WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU HAVE THE FLU?

John 3:16 the quote on the background of the heart, calligraphic text symbol of Christianity hand drawn vector illustration sketch.

Like much of the town during this time of year, I have the flu. It started off slow on Friday. I was completely out of commission Saturday and Sunday. Now here we are on Monday and I think I might live.

Last night while I was tossing and turning in my bed, I decided to open my tablet and scroll through YouTube. I found a message by Dutch Sheets. He was reading a prophecy by another individual. The message was so good I wanted to share it with you.

Now I do not know this other person. I do not know how accurate they are on their prophetic abilities. But the message gave me hope and excitement about the season we are coming into.

The basic premise of the prophecy was that Jesus was going to show up as the lion over America. He had all four of His paws on the four corners of America. The scripture John 3:16 was going out over land. The lost were saved.

Another part of the prophecy declared that the Lord was basically saying enough. The enemy has messed with us long enough. Now he must let go of America. We were once a beacon to the world of the love of Christ and we would be again.

I do not know about you, but when I heard those words I got excited. Our prayers for America have reached the Lord. I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered. I little flash back from last week there.

John 3:16, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever would believe in Him should not parish, but have everlasting life.

If you have ever interceded for our country, for our community; your prayers have reached heaven. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah is roaring and every bondage must be broken. Every hinderance my be loosed and removed.

I am thankful I found that prophecy. Whether true or not it reminded me to never stop praying. Never stop seeking the Lord. It gives me something positive to pray about. So often we focus on the negative when God always seems to work in the positive.

I TRUST IN GOD!

Calligraphy of Psalm 37:5 saying commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass — A beautifully decorated scripture verse encouraging trust and commitment to the Lord

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves who we are putting our trust in. There is a popular Christian Worship song out with the title I Trust in God. There is a line in the song that says “I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered”

Sometime the answer we are seeking from the Lord takes a long time to come. Sometimes it can seem like the answer will never come. Sometimes the answer will come instantly. Whatever the case, we can be assured that when we call on the Lord, He will hear and He will answer. He will answer!

Psalm 37:5 says Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

So, according to Psalm 37:5 not only do we call on Him in times of trouble. We must also commit our ways to Him and we must trust Him. I guess the question we need to be asking ourselves is this, “Do I trust the Lord”?

Do I trust Him to pull me out of the situation I find myself in? Do I trust Him to do what seems to be impossible? Do I really believe He will work all things out for good? I mean, do I REALLY believe and do I REALLY trust? I think each of us can ask ourselves the same questions. Only we know the answers.

Think back to a time when you sought the Lord and He heard and He answered. Think back to a time when it seemed like all hope was lost and then when you least expected it, the Lord showed up with an answer you never would have thought about.

Think about a diagnosis you received that seemed like your quality of life was over. Think about a financial situation where you were sure you were going to be ruined. Think about a family member who needed salvation that you thought would never get saved.

I am sure as you do you will find the same thing I find when I look back. The Lord is good! He hears and he answers. The Lord is good and His provision is never ending.

I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered! That is why I trust Him! As I wait on the Lord for my answers, I am praying that you know this trustworthy God. He hears and He answers. Seek the Lord, He will hear you!

HELP IS ON THE WAY

Psalm 27:14 biblical verse with sun, mountains, lanterns, and floral decorations

Last week I shared with you that I had a situation I was dealing with. A situation I did not know how to handle or how to fix. I shared how the only thing I could do was call out to God for help.

Psalm 27:14 says Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Wait on the Lord! We as mature independent adults are used to fixing our problems. We are accustomed to diving in and finding solutions. Really, that is what makes us adults. We can find a way to take care of ourselves.

Gone are the days of depending on our parents to take care of us. We are grown. We make our way in life. We fight our battles. We pay our bills. We take care of our families. We depend on ourselves. Which really is the ultimate picture of a well-adjusted adult.

Sometimes our independence gets in the way of what God wants us to do. There are many scriptures in the bible that tell us to wait on the Lord. I just picked Psalm 27:14 because it spoke to me. Wait on the Lord!

I might be like a lot of you. I want to dive in and find a solution right now! I want things to move quickly to resolve the situation I am in. Yet, if we were able to take care of our own problems all the time, would we really be dependent on the Lord?

