More abundantly

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly"  (John 10:10 KJV). When Jesus came into our lives, sin did not just stop. It was defeated by Him and His cross 2,000 years ago. We were all stuck in sin with no way out. The more sin we did, the more we wanted. Our carnal nature lives no other way because it has no discipline. It has never been taught nor does it desire to be. Many have had some emotional times with the Lord. Many even say they will go all the way with Jesus, only to come to the end of that emotional experience. The thief is going to try to keep us from going back to the Lord, even if it was just out of emotions. These are the moments in life where the thief comes in, in order to corrupt the soul. If the soul allows the thief in, soon the soul will be in the enemy's hands, and the enemy will be in control. The thief steals the soul, then his job is to kill it spiritually and destroy it all the way. The enemy's desire is that one's soul will never make it back to the Lord. The moment the Lord Jesus was raised up on that cross, the enemy was totally defeated. Jesus is here to give life and more of it abundantly. (v:10)  "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep". He is the Good Shepherd who has done all He had to do in order to bring life to all in this world. God bless you all. Amen.

How can we know the way?

"Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?" (John 14:5 KJV). God will always make a way. His ways are sure and satisfying. God is the way. Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man comes unto the Father, but by Me, Jesus Christ". This is the way for every man and woman to approach God. First, we must have faith and trust in the ways of Jesus Christ. Thomas could not see the way because it takes faith, not wisdom of man. Man has tried many ways to succeed, to find success, and to fulfill their very desires. Some allow money or perversion to take over their hearts. Man's desires have not really changed at all from the the Old Testament times. Great kings fell when they reached success, or even before they reached success they fell into a trap of confusion. The desires and the cravings of their hearts were on this world, and all they could see is what they assumed would fulfill their cravings. So, they chased after the cravings only to find themselves far from the Truth. Today, there are young people who are chasing after so many other things that are taking them in the wrong direction. It's not only the young people that are doing so. Grown men and women have also put God's desires behind their own personal desires, which only causes spiritual death. Let's all continue to follow Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life that is set before us, so that we may show others to this great Truth. God bless you. Amen

With the sinners

"And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?" (Mark 2:16 KJV). Jesus came to save the sinners and proclaim the Good News unto all the world. It upset the Pharisees when they saw Him sitting and eating with the sinners. He came down from Heaven to bring life to the sinners, and He sure did bring life. Today Jesus still brings life to our souls. Jesus has already taken the pain, the pain of our past, the pain of yesterday, and the pain that will come today. He came into this world to bear our burdens, our sins, and our hurts. There's no other like Him. He willingly took upon Himself the chastisement for each and everyone of us. God did this all out of love to see all humanity free from sin, doubt, addictions, pains, lusts, anger, and the many other things that don't please Him. We have a choice. Are we willing to walk with Jesus, to take up the sword of the Spirit, begin to read the Word of God, and to commune with Him daily? When we make this choice we will have eternal life in Heaven with the One who took our pain. He's the very One who has done it all for those He loves. He's acquainted with our sorrows and our griefs. He's acquainted with the burdens that we carry, and He's willing to share Himself with you and I. He was willing to come down and live within us and among the believer in the form of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is so good that He would share with us everything about the Father and how great He truly is. God bless you all. Amen.

Return, O Lord.

"Return, O Lord, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies' sake" (Psalms 6:4 KJV). This young generation faces so much pain that is caused from rejection and disappointments. Families are being torn apart and the young people have no idea why it's happening or what is going to happen. Young kids are being torn between two homes, and moms and dads are being torn between jobs, addictions, and selfishness. As long as homes do not honor God as their Lord, there will be no stopping this division. Divorce increases everyday in America. Many won't even get married because they say that the one they are with might not even be the one they love. As the days go by, more people despise the truth. They chase after the things of this world rather than the ways of the Lord. The Psalms say,  "Have mercy on me for I am weak; O Lord for I am weak, heal me, for my bones are in trouble". (6:2). King David cried out when all was crumbling down before his own eyes, and that is exactly what America and the rest of the world needs to do. We have to understand that the world does not have the answer. It can only put a temporary fix on the problem. The division, addiction, rejection, and disappointments can be healed permanently when one decides to cry out to the Lord with all of their soul. Let's stop wasting time looking for answers from the world. We have all the answers we need in the very Word of God. All we have to do is ask, seek, and knock in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you. Amen.

