How Did We Miss This!

Before I start, I want to say that EVERYTHING that Jesus did and said is of the utmost importance! He did everything that the Father told Him to do. He was obedient even unto death for the remission of our sins. What He accomplished on the Cross reconciled us unto our Father God and made us His children. So why isn’t Jesus’ dying on the Cross of Calvary our source of Faith? Why isn’t our faith in that which took our sin away and set us free? Now, I can hear you saying “My faith is in the Word of God. Jesus is God and in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word is God”. In the beginning before the foundation of the world, The Plan to redeem mankind was formulated; that plan is Jesus dying on the Cross of Calvary. God put in place the Sacrificial System as His way, but the sacrifices of bulls, lambs and/or rams only covered sin so that man could commune with God. All the “types and shadows” were examples of He who would come and TAKE AWAY sin once and for all! They all pointed to that which would take place at the Cross. Jesus is the source of EVERYTHING we could ever need, and the Cross is the means, the only way, we receive anything from God. No man comes unto the Father unless he goes through the Son. Well, how do we get to the Son, Jesus? We gotta go to the Cross! I have heard that some people think that Jesus dying on the Cross was a great defeat. What I don’t understand is how any Christian can think that Jesus dying on the Cross was a defeat. Just think about it… As a Christian, if you think that the Cross was a place of defeat, then how are you saved? If the Cross of Calvary was a loss, how can you ever have the victory?! If this is the truth, and it is not, we are all doomed to burn in Hell for all of eternity. How else were you saved? How was your sin debt, and we all were born into this debt; how was this debt paid for you? The wages of sin is death! This scripture in Romans 6:23 goes on to say but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. The gift that God gave in John 3:16 is the giving of His Son Jesus selfless sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary; and whosoever believes shall not perish but have eternal life. What death did you put forward that was acceptable to God? Who died, in your place, so that you can be free and free from sin and death? Who would want to serve a loser? My Jesus, My Lord and Savior – ALL VICTORIES BELONG TO HIM! Whatever is His is mine. If all victories belong to Him, then I have the victory in all things through Him and what He accomplished at the Cross of Calvary which reconciled me to the Father who has everything! The Cross of Christ was the GREATEST VICTORY OF ALL TIME! Why? Because at the Cross, sin was defeated! At the Cross, Satan loss ALL authority to hold you in bondage! At the Cross, the veil was rent from top to bottom where we now have access to the Father – being able to enter into the Holy Place into the Holies of Holies. At the Cross, we became joint heirs with Jesus where we can now call God Abba Father (Father Dear Father). At the Cross, where all things Jesus has in the Father are now ours! At the Cross, where ALL of God’s Word is now “Yes and Amen”! IT ALL HAPPENED AT THE CROSS! The Resurrection was a part of the process. The Resurrection HAD to happen but was dependent on the Cross. The Resurrection, after we placed ourselves in Christ Jesus, dying on the Cross, buried in Him, we were resurrected in Him into newness of life! This had to happen and is very, very important! But there could be no Resurrection if the Cross never happened! Jesus said, ON THE CROSS, “IT IS FINISHED!” That which God had sent His only Son into the world to do had been completed! Mission Accomplished! SIN IS DEFEATED! The Cross of Christ is so important that the Apostle Paul said, “We preach Christ Crucified” (1 Corinthians 1:23). Be honest, outside of Easter, when does your pastor/teacher ever mention the Cross of Calvary? Or rather, when has the topic of the sermon circled back to the Cross – All because of what Jesus did on the Cross? When was the last time you heard a sermon/teaching that reference the Cross of Calvary or that your faith should be in Jesus and Him crucified? Paul also said “The preaching/the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing (perishing in their sins – spiritually dead), but to US who are saved, it is the Power of God! (1 Corinthians 1:18). The Apostle Paul went on to say “Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the good news – not with clever words and eloquent speech, so the Cross of Christ would not be made ineffective (deprived of its saving power) (1 Corinthians 1:17). The Cross – God’s Plan of Redemption! Everything that Jesus did and said is of the utmost importance; everything happened as God planned it to happen, but it was at the Cross where Jesus accomplished that which God had sent Him into to the world to do – Defeating Sin! Understand that sin is so bad that God Himself had to come down to Earth to defeat it. None of us could do it, as a matter of fact, none of us was holy and righteous enough to atone for any sin, even our own. Only Jesus dying on the Cross - paying the wage of sin (death) - for EVERYONE, accomplished the plan of God! Defeating sin! ***Just my opinion. I believe Jesus died in that horrible way – in a criminal way (Criminals were hung on the cross) – because He, Jesus, died for the criminal too. He died for all the people who would commit heinous crimes; they too can be led by the Spirit of God to become a child of God. When we place our Faith in that which Jesus and Him Crucified – The Cross – having the Cross as our ONLY place of Faith, everything in God’s Word is “Yes and Amen”. Think of it like this. Because of what Jesus did on the Cross, all my needs are supplied according to His riches in glory. Because of what Jesus did on the Cross, everything I set my hands to do prospers! Because of what Jesus did on the Cross, I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. When we accept God’s Plan to redeem our life, Jesus and Him Crucified, all of God’s Word is now ours. If Jesus never died on the Cross, none of what God has in His Word could be ours aka manifested in our lives. Why? Because of sin. If Jesus never died, the sin problem is still here. God cannot look upon sin nor will He abide sin. Sin is man’s problem. Jesus dying on the Cross dealt with the problem (sin) for you and me because we chose to believe! Believe what? That God loved us so much that He gave His only Son, Jesus, to die and pay the price of the wages of sin – Death! How did we miss placing our Faith in the Cross of Christ? That which got us into the Kingdom of God is the only thing that will keep us in the Kingdom of God – The Cross of Christ! If your Faith is in anything else other than the Cross – your good deeds, your church, your pastor/priest, your prayer life, your husband or your whatever… If you don’t have Jesus as the Source and the Cross as the means, then are your truly in God’s Will? To have your Faith in anything that is not Jesus and Him Crucified (The Cross), God’s Plan, is a rejection of that Plan and everything He has in His Word for us. That’s a scary thought! You’re, in a sense, saying that that which Jesus accomplished on the Cross wasn’t enough, that more needs to be done. God forbid… IT IS FINISHED! It was at the Cross that it was all done for US! The Cross of Christ is our justification (righteousness – right standing), salvation (redemption, forgiveness of all sin), and the one we forget or never knew – sanctification. The Cross of Christ is for our sanctification – how we live our lives before God daily. When we ever “Keep our Eyes of that Prize We Have in Jesus and Him Crucified” we can live daily before God in holiness and victoriously! All because of what Jesus accomplished on the Cross – where our Faith should be firmly place! How did we miss this?!

