False Prophets

Deuteronomy 18

A New Prophet Like Moses
15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, 16 according to all you desired of the Lord your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’

17 “And the Lord said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good. 18 I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. 19 And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him. 20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ 21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’— 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

How to identify false prophets/teachers

Matthew 7

You Will Know Them by Their Fruits
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

2 Peter 2:1-3 (NKJV)

Destructive Doctrines
2 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does[a] not slumber.

What we should do to discern the truth heart of the prophet/teacher

1 John 4:1-3 (NKJV)

4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that[a] Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

Pray to the Holy Trinity for clarity, wisdom, knowledge, strength, discipline to the Word of God. All to ensure the wolf in sheep’s clothing is not the "prophet/teacher" you follow. Ask God, is the is truly a person of His will, way, and word?  Ask Him to show you and others that gravitate to this teacher, the desires of the heart of the leader, meaning intent, as well as your own. Stand firmly on the Word of God,  His son Jesus, and take the teachings of the prophet and compare them to the teachings of Christ. This will tell you who this person or group truly is. Thank God along the way for all His work to steer you and others right.

Abba, Father! We Praise You today! Despite life's and the enemy's challenges we are Here! By Your grace, mercy, love, forgiveness, joy, peace, and discipline, we stand against all that is not of You! Thank You Father God!  Thank You for the weapons, tools, guidance, and know how to thwart the enemy's plans. These same things You have given us will help us to expose the heart of hearts of those proclaiming to be prophets, teachers, even You.  Please light our path that we may not stumble. But, should we falter, please guide us back to Your path.  Help us to show others how to discern truth from lie, wolf from sheep.

Amen.

Jesus is the Light in a dark, dark, world

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

John 8:12 NKJV

In a dark forest, you need light to guide your path. Life is that forest, and Jesus was sent to light our path to eternity with God.  This Light also illuminates the traps of the enemies, and reveals their identities.

Many choose to walk blindly and aimlessly in the darkness.  I pray we all see the folly in these people's way. To choose darkness brings condemnation upon one's self. Step out of the worldly blindness that plagues us tremendously.  Open your eyes and see the Truth, the Way, and the Life that God truly is. Amen.

Live in reverence of God

Psalm 27New King James Version (NKJV)

An Exuberant Declaration of Faith
A Psalm of David.

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.
4 One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.
14 Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!

This can't be stressed enough. We are not made to live in fear. We are made to live in reverence of the Almighty YahWeh.  Stand boldly in faith, be patient in it, and never sell out the the enemy!  Fear is a tool of destruction, don't allow it into your life, your home, your church, school, anywhere!  Stand up and walk boldly in Christ, our eternal Saviour! Let nothing, family, friends, life, circumstances, principalities, and so on, stop you from living in and outwardly reflecting the image of Christ!

Path to Righteousness

[ BOOK ONE: Psalms 1—41 ] [ The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly ] Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 1:1-2 NKJV

Following the law of the Lord will lead us to righteousness! Following the law and the wisdom and the knowledge of man will only further our demise.  Becoming a student of the Word, becoming a disciple of Christ will lead to eternal fellowship with God. Amen

Sanctif them by Your word

John 17

17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

Jesus asks that the Disciples be sanctified, or set apart.  This word also means to make Holy.  Why did he pray this? What does it mean for us as believers?

He prayed this on behalf of His Disciples. For us believers, then and now.  We are sanctified because we actively choose to follow Christ daily and allow His will to be done in and through us.  Luke 9:23-30 says

Take Up the Cross and Follow Him
23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily,[a] and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? 26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.”

To take up your cross daily and follow Him and His will is what allows our sanctification. Put the worldly things behind you, and follow Christ. Doing so will gain you a spot in eternity with the Father.  By knowing and obeying His word, plus sharing the good news, we are set apart.

A Lamp into my Feet

Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

Psalm 119:105 NKJV

The Word of God is the Light that shall direct our paths. If we dwell in the Light of the Word, the evil cannot reside in our hearts.  To dwell in the Light of God means to become students of His Word, live, eat, breathe His Word.  Life may not be easy in the Light of God, but as Christ said:

Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV)

28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”. 

Matthew 28:20 (NKJV)

20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

That is reason enough for me to run, without hesitation to the Light. How about you?

The camel and the needle

Matthew 19:23-25New King James Version (NKJV)

With God All Things Are Possible
23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”

Many of us could read too much into this portion of Scripture. We could conclude that God won't allow rich or monetarily wealth folks into the gates of Heaven. This is not so.  For proof read the book of Job.

He was a wealthy man.  His wealth did not hinder him from praising God and being loyal to Him. When the devil approaches God at the start of the story, God says try My servant Job.  To identify him as His servant means that Job is a trustful and honored soldier for God.  Wow, what an honor right, but how would this translate today?

First, look at the context of the times when this was written.  Many of the wealthy oppressed the poor. They enslaved the poor, cheated them out of their fair wages, jailed the poor for literally anything the rich saw fit, and worse. The story of Ananias and Sapphira further backs this point in their deceitful plot to cheat the Holy Spirit. Many of financial upper class society were not viewed as favorable. 

Fast forward to now. Many of the tyrannical acts of the wealthy of old are religiously repeated by the wealthy today. Many are more concerned about building and keeping wealth that they can't take with them in the next lifetime.  So much so, that many wealthy people try stop death itself, but this is not true for all.

Many of the wealthy folks today give money in philanthropic causes. Some are brave enough to get their hands dirty and physically help the poor themselves. Instead of looking down upon them from their mansions and cars, they willingly stand beside them Luke a true sibling or friend in Christ to support them. It is not wealth that causes a person to get to or be kept out of Heaven, its the means by which wealth is obtained, maintained, and if being wealthy is placed above God and His will.  The folks who do right by God, like Job, I feel, would enter into the gates of Heaven. 

Lord, as we all progress in or walks with you, please let not any hatred to those who are "rich" that cheerfully and willingly give to help the poor materialize.  Please Jesus, teach us how to love them, not for their wallet, but to model their willingness to give, and their cheerfulness to do so. Teach us that it matters not how much, but that we give for Your name sake. AMEN.

Delight in the Commandments of the Lord

Trouble and anguish have overtaken me, Yet Your commandments are my delights.

Psalm 119:143 NKJV

Delight in God no matter the circumstances.  Praise is what we do! When we get to Heaven, we will praise Jehovah continuously.  We must do the same here and now.  It is easy to praise we life is going our way. But, YahWeh demands us to praise even more when life seemingly turns against us. Jesus prayed to the Almighty in the garden before His betrayal. But, he equally praised Him in that hour.  WE HAVE TO DO THE SAME!  when our backs are against the wall, praise God! Don't rely on our mediocre knowledge and wisdom. Praise, seek, and listen to the Omniscient Father. He will deliver you.  If H brings you to a place in time that is inconvenient for you or me, WAIT!  Praise Him anyway you can! Amen

Delight in the Commandments of the Lord

Trouble and anguish have overtaken me, Yet Your commandments are my delights.

