At the door.

"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:19, 20 KJV). Are we ready to go home? Do we hear the Lord knocking at the door? The Lord is at the door waiting to be let in. He has knocked on the hearts of everyone who has come into existence. He is watching and waiting for that heart to open up and let Him come in and sup with them. This is the very place Christ Jesus loves to be and the only place He is able to reach us. Keep your guard, stand, and fight the good fight of faith. For there is so much deception and lies that have saturated this world, causing many to repel from the faith. The anti-christ spirit is on the move, and it sets up traps filled with many temptations that fulfill the lust of the flesh. The more one is swayed by their own lust for these traps, the further he or she will get from God. The end is devastating. There might still be a desire for freedom for that individual but no way out. The soul becomes lost and filled with guilt and shame. Then, there will be no more conviction for the sin that has become a part of their lives. Jesus says, "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Matthew 24:24 KJV). Repentance is the key to our lives. Get ready to hear the voice of the Lord speak to you. Open the door and have communion with Christ. Give God praise. God bless you. Amen

Belief of the truth

"But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth" (2 Thessalonians 2:13 KJV). This is an exciting time to live for the Lord. It is so powerful to be able to see and read about prophecy unfolding in this last hour. Just look around and see the lawlessness that is rising in our countries and upon this world. The Apostle Paul prophesied that in the last days many will fall from the faith. They will abandon their true love, Christ Jesus. This is surely an exciting time to live in. It is time to let God prepare the church, His children, those who stand upon the Rock, those who rely on Him, and those who have made Him their King. It's time to allow the Holy Spirit to sanctify, cleanse, and make us holy. He has chosen all onto salvation. He has brought the truth to everyone of us, and it's up to us to guard ourselves and stand continually in that truth. Establish your heart in the good Word of Christ. Plant yourself on the foundation and principles of Christ Jesus. Paul was letting the Thessalonian Church and every believer know that the time will come when many will continue to follow the way of the wicked, bound by their own sin. This will continue to grow, and the powers of Satan will continue to deceive many. However, God gives every believer comfort. He pours out His Holy Spirit, loves on us, and gives us an everlasting hope through His grace. Give God praise today for He is worthy of all praise. God bless you. Amen

Thankful

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry (1 Timothy 1:12 KJV). The apostle Paul was very thankful that the Lord looked down upon him with great mercy and gave him a ministry and a voice, by filling him with the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul had such an encounter with Christ. It was so powerful that he was not about to disregard what the Lord had spoken to his heart. This man was very thankful for Jesus Christ and what He did at Calvary. The Lord did not look at Paul's past, nor did he look at what Paul was on his way to do before his encounter with The Great Light. God does not come against us because we were sinners, but He opens His arms with love, calling all to His ministry. Everyday is a day to be thankful. For the Lord has taken us out of the chains of darkness and set us free into His glorious light. Remember when you were lost out in the world without hope? Remember how you never found a way to be set free? Remember how the darkness came in and suffocated every last breath you had inside of you? Remember how the darkness spoke to you time and time again with those familiar voices, the voices of torment that were used by Satan to depress you and consume you with anger and rage. The darkness would also speak death over you. Suicide became a very familiar thought. However, now the Lord has given us salvation, a heart of peace, and rest. He's called us to the ministry to proclaim the Good News to those who are just like us. The Lord is worthy of being praised. Give God thanks today and forever more in the name of Jesus Christ. God bless you. Amen

Find watching

"Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to eat, and will come forth and serve them" (Luke 12:37 KJV). It's time to get ready. Be on your guard for the Lord's return is near. The signs of the times show that the coming of the Lord is right at the door. It's not the time to mess around and compromise with the things of this world, but time to stand up and gird up your loins with the Word of God and the Sword of the Spirit, ready for battle. Jesus mentions several times to His disciples and to the whole world, "Be watchful, beware, and don't be deceived. For there are many false prophets and false teachers that are out there". Many people will follow their teachings only to find themselves alone and in the dark. This is the time to stand in your faith, truly grounded in the Word of God. Saturate yourself in the Truth. Be built up, rooted, and ready, allowing the Holy Spirit to live within you. We cannot afford to fool around. Prophecy is coming to pass in this late hour. So much is happening around this great world, and it's happening fast, faster than we wish it would. It's time that we draw close to our savior and seek Him as we've never saught Him before. We must try with a deep passion to grab a hold of our loved ones and take them before the Lord Jesus Christ. We must let them know that the Groom is coming back for His bride very soon. There must be oil in our lamps. God bless you. Amen