Everything from God Comes to Us Because of the Cross

I know the title is long—it reminds me of some of those long anime titles—but it’s true: everything we receive from God comes to us because of the Cross of Christ. It doesn’t come because we attend church every time the doors are open. It doesn’t come because we read our Bibles and pray every day. That’s not why we receive anything from God.

The reason we, as Christians and true children of God, receive anything is because of the Cross. I want to look at this truth from a couple of scriptures: Hebrews 13:20–21 and Ephesians 2:13–18. These two, among many other scriptures in the Bible, tell us this very thing—everything we receive from God comes to us because of the Cross, because of Jesus’ great sacrifice on Calvary.

Hebrews 13:20–21

20 Now may the God of peace [the source of serenity and spiritual well-being] who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood that sealed and ratified the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with every good thing to carry out His will and strengthen you [making you complete and perfect as you ought to be], accomplishing in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

God, who raised our Lord and Savior from the dead, has equipped us with every good thing to live by His Word and has strengthened us to do so by the shedding of the Blood of Christ, which sealed and ratified the Eternal Covenant. The shedding of the Blood of Christ our Lord happened at the Cross of Calvary. The Eternal Covenant we have in Jesus and Him Crucified is everlasting! God has provided us everything we need to live for Him victoriously through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Ephesians 2:13–18

13 But now [at this very moment] in Christ Jesus you who once were [so very] far away [from God] have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace and our bond of unity. He who made both groups—[Jews and Gentiles]—into one body and broke down the barrier, the dividing wall [of spiritual antagonism between us], 15 by abolishing in His [own crucified] flesh the hostility caused by the Law with its commandments contained in ordinances [which He satisfied]; so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thereby establishing peace. 16 And [that He] might reconcile them both [Jew and Gentile, united] in one body to God through the cross, thereby putting to death the hostility. 17 And He came and preached the good news of peace to you [Gentiles] who were far away, and peace to those [Jews] who were near. 18 For it is through Him that we both have a [direct] way of approach in one Spirit to the Father.

