Mathew 24:6-8 (AMPC)

And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened or troubled, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in place after place; 8 All this is but the beginning [the early pains] of the [a]birth pangs [of the [b]intolerable anguish].

Mathew 24-7-8 (TPT)

7 “Nations[a] will go to war against each other and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be terrible earthquakes—seismic events of epic proportion, horrible epidemics[b] and famines in place after place. 8 This is how the first contractions and birth pains of the new age will begin!”

... or Birth Pangs!

There is a lot of attention given these days to climate change and environmental transformations. However, Jesus spoke about all these things in Matthew 24 and referred to them as birth pangs prior to His second coming. 1 thessalonians 5:1-3 Now, brothers and sisters, you don’t need further instruction from us or anyone else for that matter regarding how the seasons and times will play out. 2 That’s because you know the truth well enough. The day of the Lord will race onto the scene and surprise us like a thief in the night. 3 People will be going about their business chanting, “All is well! All is at peace!” and in the next moment, ruin and destruction will suddenly seize them as labor pains grip a woman about to give birth; for them there will be no escape. These verses warn us that Christ is returning soon. Joel 2:31 The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. Acts 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the obvious day of the Lord comes—that great and notable and conspicuous and renowned [day]. This event already happened a couple of years ago where there was a solar eclipse and also the blood moon. Also 1 Thessalonians 5:8 exhorts us "But we belong to the day; therefore, let us be sober and put on the breastplate (corslet) of faith and love and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not appointed us to [incur His] wrath [He did not select us to condemn us], but [that we might] obtain [His] salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) 10 Who died for us so that whether we are still alive or are dead [at Christ’s appearing], we might live together with Him and share His life" We need to ready and have our lies conforming to the Word of God so we are ready for His second coming. Unfortunately, the Bible warns us that once the believers in Christ are evacuated from the earth in the rapture, the wrath of God will be unleashed on those remaining on the earth. We need to "flee from the wrath to come" in the words of Christian from Pilgrims Progress. One of these days Christ will return and we need to ready for His return. True repentance is one way to prepare for Christ's return. As there are signs on the highway to warn us of dangers ahead, God puts signs in the heavens to warn us of spiritual dangers and also writes them down in His word. 2 Corinthians 6:2 In the Scriptures God says, “When the time came, I listened to you, and when you needed help, I came to save you.” That time has come. This is the day for you to be saved. (CEV). Gos is ready to rescue us from damnation, from our carnal natures and from all the dangers present in this world. In the words of John the Baptist "Repent and be saved and baptized" (paraphrased). Amen

Isaiah 60:2

See truly; look carefully—darkness blankets the earth; people all over are cloaked in darkness. But God will rise and shine on you; the Eternal’s bright glory will shine on you, a light for all to see.

John 8:12 (GNT)

Jesus spoke to the Pharisees again. “I am the light of the world,” he said. “Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness.”

Philippians 2:15 (Phillips)

Do all you have to do without grumbling or arguing, so that you may be God’s children, blameless, sincere and wholesome, living in a warped and diseased world, and shining there like lights in a dark place. For you hold in your hands the very word of life.

Philippians 2:15 (TLB)

You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of people who are crooked and stubborn. Shine out among them like beacon lights,

Beacons

When we listen to the evening news or just look at the state of things in the world around us, we see that we are surrounded by "darkness". As confirmed by Isaiah: Deep darkness covers the earth. However, despite living in dark times, God's light will shine on those who are saved. To become saved we just have to accept God's plan of redemption by accepting the forgiveness offered through Christ. Once we are saved, the Glory of the Lord shall arise upon us. As Jesus said in John 8:12, whoever follows Him will never walk in darkness. As Philippians 2:15 (TLB) exhorts us, shine out among them as beacon lights. As the beacon of a lighthouse guides ships through rough and rocky waters safely to the port, we are to reflect Christ's light to a dark and dying world, so that they can navigate their lives through the rough and rocky circumstances of life safely to their destination. Also we need to: And so the Lord says, “You must leave them and separate yourselves from them. Have nothing to do with what is unclean, and I will accept you.-2Corinthians 6:17." Romans 12:2 (CEV) Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him. Also as it says in Malachi 3:18 (CEV) You people will come back to me, and you will learn the difference between good and evil. You will learn the difference between someone who follows God and someone who does not. Many times in this world what God considers good is stated evil and vice versa, what God considers evil is promoted as good. However, by reading God's word we learn to distinguish between what's right and wrong. Since Christ is the High King of heaven, having the highest authority, ultimately what He says has the final word. O In closing, ensure that you are following God's law then you can say as Job did: job 19:25 "For I know, that my redeemer liveth, and on the last day he shall rise to my defense;" Amen

Proverbs 4: 23 (NET)

Guard your heart with all vigilance, for from it are the sources of life.