Good report

"For by [faith–trust and holy fervor born of faith] the men of old had divine testimony borne to them and obtained a good report" (Hebrews 11:2 AMP). When one serves the Lord, faith is not an option but a must. We have to have faith. The Scriptures say, "Faith comes by hearing and by hearing the Word of God". We need to hear the Word of God and seek it in order to build up our faith in the Lord. Sufferings, temptations, and trials will come into our lives, but they are there to build our faith. When the trials and temptations come, we must learn how to trust and rely on Christ Jesus. Faith is how the church of old stood during persecution and suffering. They continued to lift their hands and give praises to God above. When they stood up in faith, there was nothing that got in their way. No suffering, no amount of torture, nor opposition was able to break them from their faith because faith became their life and nothing else, which comes from being constantly in the Word, our Lord Jesus Christ. The church of Christ will only grow upon faith. Faith is what opens man's heart to the truth and the mysteries that God so wants to show the faithful. "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:6, 7 KJV). Hold on to your faith. It brings a good report to man. God bless you. Amen

Obeyed

"By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going" (Hebrews 11:8 NKJV). Sometimes it doesn't feel good when we are being tried in this wilderness. Whoever said Christianity was easy must not have been tried or tested themselves. When God begins to deal with the heart at a deeper level, sometimes it can hurt deep inside. Other times it is a blessing when things are going right in our lives. However, there is a constant dying to self in this walk with our Lord Jesus. For those who are willing to go beyond the Jordan, Christ will bring to the surface of their hearts the very issues that they must face and possibly renounce in order to continue this journey with Him. This takes a deep faith that can only come from the throne of God. This faith is found in the Word of God and alone with God in the prayer closet. He uses the issues that surround us everyday to build up our faith in Him. God is constantly training us and trying to get our attention to rely on Him more and more every new day. The great patriarchs, who stood up for the truth, were also tried and tested by God continually. For those who saw these men and women did not see them only, but they saw Christ living through them. Christ needs us all at a higher level of faith, and along with that higher level of faith comes the proper works. It isn't an easy walk, but with great faith the mountains will move. Let's take our eyes off the problems and put them upon that great city that is made in the sky, the home the Lord has called us to for eternity. God bless you. Amen

God who commanded light.

"For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (II Corinthians 4:6 NKJV). It's a battle and a warfare that each and everyone of us are involved with in one way or another. Satan desires to pull us away from our Lord every minute of the day, as much as he can. The enemy desires to see us defeated, filled with depression, and thinking that there is no more hope. Many stay trapped at this point, speaking doubt over their lives and saying, "how can the Lord love me after all that I've done?" Or "How can a God who is holy want to live in a heart that is so filthy?" These are words of believers that have fallen into the deception of the darkness. Satan begins to weigh the believers down with what they have done in the past, and he handicaps them with thoughts that will keep them down, even into the future. As long as one isn't pursuing or determined to grab a hold of the Lord, Satan will always be there to convince them they are living the life of defeat. However, remember the Lord came into this world to shine light into the darkness. Jesus came so that those who are bound by the darkness would only trust and follow this great light and so that they too would be filled with light. Then the darkness would have no more authority. God bless you. Amen

Watch therefore.

"Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36 NKJV). Set a watch over yourself and your families. Times are only going to get harder. There's a spiritual famine in the land. Many have fallen from their faith in the Lord, giving themselves over to the spirits of the world without even realizing it. A great sleep has come upon a great number of those in the house of God today. Doctrines of man fill the pulpits, and many are running to this foolishness, which deceives the soul of man from the real truth that is in Christ Jesus. Jesus said, "Be watchful and pray". Those who seek the Lord and grow intimately with Him have a greater chance to escape everything that we all will be faced with. Sin floods our countries, and the youth are running to all that the world has allowed in. Perversion and immorality, along with all kinds of other filth, has become common in so many cities and even homes. The believer is getting trapped in this common deception the world sees as normal. “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth" (vs. 34-35). We are living in times where prophecy is being fulfilled everyday, and the signs surely show Christ's return is very near. It is not time to fall asleep spiritually, but stay awake and alert in the Lord. God bless you. Amen

The Lord lives.