Psalm 119:143 NKJV

Delight in God no matter the circumstances.  Praise is what we do! When we get to Heaven, we will praise Jehovah continuously.  We must do the same here and now.  It is easy to praise we life is going our way. But, YahWeh demands us to praise even more when life seemingly turns against us. Jesus prayed to the Almighty in the garden before His betrayal. But, he equally praised Him in that hour.  WE HAVE TO DO THE SAME!  when our backs are against the wall, praise God! Don't rely on our mediocre knowledge and wisdom. Praise, seek, and listen to the Omniscient Father. He will deliver you.  If H brings you to a place in time that is inconvenient for you or me, WAIT!  Praise Him anyway you can! Amen

Christ's Suffering

[ Christ’s Suffering and Ours ] For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

1 Peter 3:18 NKJV

The human race is so diluted with sin, greed, and self, that we could never again make a sufficient offering that is pleasing to God. Thus, Christ dying a sinner's death while He Himself was sinless, became the ultimate and purest sacrifice.  Honor God, do our very best to live right, keep Christ in our hearts, and put Jehovah above EVERYTHING, and our Spirit will reside with Christ forever! Amen.

Time with God

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18New King James Version (NKJV)

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

How many of us focus on remaining in a prayerful state of mind throughout the day?  I would guess not many. With all of life's distractions, we'd say, it's impossible to pray without stopping all day.  Something I learn at a retreat two years ago: P.U.S.H.  Pray Until Something Happens. Be persistent and consistent in prayer. Carve out time in our daily lives that is solely for you and Christ.

During these times, praise God for His generous love and blessings. But, lift up all concerns and frustrations as well. Prayers is our means of communication with Jehovah Jirah.  It would behoove us all to make time for YahWeh. Not doing so will almost assuredly lead to doom!

Pray as often as we wholeheartedly can! Amen!

Praising God

Revelation 19:4-6New King James Version (NKJV)

4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” 5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both[a] small and great!”

6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the[b] Lord God Omnipotent reigns!

Psalm 150
[ Let All Things Praise the Lord ] Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! ...

Exodus 15:2
The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him

Exodus 15:11
“Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?

Praising God is what we are supposed to do! Praise Him through prayer and our lifestyle. Everything we do, think, and the like, must reflect Christ to the world. Praising God when life sucks is the hardest. But, if we put our hearts into it and make God bigger than the issue (s) before us, we are living out the example of Christ.  He was about to Die, but praised God anyway. Praise He who holds you in His hands.  Let nothing stop you from praising God.  He has a passion Texas heart the beats strongly for us!  Praise Him, let Him do his thing, and life will have new meaning. Put Him first and above all! PRAISE!

Change

John 3 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Teaches Nicodemus
3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus(A) who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.(B) 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi,(C) we know(D) that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs(E) you are doing if God were not with him.”(F)

3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.[a]”(G)

4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.(H) 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit.(I) 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”[d](J)

Born again. This ideology perplexed a scholar, Nicodemus, to the point of being speechless. As Jesus explained, it's not a physical rebirth, but a spiritual death then rebirth.  This is what water baptism symbolizes. The recipient's choice to renounce sin and death.  To be baptized by the Holy Spirit,  means that the Spirit of God can move in and work change from within.

To be changed by the Holy Spirit is constant work in progress.  It takes time, not and immediate fix.  But, to be changed in this context, means to be transformed into a new creature in Christ Jesus.  We cannot and must say we are saved from sin and keep consciously doing the same and/or different sinful things that led us astray from Jehovah in the first place. We must live within a new lifestyle.

Jesus set the example we must strive for. We may not be able to model it perfectly, but strive for it continuously. When we falter, He will be there by love, grace, and mercy,  to pick us up and walk with us along the way.  When we know something is wrong, don't do it. If you have to question it, seek YahWeh and His wisdom, knowledge, and counsel. We must seek Jesus in all we do, and be patient in waiting for His response and movement in our lives!  Embrace this change the Holy Spirit is working in you and your life. The reward is a more intimate relationship with our Lord and Savior, but also eternal life.

Hope

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

That hope is Jesus Christ! He came and gave us hope that life will be Eternal with him through Jesus Christ. Jesus is living a sinful life yet dying a sinner's death was the plan from God the entire time. We got so far away from God that we could not make up correct sacrifice to him as he requested. So, in order to justify us being with him again in heaven, he had to make the ultimate sacrifice. He sacrificed his son. Now that we have this hope let us not waste it let us not make God's efforts in vain.

Shun Evil

[ Shun Evil Counsel ] My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother; For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, And chains about your neck.

Proverbs 1:8-9 NKJV

What happened to teaching our kids to stay away from evil? What happened to teaching them how to identify evil? Has evil infiltrated our lives to the point where the line between YahWeh and the devil is blurred or nonexistent altogether? For a large portion of the world, this is sadly true.  We must lean on the Word of God to redraw this often ignored line. We have to work together to do so.  This is one of the many areas where we need to reclaim the youth of today away from the world. This will help many wayward adults as well. Not to condemn our fellow man, but to help them up and out of the worldly clay called "life". Life comes from and goes back to Jehovah. Amen

Water for the soul

[ Psalm 63 ] [ A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah. ] You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.

Psalm 63:1 NIV

We all experience situations where we are barren and thirst for God.  Like the Psalm says, we must earnestly seek God to have the thirst quenched. Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well about the living water that would allow her soul to thirst no more. To obtain this water, we must study God's Word and pray for His wisdom and knowledge to fall upon us.

Live each moment for God

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.

Proverbs 27:1 NIV

Boasting About Tomorrow
13 Now listen,(Z) you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”(AA) 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.(AB) 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will,(AC) we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.(AD) 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

James 4 NIV

in the song, "One day at a Time", it says: yesterday is gone, sweet Jesus. And tomorrow, it may never be mine. Please Lord for my sake, help me to take one day at a time. This is sage advice, especially in this day and age. People plan things days, weeks, and years out, with the expectancy that they should and will be here to execute said plan. This touches on the general ignorance to the frailty of life. No second, let alone day, is guaranteed to anyone! Live for and praise God in every waking moment. Love on those closest to you every chance you get, as we don't know when it will be our last affectionate moment. Amen!