Proverbs 4:23 (GNT) (WEB)

Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.

Wellspring of Life

Reviewing the above verse in different English translations, we see that we have to be careful what we think as what we think affects our life. Our thought life governs our real life. Another translation: VOICE, Above all else, watch over your heart; diligently guard it because from a sincere and pure heart come the good and noble things of life. TPT: So above all, guard the affections of your heart, for they affect all that you are. Pay attention to the welfare of your innermost being, for from there flows the wellspring of life. This verse is cautioning us to have our thinking set right. Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." As the above verse advises us to focus our thinking on those things that will build us up we will profit from doing as it says. Also Colossians 3:2 And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth. As we consciously reorder our thinking to conform our mindset with what is outlined in God's word the Bible, we automatically see our lives through heaven's lenses and the natural realm does not burden or affect our lives. We have to ask ourselves this question: In the light of eternity how does this situation affect us? In many instances this would defuse the tension and stress that we bring upon ourselves in this life. King David said in Psalm 141:3 God, give me grace to guard my lips from speaking what is wrong. (TPT) Once our thinking is set right and we order our thoughts to conform to what God says in His word, we will not be rattling off with our mouths what is wrong. In other words what we think is what we end up saying and what we say shapes our lives. In conclusion, pay attention to your thought life and as we focus our thoughts on Biblical ways our lives will also follow suit and we will live our lives in the highway of holiness. Matthew 7:13 "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many." In order to walk in the narrow way we need to start out by setting our thoughts to conform to the Bible, then our words and actions will follow suit and we will find ourselves walking in the pathway of Eternal Life. Amen

Exodus 25:17, 21-22 (AMPC)

And you shall make a mercy seat (a covering) of pure gold, two cubits and a half long and a cubit and a half wide.
You shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony [the Ten Commandments] that I will give you.
22 There I will meet with you and, from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are upon the ark of the Testimony, I will speak intimately with you of all which I will give you in commandment to the Israelites.

Numbers 7:89 (RSV)

And when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was upon the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim; and it spoke to him.

Atonement

The Mercy Seat was a part of the ark of the covenant of the Lord. In the book of Leviticus 16:2-15 shows that before the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies where the ark was housed, he had to make an atonement for sin (his own sin, as well as the sin of the Israelites). In the verse from Numbers above Moses heard God speaking to him from above the Mercy seat giving him instructions on what the Israelites ought to do and what they must not do. To tie it all together, in our daily lives, we need to hear God's instructions on how to conduct ourselves. However, in Numbers, God stated that nobody can approach the Mercy Seat without making a blood sacrifice (an atonement for their sin). Now Christ was that atonement, blood sacrifice, for our sins. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins-Hebrews 10:4. Now that Christ has paid the penalty for our sins, we can boldly enter God's presence and receive instructions for our daily lives. Another thing to consider is that although God is a just Judge, He chooses to speak to us from the Mercy Seat and not the Judgement seat. James 2:13 "for there will be no mercy to those who have shown no mercy. But if you have been merciful, then God’s mercy toward you will win out over his judgment against you" God chooses to meet us over the mercy seat and expects us to show the same mercy towards others. Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 9:13 "But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” To summarize, God has chosen to be merciful to us and He expects us to be merciful to others. Also, God communicates His will to us, once we have our conscience sprinkled with the blood of Jesus. He spoke to Moses from above the mercy seat on the ark of the covenant and instructed him from there as well. We can only access the "mercy seat" by having our conscience cleansed, by accepting the forgiveness offered through the blood of Christ. In other words we cannot hear God's instructions for our lives unless we have first accepted the forgiveness of Christ and meet Him at the "mercy seat". Hebrews 4:16 "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Amen

Isaiah 42: 1-4(MSG)

God’s Servant Will Set Everything Right
42 1-4 “Take a good look at my servant.
I’m backing him to the hilt.
He’s the one I chose,
and I couldn’t be more pleased with him.
I’ve bathed him with my Spirit, my life.
He’ll set everything right among the nations.
He won’t call attention to what he does
with loud speeches or gaudy parades.
He won’t brush aside the bruised and the hurt
and he won’t disregard the small and insignificant,
but he’ll steadily and firmly set things right.
He won’t tire out and quit. He won’t be stopped
until he’s finished his work—to set things right on earth.
Far-flung ocean islands
wait expectantly for his teaching.”