There is a lot to unpack here:

• This is talking about the Jews (God’s Chosen People) and the Gentiles (everyone else).
• The Gentiles, who were far away from God, have now been brought near by the Blood of Christ—shed on the Cross of Calvary.
• Due to Jesus’ great sacrifice on the Cross, Jews and Gentiles are now one body spiritually.
• Jesus abolished, in His crucified flesh, the hostility caused by the Law (anything other than the Cross of Christ that we try to live for God), because He satisfied the Law perfectly.
• Jesus’ sacrifice reconciled both Jews and Gentiles in one body to God through the Cross, putting away the hostility (the continuous conviction of not always keeping the Law of God).
• Through Him (Jesus and Him Crucified—the Cross) we both have a direct line in one Spirit (the Holy Spirit—who works through the Cross and no other way) to the Father.

Faith in the Cross of Christ

Since everything we receive from God—everything in His Word and every blessing He gives—comes to us because of the Cross of Christ, why isn’t our belief, hope, trust… our faith… in the Cross of Christ?

We don’t need to put our faith in a “healing scripture” when we need healing. When we need a financial blessing, we don’t have to shift our faith to a “prosperity scripture.” And when we need peace, we don’t need to suddenly focus our faith on peace scriptures. We’ve been working too hard, and in the wrong way.

When we put our faith in its proper place—the Cross of Christ, by which everything comes from our Father God—then the Holy Spirit can work, in His full power, whatever we need from the Word of God in our lives. We’ve tied the hands of the Holy Spirit because our faith has been improperly placed. He works solely through the Cross, so our faith should be there.

I am so very grateful that God has graced, covered, and blessed me even in my ignorance of this truth. We’ve had our faith improperly placed. It’s not in our going to church. It’s not in our reading and praying. It’s not in our confessions. It’s not in our good deeds. All these things are good, and God wants us to do them, but our faith cannot be in those things—no matter how good they are. These things are a byproduct of our understanding of the great love our Father God has for us, unworthy as we are, in sending His Son to die on the Cross of Calvary.

It’s that simple! All of the above is self—faith in what you do: I go to church. I pray. I feed the hungry. I! I! I! SELF! I was guilty of this too. I love the correction of my Father in my life. It shows me just how much He loves me. Ever grateful!

We must make sure that our faith is in what is clearly written in the Word of God—His words, not mine. Everything we receive from our Father God comes to us because of Jesus’ precious sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary.

Be blessed.

The Cross of Christ and Sanctification

I promised to share my thoughts on the Cross of Christ and Sanctification, so I want to address that now. As believers, if we do not understand the Message of the Cross—our faith should be in the Cross of Christ—then we will not be able to live sanctified and holy lives as God intended.

Let me explain: if we do not grasp the significance of the Cross of Christ concerning sanctification, we will revert back to living under the law. What do I mean by that? If our faith is not rooted in what Jesus accomplished on the Cross at Calvary for us, we will attempt to live our lives before God by adhering to laws.

A law is anything we put in place to live holy and sanctified before God. It can be the Law of Moses, the moral Laws of Moses, or any self-imposed regulations we believe keep us holy and aligned with God's will. These laws might be created by churches or ourselves to keep us in check and live holy before God.

Sanctification is about living our daily lives before God, and if our faith is not properly placed in the Cross of Christ, we will revert to relying on the law, which is not what we should be doing.

Now, I want to clarify that the law of Moses, God's law, is inherently good. Even the laws we put in place are good within themselves, but they deceive us because we rely on them to make us holy instead of what Jesus did on the Cross to make us holy.