The Light

John 3
16 For God so loved(V) the world that he gave(W) his one and only Son,(X) that whoever believes(Y) in him shall not perish but have eternal life.(Z) 17 For God did not send his Son into the world(AA) to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.(AB) 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned,(AC) but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.(AD)19 This is the verdict: Light(AE) has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.(AF) 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.(AG) 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son… many people repeat that verse of scripture repeatedly over and over and over. Often without reading the next few verses that follow it. God look at the world and saw that it was full of Darkness meaning sin and evil and just no one for the most part wanted to live right. Butt instead of condemning The World, God gave us a second chance or technically 4th 5th 6th 7th chance so on and so forth. He gave us the opportunity to have light to guide our path to direct us from sin. He gave us his son Kama unblemished sinless comma to show us how to live right in a way that would honor Jehovah. Many people look at that and laugh, but little do they know that they are laughing at themselves Instead of condemning the world, God gave us a second chance or technically 4th 5th 6th 7th chance on it all for it. He gave us the opportunity to have light to God our paths to direct is from send. He gave us a son, on blemish to send this, to show us how to live right in a way that would honor Jehovah. Many people look at that and laugh, but little do they know that they are laughing at themselves and condemning themselves to an eternity separated from God. This includes many Christians, who fail to understand the true meaning of this scripture. Being a child of God is like Judaism, it’s a lifestyle.  We have to let go of the worldly lifestyle and proclaim YahWeh as the King of Your life by Model our lives after th example Christ set. Perfection is not the point, but, aadherence is required. 

Lord, you set the example of how to live a life that honors the Father. Please walk with us each day. Teaching us everyday more of who You are. I pray we listen, wE need to listen. Father, thank you for today, and every day to praise You. AMEN

Don't Worry

Matthew 6

Do Not Worry(AB)
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry(AC) about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.(AD) Are you not much more valuable than they?(AE) 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]?(AF)

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor(AG) was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?(AH) 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.(AI) 33 But seek first his kingdom(AJ) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.(AK) 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Why do we worry? How much time do we waste in an hour, a day, our lives....worrying? Like the Scripture says, do you add an hour to a day worrying? NO!  when situations arise that drive us to worry, stop, praise God, pray for wisdom knowledge, perseverance, and understanding to navigate the problem and the He be Glorified throughout by our actions.

Some will say, praise God? My lights are off, my gas tank is on E, and I may be laid off. How am I supposed to praise God??? This is when praise is most important.  We can praise Him when the chips are stacked in our favor. But we must praise God even more when life goes bonkers. If we can praise God at the worst of times, pray for those things mentioned, there is no time for worry. Will it still hurt, yes, but Christ will be with you to carry you through....if you let Him. Worry solves nothing. It only delays time to come up with a solution, Causes immeasurable stress, dysfunction, and separation from God. 

Lord, for all of us who struggle to praise You when we are going through the tough times, teach us how to override the humanistic reaction and praise You. I pray that our worry ceases which would allow you to enter and work with and through us to solve the problem. Teach us Father to remain calm and not worry. For You have this under control, we need to obey your in the process of the resolution. If you colored the flowers, what more will you do for us at all points of our lives? Help our unbelief Jesus, that we may leave worry behind and grow closer to you.  Amen

Examine yourselves

2 Corinthians 13New International Version (NIV)

Final Warnings

5 Examine yourselves(K) to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.(L) Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you(M)—unless, of course, you fail the test? 6 And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. 7 Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. 8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 We are glad whenever we are weak(N) but you are strong;(O) and our prayer is that you may be fully restored.(P) 10 This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh(Q) in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.(R)

Paul instructed the church at Corinth to examine themselves. This may seem like a man abusing his power as a leader, but he was just in this instruction. He realized that they were questioning if he was in fact an Apostle and if Christ were truly speaking through him. His instruction to examine themselves is in regards to the church as a whole be tested against the example of Christ.  Live in a godly fashion, as Jesus did. Be devout in you quest to see God and dwell in His presence.

Are we in need of examination against the godly example of life Jesus left us?  How many of us would fail the test?  Should we fail, know that it is not the end.  Christ gives grace & mercy freely to those who seek Him wholeheartedly. If we fail, the love Jesus has for us will allow the grace & mercy to enter in and give us another chance.......forgiveness!

I pray Father God,  that You bless us with the wisdom, knowledge, strength, discipline, discernment, protection, forgiveness, grace, mercy, and love to pass the test now and forever. We need these blessings Lord to do your will as you would have us to do. For anyone who may read this Lord, brand your name on the fabric of their hearts, minds, and souls. I pray we all follow your example and place our steps in the path the You have laid for us. When we are weak or falter, we know you will be there to carry us.

Amen

United in Christ

Philippians 2:1-2
[ Imitating Christ’s Humility ] Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.

Being like-minded in and for Christ is a vital component to the Christian life.  How can we claim the Christian banner as our own if the life we live is the polar opposite of that which Christ Himself set as the example.  Now, we realize that people are not perfect, and perfect emulation of His example is nearly irrational.  But, we all should work together to help each other escape the clutches and consequences of sin by encouraging each other to model His example to the best of our ability. 

Living this way allows His example to be seen by others. This would give them a glimpse of who Christ is and what it means to be a Christian.  We all must let go and let the Holy Spirit worked within us to bring us closer to God.  It's time for us to unite as one church, under Christ, and together, bring glory to God!

Christianity as a Lifestyle

Philippians 4
Final Exhortations
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!(F) 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.(G) 6 Do not be anxious about anything,(H) but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.(I) 7 And the peace of God,(J) which transcends all understanding,(K) will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice.(L) And the God of peace(M) will be with you.

Paul goes through great lengths to lift up and encourage the church at Philippi to press on and emulate himself as the example of a Godly lifestyle. For us as Christians, we must, as Paul did, emulate the life of Christ as much as possible. Doing so allows others to see Jesus in us. To be a Christian is more than a fad, or group.  It's a lifestyle.  We are to live it, breathe it, be a tangible example of what YahWeh’s love through Christ is.

God's strength is perfect

2 Corinthians 12:8-10New International Version (NIV)

8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.(A) 9 But he said to me, “My grace(B) is sufficient for you, for my power(C) is made perfect in weakness.(D)”(E) Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight(F) in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships,(G) in persecutions,(H) in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.(I)

When we rely solely on our own faculties to solve life's problems, many people tend to boast about themselves. Clearly this is not giving honor and praise to God.  When we call on YahWeh in our weaknesses, His strength is made perfect. Allowing Jehovah Jirah to do His thing in our moments, ensures that what is best for us is done. Relying on His strength at all times is a testament to our reverence and faith in God.  Hand our lives over to God and leave Him in control. In our times of pain, physical,  emotional, and spiritual,  He will step up and in our lives! Amen

A dwelling place for God

Ephesians 2

19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Once we accept Christ in our lives, the burden of sin, it's grip, and the consequences thereof are destroyed. The blood of the Lamb washes us. We are officially a new person through, in, and because of Him. We should go and sin no more,  just like the adulteress. In doing so, we shall treat our bodies and souls, as well as our lives, as temples where God may dwell. YahWeh does not dwell in sin rich place, like Sodom and Gomorrah. Work hard to become a welcomed dwelling place for God. Leave sin behind, and Jehovah reign in your life for all eternity! Make the Alpha and Omega the most important thing in your life! Bigger than all your problems, your doubts and fears!