Matthew 12:16-21(MSG)

Look well at my handpicked servant;
I love him so much, take such delight in him.
I’ve placed my Spirit on him;
he’ll decree justice to the nations.
But he won’t yell, won’t raise his voice;
there’ll be no commotion in the streets.
He won’t walk over anyone’s feelings,
won’t push you into a corner.
Before you know it, his justice will triumph;
the mere sound of his name will signal hope, even
among far-off unbelievers.

Christ

The above two passages of scriptures, one from the old testament and one from the new, outline to us some of the characteristics of the Messiah, or Christ. Matthew 12:20 (TPT) He won’t brush aside the bruised and broken.
He will be gentle with the weak and feeble,[e]
until his victory releases justice. This is a good characteristic to emulate. To be considerate about the weak or feeble. Theses days infanticide or abortion is hailed as a way of promoting the rights of women whereas it is the murder of the weak and feeble babies. Our culture these days is to walk over the weak and feeble and promote the loud and boisterous. God always goes against popular culture. Although Jesus was angry at the temple and turned over the tables of the money changers, He was always considerate towards those who were weak and feeble and considered the dregs of society. Jesus was displeased with the learned scribes and pharisees and loved the poor and humble. He also said "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth" He healed the lepers who were outcasts of the society. He said to the pharisees it is not the healthy but rather the sick who need the physician. He sought out and forgave the tax collectors and the prostitutes. He went out of His way to heal the sick and afflicted. The Word says God anointed Jesus of Nazareth, who went about doing good and healing all those who were afflicted. Even being the King of Kings, He chose to be born in a stable rather than a palace. He learned His father's trade and worked as a carpenter. Although He studied the scriptures and was well versed in the written word, He never bragged. His lifestyle is the example for us to follow. We are to lift up the weak and afflicted and not toss them aside like garbage. The darwinian theory of survival of the fittest is in direct contrast to the Word of God and to what Jesus did. Jesus talks about the Good Shepherd who leaves the 99 righteous to seek out the one lost sheep. Mark 2:17 (GNT) Jesus heard them and answered, “People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick. I have not come to call respectable people, but outcasts.” In closing, we need to "cast our nets on the other side" or reach out to the lost and spiritually dying in this world. In the words of Jesus, it is not the righteous who need a savior but rather the lost sinners, those unaware of the love of God for their lives. Jesus loves you more than anyone in this world could possible love you. Amen.

Genesis 1:1-3

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.

Genesis 1:9

And God said, “Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so

...And it was so.

In the first chapter of the first book of the Bible, we see an account of creation. Reviewing the first chapter gives us a sense of belonging to purpose as we see that God created a world for us to enjoy. The order of creation is confirmed by science. Also, we see God created the universe with His words. God's spoke and it came to be. To summarize God said "Light be" and light was. In each verse in the first chapter of Genesis we see that God spoke the universe into being. Hebrews 11:3"Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." In another version "Faith convinces us that God created the world through his word. This means what can be seen was made by something that could not be seen." Taking into consideration that God created the expanse of the universe by speaking powerful words, we can rest assured that the solution to our problems lie in us speaking God's words over it. We see God's words outlined for us in the Bible and we speak the appropriate words to solve our problems. If we are sick we speak God's promises of healing and health into our situation. If we are in financial lack, we speak God's promises of provision over our lives. If we are anxious we speak God's promises for peace in our lives. For every problem that we face there is a promise in the Bible which would bring the solution to our problems. Also, the God we serve is not impersonal. Hebrews 4:15 For our high priest is able to understand our weaknesses. He was tempted in every way that we are, but he did not sin. Jesus is our High Priest and He understands and sympathizes with our weaknesses. In conclusion, turn to Jesus, for strength in every struggle you face and speak the promises in the Bible to proclaim your victory. Live victorious in the victory Christ has won for us. Amen.

Matthew 9:17 (CEV)

No one pours new wine into old wineskins. The wine would swell and burst the old skins. Then the wine would be lost, and the skins would be ruined. New wine must be put into new wineskins. Both the skins and the wine will then be safe.