“The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let God be exalted, The Rock of my salvation" (II Samuel 22:47 NKJV)! The Lord is our Deliverer, our Rock, and our Fortress. He delivers those who have faith in what He did at Calvary and who give the Holy Spirit latitude to work in their lives. After many years of being chased down by Saul, his enemy, and fighting battle after battle, David sung his last song to the Lord. King David knew who took care of him and who saved him from every trial and defeat. God delivered David right out of the hands of Saul, and during that time God taught David how to stay faithful, obedient, and in the Word of the Lord. David had some tough times in his ministry before he took the throne of Israel. God had to mature and mold David into a man of God before he sat down upon the throne. God was showing David that the only way he would ever have success was to totally trust and rely on Him at all times. Walking with God takes faith, and a great amount of it. David found more faith when he was alone with the Lord. We must not let our struggles be turned into defeats, but allow them, through the Holy Spirit, to mold everyone of us into perfect children of God. David knew that the Lord was the source to his victories, even if he did fall behind every now and then. He knew the only way out of the flood of ungodly men and the enemy, was by praising God during the trial. Praise God through the hard times, then in the hard times it will be easier to praise the Lord. Christ will get you through. He always makes a way. God bless. Amen

Loyal

"Toward the loving and loyal You will show Yourself loving and loyal, and with the upright and blameless You will show Yourself upright and blameless" (2 Samuel 22:26 AMP). The church needs to seek faithfulness unto the Lord greater in this last hour. Living our lives for Jesus Christ can be a little tough, especially when we lack faith. Many times we can find ourselves trying to serve Him and willing do everything for Him, but we are doing it under our own will and power, without faith. This is when the believer gets into trouble. Many times the believer expects something to come forth out of their works, like a reward for their doings. In this case, they will get rewarded for their works, but only by men. The minute we turn away from the Lord to do our own thing, is the minute we renounce Him as King over our lives. Eventually it will become a normal behavior for the believer to walk in and abide in their own understanding. Many have come to a point of seeking God only in the days and times of trouble, yet they are not abiding with Him on a daily basis. As a result, one will become spiritually dead because the source of life has been cut off. The flow of the living waters from the throne of God has been forgotten about. One can quickly become religious in their hearts. Their lives are all about playing the part, just to get by and to fill their conscience. Turn to the Lord in faith. In these last days, He is surely showing the world through great and terrible signs that He is soon to return. God bless you. Amen

Build the wall.

"Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach” (Nehemiah 2:17 NKJV). Nehemiah trusted none other than the Lord. He needed the work done, and for it to get done fast. There was no need to look for help. Nehemiah trusted that the Lord would gather people to help, everyone that would be found useful to the rebuilding of the walls and gates. God the Father stepped right in, held back the opposition, and brought the laborers right to the wall, ready to do the Father's will. The Holy Spirit will strengthen the hands of those who begin to rebuild what the enemy has broken down. The Father has so much love for His children. He is so faithful to His Word, His wants, and His desires for every believer. He does not look past the affliction of His people, but He puts an ear to their cry. He loves to take care of us and watch over us with affection, hoping all would come to Him with a full heart. He is our guide all the days of our lives. He gives us the living waters that keep us alive in the times of drought. When there is a famine in the land, He is the Bread of Life that comes to sustain us in the times of need. The Lord is the life giver, and all life is given and comes into existence through Him. Look to the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and Earth. See how wonderful He truly is. Seek for His heart and His face, and He will show you the direction your life should go. Nehemiah did not stop working until the work was done. Step up in faith. Let us rise up and build. God will send the laborers. God bless you. Amen