Walk in The Light of God

John 3:16-2116 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

The world is made of darkness and suppressive methods.  God is the Light! Leave the dark behind and dwell in Him where we will be free and find rest!  Let the Light into your life! All of us have dirty and unscrupulous deeds in our lives. God has seen them and still yearns to love you and awaits your return home.  We do things that are wrong and try to hide them. Who or what are we hiding them from? God sees all things, knows all things. Yet, despite all that, He sacrificed His Son on a tree to break the curse of sin and death, that we may have the example of Christ to live by and ultimately reunite with Author of Life in Heaven. Christ told the adulteress,  to paraphrase: those that sought to condemn you have left. I also do not condemn you.....go and sin no more. He forgave her and told her to change her lifestyle, sin no more. Love.....that is where God's grace and mercy, and and so forgiveness derive from. If we step into the Light, then these gifts become ours! Amen. 

Forgiveness comes from Grace and Mercy

Psalm 32New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 32
Of David. A maskil.[a]

1 Blessed is the one
    whose transgressions are forgiven,
    whose sins are covered.(A)
2 Blessed is the one
    whose sin the Lord does not count against them(B)
    and in whose spirit is no deceit.(C)
3 When I kept silent,(D)
    my bones wasted away(E)
    through my groaning(F) all day long.
4 For day and night
    your hand was heavy(G) on me;
my strength was sapped(H)
    as in the heat of summer.[b]
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you
    and did not cover up my iniquity.(I)
I said, “I will confess(J)
    my transgressions(K) to the Lord.”
And you forgave
    the guilt of my sin.

The gift of Grace and Mercy derive straight from the heart of God...His love for us.  These gifts are not "get out of jail free cards". They should never be taken for granted like we earned them or are ours to dole out as we see fit. Jesus's words to the adulteress express His expectation of us when we claim Him as our Savior:  10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

11 “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,”(A) Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”(B)

Go and leave your life of sin. Let that life of sin die! Allow yourself to be reborn/made new on the blood and love of Christ! Sin is the method of control used by the devil to drive a wedge between us and God. Sticking with that life is certain destruction.  Seek the light of Jehovah Jirah, His name is Jesus Christ!  Bathe and soak in His Light. Wash the filth of the darkness off and be brighter than 10,000 suns. Accepting Christ eliminates a multitude of sin and darkness. 

Allow the light in to your heart, mind, soul, your lifestyle! His yoke is easy, and His burden is light! In other words, loving Him and living out His statutes is easier than that of darkness. Seek God and allow yourself to be healed and made new today.

Praising God

Praising the Lord!

32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them.(Y) 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”
34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.”
35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks(Z) on the road.
37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives,(AA) the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”[b](AB)
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”(AC)
39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”(AD)
40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”(AE)
41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it(AF) 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side.(AG) 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls.(AH) They will not leave one stone on another,(AI) because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming(AJ) to you.”

2 Samuel 22:47
“The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be my God, the Rock, my Savior!Psalm 150New International Version (NIV)


Psalm 150
1 Praise the Lord.[a](A)
Praise God in his sanctuary;(B)
    praise him in his mighty heavens.(C)
2 Praise him for his acts of power;(D)
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.(E)
3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,(F)
    praise him with the harp and lyre,(G)
4 praise him with timbrel and dancing,(H)
    praise him with the strings(I) and pipe,(J)
5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,(K)
    praise him with resounding cymbals.
6 Let everything(L) that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.   

Praising the Lord is a requirement of our decree that Christ is the Son of God.  Praise glorifies the Holy Trinity. Most of us praise God when things are going well in life. We give thanks for the blessings, and we mean it wholeheartedly. But, how many of us pray when life is thrown into a chaotic tornado that flings you into the midst of a hurricane? What I am getting at is this: when the good times or day light, seemingly end, and night, chaos, ensues, do we Praise God the same?  When a loved one, financial security, amongst other things are taken from us, can we still praise God and give thanks for what we have? When we are denied an opportunity for advancement at work, cannot find a job, just cannot get a break, can we still praise God and trust Him to deliver us? Paul asked that a thorn be removed from his side. God said, “in your weakness My strength is made perfect!” In situations like these, and plenty others not mentioned, it is super easy to fall victim to the tunnel vision syndrome that will only allow us to tend to the issue at hand. That often means for many of us that we loose sight of God,  and thus cannot praise Him as we should.  In the Luke Scripture, the people and Christ’s disciples openly praised Jesus as He entered Jerusalem, much to the Pharisees’ dismay. The Pharisees demanded that He rebuke them. He replies, “40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”” The stones will cry out. That is powerful! If we fail to praise God, the rocks will cry out in our place.  The point is to praise God more and more everyday, despite the circumstances in your path. They must have no bearing on how and why, or even where we Praise God! Amen

Life or Death

Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

1 John 5:12 NIV

If you renounce Christ as the Author of Life, then Heaven you will never see.  Jesus used the analogy of a camel passing through the eyes of a needle. Without Him in your life, you are that futile camel trying to get through the needle, or the gates of Heaven. Revelation 3:20 Says "I stand at the door and knock." If you let Him in, He will fellowship with you. He will not leave you alone at that table!  All it takes to earn a ticket for salvation is a "YES" to His request to enter your heart.  Saying yes means leaving worldly life behind, dying to sin, destruction, and death.  It in turn means your heart, motives, and life become refined. The Holy Spirit works to change your life from within, to allow you to live a life that is pleasing to God. Accept that invitation to join Christ and the Heavenly host in eternal fellowship. Live life through and for Christ.  Amen

Favoritism Forbidden

James 2New International Version (NIV)

Favoritism Forbidden
2 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious(A) Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.(B) 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges(C) with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters:(D) Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world(E) to be rich in faith(F) and to inherit the kingdom(G) he promised those who love him?(H) 6 But you have dishonored the poor.(I) Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?(J) 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”[a](K) you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism,(L) you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.(M) 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles(N) at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.(O) 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”[b](P) also said, “You shall not murder.”[c](Q) If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged(R) by the law that gives freedom,(S) 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.(T) Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Why do we as people discriminate against our fellow man? Does someone’s economic status dictate who they are? Does there wealth give you the full view of their heart? Does any of this indicate where they will spend eternity? You would be foolish to think so! Wealthy an d status perish with you. Both are hubs of corruption that society use to justify the intentional divide of people and nations. Jesus’s command to love everyone has no inclusion of discrimination, so why do we do it? If we strive to live on YahWeh’s wisdom and knowledge, the discrimination  that occurs in this world, will cease to exist.  Think about that…….