Old Wineskins

In the verse above, the new wine refers to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. What the verse actually means is that the Holy Spirit cannot be poured out into "old wineskins" or people who have not yet experienced the forgiveness of Christ. The Holy Spirit will be poured out on those who have accepted Christ as their Savior and Lord. In the book of Acts 10, the Bible tells of the gentile Cornelius who received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, as soon as the Gospel was preached to Him. We all need to experience the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, however, this cannot happen until after we accept the forgiveness which comes through Christ. Proverbs 3:9-10 (AMPC) 9 Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency [from righteous labors] and with the firstfruits of all your income;10 So shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats shall be overflowing with new wine. We see that giving back to God what is rightfully His would bring about an outpouring of His Spirit along with our natural needs being supplied. When we give God a portion of our income (10%) He not only promises to supply our needs but also to pour out the Holy Spirit in our lives. Acts 2:17-21 " ‘In the last days,’ God said, ‘I will pour out my Holy Spirit upon all mankind, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men dream dreams. 18 Yes, the Holy Spirit shall come upon all my servants, men and women alike, and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will cause strange demonstrations in the heavens and on the earth—blood and fire and clouds of smoke; 20 the sun shall turn black and the moon blood-red before that awesome Day of the Lord arrives. 21 But anyone who asks for mercy from the Lord shall have it and shall be saved.’ We can agree that these are the last days when there would be an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Let us then be prepared with "New Wineskins" or having our hearts forgiven by accepting Christ's sacrifice on the Cross. We need to call upon the Name of Jesus for mercy and grace and forgiveness of our many transgressions and certainly He will save us and fill us with the new wine. Amen.

John 10:11

“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Psalm 23:1

The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need.

Psalm 100:3

Know that the Lord is God. He made us, and we belong to him. We are his people, the sheep he tends.

Sheep

In the above verses we see that the Lord is our shepherd and that we are His sheep. Sheep are animals who never tend themselves or exist in the wild. Every sheep needs to be under the care of the Shepherd. We are considered the Lord's sheep. We need to be like the woman in Song of Solomon 1:7 I love you with all my soul! Tell me, where do you feed your sheep?. We are God's own sheep and we need to be attentive to the voice of our Good Shepherd. If a sheep strays from the shepherd's care it becomes an easy target for the wolf or the enemy of our souls. Notice the wolf is not in the same league as the shepherd but rather that of the sheep. The wolf is no match for the shepherd of our soul. However if a sheep has wandered off away from the care of the Shepherd, it ends up as lamb chops on the wolf's menu. Since we, as people are likened to the sheep, Satan is likened to the wolf and God is our shepherd, in the analogy above, we need to stay close to God and His flock to be safe from the wolf. There's a song by Elizabeth Clephane which sates that the Lord left the entire flock to seek out the one sheep that wandered away. A verse from this song is copied below:I go to the desert to find My sheep.”
But none of the ransomed ever knew
How deep were the waters crossed;
Nor how dark was the night the Lord passed through
Ere He found His sheep that was lost.
Out in the desert He heard its cry;
’Twas sick and helpless and ready to die.
We as sheep find ourselves spiritually sick and helpless and spiritually ready to die when we wander from the shepherd of our souls. Notice that no wolf is ever intimidated by sheep but rather by the shepherd in whose care the sheep are. In other words, Satan is never scared off by us, but is scared off by the Christ in us. We never need to be afraid of Satan because Christ resides within us and He will drive out the wolf when he comes to target us. Also, God has appointed under shepherds or Pastors to tend to His flock. When we stay with the flock of God and close to the under shepherd we automatically are protected from the wolf's assaults. The wolf goes after the stray sheep who are out wandering by themselves. In closing stay close to Christ, the Good Shepherd and His flock to escape being a target of the enemy of our souls.

Deuteronomy 30:19

Today I ask heaven and earth to be witnesses. I am offering you life or death, blessings or curses. Now, choose life! Then you and your children may live.

Joshua 24:15

If you think it’s the wrong thing for you to serve the Lord, then choose for yourselves today whom you will serve—the gods whom your ancestors served on the other side of the Euphrates River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose territories you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

...and consequences!