Their bondage

"They refused to obey, And they were not mindful of Your wonders That You did among them. But they hardened their necks, And in their rebellion They appointed a leader To return to their bondage. But You are God, Ready to pardon, Gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, Abundant in kindness, And did not forsake them" (Nehemiah 9:17 NKJV). God called the children of Israel, began to establish them, and tested them in the wilderness. He took them from bondage and chains. He took them right out of captivity and into a place where they needed to have total trust and faith in Him in order to survive. Many times He showed them His glory, goodness, mercy and grace, but they fell back trying to do things on their own. God has not changed. He is the same today as He was in the wilderness with His children. Today we have Jesus Christ, who helps the sinner in need. He will set free those who desire to be set free. He died at Calvary, rose from the grave, and gave His life so that all may come to know His salvation. That everyone who believes in Him will stand firm and immovable in these last days. However, just like the children of Israel, we too are living in the wilderness. We are living in a wilderness that is filled with desires and temptations. These obstacles can easily flood us if we turn away from the One who has called us into salvation. It can get tough out here in this weary land, and it gets even tougher when one doesn't trust in the Lord our Savior. So, many Israelites began to complain about their situation in the wilderness. Many cried out against Moses, their leader, and wished to go back to the land of Egypt, where God released them from captivity. Many will fall from the faith in these last days. Keep watch and pray that you are not led into temptation. Give God praise. God bless you. Amen

So much rubbish.

"Then Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall” (Nehemiah 4:10 NKJV). A house is not built by one man. Even God, up in heaven, does not sit alone. For the Son and God the Holy Spirit sits there with Him. We cannot build alone. The people of Judea began to complain as they saw the rubbish in the streets of their city. They quickly began to lose heart by the way their circumstances looked. This can be the greatest thing that interferes with the believer that needs to get back to Christ. Rubbish is useless. It is good for nothing, yet it is in the way of our labor. Maybe our past or yesterday's sin is in the way of our lives. This rubbish needs to be cleared out before the wall can stand once again. Too much rubbish may fill our hearts, homes, and streets, taking our strength away and causing us to fail. Nehemiah had the heart to rebuild Jerusalem, and God the Father gave him the strength and the Holy Spirit to do so. Nehemiah's heart was filled with hope in the secret place of prayer, and in that place the Lord put hope and a great hunger in his heart to see the children of God standing once again. Nehemiah labored through all the rubbish. The rubbish only built hope in his heart and the desire to see the city of God standing, cleaned, fortified, and ready for any attack that may come. Let us also do the labor of the Lord, who has called us. It isn't time to grow weary in our labor. It is time that we seek the Lord in prayer and find His strength to continue the work that needs to be done. Remove all that is useless out, and allow God to bring in the new. God bless you. Amen

Confusion

"Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion" (Nehemiah 4:7, 8 NKJV). All Christian workers must expect opposition and discouragement from the world and even from the church. Nehemiah was ridiculed and mocked by the enemy, but he was determined to see the Lord's will done for God's children. He kept on seeking and praying to God, along with many others. Prayer and watchfulness always brings victory. Nehemiah saw how the gates of the city were burned down and the walls were broken down in many of the parts surrounding the city. He was crushed in his heart and vexed in his spirit to see the state that his people were in. The things we see with our own eyes could easily defeat the soul. Nehemiah did not let the "now", the way things look, get him defeated. He made up his mind to press in with the Lord. He prayed, fasted, and allowed Christ to move the spiritual mountains that were in the way of him achieving the desires of his heart. It takes prayer to move the opposition back and to bring God's glory into place. This may not stop the threats of the adversaries immediately, but don't lose hope because victory is moments away. This is a war. This fight is "the good fight of faith". It takes laborers that will fight on the front lines in prayer and fasting. There's no room for bystanders in this fight. Keep guard and stay fully armed. God bless you. Amen