If we keep our eyes on Jesus and Him crucified, we will be constantly reminded of what He has done for us, allowing the Holy Spirit to work God's perfect Will and Word in our lives daily. This is what we should be focusing on, but when we try to live by these laws, we are not living by what Jesus did on the Cross for us. Law, any law(s), cannot make you holy or righteous.

Sidebar #1: The Laws of Moses (God's Law) is GOOD!

Because of sin (the sin nature) in us, we could never keep the Law all the time. The law brings condemnation as it should, and this can lead to a miserable Christian life—being under constant condemnation. Oh, but the Cross of Christ! I believe God created the Laws of Moses to do the following:

• To define sin: Sin wasn't defined until the Law. Now, lying and other acts are clearly labeled as sin.
• The Law allowed us to see sin in ourselves: It’s defined and can be judged, which brings condemnation.
• The Law leads us to God’s mercy: Realizing we have sinned should lead us to ask for forgiveness.

Sidebar #2: Jesus Fulfilled the Law

In Matthew 5:17 Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law; I have not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come to FULFILL THEM."

Jesus fulfilled the Laws of Moses perfectly so that we who believe—have Faith—in what He accomplished on the Cross of Calvary allow the Holy Spirit to help us keep the Law. This is why we don’t have to keep the law: Jesus already fulfilled it.

If our Faith remains in the Cross of Christ, the Grace of God is there to undergird us. So, there is no condemnation for we who are in Christ Jesus (Jesus and Him Crucified)!

In Galatians 2:21, Paul said that if Righteousness comes by the law, then Christ died in vain. If we try to live by the law, what Jesus did on the Cross becomes meaningless. Although the law itself is good, if we attempt to live by it to make us righteous and holy, then why did Jesus need to come and die? We could have just kept the Law.

We need to live our daily lives sanctified under Grace, which was provided for us on a continuous basis by the Holy Spirit, through the Cross of Calvary. Grace has always been extended to us by God, but under the old covenant, sin was only covered. However, when Jesus died on the Cross, He took sin away once and for all.

When we fall and make mistakes, God's Grace—God’s Goodness towards us—is there to catch us. Under Grace, we are to repent of our sins because God is faithful and just to forgive us. This is not a license to sin. 1 John 3:6 states: "No one who abides in Him [who remains united in fellowship with Him—deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin. No one who habitually sins has seen Him or known Him."

We live under Grace. Sin no longer has dominion over us, and there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. The Law condemns; Grace does not. Through what Jesus did on the Cross, Grace flows continuously via the Cross by the Holy Spirit in our lives, helping us live sanctified and holy lives daily before God.

This is where the Cross comes into play concerning Sanctification. If we do not understand the Cross of Christ and have our faith firmly rooted exclusively in the Cross, spiritual failure is the result (I’ll do a separate blog on that). We will revert to the law, which is not where God wants us to be. He wants us to be under Grace and live a sanctified life; our Faith must be firmly placed in Christ Jesus and what He accomplished on the Cross at Calvary.

As Paul said again in Galatians 2:21: if righteousness could be achieved by the law, then Jesus' death on the Cross would be in vain. He died for our justification, salvation, and sanctification so that God's Grace—God's Goodness—can be extended to us continuously through the Holy Spirit via the Cross of Christ. This is the purpose of having our Faith in the Cross of Christ for our Sanctification.

The Plan!

The Plan – John 3:16

It’s been some years since I’ve posted to this blog. God was dealing with me on some things. I am grateful to Him for chastening me which shows His love for me.

I want to speak a little on God’s Plan – Redemption. Redemption is a gift; it cannot be earned, and it involves our turning away from sin and towards God. God made this task simple for us—the offering of His Son, Jesus.

I want to come from the verse of John 3:16. I know, I know… We all know this verse; we could probably recite it in our sleep. This verse is one of the first scriptures we all learned in Bible School/Children’s Church. I think that was by God’s design, but not fully realized.

