I Will Be With You

Even though you may be facing great, fiery trials, whether it be cancer that is spreading and growing throughout your body, financial hardships, or a broken marriage there is hope and joy in the Lord.

You may not think so, but you will find peace in the Lord, if you cast all your worries and doubts on to Him. The Lord cares for you and He loves you. NOTHING can separate you from the love of God.
Trust in Him. Draw upon His strength and guidance and He will walk you through the fiery dark trial. 

And you will find encouragement in His Word. The more you get to know the Lord, you will see that your worries, anxiety, and depression will diminish. And as your faith and trust grows in Him, you will realize that He has always been there and He will never leave you.

Do not let the enemy win. Do not let the enemy discourage you. The enemy wants to drag you down into the deep, lonely, dark waters, whereas, the Lord will see you through those deep, dark waters. He is your Light in the darkness as it says in Isaiah 43:2 " When you go through the deep waters, I will be with you"

Heavenly Father Lord God,
We ask that you would give people strength, trust, courage and hope to overcome the present battles that they face. Help keep the enemy at bay and prevent him from dragging people down into the dark areas that he loves to dwell in to weaken and destroy people. Help those struggling to have a desire to draw closer to You and to seek You during the dark trials of their lives. 

We ask this in Jesus Name.
Amen 

Time for a Spiritual Check-up

“With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

Psalm119:10-11

Psalm 119 is a Psalm that glorifies God and His Word. It is passionately written by one who truly loves the Lord. The Psalmist states in verses 10-11, “With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

How often do we get into a spiritual rut where our hearts no longer seek God? We let the world slowly ease in and infiltrate into our lives, and the world’s ways slowly become our heart's desire, replacing God’s ways. God is no longer the central focus of our lives, nor are His commandments hidden in our hearts. A thick wall of plaque and grime has encased around our hearts in which His Word cannot penetrate through.

Does His Word penetrate through your heart? Do you seek the Lord with all of your heart? Have you wandered away from His commandments? Do your words and actions bring glory to God? Do you harbor ill will, bitterness, hatred, or unforgiveness towards others? Are you kind, loving, and empathetic towards others?  Does your heart beat for God or yourself? Are you growing in the Word? Are you praying regularly? This list of questions could go on and on. None to say there are times in our lives we need to stop and examine our hearts and ask these questions. We need to self-discipline ourselves and feed our spirits, so that we do not clog up our hearts with sin, apathy, complacency, and the world.  

Our clogged hearts can be shown in our words and actions. If we allow the sinful worldly plaque to build up around our hearts, and not maintain a healthy heart line to God, our hearts will not be one with Him. Your heart will become a hardened wall of plaque that is deaf and blind to His Word. Therefore, your words and actions may not be holy or godly. We need to do periodic spiritual check-ups, so we do not fall to the wayside, and so the wall of plaque does not form around our hearts.

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for Your Word. Thank you for the Holy Spirit that guides us, comforts us, and encourages us. Help us to keep Your Word hidden within our hearts and to obey it. Help us to keep our hearts free from the plaque of the world so that we may heed Your call and serve You and bring glory to You. And Lord please give us the grace to seek you continually with our whole hearts.

Amen.

Love and Blessings,

Carol

Good News

Image by MAG

Luke 2:10-11 "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord."

During these uncertain times, I hear many people saying that they are unhappy, and people are saying that there is no good news in their life right now. Many people are saying that there is nothing to be laughing about or to be joyful about. But I am telling you that there is something to be joyful about, during these uncertain times and that is the Good News. 

What is the Good News? The Good News is Jesus. Jesus, our great God, who became a man, and who died on the cross for us. He suffered terribly for us, for he was mocked, spitted upon, hit in the face, and was scourged. He loved us so much that he died on the cross to save us from our sins and to save us from the wrath that is to come. He bore our sins, our griefs, and our sorrows on the cross.  

And yet, people still say there is nothing to be joyful about? I am telling the world that there is plenty to be joyful about and that everyone should be shouting alleluia about it! And his name is Jesus, our Messiah, our Healer, our Lord, our King of Kings, our Victor over death, our Redeemer, and our Savior. In the book of Isaiah 53:5 (KJV), it says regarding Jesus Christ, "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."

Heavenly Father, 

I thank You for the great gift that was given to all Your people so many years ago. A gift that was announced through Your angelic host announcing the great news and bringing such great joy. Thank You for Jesus and for the joy and peace that floods all of our hearts who have found Him and accepted Him into our lives. 
Lord I pray for those who do not know Jesus that they would come to know Him personally and that they would be saved by Your grace by accepting Him into their lives. I pray that they would be able to experience the joy and peace that surpasses all understanding and that Your joy and peace would just flood their inner being. Amen.