They were stoned

They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented" (Hebrews 11:37 KJV); It is so easy to be distracted from the One True God.  There is distraction all among us. The question is, are you going to let it distract you? We read of many men and women in the Bible following after Christ. They too had many distractions, but the way they made it through was through their faith in the One whom they loved and relied upon. All the way from the Old Testament and into the New Testament many believers were martyred, tortured, and put into prison because of their faith in God. Talk about distractions, along with some pain! Many more were burned alive at the stake or dipped into boiling oil as the crowd watched. This was the devil's entertainment, to torture our fellow believers. It really hasn't changed. Today we live in a society who wants to pull our Holy Word, the Bible, out of every public place. They recognize the Word of God as a threat, and it has been this way since the hand of the Lord touched man and inspired him, by the Holy Spirit, to write it. The Holy Bible has become a distraction to the natural man, the man without conviction. The world knows that the believer, who truly has their heart on Jesus Christ, will go all the way even unto death for the One they love. Let's not let the world distract us, but let's allow the Living Word within our spirits to distract the distractions in our lives today. God bless you. Amen.

Blessed be.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Peter 1:3-5 KJV). God has so much for each one of us who have decided to continue on the narrow road. He has poured out His mercies upon each one of us by giving us a new life through being born-again to an ever-living hope in Jesus Christ. The Lord will came back to take every one of us to the Father's house where we can all be united with Him. While we are here on this earth, many tests and trials will come our way to try our faith. This is truly how men and women of God grow and stay on the narrow path with the Word of God. Trials will bring out the very best or worst from inside of each one of us. Trials will come to separate our will from God's will and to begin to create faith that is beyond our own. This faith is rich and poor. It has proven itself even up against the hottest of fires. This is the genuine faith. It is priceless and the very thing that pleases God. "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations" (V, 1:6). The trials are only for a little while. Stand in the hope of Jesus Christ. God bless you. Amen

Show me Your ways,

"Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and faithfulness and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You [You only and altogether] do I wait [expectantly] all the day long" (Psalm 25:4, 5 AMP). As we arise with the Lord, every day is a new day. The Lord is always there when we call upon Him. He's there when we mention His name throughout the day. It is so wonderful to know that He's there. We read through the Bible, and we see how powerful and willing is He to do just about anything for His children. God would love to see His children in perfect harmony with Him, with their hearts filled with the joy and pleasures that come from serving Him. King David, who writes this Psalm, was in distress, but that distress from the enemy was not going to stop king David from reaching the Lord. As we read and ask God to show us His ways, to teach us, and to guide us in the truth, there will come opposition. The enemy does not want to see you free with the joy of the Lord. He wants to aggravate you, and if he can, begin to oppress you. Remember the Lord is with you. The enemy can only go as far as God is willing and allowing him to go. We are protected. We are on the Lord's path. He is our guide to His Ways, Truth, and Faithfulness. Yes, distress and many other oppositions from the enemy of this world will come, but remember how good and merciful our Lord is. God bless you all. Amen.

Stedfast in the faith.

"Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world" (1 Peter 5:9 KJV). There have been recent tragedies  here in America, and they hit pretty hard from the Northeast to the Southwest of our country. We have been shaken. Families are hurting for the loved ones who've been lost, hurt, and broken.There was a little boy who started his day, possibly with great joy, to see his father run a race, who was one of the victims who died along with two others. This was all as a result of two young men who had a wicked idea. Thank God many more were not hurt or killed. We have to pray for these families. We have to pray even for the families of these two young men who caused the explosions. Their families are being hit on all sides. We have to pray for America. Also, many lost their lives, loved ones, and homes down in Texas. All seemed okay and many looked on as if it were just a fire blazing. All of a sudden a horrific thing happened, another explosion. Really, I don't know what to say, but I believe the Lord is trying to regroup His sons and daughters. As a result of these tragedies happening, that hit so close to home, it should make a people and our Nation stronger in the faith. These are times when American needs to keep on standing and believing in Him whom they trust. Afflictions do hurt, but the devil isn't going to get the victory. Continue to pray for your loved ones, for those who lost loved ones in these two tragedies in America, and for the many other accidents and deaths that occur daily. For we are among the brethren, not only here in America but around the world, who suffer. Pray also for them. God bless you. Amen.