A prayer for increase

Abba Father,

As we know embark on this journey, today, give us increase! In crease in Your love, grace, mercy, peace, joy, wisdom, knowledge, strength, discipline, discernment, protection, and victory in you. Today, Father, we declare you as the life source of our existence.  I pray for You to move in the lives of the faithful to fulfill their needs within Your will. Heal the brokenhearted and the sick. Bring home the prodigal children lost in the world. Help those who are struggling to make ends meet. Deliver those who are embattled wigh turmoil, confusion, and the enemy. Father, today is the day started to grow closer to you and leave the ways of the world behind. Today, our worldliness dies, that we may be resurrected by and in Your, to claim our new self and set at the table of the Father.  Believe in Him, for through faith we are justified. Let us all rejoice in it! Today is the first day of your new life in Christ. Carpe diem, seize the day! Amen

Remember the Precepts of God

Psalm 119

89 Forever, O Lord,
Your word is settled in heaven.
90 Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
You established the earth, and it abides.
91 They continue this day according to Your ordinances,
For all are Your servants.
92 Unless Your law had been my delight,
I would then have perished in my affliction.
93 I will never forget Your precepts,
For by them You have given me life.
94 I am Yours, save me;
For I have sought Your precepts.
95 The wicked wait for me to destroy me,
But I will consider Your testimonies.
96 I have seen the consummation of all perfection,
But Your commandment is exceedingly broad.

Never forget the commandments of our God.  Letting the law of the world lead your life equates to certain destruction and separation from God.  Why give lordship to laws and doctrines whose genesis is tainted and doomed to disaster, and the same can be said of its end? In other words, why adhere solely to finite precepts of man? Make the Word, Law, and Love of Jehovah Nisi Alpha and Omega, and every moment in between, the head of our lives. Adherence to YahWeh equals abundant and everlasting life!

Love like a Child

Matthew 19

Jesus Blesses Little Children
13 Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.

This tiny portion of Scripture carries a great amount of weight.  "For such is the kingdom of Heaven." What does that mean to you?  For me, Christ is saying we all need to love like a child.  A child's love is pure and unadulterated.  They don't leave the womb knowing hate, prejudice, and discrimination, it is taught. If we would love like a child, many of the world's troubles could disappear from existence. But, because so many don't know God,  hate, prejudice, and discrimination are perpetuated in all forms of media and even in the church.  It's time for us all to start loving the way Christ explains here. Without care or fear, love everyone equally for His name sake. Amen

Receive me Oh Lord

Psalm 119

25 My soul clings to the dust;
Revive me according to Your word.
26 I have declared my ways, and You answered me;
Teach me Your statutes.
27 Make me understand the way of Your precepts;
So shall I meditate on Your wonderful works.
28 My soul melts from heaviness;
Strengthen me according to Your word.
29 Remove from me the way of lying,
And grant me Your law graciously.
30 I have chosen the way of truth;
Your judgments I have laid before me.
31 I cling to Your testimonies;
O Lord, do not put me to shame!
32 I will run the course of Your commandments,
For You shall enlarge my heart.

Let this be our prayer today! Everyday! All day! Lie the desires of the flesh die in this ungodly world, and be born anew in the blood of Christ. This is what baptism by water symbolizes.  Live to honor Jehovah Jirah. We do this by living out the words of the Psalm above. It may seem like a mountainous task, but, Christ said "have the faith of a mustard seed, and mountains will move." They will move because He is the head of your life.  Live it
Love it. Embrace it.  Jesus is the Lord of all. Amen!

Embrace the Light

1 John 1New King James Version (NKJV)

What Was Heard, Seen, and Touched
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your[a] joy may be full.

Fellowship with Him and One Another
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

If you are like me, you are tired of wandering in the earthly darkness.  My soul cries out for the joy, peace, grace and mercy, but ultimately the love of the Lord.  You get this feeling that life as it currently stands is wrong and is missing something. Seek out the Light! Seek out the purifier of all things!

The Author of Life has manifested Himself that we may find the Light we so desperately need. He became the living words of God that we have salvation and be rescued from the depravity of this world forever! The Light is His glory from the throne of righteousness and no darkness came come near it.  We can fellowship in the Light for eternity starting today if we just grab Him, even the hymn of His garment, hold Him, and nothing can pluck us out of His hand.  He gave His earthly life that we be justified by faith in the eyes of Jehovah Jirah. 

Just take a step back and let the Light embrace you, that is what I am doing.  Let the Light was all your sins and cares away with its caress and love.  Let Christ hold you in His arms! The world wants to enslave and in the end kill us! He wants to give us life abundantly, from this second to the end of eternity. Love Him!  AMEN

Meditations on the Excellencies of the Word of God

Psalm 119New King James Version (NKJV)

Meditations on the Excellencies of the Word of God

119 Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
Who walk in the law of the Lord!
2 Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
Who seek Him with the whole heart!
3 They also do no iniquity;
They walk in His ways.
4 You have commanded us
To keep Your precepts diligently.
5 Oh, that my ways were directed
To keep Your statutes!
6 Then I would not be ashamed,
When I look into all Your commandments.
7 I will praise You with uprightness of heart,
When I learn Your righteous judgments.
8 I will keep Your statutes;
Oh, do not forsake me utterly!

The only way to walk in the law of the Lord is to let the Holy Spirit leads you.  If we direct ourselves, our hearts will lead us to disaster and destruction. To follow God's precepts, is deny the world and accept Christ as our savior.  In doing so we rebuke the devil and run to the light of Christ.  Let God's word be etched within your heart so that you can go action His law but also live it daily as your lifestyle. Amen

Abide in His love

If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

John 15:10 NKJV

If we do our best to live out the commandments of our God, the reward is eternal love and life. If we live out the commandments of our God, we gain life eternal. If we put God as Alpha and Omega in our Lives, then Jehovah, Christ, and the Holy Spirit will dwell in and through us forever. To do these things means to put the worldly and humanistic desires of the heart to death and pick up our Cross daily and follow the example of Christ. Can we do that? Can we willingly try? Leave this world at the foot of the Cross and hold on to His hand. Amen!

Praise God Forerver

In that day you will say: “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.

Isaiah 12:4 NIV

Today is that day!  Don't wait for tomorrow, it is not guaranteed! Praise the Lord right now, and forever! Never wait to give Jehovah Nisi Praise! Praise Him when you wake up, in the midst of the worst time of your life, before you slumber,  while driving to work, always Praise God. Silently our aloud, praise Him and never stop, event to end of time!