Love and Blessings,
Carol

Longing

Psalm 143:6 I stretch out my hands to You; My soul longs for You, as a parched land. Selah.

All is quiet on an early Sunday morn. No one is up. The streets are empty. The stores are empty. The diners are empty. No church bells are ringing. No laughter or singing is emanating from the Church. No welcome from the pulpit. No Church potluck. No gathering in groups.

A lot of people ask what is up with the church gathering? We as a church body long to gather, to embrace, to encourage, to support, and to fellowship with one another. We long for those monthly potlucks where we get a chance to grow closer to each other and God. We long for God’s Word to be delivered from the pulpit. It states in the book of Deuteronomy 31:12-13 that when Moses delivered God's Word the Israelites' gathered, "Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that [is] within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law." We are a body that gathers.

We are also a body that longs for things to be back to normal as they once were before the Coronavirus. A time where pastors are not arrested for giving a sermon from the church parking lot. A time where pastors are not disrupted by the police during Church service while reading from the Bible. A time where children are allowed to sit next to their mom or dad in a church service and not forced to sit 6 feet apart.

In truth, it is not just about social gathering, but it is a deep, longing desire to hear God’s Word. Our souls are empty and lost without God’s Word. We gather to hear His Word, to share His Word, and to live His Word. As it says in Psalm 119:20 our souls are crushed with longing for our Lord, "My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times." At all times, but now, due to these hard and difficult times, we have had to learn how to adapt to hear God's Word and share God’s Word. How fortunate and blessed are those brothers and sisters, who have been able to attend a drive-in church, or attend online church services.

However, there are the elderly, the sick, the disabled, or those being persecuted who have no means to hear or see God’s Word online or in a church parking lot. But they do have God’s Holy Word tucked within their hearts. Praise God! 

These times may seem to be similar to a past Nazi-like era, like nothing some of us have ever witnessed before. Yet God’s Word tells us times like these are coming as in Luke 21:36, “Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.” We are to be alert and watch for the signs of the times. Whatever happens in the world, God has a plan, and God has a way of getting His message out into the world for all to hear. They may ban us from gathering at the church, but they will never stop the spread of the Gospel. As in the book of Matthew 24:14 tells us, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

Yes, the Gospel will reach all nations! Whether it is being heard online, or in a church parking lot, or from 6 feet away, His message will go forth and spread out like a wildfire. We pray His message will stir up souls. We pray that His message will stir up a revival like none witnessed before. But most importantly, we must remain alert, steadfast, and faithful as we long for our Lord’s return.

Heavenly Father,
We thank you for Your Word. We pray that You would ignite a fire in people's souls, that there would be a calling, and a longing to hear Your Word. We pray that knees will bow and that repentance will pour out from all nations. We pray that you will give brothers and sisters strength, courage, and boldness to continue to share Your Word to all nations. We ask this in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Love and Blessings,
Carol

Amidst Tragedy There is Hope

Many think tragedies are brought on by our sins. For example, in the book of Job, Job's friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, believed that Job’s suffering was brought on due to some great sin that Job had committed. The three of them urged Job to seek God and repent. God has punished people for their sins, such as God punished the Israelites' to wander in the wilderness for forty years for their disobedience and unbelief. But not all tragedies are brought on by our sins.

Some tragedies are brought on or allowed to test our faith. As was the case in the book of Job in chapters 1-3, Satan was allowed to test Job’s faithfulness. Satan was certain that Job's faithfulness would fail amongst tragedies and anguish. 
How true will we be to our Lord when tragedy strikes? Will we stand firm in our faith and hold fast when tragedies strike, or will we begin to blame God, hate God, or run away from God because He has allowed such circumstances to happen in our lives?

Perhaps the tragedy is a wake-up call to shake you to your core to get you back on the right path towards God. God may use several tragedies to draw you back to Him and to get you to lean on Him for strength once again.

The tragedy could be the result of simply of living in a fallen world. A world that once was perfect, but due to the fall in the garden, the world is now in a state of suffering, decay, and death.

Or maybe, the tragedy is meant to show God's glory and to bring someone who is a non-believer to Him. 