In this, I want to bring to full fruition of God’s Plan by breaking down this scripture. It is so simple, but sometimes things can seem too simple… “Surely, it can’t be this simple?!” It is just that – simple. By having our Faith ONLY in God’s Plan, Jesus and the Cross, our justification, salvation and sanctification are assured. What got you into the Kingdom of God will keep you in the Kingdom of God! Jesus and the Cross got you into the Kingdom of God, and it will keep you in the Kingdom of God. It’s just that simple.

So, let’s break this down…

For God so loved the world:

• God not only loved all the people of the world, but the world itself.
• Due to the Fall of Man, not only mankind fell, but so did the world and everything in it.
• God loves the world – all His creation.

That He gave:

It’s a gift. You can’t pay anything, barter, perform good deeds or work hard to obtain it. IT’S FREE!

His only Son:

• Gave – The Plan set in motion!
• Who is His Son? Jesus
• Why did God give His Son? To die on the Cross of Calvary for the remission of sins—aka Jesus & Him Crucified. THIS IS THE PLAN!
• Everything Jesus did was of the utmost importance, but His main mission was the Cross of Calvary.

That whosoever (I AM a Whosoever!) believes in Him shall not perish:

• Whosoever believes – Everyone has the opportunity to become a “Whosoever that believes God’s Plan (Jesus and Him Crucified).”
• Believes what? That God loves you and gave His Son Jesus to die on the Cross of Calvary for you! THE PLAN! You must trust that what Jesus accomplished on the Cross of Calvary worked for you! It’s a personal decision.
• What is another word for believes? Faith!
• So, whosoever has Faith in The Plan (the gift of Jesus dying on the Cross for your sins) shall not perish.

Shall not perish…

Perish in your sins. What Jesus accomplished on the Cross of Calvary, for you and me, took away all sin once and for all! The sacrifices of animals only covered sin so that we could commune with God. During the Sacrificial System, the blood of animals could only cover sin, but not take it away.

2 Peter 3:9 (Amplified): The Lord does not delay [as though He were unable to act] and is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is [extraordinarily] patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

Sin ruins everything it touches. Sin is so bad that God Himself had to come down to defeat sin once and for all. Jesus sacrificed as the Lamb of God was the last sacrifice.

But have everlasting life:

This is what we all want when we stand before the Lord—to dwell in His Presence with Him forever and ever. Having Faith in God’s Plan, Jesus and Him Crucified, is the ONLY way to have everlasting life!

Proverbs 4:7: In all your getting, get understanding.

Once you understand what God’s Plan for Redemption is for you—which is Jesus and Him Crucified—and have Faith in The Plan (having the Cross of Christ as your ONLY source of Faith), you’ll be able to understand and live that victorious life His Word says that we can have here on this Earth.

We all know this scripture very well and can recite it easily. We accepted Jesus and the Cross for our initial Salvation/Redemption, but we left the Cross behind where our Sanctification is concerned—how we live our daily lives before God. I’ll do a separate blog on this.

You cannot separate Christ from the Cross. When we read phrases like “in Christ Jesus” or “through Christ Jesus” in the Bible, it is not only talking about Jesus the person, but what He accomplished on the Cross for us.

Everything in God’s Word is “Yes & Amen” for us due to Jesus dying on the Cross of Calvary for us! If Jesus had not died on the Cross for us, none of us would be saved and NONE of God’s Word would apply nor be manifested in our lives.

It is ALL due to the Cross of Calvary – God’s Plan!

It is the GREATEST VICTORY OF ALL TIME!

John 19:30: Jesus said, “It is Finished!”

God’s Plan was completed! Mission Accomplished! Sin was and is DEFEATED!

Refocus!

Well praise the Lord. The first month of this New Year is about gone. Many of us have set goals, reaching for new opportunities and are making changes to better our lives. I have set health and fitness goals to eat better and tone this year. But so many times we focus on the outside, and we forget about the inside. Yes eating healthy is good for my inside, but I’m talking about our hearts, our spirit man. Fitness has never been a problem for me; I love my workouts and do them every day. I couldn’t say this about “feeding my spirit”. So I have set a goal of reading more of the Word of God and giving Him more of my time. We all get busy with life. We have our families, jobs, businesses, school, groups and clubs. We busy ourselves with so much stuff, but never slow down and give God the time He so greatly deserves. We want Him to be there when we need Him, but won’t even tarry with Him an hour. I am guilty of this. He wants to spend time with us, but we’re too busy. Take the time to quiet yourself, refocus and return back unto our first love, Jesus. Fitness can’t get me into Heaven! Being toned will not help me see Jesus! All of this stuff we busy ourselves with is important, but NONE of it can save our souls. So what’s more important to you?