In this day and age an emphasis is placed on us having choices. We do indeed have choices. Once we have made our choice we face the consequences of our choices. For instance a woman who says it's her body so she has the choice to decide whether or not to have her baby, made her choice prior to conception of the child already. The consequences of her choice is that she birth her child. Murder is never a choice we have. We do not have the choice to take the life of another and deprive the choice to life of another person. Not only in pregnancy does this aspect of choice and consequences come to play however, in all decisions that we make. In Deuteronomy 30:19 God is offering us a choice between blessings or cursing. Blessing for obeying His commandments and cursing for disobeying them. God's commands are put in place to ensure us a peaceable life. Take for example, a parent warning a child to not touch a hot stove. The parent is not imposing a dictatorial law to deprive the child of pleasure, but rather is interested in the well being of the child so they do not burn themselves. Similarly, God, being our heavenly Father, forbids certain behaviors and life styles not to deprive us of pleasure but rather to ensure our well being. There is however an internal conflict, since we are born with a nature that has the propensity to disobey God. Paul said in Romans 7: 15 "My own behavior baffles me. For I find myself not doing what I really want to do but doing what I really loathe" In Romans 8:3 Paul writes " It is impossible to do what God’s standards demand because of the weakness our human nature has. But God sent his Son to have a human nature as sinners have and to pay for sin. That way God condemned sin in our corrupt nature." Christ has given us victory over our sin nature since He gives us His nature of Holiness. Although we may be still battling our carnality and our propensity to disobey God, we can look to Christ for assistance. Hebrews 12:2 advises us to :"Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right side of God's throne." Fixing our eyes on Jesus, will help us to overcome the temptations present in this world and keep God's commandments. We also have a safety net in 1 John 1:9 in case we fail "But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing." In conclusion, God has given us what we need to walk in His ways. What we need to do is to purpose in our heart's to obey His commands and to walk in His way. Mathew 7: 13-14 13 “Enter through the narrow gate because the gate and road that lead to destruction are wide. Many enter through the wide gate. 14 But the narrow gate and the road that lead to life are full of trouble. Only a few people find the narrow gate.Amen

Jeremiah 31:15

This is what the Lord says: A voice was heard in Ramah, a lament with bitter weeping— Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children because they are no more.

Exodus 1:15-17

The king of Egypt spoke to two Hebrew midwives named Shiphrah and Puah: 16 “When you are helping the Hebrew women give birth and you see the baby being born, if it’s a boy, kill him. But if it’s a girl, you can let her live.” 17 Now the two midwives respected God so they didn’t obey the Egyptian king’s order. Instead, they let the baby boys live.

...Rachel weeping for her children

The verses above were set in a time when a deliverer was to be birthed for the people of Israel. Prior to the birth of Moses, who led the Israelites out of slavery, the Pharaoh ordered the death of all male children. Then again following the birth of Jesus, who came to deliver the whole world from the clutches of Satan, Herod commanded the death of all babies under 2 years old. Despite the Kings's edict, both people accomplished their purposes. Moses was raised by the Pharaoh's daughter right in the Pharaoh's palace and later went on to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. Jesus lived and accomplished His divine calling which was to overcome the power of Satan, by dying on the cross and then being resurrected. In both cases God's divine purpose was fulfilled. All the King's edict's could not prevent the deliverance of God's people. Unfortunately, we see history repeat itself once again where late term abortion, is being made legal. This is nothing short of the murder of babies we see in the past two instances prior to the deliverance of God's people. Although infanticide is cruel and inhumane and turns the stomach of compassionate people we need not despair too much as it seems to be forerunner of God's deliverance. Luke 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads: for your redemption draweth near. 1 Thessalonians 5:2 You know very well that the day of the Lord is going to come like a thief in the night. One of these days the Lord will return, not as a baby in the manger, however as a conquering King. He will execute judgement on the earth. It is our duty as God's children to intercede and stand in the gap for those innocent babes who are being slaughtered at the alter of one's selfish ego. It is our duty to half oil in our lamps. It is imperative for us to be ready and found working in the fields of God's kingdom. In the words of Jesus " The fields are ripe unto harvest, but the laborers are so few" Lord help us to give our lives to spread the Gospel and gather precious souls unto you. Amen.

Psalms 18:33 (Voice)

He made me sure-footed as a deer and placed me high up where I am safe.

Micah 4:2

Many nations will go and say: “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God, so that he may teach us his ways and we may walk in God’s paths!”

Isaiah 58:14 (CEB)

Then you will truly enjoy knowing the Lord. He will let you rule from the highest mountains and bless you with the land of your ancestor Jacob. The Lord has spoken!

