But whom say ye that I Am

"He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am" (‭Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭15‬ KJV)? None of us are made perfect. We all have flaws, defects, problems, issues, and sins that arise in our lives. We should realize that we are just human beings who make mistakes, and we should try to learn from them every time we find ourselves far from Christ. Peter, the disciple of Jesus Christ, was a man who had a heart and determination to know who Christ was. Just like us, Peter was not perfect in any way. We read about how Peter was a strong hearted man. Just like many of us, he was a man who spoke up before he thought. However, God gave him a revelation of who Jesus was, "the Christ, the Son of the living God." The Holy Spirit has been given to you and I to teach us about the person Jesus Christ. The journey of the school of the Spirit can teach us along the way. The flesh likes to get in the way, trying to lead one in the direction opposed to Christ. You may find yourself with scars from the battles along the way. It can get frustrating and overwhelming, but we do not go through these hours of trials alone. We have the Great Shepherd, who has brought light to our lives and victory through the cross. Every failure in our lives is covered by His blood. We are victorious in the blood of Christ. Do not let your failures get the best of you, but let Christ have all of you. God bless you. Amen

Reign over them

"And the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them" (‭I Samuel‬ ‭8‬:‭7‬ NKJV). It is a choice of the people of whom they would allow to rule their lives. The children of Israel wanted to be like all the other nations that surrounded them. They desired a king over them, one that would have a rule not only over their cities but also their lives. They chose a man instead of a prophet of God. They chose the way of the world instead of the kingdom of God. The Lord allowed them to make their choice and choose for themselves a king. Sometimes we too can get caught up and misdirected by our own decisions and choices, not really knowing what we truly want for our own lives. The people chose Saul as king of their nation. In doing so, the prophet Samuel warned them about what would come to pass if a man had lordship over their kingdom. We too must be watchful of the choices we make. It is Jesus Christ who has reign over the church. It is Jesus Christ who has the authority to place man and remove man. Man is bound to fail and disappoint in one way or another. We can easily become weak and tempted by ungodly things. We tend to look out for ourselves instead of others, and the church is starting to look more like the world. Be watchful in this late hour. We can easily follow after and agree with issues that are of this world and not of the kingdom of God. God bless you. Amen

New every morning

"Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness" (‭Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭22,23 NKJV). It's a new day, along with a new year. Time sure does fly by. Just think about all the storms you went through, all the valleys you climbed out of, and how the Lord Jesus was there every moment of your journey. What a blessing this last year was for you and I. Our Lord got us through it alive in Him. There were many times I found myself complaining along the journey. There were also many times where rivers of tears flowed from my eyes because of the hurt. Just like many of the saints of old, the journey may seem long at the time we're going through it, but there is an end to every journey and a new beginning right at the end. Our Lord Jesus has erased the struggles, sufferings, rejections, and failures that we faced. How good He is! He has brought us to a new day once again. Let us praise the Lord Jesus for all He has done for us this last year, for the blessings that He poured out upon us with love and grace. Just when we didn't think we were going to make it, Jesus came through and proved himself faithful once again. Let us remember those trying times of faith and the great victories won in this last year. Let this new year be even more powerful than the last. Happy new year! God bless you. Amen