Word of God is quick.

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12 KJV). Cooperation must be within us when God begins to separate us. We must be willing to cooperate with the Lord when the Word of God begins to divide the soul and spirit and analyze every thought in our hearts. The Word of God is not just like any other book. It is a Holy and Spiritual book. It is energizing and effective, active and powerful, and a threat to many in our countries. This Word pierces, for it is sharper than any two-edged sword. It gets deeper than our carnal nature can ever imagine. It gets right to the place where God can begin to grow in us. His Word does not grow on the outside, but it goes to the very depths, the inside of man. This Word of God is so powerful that even the devil is aware of its power. Some may say we're crazy for reading, studying, and looking further into it, but it is what separates the natural man from the supernatural, the soul and spirit. There is not one who can hide from God, whether they believe in Him or not. The Scripture says, "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do" (v:13). We are all exposed and defenseless to the eyes of God. I challenge you to read and study the Word of God daily, and pray that the Lord will begin to separate your will and conform it to His will. God bless you. Amen.

Knowledge shall be increased.

"But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased" (Daniel 12:4 KJV). It's funny how the world continues to move and change in time. There is so much that humanity has come to know, even within a hundred years. Technology is flooding and growing increasingly. The prophet Daniel had a great vision from the Lord. In this vision, he saw some great and terrible things happen in this world. The Lord told him to seal the book, meaning it is done and saved for the end times. In our times, we see so many people running to find answers. They will do this for the Lord says knowledge will increase. We have a tremendous increase of technology in this world, and it is powerful. So, the increase of knowledge also means the increase of the knowledge of the Word of God in these last days. The prophet Joel also gives us a prophecy through the Word of God. "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit" (Joel 2:28, 29 KJV). Along with the increase of the knowledge of the Word of God, He also promises that His Spirit will fall upon all who accept it. In doing so, the Word and the Holy Ghost come together to show man Bible prophecy. For many will search, but without the Holy Spirit, man will only be confused. Use this technology to increase your learning of scriptures, and spread the Gospel, the Good News, through the technology. God bless you. Amen.

Let us not sleep.

"Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober" (1 Thessalonians 5:6 KJV). We have to stay alert, watchful, and awake in these last days. So many things can take our eyes and hearts away from our Savior.  If we allow our natural man in the flesh to get it's way, we could get trapped so easily. We know that the end times are here and our Savior is coming back for His bride. It's obvious. The signs are right in front of us, but we have to understand that the enemy wants to disturb us and to distract us away from the truth. The enemy will use people to do that. In today's world, we don't know what could happen tomorrow or even today. So much has changed among our society, governments, beliefs, and people in general. There's so much hurt and pain out there among us. There's so much pointing fingers and blaming one another. The Lord Jesus Christ makes it clear when He says, "the world will hate you" (John 15:19). The world is confused. Man is confused. Christ let's us know that the world hated Him first. So, the world is going to hate us, the ones He has chosen. Many Christians will be hurt and pained by loved ones, by those whom they trusted, but God tells us to be watchful and sober minded. It is not the time to get relaxed, for the Lord speaks to us in this chapter on the coming destruction. He speaks about how we must put on faith, love, and the hope of salvation. We must take comfort together and edify one another in the Lord. God bless you all. Thank you all for taking time to read this daily.

Seek ye the Lord.

"Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near" (Isaiah 55:6 KJV). We must seek the Lord while we have time. We must cry out to Him with all of our hearts and let Him know that we love Him and are expecting Him soon. Sometimes we get caught up with the ways of this world, or maybe the flesh arises turning us away from the Lord. It might happen in just a moment, but in that moment we can get trapped by our flesh. Then before we know it, we feel so far from God. In this chapter of Isaiah, there is a promise to all of humanity from our God. He invites all to come to the waters, to come and be filled that our souls may live. The Lord mentions that He is near. We should be seeking Him. We should forsake all of our wicked ways and all of our thoughtless ways, and allow His mercy to fall upon us. He is calling those who sin to repentance and to the house of God. He's calling men and women back to repentance. He's calling the children of this world to repentance. (v:7) "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon" (Isaiah 55:7 KJV). Our God is so patient. He is waiting for all to come to repentance. He has no doubt that many will come back to Him. He has no doubt that the backslider will come back to Him. He's full of love and mercy. How powerful that is. He's made us a promise, a promise that He will have mercy upon us all, for He will abundantly pardon our ways. Seek Him while He may be found. God bless you. Amen.

Abide in Me.

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me" (John 15:4 KJV).  We can do nothing apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the True Vine and we are the branches, and every branch which does not bear fruit is cut away. This means we, who are part of the Vine, must allow the Word of God to cleanse and prune us so that we my bear more fruit. If we become twisted into another vine, caught up with the things of this world, or if something else grabs a hold of our hearts and begins to delude the truth within our hearts, soon there will be no manifestation of fruit upon our hearts. The Word of God says "He will cut away every branch that does not bear fruit". The only way we can continue to produce fruit is by abiding in Christ. This takes place in the secret place, the place where we can grow intimate with Him. The secret place is the place where we can know Him, worship Him, and become united deeply with Him. There are consequences to those who choose not to abide in the Vine. Verse six says, "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned". God didn't send His only begotten Son to condemn the sinner but to save them. This was His purpose and it has been done. All we have to do is get a hold of His Word, put it around our hearts, and trust Him with faith. Bear your cross today. God bless you. Amen.

Be ye separate.

"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty" (2 Corinthians 6:17, 18 KJV). If one has sewn into this world, separation from this world can be pretty hard because they have reaped from it. This makes it harder for one to give up the world because they have lived by its truths and ways. All Jesus Christ is asking is for us to surrender our whole hearts to Him in order that we may gain life in abundance. It's harder for the elders to deny themselves than it is for a child.  The elder has  dreamed about and built his life into this world, while the young child has not had the ability to do so quite yet. The elder who has built and produced gain in his life will have a tougher time denying himself, but a child has not put any self effort into the world. So, the child has a greater chance to deny themselves and follow after Jesus Christ than the elders do. That's why as a Christian it is so important to be separated from the things that so easily sway us away from Christ. There are many things in this world that are not particularly bad, but they can become habit-forming and take our time away from the altar of God and from truly following Him. The Lord says to separate ourselves from among them, the unclean things among this world. That means it will be a whole lot easier to serve Christ wholeheartedly when we decide to separate ourselves from the unbeliever and from the idols that surround us. There is really no other way we can serve God. We must put Him first in our lives. God bless you all. Amen.

Crucified with Him.

"Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin" (Romans 6:6 KJV). Victory is found at the cross of Calvary. When we deny ourselves, God is able to bring us into His care even greater than before. He is able to do this because when we deny ourselves and bear the cross, we say no more to our own strengths, our own thoughts, and our own ways. When we pick up our cross, we truly become sons and daughters in the Kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit is there at the cross to lead us and bring us to the knowledge of our Father in Heaven. He's there to show us the mind of Christ and how to continually be that living sacrifice. The Holy Spirit will teach us, lead us, and continue to minister to us as we bear the cross. The Cross continually condemns sin to death, and all that remains for us to do is to acknowledge and receive this self-denial. We will face our soul life, and the Holy Spirit will bring us to the understanding that we will have to forfeit it or we cannot go any further with Christ. People search for understanding. They read scripture after scripture. They pray night and day without answers. Let me tell you, we have to be willing to deny ourselves and follow after Christ wholeheartedly.  When we do this, we will be able to watch the answers to the prayers come to pass. Jesus didn't say it would be easy, but it is worth it. Count the cost and watch you life flourish in the Lord Almighty. Give God praise. God bless you. Amen.