Deuteronomy:32:13

He made him ride on the heights of the land and eat the produce of the field. He nourished him with honey from the rock and oil from flint-like rock,

Scaling new heights

As it is the new year when people make resolutions, let us resolve to scale new heights in our spiritual life. Like it says in Micah 4:2: let's go t the mountain of the Lord so He may teach us His ways and we may walk in God's paths. Let us resolve to be taught of the Lord and let us resolve to walk in His paths. Every time in the past where we have strayed from His ways, let us resolve to rectify our errors and return to the highway of holiness. Like it says in Deuteronomy 32:13, let us ride on the heights of the land and be nourished with honey from the rock. The book of Psalms also says " The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul, the testimony of the lord is sure making wise the simple, more to be desired are they than gold and sweeter also than the honey and the honey comb" Let us resolve this year feast on heavenly manna from the word of God and let our soul be converted. Let us resolve to scale new heights and take our spiritual walk up a notch. Let us resolve to feast on His word and walk in a way worthy of the Lord. In the words of Paul, " Let us run the race so that we may obtain the prize and lay aside every sin that so easily besets us" The calling of the Lord is the highest calling we can have and let us resolve today to walk worthy of His calling on our lives. In closing, as it says in Ephesians 4:32 "Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted; and forgive each other, just as in the Messiah God has also forgiven you." (CJB) and make this verse a prayer for us for 2019:
Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
By faith, on Heaven’s tableland,
A higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.
Amen

Luke 1: 30-38(CEV)

The angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. God is honoring you. 31 Look! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and he will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of David his father. 33 He will rule over Jacob’s house forever, and there will be no end to his kingdom.”
34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How will this happen since I haven’t had sexual relations with a man?”
35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come over you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the one who is to be born will be holy. He will be called God’s Son. 36 Look, even in her old age, your relative Elizabeth has conceived a son. This woman who was labeled ‘unable to conceive’ is now six months pregnant. 37 Nothing is impossible for God.”
38 Then Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be with me just as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

Luke 1:38

And Mary said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” And the angel departed from her.

... according to Thy word

We see in the passage above, the angel announcing the birth of Jesus to Mary. According to the Mosaic law an unwed woman who was pregnant could be punished by death. However Mary's response to the angel was: Be it unto me according to thy word. This resulted in the birth of the Messiah, when God spoke to man after 400 silent years. God is not silent today. He speaks to us in our hearts, from the written word and also by the Holy Spirit. Sometimes He asks us to give up things which we may enjoy however are not profitable to us. Whether it be excessive consumption of alcohol or smoking to the detriment of our lungs or the newly legalized cannabis to the detriment of our mental well being to illicit sex and other hard drugs. Other times it may be more subtle sins such as jealousy, anger, unforgiving, pride, lying or covetousness. All these could be as detrimental to our spiritual well being as the previously mentioned sins are detrimental to our physical well being. We need to hear the voice of the Spirit of God and respond as Mary did "Be it unto me according to your word". Many a calamity has been averted in our lives by heeding the voice of the Spirit. Conversely, many a blessing has been aborted by dismissing the voice of the Spirit. In the passage above we see that God spoke to a young girl named Mary after 400 years of silence and asked her to birth the Messiah. Although this was a formidable task she quickly accepted what was spoken by the Angel. This obedience on Mary's part brought us the Savoir of mankind. God's redemptive plan would always come to pass, however if we dismiss His voice we may not be a part of his unfolding purpose for our lives. Jeremiah 29:11, I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans for good and not for evil, plans to give you a future you hope for. God loves each one of us and has our best interest in mind. However if we willfully disobey His commands then His plans for us will not be fulfilled. We need to cry out to Him like Jabez did : O that your hand be upon me and that you bless me indeed and enlarge my territory. Having God's hand of mercy upon us will not only be a shield of protection over us, however it will bring about many blessings in our lives.God said to Abraham " I am thy shield and thy exceedingly great reward" Through Paul, He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him. In Mathew in the words of the Master himself " Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. In closing, this Christmas season, may the cry of our hearts be in the words of Mary:" Be it unto me according to thy word." Amen

Philippians 4:6 (AMP)

Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God.