He shall sustain you

"Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved" (Psalms 55:22 NKJV). God has His eyes on us. The Lord brings hope and refuge to those in captivity. He brings healing to the sick and puts clothes on those in need. He could do the miraculous, miracles beyond man's wildest imagination. However, He also needs men to be focused on Him, for He uses man to help man. Just as His only begotten son, Jesus Christ, came to this world as a child grown from a young boy into a man. When He was old enough, ready for the ministry He was led to the Cross of Calvary as a man also. Jesus made an atonement for every one on that day at Calvary, and from that day on the enemy has been defeated by this one Man. God is looking for man to arise out of the shadows of complacency and begin to call upon His name. Enough time has been spent in front of the television. Enough time has been spent doing our own things and not being the priests of our homes. It's time the man picks up his cross and begins to follow Christ Jesus, denying himself every bit of the way. Jesus is our greatest example of being a man, and it's time we grow up and become one too. God bless you. Amen

Give ear to the words

"Hear my prayer, O God; Give ear to the words of my mouth" (Psalms 54:2 NKJV). King David cried out because he was in need. He did not hold back on his cry. He asked the Lord to hear his cry. It's time we ask God the same thing. It's time to press on and move forward. There's no time to linger or stay back, but it's time to stand up for the name of Jesus Christ. It is that time. We are God's chosen. We are His people and He is our God. The days are going a lot faster. Time is moving at a faster rate. It isn't time to sit back. The time is now, more than ever, to call upon the name of our Lord. Go into deep prayer and meditation with the Word, Jesus Christ. Our families need someone to stand in the gap for them in this late hour in the name of Jesus Christ. Sons and daughters of the Lord it's time to get to the cross of Calvary and plead for our loved ones. The only way we can be sure to see our loved ones with the Lord is if we believe and continue standing in faith with Jesus. It might look impossible or they may seem too lost for salvation, but nothing is impossible for our Lord. He is able to save even the most wicked sinner. It's up to us. Don't give up! God bless you. Amen

The Lord be with you.

"Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!” (I Samuel 17:36, 37 NKJV) David didn't stop believing, even when he was surrounded by an army of grown men, who stood at a distance in fear for their lives. He could not even fit into the armor because it did not fit him or feel right upon his body. However, that did not stop him from achieving the greatest victory in Israel's history. When one is filled with the Holy Spirit and is close to God the Father, they already know the enemy has been defeated long ago. David wasn't going to allow the enemy to rule over God's people. He was not going to allow the giant, Goliath, to stand and mock the God of Israel. How many times is that giant standing in front of us mocking the God of Israel, our Holy God? Many times we don't do anything about it except hide. It's time we run and face the giant that stands in the valley in the name of Jesus Christ. For he has been deceiving, lying, seducing, and filling our kids with darkness way too long. It's time we hit him with the very "Rock", our Jesus Christ. It's time we come after him with the Sword of the Spirit in the name of our Lord. David was not going to allow Goliath to go any further that day. The Holy Spirit led him down to that valley, alone and without any armor. All David had was just with a sling and a stone. When the Holy Spirit is with us, there is no stopping us. He gives us all that we need, for He fills our artillery. Stop that giant in his tracks, and give God the glory today for He is with us. We just have to believe it. God bless you. Amen

A man of war.

"And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth” (I Samuel 17:33 NKJV). Nothing in this world can stop the warrior that was birthed, disciplined, and shaped in the prayer closet. The prayer closet is the place in which our Lord anoints individuals and gets them ready for the battle that awaits them outside of that door. He equips us with all that we need to stand against our adversary, the evil one. David knew this special place of prayer. It was not taught to him, nor were there books brought to him that would teach him. He just desired to know God our Father in a greater way. With this desire burning in his heart during the time of opposition, he knew that the Lord would be there by his side. It is in the prayer closet that we begin our day with the Lord. It is there that the Lord walks with us out of that door to face the adversities and the attacks that come against us. It's time to grab a hold of our Lord Jesus Christ in the prayer closet, and ask Him to walk with us through our day, to guide us, to mold us, and to discipline us as He did for David. Warriors for Christ are made, grafted, and refined inside the prayer closet. Please don't ignore your time with the Lord in this last hour. It's very important that we know this placer. Give God praise. God bless you. Amen

Your servant.