The bread of life.

"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst" (John 6:35 KJV). The new water, the good water from the throne of God, will rush down and fill the dry and barren land and bring it back to life. There's only one kind of water that can keep a constant flow from an unending spring and that is the Living Water from Heaven above. Jesus spoke about it to the Samaritan woman. He spoke about how this Living Water would sustain the soul and bring life to the inner man. He said, "you will thirst no more". He was speaking spiritually. This living water is the Holy Spirit that comes into the believer and fills them up with as much as their heart desires, but it comes with a price. The price is that we must surrender our lives and live for Christ. We must put the Word of God first and begin to trust in it, live for it, and put our faith in Jesus Christ. God is looking for vessels who are humble and ready to be filled. These vessels will accept the Word of God with faith and will allow God the Father to mold them and form them into the vessel that God desires them to be. He's called us all, but very few will hear the call or desire to run to Him. I believe that most of the time the Lord will come looking for us. He will try to get our attention and show us His love. However, we all have our own will. Our will reflects who we are. How thirsty are you for Christ? A child of God is never satisfied with just a little of God. They continually grow, and they need the Living Water and Bread of Life to help them grow. Allow God the Father to sustain you and take care of you. Let Him be your life. God bless you all. Amen.

The engrafted word.

"Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves" (James 1:21, 22 KJV). These last days call for men and women who are going to stand up for the Truth. So many people have turned from the truth to compromise with the ways of this world. They have chased after material things and have made that their purpose in life rather than God. The Word of God has been laid aside for the filthy evil of this world. All we really have to do is look around and notice who serves this world. Notice how vain, selfish, and prideful the heart has gone. However, we know the truth. We've walked in the Word. It's time that we allow the Word of God to penetrate our whole heart and become engrafted into the Word. We hear the Word of God every day, but the Word needs to become more than just a word in our lives. We must reflect it. The only way this is possible is by opening our hearts and allowing God each and every day to come in and to have communion with us. When we make time for Him on a daily basis, time to pray, fellowship, and read His Word, the Holy Spirit will take the throne of our hearts. As  a result, we will soon become doers of God's Word and not just hearers. God bless you all. Amen

Exhorting one another.

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching" (Hebrews 10:25 KJV). The Lord eagerly awaits for his children to begin to take the Living Word into their hearts. He awaits to see His bride ready for His coming back to receive them. While we wait, let us gather together in faith because when we are in unity the devil has no dominion or victory. Let us come together and encourage one another. Let us build each other up in hope and faith, and exhort and comfort one another. We need as much help as we can get, and there is no better help than from one another in the body of Christ. Christ is looking for unity and commitment in this last hour. He is looking for one who will love Him first with all of their heart. Powerful things happen when we all assemble together in the house of God and begin to seek the Lord in prayer, praise, and worship. Expect powerful things happen! This is truly what the first church was born out of. They came together in unity and prayed with one another in order to edify each other, and the promise of God, the Holy Spirit, met them in the upper room. The body of Christ was not the same after that day of Pentecost. They became witnesses for Jesus Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit to go on to all nations and to preach the Good News. God bless you. Amen

Now there arose

"Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we" (Exodus 1:8, 9 KJV). When one grows strong in the Lord, the enemy will try with all of his might to come in, to deceive, and to lead away the child of God. The enemy saw how the children of Israel grew in an abundance, and he became scared and feared that they would overtake him. So, he increased their burdens  and made them into slaves. The enemy is fearful of the growth of believers. He's the one with the burdens. The more the church of God increases in faith, the bigger the hindrance the believer becomes to the devil. Here in America, the enemy has increased in his works to deceive the believer and to manipulate the culture and ways of life. America was once a country founded on the morals and principles of the Holy Bible. The devil became fearful of this nation, as he has of many nations, and decided to target the faithful nations with a mission to deceive and pull back as many souls as possible from true Christianity. We can see and notice the lawlessness that runs so freely across this world. So much immorality is rising among young people, who do not know the truth. They have freely given themselves over to the seducing spirits of this world without recognizing the wickedness behind it. Just remember, Pharaoh drowned new born babies in the Nile River and God drowned Pharaoh in the Red Sea. We must stay faithful to Lord and faithful to the call He has called us to. Be watchful and pray. God bless you. Amen.