The Lord has a lot of names in the bible. Each one represents an aspect of His character. Currently I am learning once again about JEHOVAH-JIREH, which translates as, The Lord will provide. The Lord is my provider! He will solve the problem.

See, I can rely on the Lord who provides. I have seen him provide many times! I have seen Him correct situations I did not know how to deal with. I have seen provision come in when I thought all hope was lost. And I am not just talking financially.

So by changing my focus away from being on me and my situations. I am choosing to turn and look to the Lord. I am excited to learn another aspect of the character of the Lord who is my provider.

I have spoken with many people in the last few weeks who are going through situations they do not know how to deal with. My challenge to us is this. Let’s turn our eyes to the Lord. Let’s praise Him for his provision. Let’s thank Him for being the Lord our provider. And if you do not know this providing Lord I am speaking of, I hope you yield your dependence on yourself for a moment and cry out to the Lord Jesus Christ.

THE GOD WHO FIGHTS OUR BATTLES

Sunrise over mountains with a cross, rainbow, flowers, and Isaiah 54:17 Bible verse

So recently I had a situation at work that left me stressed to my core! I am sure we have all been there. Something happens that you were not prepared for! It usually happens when we least expect it! Some major event that causes us to feel as if the floor just fell out from under us!

These events can include any number of shocks to our system. Maybe we get fired, or a bad report for the doctor. It could be that a family member or close friend suddenly passes away. Maybe the threat of financial ruin. Or worse yet, betrayal! Oh man, that is worse feeling ever. Nothing worse than to be betrayed by someone you trust. Been there, felt that!

Whatever the case, these types of life events can leave us feeling isolated, alone and vulnerable. That is how I felt at work last week. Something happened that left me feeling like I was in a situation I could not fix. I really did not know where to turn or what to do. My mind kept telling me that things were bad. My mind kept telling me I might as well close shop and move on. My mind kept bringing me down into a place of darkness and despair.

That is what my mind was telling me! But I do not have to listen to my mind. I do not have to worry or stress. I do not have to try to come up with a plan. I can turn the whole situation over to the Lord and let Him work it out. I am so grateful that I have a Heavenly Father that loves to fight my battles.

The book of Isaiah says ““No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord.” – Isaiah 54:17

I was in church Saturday night, worshiping the Lord and listening to the message. Not even thinking about the event that caused me despair just the day before. When suddenly God spoke to my heart, “I already new this was going to happen”

I just about leaped out of my seat! Yes, you did! I thought to myself! Yes, You did! I know that You know all things! Since You know all things, You also have a plan to take care of the situation for me. I am so thankful! I do not have to fret! I do not have to worry! I just give it to the Lord and let Him take care of it.

That is one of the blessings that come from being a child of God. He takes care of us. I write this to give you hope. If you are a child of God, you have refuge in the Lord! He is your strong tower, your fortress, your hiding place! If you are not a child of God, I hope this gives you another reason to call upon His Name.

Just call out to Jesus, tell Him you are ready to follow Him! Tell Him you are ready for a relationship with Him. Tell Him you repent and start to follow Him. I can tell you from many experiences, God has got our back.

DON’T BE A FOOL

This morning as I was doing my morning time with the Lord I came across Ecclesiastes 7:8-9 which says “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger rests in the bosom of fools.”

I remember I used to have the worst temper. I had a short fuse and an impatient heart. I would snap at the least little thing. I wanted everything when I wanted it. I did not want to wait in a line, or get behind a slow driver, or wait for something to come in the mail. I was impatient with people, impatient with circumstances, impatient with life, and I was miserable.

Shortly after I was saved, I started praying that the Lord would help me with my impatience. It was kind of comical, because the more I prayed the more I was thrust into situations which needed my patients. Without realizing it I was asking God to put me in situations where my patients would be tested.

When I went to the grocery store no matter how short the line was it was always the slowest line. I remember standing in lines at various stores in town, watching the longer lines zip right by. I would run over to stand in the fast line, only for the line to suddenly stop for one reason or another.

If I was on a trip, it would seem I was always behind the driver who had no idea they were driving below the speed limit. I would get to mad and irritable that I would have to pray to God the help me be patient and enjoy the slow speed.

Ecclesiastes 7:8-9 tells us that being patient and angry shows us to be fools. I do not know about you, but I do not want to be labeled a fool. Let’s learn to be patient with our circumstances, patient with each other, and patient with ourselves.