We may never know, or we may never understand why certain tragedies befall us, but we can rest assured that God does, and He is in control. Maybe not during the tragedy, but later on in life, you will see His great love for you, His plan for you, and His goodness. Goodness, you say!? Yes, because amidst the tragedy there is hope. And that hope is in Jesus. Place your hope in Him amidst the tragedy, and He will carry you through.

Heavenly Father,

We thank you for Your great love and for the hope You gave us through Your son Jesus. A hope You have given us to be the light that leads us and comforts us during great and small tragedies throughout our lives. As you tell us in John 16:33, we know Lord that we were never guaranteed to have a trouble free life.  In fact, you tell us that we will, but we can be at peace for You have overcome the world. We thank you Lord that you will carry us through these great and trying times.

Amen.

May you have a blessed week.

Carol

Rest in Him

Is fear the core of your life? Is fear hampering your life? Is fear and anxiety eating away at you and driving you to think and do things that you normally would never do?

The root of fear is unbelief. Unbelief in what? Unbelief that there is a God. A God that is sovereign and in control. A God that loves you despite all your failings. A God who wants you to turn to Him during your times of fear. To rest in Him.  To rely in Him instead of yourself.  In Matthew 8:25-26, a fierce storm has struck a lake that the disciples and Jesus are sailing across. Jesus is asleep. The disciples are frightened. Fearful that they will drown. The disciples’ plea with Jesus to save them from the storm. Jesus awakes and tells them “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith?” Jesus immediately rebukes the wind and the waves, and all is calm. All is at peace.

If you allow it, fear will crush your heart, soul and mind. It will rule and consume your life and you will never experience an inner peace, nor a quietness, unless you believe and rest in the Lord.

The enemy is good at driving fear through the media, government, people, a virus. Don’t let fear conquer you. Don’t let fear consume you. Don’t let fear have the victory. Put your fear into the Lord’s hands and let Him fill you with peace. Let Him calm the storm that is raging through you. Trust in Jesus. Trust that all that He did on the cross was for you, for everyone. Get to know Him and you will experience and inner peace that will flood your heart and soul.

Rest in Him.

O Mighty God,

We lift the world up into your hands. A world that is suffering from a pandemic. A pandemic that is crushing and smothering lives with fear, that is causing our loved ones and friends to die. Many people our suffering from this pandemic and we ask that you quell the fear that is taken hold of people’s lives, to bring comfort, to bring relief and to instill an supernatural inner peace to us all. We pray that you will provide for peoples needs, heal those who are struck down with this virus and help give strength, energy and peace to those who are combating it and trying to save people’s lives. Help us to endure this passing storm and help us to never lose hope in You.

Amen.

Love and Blessings,
Carol

Fear Not

Imagine it raining. And then imagine it starts to rain a lot and then it begins to rain so much that fields, roads, lakes, rivers, streams, ponds all begin to flood. The powerful waters begin to rise higher and higher. Mass hysteria begins to plague people as the churning waters rise. People begin to claw at the ark with their hands and pound their fists into the ark. Panic permeates throughout the air. There is pushing, shoving, screaming and wailing as the waters begin to rise higher and higher. The people were corrupt. They chose to believe in themselves and the things of this world and not in God. They refused to repent. So, the door was shut. The people could have placed their hope in God but decided to place their hope in themselves and in the world God created. They had no hope. They had no peace. Only hopelessness and fear clinched their hearts.

And now a pandemic has unleashed across this world. Lives are being lost. Our way of life is being torn apart. Panic, fear, hysteria has gripped people’s hearts. But you can find peace amongst this turmoil, if you just turned to God. A peace this world can never give you. A satisfaction that will fill your heart and soul. He promises to help you, to deliver you, to strengthen you, to uphold you, to be with you wherever you go, to give you peace, if you only look to Him. Turn to Him today. This minute. This second. Before the door is shut.

Isaiah 41:13
For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

Psalm 34:4
I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do, I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

O Mighty God,
You are All Powerful, You are Sovereign and You are in Control. We praise You for being Our Great Helper, Our Great Redeemer, Our Great Strength, Our Great Comforter during these times of trouble, turmoil, uncertainty, and unrest. You are bigger and greater than any virus. Help us to feed on Your Truth, Your Word and not the fear the media unleashes. Please bring comfort to those who are in fear. Enshroud them with peace and serenity. Please heal those who are sick and suffering from this virus and please bring peace and comfort to their loved ones. And please may this be a time that Your light shines through the darkness and that the people who are in fear or who are suffering from this illness may seek you for truth, for protection, for guidance, for comfort and for hope.
Amen.
Pray you all have a blessed day!
Carol