Matthew 6:34 (MSG)

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

No worries

These days most people are living busy, packed, fast paced lives and could easily slip into the sin of worry and anxiety. However God cautions us to watch out so that we do not fall into that trap. In Philippians God says that everything that causes anxiety in our lives should be lifted up to Him in prayer and then we can rest knowing that God will handle that situation. There is a Gospel song that goes as follows: Bring all your needs to the altar, bring all your needs to the Lord. He is both willing and able to help you, bring all your needs to the Lord. God being our heavenly Father longs to be there for us when we need Him. Just as we being earthly parents are always available for our children, so also God is always available for us. Not only that, God is never stumped by the problems we face. Whatever the issue He can resolve it. Worry can hinder us from hearing God's instructions and also steal our joy. Jesus said My peace I leave unto you. John the Apostle rested his head on Jesus shoulder and Jesus would like all of us to do the same. Another gospel song goes as follows: Safe in the arms of Jesus, Safe on His gentle breast, there by His love over shaded, sweetly my soul shall rest. Our soul should rest in safety secure in the knowledge that God loves us and cares for us. Although we may be adults we are God's children and He takes care of His own. In the words of Charles Spurgeon "He who created the stars and called them by name is in no danger of forgetting His own children". I exhort you to rest in the arms of Jesus and release your cares into His capable and caring hands. Amen.

Revelation 21:4

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Hebrews 4:9-11

So we conclude that there is still a full and complete “rest”[a] waiting for believers[b] to experience. 10 As we enter into God’s faith-rest life we cease from our own works, just as God celebrates his finished works and rests in them.[c] 11 So then we must give our all and be eager to experience this faith-rest life, so that no one falls short by following the same pattern of doubt and unbelief.

Eternal respite

As we labor on in this earth, we all look forward to some vacation time, when we can experience rest and refreshing. In the 21st chapter of the book of Revelations we see a verbal portrait of our heavenly abode. If you own a bible please review this chapter at your leisure. One of the characteristics of Heaven is that there will be no more pain, sorrow, striving or laboring. I have said previously that God's original plan for men and women was that we remain in the Garden of Eden where everything is provided for us and there was no labor and Adam and Eve walked with God in the cool of the day. However, Adam forfeited all that. Now redemption is available through Jesus Christ the Son of God. Although accepting the forgiveness of Christ provides us with hope in this world our faith rests on the world to come. The book of Hebrews cautions us to labor in order to enter into that rest. There may be many occasions in this earth, as we go through the trials of life, where we are tempted to "throw in the towel" or abandon our faith. However there is a rest reserved for those who persevere and hold on to their faith. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1. Without faith it is impossible to please God. For He that comes to God must believe that God exists and that He rewards of those who seek Him diligently. Hebrews 11:6. God has prepared an everlasting abode for us. A place of joy and rest for eternity. However we must hold on to our faith for the remainder of our lives in order to enter that special place of perpetual joy. Jesus said in this world you will have tribulations, be of good cheer, for I have overcome this world and deprived it of it's power to harm you. As we journey through life, we need to cling to God's unchanging hand. We refresh our spirit each day by feasting on the written word of God, the Bible. We strengthen our inner man, by praying. We subjugate our carnal nature which strives against the spirit of God with temptations. However, if we do mess up and miss the mark, we can run to Christ for forgiveness as outlines in 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God is a good God, who loves us with an everlasting love. He was not caught off guard when Adam disobeyed. He prepared the redemption plan for mankind before he laid the foundations of the earth. God is a just judge. His justice has to be met. He loves us infinitely more than any person could love us. He has decreed His laws for our benefit, with our best interest in mind. In closing, come home to Jesus, give Him your life today. Once we've done that we have eternal rewards, everlasting benefits. No regrets. Amen.

1 Kings 17: 8-16

8 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.12 And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.14 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.