Death of a deceitful heart

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

Jeremiah 17:9-10 NIV

Search the desires if your own heart through the eyes of God.  What do you come up with?  Can we truly say that our desires are completely aligned with God's will? Actively dig through the desires of your heart and uproot all that we know is sinful: lust, gluttony, vanity, sloth, and so on.  God will not reside where evil lies, for it is unclean.

This does not mean that the Holy Spirit will not dwell and work with in us. In fact, our unclean heart is the reason why the Spirit of God works within us, to wrought a new creature for God. This new creatures is clean and purified via the blood of Christ, and God will reside with us forever because we have she'd the weight of sin and done our best to live a clean and righteous life in the name of Jesus!

Vengence is God's

“‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

Leviticus 19:18 NIV

Vengence belongs to God, and God alone! Why?! History provides us with the reasons why it is something humanity should leave, and must leave with God. The person wronged almost always gets consumed with the hurt the event caused them and they go overboard with vengence. We cannot prescribe the correct amount of consequence towards the offender, and thus we now become the aggressor. And so the vicious cycle of "one-upmanship" begins, and the cycle continues.

This cycle is what fuels the battle of the Hatfields vs the McCoys, and other conflicts like the fight over the Gaza Strip. Let it be people! Don't get consumed with vengence, as it will lead directly to separation from God and possibly death to your soul. Christ's second of his commandments was to love your neighbor as yourself would yourself.  As you can see in this Scripture verse, the message was the same    millennia prior.

We are to trust in God that an offender will be punished, if it be His will. Don't become consumed with vengence. Be engulfed with the Holy Spirit of God! If we suffer a wrong, count it as being worthy like the Apostles did in Acts.  Have faith in Jehovah and His will. Pray for the offender to realize their wrong (s), and repent. It is hard, and sometimes situationally impossible for us to walk away. This is the example of Christ, following it will afford you a crown in Heaven, and not perpetuate violence in this lifetime.  Amen

Seeking shelter in Christ

[ Psalm 91 ] Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalm 91:1 NIV

Psalm 27:4 says "
4 One thing I ask from the Lord,
    this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
    and to seek him in his temple."

Let this be your ultimate goal, to dwell in the presence of the Lord Forever. Live life as Christ demanded and the reward is eternal life with Him and Jehovah Nisi. Come as you are and wholeheartedly seek Jesus. He will neither shun nor close the door on you. No matter what you have done or are currently doing, He loves you. Seek Him that we may inquire in His temple together for eternity. Give your entire life, the good, bad, ugly, sinful, and the unmentionable things to Him and he will make you whole.

To dwell in the shadows of God, means we are in His presence. To be there we must believe and live in Christ. Stop looking for the wirld to fix us and lets let rhe Holy Trinity do their thing in our lives. Seek and yee shall find, Amen!

The true cost of the world

Luke 9
Jesus Predicts His Death
21 Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. 22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”

23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

27 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”

Jesus made the path clear for us to follow if we want to see him in glory.  Sadly, many of humankind choose the wide road to destruction  versus the narrow road to salvation and inexpensive the end, reunification with the Holy Trinity in Heaven. Sometimes this decision in favor of the wide road is made out of potential  ease and convenience of life. Others choose this path out of greed, malicious beliefs, misguided understandings of Christ, and a host of other things. But one thing is certain,  the wide road will cost you your soul.

Jesus poses a great question, "25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?"  He was tempted after His water and Spiritual baptisms in the Wilderness. Satan offered Him the world if He would foresee His heavenly throne and bow before him. This means that Christ would be selling His soul to "gain the world". This was a bait and switch ploy derived from greed, vanity, selfishness and hatred from the devil of Jehovah.

We fall for this frequently. Conforming to society's beliefs is not the way to YahWeh. Wealth and self-preservation along with self-indulgence plus many other tactics, are ploys of evil origins to derail us for Christ. To live in Christ means to live with Him first in life, not self. When we chase the after the world, we let go of God's hand to do so.

We need to open our eyes and see that the cost of this wretched and raggedy and hateful world is our soul. The devil is angry that he was rightfully cast out of Heaven and like the old adage he wants company in his miserable state. STOP FALLING FOR IT! Start discerning things through the filter of God: His sight, wisdom, knowledge, purity of heart, and love. The devil is selling lies like hotcakes and we are falling for it with anvils tied to our necks straight to hell.  Cut that tie and rise up to Christ on wings like eagles.

Father, I pray that humanity comes to believe in you. For you are the truth, the way, and the life our souls naturally seek to reunite with desperately. Please Lord give us this filter and teach us how to use it to sever the tie to a sinful death. Lord teach us how to stand for righteousness for your namesake. Touch us with the gift of this filter that we may teach others how to use this gift and ultimately do Your Will. The world will surely pass away. It is a gift not worth one cent of its price, out souls. Thank you Father for life, Your presence, love, joy, peace, grace, and mercy. The are everlasting gifts the devil can't match in his bogus offer. Please help us to do your will to preached and teach to cut the umbilical chord to our sinful lives, that way will join you on glory . Forgive us of our wrongs and show us how to forgive others. Lead us, guide us, teach us, and protect us. In Christ's name...Amen

A reason to dance

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,

Philippians 3:20 NIV

Who has pure joy in their life that we have tickets punched for Heaven? I can't wait to dance around the city of God and praise Him all day Long!  No matter what happens to me here, that is my joy! Knowing my soul will reunite with Christ because of His sacrifice, wow. All I can say is thank you and AMEN!!!

He loves me....

If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Luke 11:13 NIV

Though we are evil, wow that is a tough pill to swallow. What this is referring to is the sinful nature of the human heart, mind, flesh. What this verse is saying is that despite our nature, along with past, present, and future sins, our faith and deeds that are good, will be rewarded by God. All we have to do is ask. 

To ask, is to pray. Pray earnestly and fervently to God for His grace and tender mercies upon us and our needs.  This does not mean we will always get what we want, but our supplications will be heard and answered. Not getting the answer we want doest equate to God ignoring us.

So pray frequently and pour your heart out. Despite our sinful ways, He will pour out blessings upon us, if we ask.  Despite our inner evil, He loves us. We, the prodigal, our Father in Heaven wants us to turn from sin and run home to Him. He will meet us and greet us, and never let us go.

Father I pray that You prick the hearts of the people who may read this to cause a change in us all. A change that will force us to rid ourselves of the evil and sin that plagues us, and run away from it until we find you. Lord, guide our every step, thought, and action that we may not stumble along the way. And should we falter, let us get back up and keep running to Jesus.

Amen

Living for Tomorrow

James 4:13-16

Boasting About Tomorrow
13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.

Is tomorrow guaranteed to anyone living today? We often live life like we know tomorrow we will see. Mark 13:31-33 (NIV) says, "31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

The Day and Hour Unknown
32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert[a]! You do not know when that time will come.