"But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it" (I Samuel 17:34, 35 NKJV). What do you face today that holds you back from your blessing tomorrow? Young David knew nothing else but the voice of his father and the sheep he tended to daily. As he watched the sheep and took care of them, he grew into a worshipper, a player of songs and hymns, during the time he was alone out there in the fields. He learned how to converse with the Lord on High. He also began to recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit and the power of God's hand upon his young life. David learned at a young age how to worship and praise the Lord. This young man grew close to God the Father in a mighty way. There was no fear found in David. He found himself, on two different occasions, facing a bear and then a lion that took a sheep each time. However, both animals were caught by surprise with a single stone slung from David's sling. David learned how to face the enemy at a young age, without an ounce of fear in his heart. He was being controlled by the Holy Spirit. The very power of God guided David. David wasn't about to lose any of his father's flock to a bear or lion. He made sure that all was safe, for it was his job to keep them safe. Are we keeping our blessings safe and trusting in God the Holy Spirit to guide us in the fields this day? God bless you. Amen

Friendship with the world.

"Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God" (James 4:4 NKJV). Separation from the world comes from the heart of an individual. In order to be separated from the things of this world, we must have a deep hunger and a want. The worldly things only bring hurt, pain, and suffering. Separation is when the individual strives to keep themselves pure and holy, allowing the Holy Spirit to sanctify and consecrate their lives. If one desires Christ Jesus and wants freedom or a deeper walk with the Lord, they will discipline themselves to be separated from the things of this world. It is the things of this world and the love of them, that will keep a person, the believer, from serving Christ faithfully. There are many things of this world that take the place of our faith in Jesus Christ. The things of this world will only keep us lingering, from stepping out faithfully, and from living our lives true to our Lord. Friends of the world are enemies of God, for they look to something else other than Christ as the object of their faith. The more the believer is drawn into the world, the harder it is for them to come back to Jesus Christ, but it is not impossible. Begin to check out your personal life, and look to see if there is anything that draws you away from the Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you. Amen

Purposed in his heart

"But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself" (Daniel 1:8 KJV). Daniel, along with his three friends, learned how to separate themselves from the world at a young age. They learned how to stay consecrated by praying to the Lord and looking to Him when trials set in. They weren't going to defile their bodies with what the king of Babylon had at his table or bow down to praise the idols that surrounded them by drinking a strange wine. They set themselves apart, even during times of affliction and slavery. They knew the Lord their God was faithful. We too must set ourselves apart and be vessels for God only. This does not happen overnight, but it takes time. It takes a desire and a want for more of God in our lives. These four young men learned through trials that the Lord was true to His Word and faithful to the end. This comes with knowing Christ Jesus in an intimate way, and it isn't through just hearing of Him nor believing in Him, but walking with Him. When we believe the Lord is surrounding us, He is part of our lives, not only within us but around us every day. Then when the trials comes upon us, we know without a doubt that He is there with us. He teaches us how to stand and what to do in that trial. This is the greatest school to learn from what the Spirit of God teaches the believer, and the believer allows the Holy Ghost to teach them. This is the School of the Spirit. God bless you. Amen

Afflicted.

"Is anyone among you afflicted (ill-treated, suffering evil)? He should pray. Is anyone glad at heart? He should sing praise [to God]" (James 5:13 AMP). Be determined, and let nothing stop you from worshiping the Lord. The slightest issues can be the greatest wall to break through in the prayer closet. There are times when we will think about the problem and allow the problem to takeover our minds instead of praising God. This stops us from asking God to take over the problem. We might be going into the prayer closet determined, desiring, and wanting to grab a hold of the Lord, but the moment we kneel down the problem shoots through our minds and our thoughts are stopping us from a breakthrough. If this has happened to you, then you are among many fellow believers that go into the prayer closet with problems. This is very common, but our time must be given over to the Lord. It takes worship and a heart that's going to break through the problem at hand and abandoning it at the altar of prayer. Many times it isn't easy, especially if the issue is great. However, we can't allow our minds to focus on what does not bring glory to God. To overcome is to overcome the problem on our knees before the throne of the Lord. Give God praise and just worship Him . God bless you. Amen