Blessed to bless

Putting the above passage in context, there was a famine in the Land which was proclaimed by God in response to the King's disobedience. Although we don't live in old testament times, many times our political leaders kindle the wrath of God by rejecting His laws and creating their own in contradiction to His word. This could lead to a financial famine in the land. There is always a lesson in the Bible passages applicable to the present days affairs. Returning to the passage above, Elijah the prophet was instructed to go to a town called Zarephath. Since Elijah was an obedient servant of the Lord, his needs were always supplied. The same can be said of us believers today. As long as we stay in obedience to God's word by our lifestyles, our needs will be supplied. Not only were Elijah's needs supplied, however the person who was chosen to bless Elijah was also blessed. It seems strange that God sent Elijah to a woman who was thinking she was cooking up her last supper. Stranger still that this woman was asked to give up the last morsel she had to the prophet of God. However God's ways are not our ways. As we give of our dire need to bless the household of God, not only does the prophet of God gets blessed, but the woman has an unending supply of flour and oil to tide her through the entire famine in the land. Similarly, for us today, as we give generously, out of our needs to bless the household of God, God provides for us supernaturally until our needs are supplied. Jesus talks about the woman who put in a mite (penny) in the offering, as being the most generous of all, since she gave her last penny and had nothing left. God is not trying to rob us off our last morsel of bread or the last cent in our bank accounts, however He is testing our reliance on Him. When God is our loving Father, we have no problem to trust Him to take care of us by supplying our every need. Giving becomes a way of life. Not that we don't plan for our future and live recklessly, however when we need anything we can go to our Father who supplies all our needs. In closing, in the words of Jesus "Give and it shall be given to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, will men give unto your bosom" Amen

Isaiah 53:3-7

He is despised and rejected of men, a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. And we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
4 Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not his mouth; He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.

Redemption

The above verses illustrate God's plan for the redemption of our souls. Jesus took upon his body the punishment for our sin and willful disobedience. Verse 6: All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one his own way. The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. We all have transgressed God's commandments. We have done things which God has forbidden. The reason God forbids certain things is because He has our best interest in mind. He wants us to enjoy life to the fullest extent by following His commandments. Sometimes, the enemy of our soul whispers in our ears, did God really say? where he instills doubts, temptations and discredits all that is good and godly. We need to be aware that we are in a battle for our souls. We cannot fight an enemy we pretend does not exist. The enemy in his underhanded way convinces us that we are beyond redemption and that God has abandoned us to our devices and therefore does not exist or if He does is not concerned with us. However God has placed within us thoughts of eternity. Our body may live on earth for a limited time however our soul is eternal. If the enemy convinces us there is nothing beyond the body , we think everything in our body can be explained away in terms of a chemical equation. However our soul, the mind, will and emotions cannot be explained away. God wants to quicken our spirits so our souls can spend eternity with God in perpetual bliss. At that time we will be given a resurrected body. However while we are on the earth we pray that God will strengthen and keep us in His care so that we can eventually spend eternity with Him. Do not let the enemy pull the wool over your eyes. God is a good God and sent His only son to die for us so we could spend eternity with him. Ecclesiastes 12: 13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every secret thing,
whether good or evil.
Amen

Genesis 1:27

So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Genesis 1:27 CEV

So God created humans to be like himself; he made men and women.

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Ephesians 6:10

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might

Hebrews 12:1

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us,

Moving Ahead

Before I begin I would like to reiterate the fact that we are facing a formidable enemy of our souls in satan. john 10:10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]. the thief here is satan and his mission is to destroy our joy, or peace, or happiness and well being especially the well being of our souls. In contrast to this we see in 3 John 1:2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well and prospers. Soul prosperity is what we aim form. In the end our body will remain on the earth however our soul will be for eternity either in the presence of God in heaven or separated from all that is good in hell. The enemy's mission is to separate us from the presence of God and keep us bound in chains in prisons of the past. He amplifies and brings to the surface everything that went wrong in our lives and whispers lies about everything we stand for. However in order to move ahead we must let go of the negative experiences of the past and push ahead to the place where God wants us to be. We do that by counting our blessings each day or thinking about the things that are good and beautiful in our lives. All it takes sometimes is to focus on the positive things that we've experienced and delete or cancel out the negative experiences by not dwelling on it. We think about all the good times in our lives. We've all been through tough times and times of great trials however God does not want us to be imprisoned in the place of trial that we faced. We change our mind by thinking on all the good things God has done in our lives. We let go of our hurts and we focus on the good. The enemy of our souls would like us to focus on all the bad things and on everything that went wrong in our lives. However we need to feed our positive experiences and memories and destroy the negative experiences and memories and render them powerless to keep us imprisoned in the bad times of the past. Also we need to be aware that not every thought that crosses our minds is from us. Some thoughts are put there by the enemy our souls to keep us imprisoned and bound by all the negative experiences. Also he whispers godless thought to us about who we are and what we stand for. We need to watch out for the enemy of our souls. In closing reread the verses above Philippians 4:10, Hebrews 12:1 and Ephesians 6:10. 1 Corinthians 6:20 You were bought with a price [you were actually purchased with the precious blood of Jesus and made His own]. So then, honor and glorify God with your body. Amen