Without excuse.

"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" (Romans 1:20 KJV): Life is given by the giver of life, God, and man has ignored this over the years. Man has tried to figure out where creation has first started. They only come up with theories that have no real solid foundation at all. The Holy Bible speaks of creation and the beginning of it, but man continues to question who or what created The One who created the creation. Let's think about this. How did the seed of the pine tree come into existence? If evolution exists, why did million of years of evolution decide to stop on humans? There are hundreds of questions asked about where we come from, and man will not stop trying to answer them, even if it takes them hundreds of more years. The truth is man was created by God who was, and is, and is still to come. He's the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. We have great technology, with many studying for hours, yet man is still with a question mark. This is because the more they look into creation and its first place of existence; the more their minds are filled with amazement on how awesome life really is. The more they look and study, the bigger, broader, deeper, and more complicated it gets. Yet, they are still without an answer on how we all came into existence. Let's just accept it. God is the Creator of the universe and life. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1 KJV). All it takes is faith. God bless you.

Thy first love.

"Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love" (Revelation 2:4 KJV). To those who believe; stand, keep watch, and serve the Lord your God with all your heart. We live in a time of confusion where the people have no understanding of what is right or wrong. There is so much compromise and so little thought on the outcome. We have regrettably turned our heads from the truth and walked towards the wrong. Sin is no longer a threat to our consciences. It has no impact upon the heart of man any longer. How far we have fallen from the Truth, the very Word of God. Children are no longer being raised under God's laws and morals, but under the laws of man and his standard of morals. The Lord recognizes the lukewarmness in the body of Christ, the church. Where it was once a powerful influence to the world as a place of safety, trust, and love; it is now powerless. The Holy Spirit is no longer bringing forth the Word of God from behind the pulpit, because men are too busy with other things in the ministry and have no time to pray or to get intimate. They have exchanged the Anointing of God for prosperity and are lost in themselves. "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent" (v 5). We must run to the altar and not forget our first love, Jesus Christ, who has saved us from damnation and darkness. God bless you all. Amen.

On His right hand.

"And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, 'Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world'" (Matthew 25:33, 34 KJV). We read in the Gospel of Matthew that the Lord will come in His glory and all the holy angels along with Him, and He will sit upon the Throne of His Glory. He will gather all nations unto Him and begin to separate them as a shepherd separates his sheep. This is called the judgment of all nations, the second coming of the Lord. The sheep and the goats will be separated. They will no longer be walking together. The sheep will be on His right hand and the goats on His left hand. The King will say unto the sheep at His right hand, "Come and be blessed by the Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you". But as for the goats, they are cast into eternal darkness forever. Only those with faith in our Lord Jesus Christ will be saved during this great time. The believer who stands up in the midst of darkness and proclaims God's good news shall be redeemed and brought into the Lord's Kingdom. The sheep hear His voice. They are acquainted with the Great Shepherd, our Lord Jesus Christ, for they have followed Him all of their lives. He has been near to them and they to Him.  He has shown them great and mighty works, and He feeds them in green pastures right next to the Living Waters, where He takes care of them. His sheep proclaim to the world that He is their shepherd and how wonderful and powerful He is. His sheep will go to those that are hurting, broken, and in need to show them Christ Jesus their Shepherd. God bless you. Amen.

What profit is it.

"Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered" (Malachi 3:14, 15 KJV). Some may say that it's in vain to serve the Lord our God, Jesus Christ. Some may ask, why we are so extreme for Jesus Christ whom we do not even see. They will say, look at the rich man who does not serve God and how prosperous he is. This sounds like many today who have no clue who Christ really is. They consider the proud and the ignorant as being happy and having favor, yet the Lord has a plan. The Lord sees them exalted, yes, by their own works in their own strength and sweat. But what does eternity look like for them? The Lord hears those who fear Him. He has a book of remembrance of those who reverence and worshipful fear Him. God says of them, they shall be mine and I will openly declare them as being my jewels. He says they shall be spared as a father spares his own son. So, ask yourself, if it is really useless to serve God. Those who do serve Him have eternity in heaven with Him. Don't let the world take your heart from your inheritance that God the Father has for you. God bless you. Amen.