Let’s go into this new year with a commitment to have a more peaceful year by being more peaceful ourselves. See we want things to change but we usually try to get that change to start in somebody else. Maybe this year we try to change ourselves. Call on God to help us and remember if you do not know the Lord as your personal savior; calling on Him to come into your heart is the best way to start.

KEEP MOVING FORWARD!

Don’t look back. You’re not going that way.

Sometime when we come to the end of the year, as we are now, we tend to want to look back over our lives. What was it we did right, what was it we did wrong. While this may seem like a good idea, the Bible tells us a different story.

See what happens when we look back is we tend to dwell on all the negative things we did. We tend to rehash old conversations in our head. Someone said something that hurt us. Maybe we made a mistake that everyone was talking about for a while. We look at the choices we made and wish we would have made different ones.

The Bible tells us in Philippians chapter 3 that we should forget those things behind us and press forward toward the things in front of us. We are called to finish this “race” strong. We are called to press on toward the mark. What does that mean? Look at it like this.

Think about a person who competes in a race. They compete to win a prize. The goal is to finish the race. The prize we are looking to attain is eternal access to the Father. Our goal is to finish this life strongly. What about a soldier? The Bible calls us soldiers in God army. Soldiers are there to fight a good fight and to win the battle.

In both of these instances, the athlete and the soldier will hinder their objective if they are dwelling on the past. Why bog us down focusing on our past mistakes? Even focusing on past wins is not a good idea. Focusing on past mistakes will keep us bound to the mistake. Replaying the image over and over in our heads will cause us to make the same mistakes over and over again.

Focusing on past wins can cause us to be overconfident. When we become overconfident, we tend to let our guard down. Maybe we do not feel the need to prepare or keep ourselves ready. This is one reason the Bible tells us to stop looking back and start pressing forward. Make new goals for this next year. Focus on what you will do to attain the objectives you have set for yourself. Maybe we pray a little more, fast a little more, read our bibles a little more.

Maybe we ask God to show us the direction he has for us this upcoming year. Maybe we ask Him to lead and guide us. If we must look back, maybe we repent for any area where we were disobedient. May we all focus strong this upcoming year. Let’s make it our best year ever. No resolutions, just a plan to keep moving forward.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I am so excited about Christmas! It is the best time of the year, but not for the reasons you may think.

Christmas decorations are great! Christmas lights are beautiful! Giving and receiving presents is fun! But Christmas is the time of year that was chosen as the date to celebrate the birth of our Savior. Although this is not actually the date of His birthday, this is the date we celebrate His birth.

There was a push a few years ago to stop saying Merry Christmas. Those in positions of power wanted us to start saying “Happy Holidays” to not offend people of other faiths or people with no faith. That same group of people was for a while successful with pushing the “X-mas” plan. Literally removing Christ from His day of celebration.

All of that was in an attempt for remove Christ from history! Christ will stand! What He did will be remembered and celebrated. As I said last week, He gave us the greatest gift ever. The gift of access to the Father.

Sometimes it is easy to go with the flow. Sometimes it is easy to not push back. Maybe it is easier to just say “merry x-mas” or “happy holidays”. Maybe it is easier to follow the crowd rather than lead. I get it, standing up for what you believe can sometimes be hard.

Let’s all make a plan! Let’s all shout Merry Christmas from the roof tops! Christmas is just not Christmas without Christ! We will not X Him out! We will not stop saying His name! We will proudly proclaim the one for who the day is about. He literally divided time! Think about that! He literally divided time!

Merry Christmas Everyone. May you have a joyful Christmas. May it be filled with peace and love. May you eat to your heart’s content and may your gifts be accepted with love and humility. When you say your prayer around your dinner table, remember who the day is really about. Not Santa, not reindeer, not presents, not even decorations. The day is about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

THE GREATEST GIFT

Simple hand-drawn nativity scene with stable, wise men, shepherds and star.

This time of year is a good time of reflection. All during the year we get caught up in our daily activities and we sometimes fail to pay attention to what is in fact worth paying attention to. We spend our time shuffling with appointments for the kids, appointments for our work, appointments for ourselves. We exhaust ourselves with work of one kind or another.