Bear fruit

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me" (John 15:4 ESV). We are helpless and useless without the Lord within us. We must search ourselves and ask if there is anything that is stopping us from truly abiding in Christ Jesus. What stops you from reaching out to the Lord? Jesus has spoken to us many times through the Scriptures and said "abide in me and I will abide in you". Are we really walking with Him, speaking to Him, and abiding in Him? Or are we relaxed and content where we are, with very little of Him? Jesus is the True Vine. He alone is the Source of Life. God the Father is not just the Vine Dresser, but He is also the Owner, the Creator of us all. Every believer is going to have times of growth in their lives, if they have faith in Christ Jesus. Only the Holy Spirit can bring forth this growth and His fruit, the fruit that shows the finished work of Christ. Abiding in Him means we will seek Him, desire Him, and be found in Jesus Christ. Let nothing separate you from Christ our Lord. "If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned" (vs. 6). Our lives wither away without Christ in them. We must stand in faith in this last hour, believe with all of our hearts, and watch the fruit come forth that will glorify God. God bless you. Amen

Give thanks before his God.

"When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously" (Daniel 6:10 ESV). The world cannot take your worship or praise. Daniel was a praying man, a man that looked up to God and who had communion with our Lord daily. There came a time when a decree was established against every man or woman who was caught praying to their own God. According to this decree, if they were caught they would be thrown into the lion's den. However, this did not stop Daniel from praying. He opened his windows towards Jerusalem, knelt down, and prayed three times that day. Daniel was a prayer warrior, and there was no way a decree, a law, or a king was going to stop him from praying and worshiping the One True God. Men may not want you to pray, whether it be in your school, work, or place of residence, but that cannot stop a praying man or woman if they have a deep desire to reach up to Heaven. Time is short, and it's time we open up our windows in our chambers and begin to pray towards our cities, towns, and countries, whether others like it or not. Make it a habit to pray! The lion's den did not stop Daniel from getting on his knees and seeking our God. There are so many things that have stopped many people from getting on their knees and seeking the Lord. It's time to check our hearts. Are we truly desiring conversation with our God? God bless you. Amen

"And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” (Luke 7:23 ESV). Lord, you are in charge. There is no doubt that you'll get us through the tough times that are coming. Just as you made a way for the children of Israel in the wilderness, you will also make a way for all who stand in faith with you. There is a time coming, a time that is so near, in which the believer will be tried and faced with many afflictions, sufferings, and temptations. However, this will not stop the born again child of God because the Lord is getting the Church ready for the hard times that are coming. He will allow the faithful to face oppositions and afflictions in order to bring maturity and growth to their spirits. In these last days, the Church must be walking, talking, and standing in the faith. This is how we will be able to reach out to those in need. We must come back to our first love and let Christ Jesus raise us up in the faith. When we learn and desire to walk with our Lord, there will be no turning back to that old nature. These are the times that the Church needs to grow in faith. God bless you. Amen

Where could I go?

"Where could I go from Your Spirit? Or where could I flee from Your presence" (Psalm 139:7 AMP)? There is nowhere to run from your Spirit, O Lord. There is nowhere we can go. You are everywhere. Once the believer has been touched by God and has felt the oil of the anointing pour over their body, there is nowhere they can hide from God. We have been bought with the precious blood of Jesus. We have been saved from the curse and the wrath of the evil one. God knows us, His children, far greater than we even know ourselves. He searches us. He tries us. He molds us. Many times we hear His voice speaking, possibly even shouting out from our hearts, but many times we ignore that voice to do our own thing. It is the voice of God that cries out from inside that keeps us near Him. There's no great distance that can separate the believer from the Lord's presence. Even the darkest night cannot hide the believer from the loving eyes of God the Father. It is not the time to be running or hiding from God the Father! He sees His children and what they are doing. He knows our thoughts from afar off, even before they're even thought about. He recognizes and understands all that we face and the challenges that come to our doorsteps, but it isn't time to run or hide from God. Allow Him to search your heart, and come into harmony with Him through the Holy Spirit. Don't ignore His voice. God bless you. Amen