The subtle enemy

"Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" (Genesis 3:1 KJV). The serpent came into the garden subtly. He entered so cleverly, without being recognized. He was determined to deceive the creation of God. The minute the woman gave attention to that serpent, Satan himself, she opened the door of her heart and he took advantage of it.  Ever since that moment in the garden and there after, Satan has been in this world lying and deceiving. His job is to steal, kill, and destroy. So many aren't aware of his trickery or how he comes into a heart and causes destruction. In our world today, Satan has taken over homes, families, cities, countries, and quite a bit of individuals. The Lord said that in the last days some will fall away from the faith, repel from the truth. The enemy is out to deceive. He's going to start deceiving where the truth is preached and where the truth is heard. He began to deceive in the Garden of Eden. Today, he might even make his way into the church. He will go into the church that lacks the Spirit of God or into an individual that's heard the Word of God, but allows themselves to go into the world free, with no boundaries. We must be careful what we watch, hear, and put ourselves in front of. The Lord tells us time and time again to be watchful.  These are the days that we have to be very watchful, for the devil's out to steal, kill, and destroy. God bless you all. Amen.

Behold.

"Behold, we are slaves this day, and as for the land that You gave to our fathers to eat the fruit and the good of it, behold, we are slaves in it" (Nehemiah 9:36 AMP). In the Old Testament, the children of Israel always battled with the flesh just as we do today. They battled and desired the things of their own hearts and idols from the nations that surrounded them. So, the Lord would allow the enemy to come upon them. As soon as the Israelites saw and knew that the Lord was not with them, they would begin to cry out for their Savior once again. The Lord would heard their cry, and He would save them from the enemy. They were free once again because God is merciful and is true to His covenant. However, the minute the Israelites gained strength and got some rest, they would do the same old evil again. As a result, God would allow the enemy to come back and cause chaos and destruction among them. So, this went on and on for 40 years in the wilderness, just as it does in the modern-day church. The children of Israel became slaves in their homeland because their kings and princes did not serve God nor give regards to the Lord. As a result, the children of Israel once again became slaves. It is no different today. There are governments and presidents in many countries that don't believe in the Lord as our Savior. So, we fall under their dictatorship, and we become slaves in our own land. God has to hear the cries of His children once again. A cry from a broken heart. A cry from the children in slavery. Give God praise this day. Amen.

The Lord is close.

"The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are humbly and thoroughly penitent" (Psalm 34:18 AMP). We wait for You O Lord. We hope for Your return. It has not been so easy at times. The world is filled with temptation and darkness. So many times we have gotten tired, yet the battle  continues. Our flesh says this is hopeless and questions when it will ever end. We have found ourselves complaining within our minds. It looks so dark and stormy. The valleys are deep, and the mountains are so high. We cry out in the mist of it all, and He hears our cry.  How can one give up when we have come so far, have seen Your wonderful glory, and have tasted Your mercy? How beautiful life is when You're by our side. Your grace brings strength to the brokenhearted. You, O Lord, love us all so deeply. How can one ignore such a love as Yours? When we walk with You in the storms, You are our Light and Shelter. The valleys become pleasant, for You guide us. When we walk with You, no mountain is too high for You. "Many evils confront the [consistently] righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all"  (v:19).  We put our trust in You, for there is no other like You. You are Mighty, Powerful, Holy, and Pure. You are so faithful to Your covenant, O Lord.  We give You praise. Amen.

Your abundant mercies.

"Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their enemies, who oppressed them; and in the time of their trouble, when they cried to You, You heard from heaven; and according to Your abundant mercies You gave them deliverers who saved them from the hand of their enemies" (Nehemiah 9:27 NKJV). Give the Lord praise this day for He is mighty, strong, and merciful to those who have fallen away. Look up for our Redeemer draws near. The time is near. The Lord will be coming back for His church, His bride, those that love Him and have faith in Him. Every time Israel fell back into their idol worship and sin, the Lord would wait patiently for them and allow them to go through trials, burdens, and slavery. He allowed this because He knew that there would be one who would cry out for help from the inner part of their heart. Today the Lord also waits patiently to hear the cries of His bride, the cry of His people, of a child, a mom, or a dad. He has His ear turned to this world and His eyes on the heart of man. We must cry out like we have never cried out to our Savior. We must pray like we've never prayed before and fast like we've never fasted before. These are the days that God is wanting to hear our voices. These are the times that we must hear back from God. We can't waste anymore time being ritualistic, religious or comfortable. Notice the hour! The Lord has formed us and made us for this hour. He called us to war for humanity and to get the attention of this world for Jesus Christ. It's not too late, and we're not too old. Thank you all across this world for reading this devotional. God bless you.

Gone into captivity.

"Therefore my people have gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge; their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst" (Isaiah 5:13 NKJV). So many in this world have no knowledge of the Message of the Cross. It is the Word of God, and many do not understand it. We have knowledge of everything other than the knowledge of the Bible. For example, we know how to build a house, how to grow in the ministry, or how to be successful; but we have no knowledge of Jesus and what He did at the cross. It was at this cross that all sins were broken and all humanity was set free. Isaiah says, "the multitude dried up" because they have no knowledge of who God the Father is. Many take church, prayer, and worship lightly. It has become a ritualistic thing in their lives. Some come to the house of God, hear the message, and leave, only to find themselves once again in sin, burdened and hurting. So many are in captivity, blinded by the gods of this world, and time and time again they cry out for freedom only to find that their hearts are trapped by sin. There is a way out and it comes through faith in the cross of Calvary, where Jesus Christ hung and died for all humanity. When our faith is in the cross of Jesus Christ, strength and perseverance is available to us to help us overcome, and the mighty grace of God is there to help us through. God bless you

Consider Him

"For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself,  lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls" (Hebrews 12:3 NKJV). Sometimes discouragement can hit us hard in the middle of the battlefield. Just when things look like they're all coming back together, the enemy throws something in that hits us right where it hurts the most, the heart. We must remind ourselves that we are in a war for our souls and many other souls, and that we have a Father up above in Heaven who takes us through things that we are able to handle. He won't give us anything greater than what we are capable of handling. So, when we remember what Jesus has already done for us, it turns that discouragement into encouragement. Jesus has been through it all. I believe there were many times that Jesus got discouraged, but through the many times of discouragement, He reminded Himself why God the Father had sent Him. So, in times of discouragement, when it hits us right where it hurts the most, remember that Jesus felt the same things we have felt, yet He still died for whom He loved. Still so many rejected and despised Him. How discouraging is that? Jesus did not look at this or allow the feelings to grab His heart. Love overcame discouragement, and the love of the Father is greater than any discouragement or bitterness that could ever be thrown at our hearts. Look past the discouragement and into the heart of our Lord Jesus, and find peace and rest in His arms. Give Him praise. God bless you.

This is the day the Lord has made;

"This  is  the day the  Lord  has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalms 118:24 NKJV). How beautiful it is to arise from a night of sleep to a new day with the Lord. It is beautiful to know that Jesus Christ has risen from the grave, has conquered all principalities of darkness, and has redeemed us all back to the Father in Heaven. What a blessing it is to know that we walk with the King of Glory, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Mighty One of Israel. Let us rejoice in our Lord and Savior. This is the day that the Lord has made, and it is a great day to be found deep in His presence and to know that we serve the One True God. He does not look away from us, but He is so compassionate. His mercies endure forever. Give thanks unto the Lord for He is good and trustworthy. When we call on Him in our distress, He answers us. When the enemy surrounds us with evil, He is our defense and strong tower. Blessed is the stone that the builders rejected who became the Head Cornerstone. O give thanks unto the Lord and praise Him with a song. God bless you. Amen.