We don't know what God's time line is for us or the world. Stop living each day as if the next is ours to do whatever with. Live today and everyday you are blessed to take a breath above ground to the fullest for God. Live like tomorrow may never be mine, because it isn't. Carpe diem, seize the day, today. All we have is today. Let it being a testimony to the goodness and mercy and love of God. Amen!

To Bear and Forgive

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Colossians 3:13 NIV

This is difficult for many of us to.  Normal logic begs the question, "Why should I take on another's burdens with them if I have my own to bear? Why should I for give those who hold grudges against me?"   

We'll, to help a fellow human being in their time of strife is what we are called to. Plus, when we help our fellow citizens, albeit hard sometimes, we are exemplifying Christ. We are mirroring what Christ does for us daily. We are glorifying God.  Help with a joyful and sincere heart, and the deed(s) will be returned to you.

To forgive, is to let go of the grievances others have brought upon you. We get wrapped up in the "eye for an eye" mindset and drag ourselves, unwittingly mind you, away from God.  We won't forget the wrong, but to forgive means you don't count it against them any longer. We let the past die.  It dies with the sins Jehovah and Christ forgive us for with our daily dose of Grace and Mercy.

To hold grudges and not forgive keeps you far from God and the blessings He wants to bestow upon you are withheld because we are not ready for them.  In this state of selfishness, let's call it for what it is, God WILL NOT DWELL THERE!!!! Grudges hold you back and ultimately kill you in every way possible, sometimes to death. Let the go and live in/for Christ, that we may all reunite in Heaven. Amen!

Why Christ left Heaven....

so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Hebrews 9:28 NIV

Christ did not come to condemn the world...but to convict the sinful nature humanity has openly embraced. His ultimate sacrifice is the gateway to a new life in this world and life eternal with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in Heaven. It's time to let the sinful nature within us die and pass away like the days of old the are long forgotten. Luke 9:23-24 says "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me! For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it." Death to sinfulness in this life must become the former "you" in order to pick the cross, the "new you" and follow Him. Let us edify each other to do just that, and then let it spread like wildfire! Amen

I need Thee

Thank Father for speaking life and light into us today and everyday. Thank you for your presence in our lives. Thank you for your ability and desire to forgive us for our wrongs. You told Paul that your grace and mercy were sufficient, and the your strength is made perfect in the midst of our weakness. As we get older Lord, and each day goes by, we come to realize that the following Hymn is true:

I need Thee, oh, I need Thee!
Every hour, yes Lord, I need Thee!
Oh, oh, bless me now, right now my savior, you know I come, yes Lord I come, I come to Thee!

Jesus, we are weak and feeble. On our best day all we can do is make a mess of life.  You are the glue that keeps us together. We come humbly, nervously at times, to the foot of the Cross. Here we cast our burdens Lord. For you said, "my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." We know that the weight of the world crushes us daily. Atlas is pictured holding it on his back, struggling to move. Meanwhile, You hold us in the palm of Your hand that no force or plot may pluck us out. Let us all run to the Lord and take up the life in Him that will caress us when we are hurting, hi five us when success is at hand, but never stops loving us despite any and all our wrongs amen

Don't quit on God

Heavenly Father,  I want to take a moment to thank you for blessing us all with life and Your son Jesus. I know some of your servants in this world are downcast, battered and beaten by life and it's circumstances. Some are held down and blocked from You by ill-fated decisions on our part and the enemy. But Lord,  I lift up this prayer to encourage all of us to pray without ceasing despite the mess that is seemingly our lives.

Psalm 77 1-3  says I cried out to God with my voice—
To God with my voice;
And He gave ear to me.
2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing;
My soul refused to be comforted.
3 I remembered God, and was troubled;
I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah

Don't quit on tour prayers for Deliverance. Don't quit fighting against oppression and the turmoil and strife we face daily. To give up, is to say God's grace, love and mercy are insufficient, which is a destructive lie the enemy tells. Be bold and praise God fervently through every illness and drama filled moment. Praise God more in times of despair than when life is easy. Doing so puts Him at the head of life, which is His rightful spot. Like Christ, who prayed until He gave up His ghost, we should do the same. Pray however long it takes to hear from God. If you don't receive the answer you think you need, ask God what to do to use His answer best.  The late Jim Valvano said it best, "don't give up, don't ever give up." God said He will never leave or forsake you. Their is no caveat or clause to this. Hold out till tomorrow,  keep your faith through the night. If you just hold out, until tomorrow, everything will be alright! Amen

Good riddens to evil trash in my life

Psalm 119:113-120
113 I hate the double-minded,
But I love Your law.
114 You are my hiding place and my shield;
I hope in Your word.
115 Depart from me, you evildoers,
For I will keep the commandments of my God!
116 Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live;
And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.
117 Hold me up, and I shall be safe,
And I shall observe Your statutes continually.
118 You reject all those who stray from Your statutes,
For their deceit is falsehood.
119 You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross;
Therefore I love Your testimonies.
120 My flesh trembles for fear of You,
And I am afraid of Your judgments.

Get the behind me Satan.  This is the warning Christ gave the devil when he tempted Him in the Wilderness. Though we are only human beings, we have the power to rid ourselves of the devil and his minions (evildoers). In the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost, I am a child of God and I fear no evil, I only fear and love God whom I seek after in this life.

In order to expel the evil, we ourselves and our loved ones my be prayed up and strong in faith. Satan pick this moment to test Christ due to perceived weakness from fasting after the Holy Spirit descended upon when Baptized by John the Baptist. What makes us think we aren't attacked in the same manor?

Psalm 23 says, New King James Version (NKJV)

The Lord the Shepherd of His People
A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell[a] in the house of the Lord
Forever.

What can the devil and his cronies do to us? Look at Job, God allowed him to be tested, and he stood tall and did not curse God for his afflictions. That is who we must model our faith after daily. Luke 9:23-27 says, Take Up the Cross and Follow Him
23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily,[a] and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? 26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.”

Take up the faith of Job daily and follow thw will and the way of the Lord.  Though we be tested, in doing so, we will withstand the temptations of Satan and bring glory to God.

As Christians, we are empowered to withstand the plan of evil against us by the gift of the Holy Spirit. Being Baptized in the Spirit of God means that He is with us always, even until the end of the age, just like the Apostles. With God all around us, our faith strong, and the Holy Spirit fighting with us, we should never fear evil! Jesus was defiant and rebellious to sin and temptation to death. His reward...rising on the third day and ultimately His ascension on the day of Pentecost.  For us, this same lifestyle will allow us to unite with the Father on Heaven on the day of Judgment.

Everything the devil does to us is nothing more than smoke and mirrors to get us away from God. Harm, pain and suffering maybe involved, but remember that in  Acts 9:16 Christ says of Saul/Paul, For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake. This is true for us as well. But to shake hands with Christ and to commune with God in His Glory, for me it's is worth it. As for mine and me, we WILL serve the Lord!

