the devil and his demonic bunch. We always choose to walk on the love side of everything. It is our safe place. When we walk outside of love we are not safe, we are in the devil’s domain or his realm and we have given up all rights to him. He will steal from us, hinder our prayers, attempt to destroy us or kill us through sickness, disease or some other means. Love is such an awesome gift from God and we always choose to love since God is Love. Happy Thanksgiving to every one of you and your loved ones. Be safe and when in doubt about something ask God for His help and His wisdom. God bless you all. Your challenge is to share with others what you are thankful for and give God all the glory and praise. I am thankful for you, my friends, co-laborers for the Kingdom of God. Please pass it forward.

The Power of Forgiveness We can not forgive without the Spirit of God in our natural human state. It is not our human inclination to forgive when someone harms us or our loved ones. Our natural human response is to seek revenge, hold a grudge and keep an offense. It is impossible to love anyone who is out to destroy us or who has persecuted us or who has repeatedly abused us- even as a child. The only possible way for us to truly forgive our enemy, those who have hurt us, is to trust the love of God to help us navigate the resentful feelings and the pain we endured from the perpetrator. In other words we cannot do anything without God’s divine help. Romans 12:19 tells us: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord. Trust God with your pain. Forgiveness is an attribute of Divine Love and it is not easily achieved unless we make a conscious and intentional choice to forgive. When we do God will go to work in helping us to attain that goal. Unforgiveness cheats us of having a great life here on this planet. It is like a little dog nipping at our heels. Do you know God is not selective in whom He loves. He loves everyone, even the vilest person on this earth. One pastor stated, “that God may not agree with our choices but He loves us all,” yes even our worst enemies. Why? Because God is Love and His nature is to love and there is no hate or grudges or offenses in Him. However, Satan is the one who makes these subtle suggestions to us, that we should hate the ones who hurt us and God should punish them. We have to remember we live in a fallen world and the god of this world is the devil and his motive is to cause chaos, anarchy and division. When someone hurts us it is the devil who has influenced that person to do so. Jesus came to give us life more abundantly while Satan came to steal, kill and destroy, John 10:10. First Peter 5:8 warns us not to walk out of love for any reason. If we do, we are playing right into the devil’s hand. We are to be: “alert, watchful, because our enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” Let it not be you or me. I submit to you, let us endeavor to love despite the feelings. We are not alone. God sees us, He knows our pain and He sorrows with us and He will help to heal the wounds of our past, even our present, and if we ask Him He will make a way of escape. Matthew 5:44 asks us, “to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.” Some have asked why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? God has given us a free will and He will not violate our will here on earth unless we invite Him to work on our behalf. He has also given us, as His children, the authority and dominion over the evil forces around us. Satan has no control or power over God’s children unless we relinquish it over to him. We are not helpless, neither are we victims. We are conquerors in Christ Jesus. The devil is defeated and we can command him out of our lives. So today let us wield the Ephesians 6:14-20 prayer and put on our armor of God. God bless you my friend and God sees you and He loves you. Trust Him with your heart. Let love rise up and push the darkness away. Always choose to walk in love and you will be safe. Author: Live Free By Grace:terese712310 New King James Bible and AMPC version Thumbnail: Canva

God has Good News for everyone who is in need of some good news. Are you tired of bad news? Well I am and I would like to share some good news to those of us who have an open heart, a soft and pliable heart. Jesus came to this earth, sent by the Father, to redeem us from eternal darkness. Why? Because "God desires all people everywhere to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth. For there is One God and One Mediator between God and humankind, the Man Christ Jesus, Who gave Himself as a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." (1 Timothy 2:4-6). Salvation is absolutely free to everyone who desires to be free from sin and death. All we need to do is to repent of our sins because it is our sins that have separated us from God. Besides repentance is also another free gift of grace. We acknowledge our transgressions and invite the Lord Jesus into our lives. We receive the Holy Spirit as our Comforter, Counselor and Guide. We ask it all in Jesus's Name and we become part of God's family. Now tell me if this isn't good news!

About Me In my past life, before I was truly committed to serving God I was a clinical social worker. My concentration was in mental health. I worked with consumers with chronic, severe and persistent mental challenges. I also worked with consumers coming from the jail diversion program. I assisted these consumers in many ways that were in crisis. But that is my past and it is not an important part of my life anymore because I realized, introspect, it was not God’s plan for my life, it was my plan. Because I never felt it was my niche but I knew instinctively I wanted to help others ever since I was twelve or thirteen years old. Today I believe in my heart this is what God created me to do. Jesus once said to me in my spirit: “feed my sheep.” So this is my way of doing so by sharing with you and hope you too will feel the passion of God’s heart for all His children.

Divine Love versus Human Love The Author and Finisher of Love is Christ Jesus. God’s love is Divine and spirit-filled. Love is the fullness of the Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Ghost. We have not experienced true, authentic, divine love until we give our hearts to the Lord. Some of us believe we have some knowledge of love but is it truly love if it is conditional? Does real love harbor unforgiveness? Does it hold on to grudges? Does it relate to others compassionately and kindly? What is love and how do we achieve love? The word “agape” in Greek means unconditional love. The kind of love that propelled God to sacrifice His only Son, we know as Jesus Christ. Scripture said: ‘the Word became flesh and dwelt among us’. Jesus is the Word. The Word in John 13:34 commanded that we love one another; as Christ has loved us. First Thessalonians 3:12 tells us that the Lord made us to increase and to abound in love toward others; all people. 2 Peter 1:7 reads “and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness love. Love here means godly love not human love. Love is an action, it is a command of God, it is a choice, and it is Spirit activated. Love is obeying God. It is not passive, or complacent or withholding. We demonstrate this love through our words, our thoughts, our actions, our affection and by our choices. When we choose God’s love expression “we are filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:19). As believers, we are already endowed with the nine fruit of the Spirit of God, (see Galatians 5:22-23) and Love is the anchor for all the other fruit. We cannot achieve God’s love without first receiving His love. There must be a response. We love God by our obedience, our faith and complete trust. We love God by accepting His expression of love through the sacrifice of His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. John 15:10 says we are to keep the commandments of God, even as Christ did. We are to abide in His love, even as Christ kept His Father’s commandment, and abide in His love. We, too, ought to follow or emulate Jesus, our Lord, (paraphrased). The takeaway of this is: We are commanded to love God and others. Love is a spiritual force and not of the mind or mental arena. Love is active and not passive. Love seeks the best of others. It sets our affection on things above where Christ sits on the right hand of God. Love hates sin not the sinner. Love hates strife, seeks peace and pursues it. Love is humble, not prideful. It hates the darkness and clings to the light. Love is truth and not a lie. Finally, we love each other because we are born of God, and we know God. (Mediate 1 John chapter 4).