We have been passive, lazy Christians – I included. We don’t or won’t speak the Word of God concerning our situation(s), and we wonder why things are the way they are. I wrote a blog post years ago entitled “Stop Owning Things God Didn’t Intend for You to Have”. We take ownership of so many things that go against what the Word of God says we can have; yet we say we believe and stand on the Word of God! Recently I was told by the doctor that I have HBP (high blood pressure) – ME! I couldn’t believe this. I exercise and have lost weight, and I eat well; how was this possible?! You can die from High Blood Pressure! If my mom would tell it, she would say I was talking like a fool, and I was. I’m just being real – 100! I had taken ownership of High Blood Pressure. I had my “pity party”, and it was grand. Now that I have settled myself and refocused on what God says, I have stopped talking like a fool. I’m not saying to not take heed what the doctor says, but to rather take that information and check it against what the Word of God says. So once I stopped taking ownership of HBP and refocused on the Word, I was able to say “Ok HBP, you have been identified, and now I know your name.” Somebody help me now! God gave Jesus the NAME that is above ALL names and High Blood Pressure is a “name” (or whatever you are dealing with has a name), and IT has to bow down to the Name of Jesus.” No weapon formed against me shall prosper, and every tongue that rises up against me shall be proven wrong. The weapon of HBP was formed, but it cannot and shall not prosper to the end in which it was sent. See HBP had me where I wanted to cry; it had me thinking I was going to die, but thus said the Word of God that I shall live and not die. I have set before you life and death; choose LIFE so that you may live. I have chosen life! By the stripes of Jesus, we WERE healed! Healing is already here; we just have to receive it! See when you refocus on what’s truly important, things are clearer. You can move forward in the confidence that God is in CONTROL!

We have to stay focused or in my case refocus on the Things and Word of God. In His Word, we will find the answers to everything we need. We need to stop being weak-minded, passive, lazy Christians. All we have to do is believe and speak God’s Word, and we won’t even do that! But this is a New Year, a new day with new mercies. You and I still have time to refocus, return back to our first love and begin using the authority that God has given us in His Word. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want any of this junk or pack of lies that I and/or the enemy tells me. I don’t know have to accept it or own it! If God says something different, then that settles it. Whose report will you believe??? I will believe the report of the Lord! PERIOD!

Remember there's a sinner's prayer on this site. If you have back-slid or haven't tasted and seen that the Lord is Good, say this prayer. You don't have to be in a church building to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. There is a moment that will happen, and it will happen in a twinkling of an eye (as fast as you can blink), and those who have confessed Jesus as Lord and have walked according to the Word of God will be raptured up to be with Him forever and ever. Yes, it sounds too fantastical to be real, but don't take the chance that it's not and be left behind. So don't put this off. No one knows the hour or the day when this will take place, but it is for us to be ready when it's time to go. The first step is to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. If you say this prayer, contact me; let me welcome you and personally encouraged you in your new life with Jesus!

Be Encouraged Today!: Focus on the Good

Be Encouraged Today!: Focus on the Good: Well Happy New Year!!! Another year has come and gone! We’ve had good times and not so good times. In life, the not so good times can ov...

Focus on the Good

Well Happy New Year!!! Another year has come and gone! We’ve had good times and not so good times. In life, the not so good times can overshadow the good times. The not so good cut us the deepest and can be louder and longer lasting than the good times. Some of us dwell of the bad much more than we do the good. The Year 2015 has definitely given us plenty of bad stuff to dwell in our country. Racial tensions are the worst I’ve seen in my 39 years of living. Trust has diminished drastically with law enforcement. Unarmed black men being killed/gunned down by those who are serve and protect. Innocent people are being murdered in what should be the safest place on Earth – A Church. The Confederate Flag being removed that represents part of this country’s history – good and bad, but neither side tries to understand the other’s point of view. Terrorism is at an all-time high, and the trust of the Muslim community of our country is being scrutinized on every front, and perhaps they should. A husband and wife abandon their baby so they can murder people at a company Christmas party pledging their allegiance to worst enemy this country has had in years - ISIS. Everywhere we turn we are hearing wars and rumors of wars. Division is more prevalent these days; hatred more evident. And did I mention we have the worst selection of candidates to choose from to lead our country in 2016. Yep, there’s a lot of bad, but if you look closely you can see good.