A step towards Christ like living

Zechariah  8:16 These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:  8:17 And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD.

Jesus taught these doctrines to all people.  Why did the Jewish people then and now rebuke Him as the savior? The answer lies in their distance from the Jehovah they claimed to know, love and serve. The devil infiltrated the Jews to the point of corruption of the high priest and the community.  The author of life was going to suffer greatly to show us how we are to act as His people. 

If the Jews in their entirety had practiced what Zechariah preached above, then the presence of the Lord amongst the would have been received in an extremely positive manner.  The same holds true to people today. Practice the portion of Zechariah above in our everyday lives and we will soon see what Christ faced as well as peace amongst those who gold true to this teaching.  It's time to challenge the hold the enemy has on our society! Through the Holy Spirit, God empowers us to do just that! In the name of Jesus and by this teaching of Zechariah, let's work together to rid ourselves of the enemy.  Praising God all the way.

Be slow to speak

James 1:19-20- "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God." Better hearing and slow speech will reduce anger and save lives. Reflect righteousness, slow down.....🙏🏽

If more people took the time to practice this simplest of commands, there would be less funerals due to violence and such.  There would be less fighting amongst spouses,  siblings and families.  But in order for others to practice it, we must grounded in this as teachers. Practicing and honing out craft.  We must lead by example first. Praise God for the ultimate example in Christ!

Being slow to Wrath gives us the opportunity to show the love and the good nature of Christ. Being slow to wrath saves lives. What are we are slow to Wrath, it gives us a chance to hear the person that we may have been hurt by. By hearing I mean understanding their perspective on the situation and it gives us an opportunity to open dialogue and to work the situation out without resorting to violence or other means that are ungodly to resolve the issue.

Put pride aside. Pride is often the number one reason that wrath comes about because our pride has been hurt. When you put pride aside it further gives us a chance to truly understand what is going on around this versus Reacting first and asking questions later.

It's time to change our ways. It's time to start living out the actions and the nature of Christ in our everyday lives. We can start by not being quick to anger, not being quick to accuse others without facts, and so on. We must be quick to encourage each other. We must be diligent and our efforts to uplift each other. We must wholeheartedly buy into the true person of Christ and reflect that to everyone in our daily lives without exception.

The courage and faith of Stephen

Acts 7

51 “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”

The Stoning of Stephen54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

How many of us have the courage of Stephen? He was so faithful to Jesus Christ that he proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah until his death. In Chapter 7 of the book of Acts, Steven welcomed the Holy Spirit and let God work in him all the way to the point of stoning. He did not run from it, like Jesus did not run from the cross. The Holy Spirit used him to convict the Sanhedrin of horrendous crime of killing our Lord and Savior.

Stephen died an innocent man, found guilty of the crime of blasphemy because he placed blame on the Jewish leaders.  He told them truthfully that throughout history they refused the leadership of God because they were corrupted by the devil in so many words.  Stephen, like Moses and the prophets before him pleaded with the people to follow God, and they died a sinner's death. Very Christ-like, huh? Mark 9:12 states, Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected?

Do you have the courage and faith to tell the truth about the enemy while ataring at death? Will you serve God? Do you have faith that despite threat or action against you, Jehovah Nisi will be glorified through you? 1 Peter 3:14 says, But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.”

Search yourselves deeply as you read and pray on this. Do we as the Church have what it takes to stand up for God?  While doing remember these three pieces of Scripture: James 5:9-11 (NIV)

9 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!  10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

Luke 9:22-24 (NIV)

22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”

23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.

Mark 8:34-36 (NIV)

The Way of the Cross
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?

Aa for mine and me, we WILL serve the Lord!

Follow God

Who has the courage and passion for Christ to take up their cross and follow Him? Its a tough question.  What does it mean? To me, it means put down the concerns of this life and pursue God with every fiber of your existence. Does this mean quit work or something? For most of us no.  But it means kill the sinful live we are currently enveloped in and begin the path to righteousness and salvation. It means to be a warrior for His cause and never stop.  It isn'teasy. Their will be suffering, i.e. Peter, Paul, Stephen and modern day people who sacrifice for God up to death.   Be like the end of Psalm 27 when we finally take up our crosses, be of good courage, and He will strengthen our hearts. What I say on the Lord. 

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.

Luke 9:23-24 NIV

The enemy's plan

We wander through life, at times good and doing good things. At other points, not so much.  Instead of wandering at all, seek out our purpose.  That purpose is ultimately to do the work of and glorify God.  Simultaneously, we must understand the enemy's plan against us so that we don't wander away from God in any way. His plan is subtle and seemingly  nice. But, when you are locked within his clutches, fighting against an intangible enemy, you will begin to wonder, how did this happen? How did I get here? Why me? Has God forsaken me? Why are you allowing this to happen God?

Jesus was tested at his weakest point, during a 40 day and night gastinf period. The devil tried three methods of temptation to derail Him from His purpose: promise of wealth and fame, make food for yourself, and if God loves you, theow yourself off the cliff to see if the angels will catch you.  All approaches were subtle in delivery but death was the result of them all.

Matthew 4New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness
4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[b]”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    and they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c]”
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d]”

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[e]”

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

We must know that we are under the same fire and duress that Jesus was at this time.  The devil's plan is to stop us from glorifying God and joining the heavenly Father. Misery loves company, and the enemy wants all of us to join his ill-fated party.  He wants the people of God most.  That is no secret, and the reason why God is glorified when ee are tested and remain true to Jehovah Nisi throughout our period of tribulations.

Somw will fall for one of these methods, its sadly inevitable. Reason being is lack of faith and lack of strength in that faith we have. When trials come upon us, instinct says run. God say in your weakness i am stronger. 

Paul writes, 1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 
Galatians 6:1 [ Doing Good to All ] Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.

Take time to know your enemy.  Study them and become well versed in his plot for our demise. He came for Christ, he will definitely come for us.  Whether subtly disguised or utterly direct, his ploy will cause a void between us and the Author of Life.  That is how we wouls be doomed to eternal death.

Father, please continue to order our steps despite our best efforts to wander. Paul said of you in his time of trial that your grace and mercy are sufficient. We know the same is true for us.  Help us YahWeh to grow closer and more intimate with You. Help us to discern that which is of you and of the enemy in our lives. Please Father make your path for us light up brighter than 10,000 suns so it is clear where to go.  Any evil that befalls us, is not of you. In James, you said, James 1:13-15New International Version (NIV)

13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Let us not fall into the hands and clutches of Death broken for us by the sacrifice of the Lamb of God. Forgive us Father for we are not worthyof the goodness you give us.  Butwe thank You for your grace and mercy bestowed.  We love you, Amen