Whether you work for yourself, work at home, or go to a building; work takes our time away from spending time with Jesus. Before Jesus came to the earth there was no way for people to spend time with the Lord. There was no access to the Throne Room for the everyday person. Only the High Priest could access the Presence of the Lord, and then only on certain days. Before Jesus came we were on the outside of the veil and not allowed in.

Now of course most of us know that we have access because Jesus Christ Died and rose again so that we might have access. So that we could be called children of God. So that we could have a personal relationship with the Lord. This ladies and gentleman, is the greatest gift ever.

Though we were flawed, though we are a stiff-necked people, though we gave Jesus no thought, He paid the price for us. He gave us the opportunity to have access to the Throne Room. He gave us the opportunity to have communication with Him.

Before Jesus came to the earth, we had no hope of spending eternity with the Lord. We were doomed to spending eternity absent from the presence of the Lord. There is no hope in absence of the Lord. The gift Jesus gave us is the gift of a life eternally in the presence of the Lord.

Besides an eternal life with the Lord, we can spend time with Him here and now. Anytime we say a prayer, anytime we whisper a need for help, anytime we are feeling lost or alone, anytime we need the Lord to intervene in our lives. We can run straight to the Lord because Jesus made a way.

The bible says in Matthew 27:51 that the veil was torn from the top to the bottom. This tells us that we can all have access to the presence of God not just the High Priests. What a great gift! The gift of access to the Father! This is what Christmas is all about. Once we have asked Jesus into our hearts, He gives us the gift of access. This is the greatest gift ever.

WATCH YOUR STINKIN THINKIN!

Have you ever noticed that if you are in a bad mood, you have negative thoughts running through your head. The more you dwell on the negative thoughts, the longer you will be in a bad mood. You can prolong your bad mood by continuing to think on the negative thoughts that put you in a bad mood in the first place. If you are happy you tend to have pleasant thoughts in your head. Your outlook will normally be positive. If you are sad, you will normally have sad thoughts taking up space in your brain, which will normally make you sadder.

I do not know a lot of people who can tell me that when they are sad, they are thinking of something happy. Nor are there people who can tell me that when they are happy, they are thinking of something that makes them mad.

Usually what you are thinking about is what you will be feeling. But more than that… what we think about is what we will experience. Our words have the ability to change our future. What we think about will eventually come forth. If you are depressed, maybe part of the reason is what you are thinking about.

Also, what you are thinking about is what you are declaring over your life. Are you always out of money, are you always sick, are you lonely? Do you have a track record of being taken advantage of? Do you expect good things or bad things to happen to you?

There is a reason God tells us in Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

What we think about will come to pass. Our thoughts can keep us happy or keep us sad. Our thoughts run our life. Our thoughts form our outlook on life. Maybe if we try to follow the words of the Lord and think on things that are good, we might end up having a good life. I am willing to try. What about you?

CHOOSE THIS DAY WHO YOU WILL SERVE

Biblical phrase from matthew gospel, no one can serve two masters. typography design for use as printing poster, flyer or t shirt

I have been thinking about how divided our nation has become. Seems to me that lines have been drawn. Where once we used to be “One Nation Under God”, we have become a divided nation with many gods.

I am reminded about Soloman in 1 Kings 3:13, where God grants Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, along with riches and honor. He was the wisest and most prosperous King for a while. Slowly Solomon began to compromise and let his guard down. Instead of following the ways of his father, David; Solomon began to give way to false gods and idols. He began to allow his nation to be influenced by outside ungodly forces.

America in the past was a nation fully blessed by the Lord. There is a reason we were named the superpower of the world. There is a reason we lived in peace and prosperity for a long time. We had one God! Most of the nation believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. At one time we had a reputation for sending missionaries around the world to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. A few years ago, we held the record for having the most missionaries sent to us to speak to us about the good news of Jesus Christ.

Now, as I said, we seem to have become the divided states of America. Lines have been drawn, and we dare not cross them. We no longer hold the same values we once did. The good news though is that our leadership, our government has publicly spoken about the Lord Jesus Christ. Our government has declared that we are a Christian nation. Different groups have repented and prayed for our nation over the course of a few years.

There is a scripture in Joshua 24 that says, “But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”

My prayer today is that we as a nation would choose to serve the Lord! But not only our nation in general, but that each of us would choose to serve the Lord in our homes! That we would speak and teach others about the Lord Jesus Christ!