Though we live in United States of America with all its seemingly bad stuff, we live in a free society. We can make our voices known and heard. Women have rights equal to men. Women aren’t beaten because we dress a certain way or if we stand to close to man. We are not just “toys” to pleasures men. We do not live in fear of having our heads chopped off. We have the right to gather and protest against injustice. We are not gassed and bombed by our government because we disagree with it. These are liberties not afforded in other countries. Yes, we have our issues, but we are better off than a lot of other countries.

In my own life, I try my best to focus on the good. We just purchased a beautiful in Georgia.

We have good, friendly neighbors. All the kids in our cul de sac, whether black or white, young or old, love to play with each other. Sometimes I look at them and wonder why life can’t be that simple. You’re outside and I’m outside, so let’s play together! Why can’t we all get along like that? We are all here on this Planet Earth, and you would think we could find a way to get along where we could all live in peace. I think of 1 Thessalonians 5:3 when I think of peace too. When they say “Peace and safety, then sudden destruction shall come and there will be no escape”. But this shouldn’t matter to those of us who belong to Christ. This is also a good thing, and we should always focus on it – We belong to Christ Jesus! We know and have been forewarned that there shall be trials and tribulation that shall come upon the Earth. Men (mankind) will be lovers of themselves; this is why we are seeing such a great disregard for life; humanity has dimished. Focus on the good that Christ represents for us. He represents love, acceptance, healing, prosperity, power and redemption. These are good things; and if you have Him, Jesus, as Lord of your life, you have something “Good” to focus on. I always tell my mom “I just need something good to happen” because there seemed to be a lot of bad all the time. What I didn’t realize was that something good already happened for me, to me. Jesus died on the crossed for me and arose three (3) days later, and is seated at the right hand of God, and I accepted this and am now saved. Knowing that I will be caught up with all my brothers and sisters in Christ when the Lord says “Come up hither” is the greatest “Good”! This is what we should focus on. For the things we see now are temporal, they are subject to change, but being with Christ Jesus is eternal. Losing a loved one or a job, going through a divorce; these things all hurt and will hurt for some time. But in time, that hurt diminishes you’re your life goes on. It’s not to say that it won’t bother you ever again, but you will go one or find another love, another job. Temporal, they are subject to change. God never changes; He is the same today as He was yesterday or since the beginning of time.

As you reflect on what happened in 2015, focus on the good. Yes there was some bad stuff. Maybe you lost a loved one, did or said something you shouldn’t have, got divorced; no matter what the bad was Jesus is the constant good that will last until the end of time. In 2016, make the choice to focus and appreciate all the good whether big or small. Give God thanks and praise for everything, all the time. If the bad should come, remember that you made the right choice to follow Jesus and have something good to focus on. If there should be another mass shooting or terrorist attack on US soil, remember that God loved us enough to warn us that these things were going to happen. Things have to happen to get into place for the return of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords – Jesus!

Did you put your armor on today???

Be Encouraged Today!!!

Remember there's a sinner's prayer on this site. If you have back-slid or haven't tasted and seen that the Lord is Good, say this prayer. You don't have to be in a church building to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. There is a moment that will happen, and it will happen in a twinkling of an eye (as fast as you can blink), and those who have confessed Jesus as Lord and have walked according to the Word of God will be raptured up to be with Him forever and ever. Yes, it sounds too fantastical to be real, but don't take the chance that it's not and be left behind. So don't put this off. No one knows the hour or the day when this will take place, but it is for us to be ready when it's time to go. The first step is to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. If you say this prayer, contact me; let me welcome you and personally encouraged you in your new life with Jesus!