Sift you

"And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (Luke 22:31, 32 KJV). Sometimes it feels as if the Lord does not hear our cry. Sometimes we ask ourselves, why would such a powerful all knowing God allow us, His children, to go through tribulation and suffering? There are many tough times and trials that come upon every believer, along with temptation after temptation, and it seems like it never ends. However, just like Simon Peter, we too will go through a time of trial and testing. God will allow Satan to sift each and everyone of us. The devil tempts us in order to bring out the bad in us, but God tests us in order to bring out the good in us. The simple truth is that at times God will use Satan as an instrument to address our character, causing the believer to see God's holiness rather than their own. Our Lord recognizes our sufferings. He hears our voice cry out. However, don't expect Him to interfere or pull us out of the furnace, for out of the furnace of affliction, comes forth a soul greater than any gold, a soul that is refined and purified. We may be going through some tough times, but it is through the tough times or sifting that God will always pray and intercede for each one of us. Sifting can do two things. It will either make one become disobedient and rebellious to the point of running from God, or it will cause one to draw closer to Him in a greater faith and need. This is a time of growth, and the end result shall be a deeper faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you. Amen

What doth The Lord require of thee.

"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God" (Micah 6:8 KJV)? The Lord spoke to Israel through the prophet Micah, and He reminded them of all He had done and had shown them. He reminded them that He is the only way to salvation and also of what He has required of us all. Our Lord Jesus Christ has come to show us and give us the way to salvation. He constantly tries to grab the attention of our hearts to let us know that His ways are honesty, mercy, and humility and that we should be walking the same way. Sometimes we may find ourselves no different than Israel, trying to sacrifice everything we have to meet the needs of God the Father. How quickly we forget that Jesus Christ came down to the earth, was crucified and died, and that He paid the price. He is the ultimate sacrifice. We are to become followers of our Lord Jesus Christ and true worshipers of Him only. The Lord cries over the cities and nations of this world. He sees the wickedness that is treasured up in the house of the wicked. He sees how so many people continue to hide in their personal treasures of wickedness. We must be honest with ourselves. Are we doing as the Lord requires? The Lord looks upon us with mercy. Just as He is merciful, we too must show mercy to those who surround us every day. It is through humility that one can come near to the Lord. Begin to seek what He requires of us, and live it out through the Holy Spirit. God bless you. Amen

Be not weary

"But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing" (2 Thessalonians 3:13 KJV). There's no time to get comfortable in this fight of faith. We must stay active, alive in the Holy Spirit, and seek God the Father and His goodness daily. When our eyes and minds begin to flirt with the world, it grieves the Spirit of God that lives within us. No wonder the church is weak and powerless to the enemy in this last hour. Where is the fight? Where is the fight for our loved ones, for the youth, and for children of this world? Where are those who plant their knees and faces into the floor and cry out to the Lord for the body of Christ? King David, Hannah, the Apostle Paul, and many others knew it would take prayer to keep the fire of the Holy Spirit burning within the body of Christ. If a person continues in fellowship with the Lord behind that closed door, the enemy has no room to come in. This brings a greater hunger and thirst to that person's life, and getting comfortable is the last thing they think about. Many need the fire back in their lives. Many need self-control, patience, boldness, conviction, and the love that the Lord brings through His Holy Spirit. This can only come when one is keeping in fellowship with the Lord Almighty. God bless you. Amen

I give unto you power

"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you" (Luke 10:19 KJV). It's time that we take to heart the authority that God the Father and Jesus Christ has given to us. Today, so many Christians are falling into slavery once again. They began the good fight of faith on fire, filled with the Holy Spirit, and walking in the integrity of our Lord. Then all of the sudden, they're bound by the lies and temptations of the devil. We must be careful not to open up the door of our hearts to the things of this world. We must be watchful and cautious at what we are looking at and listening to . Satan is working overtime in this last hour, and he is using all he can to grip the born-again child with lies and deception. We know the devil's work, and we know how even the elect will fall from the faith. Call upon the Lord, repent of your sins, and ask God the Father to rekindle the fire within your very soul, that same fire that brings conviction and righteousness to our hearts. Stay alert Child of God! Don't allow the enemy to get a foothold in your life. This is not the hour to compromise with your soul. It is time to fight the good fight of faith and to be watchful. Walk in the authority of Jesus Christ! He has entrusted us with that authority so that we may have victory every day. God bless you. Amen