Don’t Look Back

Before God destroyed the city of Sodom, He sent two angels to rescue Lot and his family from it. Their instructions were very clear; “Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.” – Genesis 19:17. But, Lot’s wife looked back behind them, and she became a pillar of salt -Genesis 19:26. Jesus recalled this account in a simple statement; “Remember Lot’s wife.” -Luke 17:32.

Don’t look back with longing to your old sinful pleasures and pursuits. The promise sin made was false then, and it’s still false now. “Each one is tempted when they are drawn away by their own desires and enticed. Then when the desire has conceived it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown brings forth death – death of the spirit. Do not be deceived,.

Don’t look back on regret on the mistakes you’ve made. Lot’s two son-in-laws wouldn’t heed the message of the angels or the pleading of their father-in-law, so they stayed behind. Perhaps that’s why his wife looked back. But it was fatal then, and it’s fatal now. Don’t wallow in the regrets of your past. Stop dwelling on the injuries inflicted on you by others. Get your eyes off the rear-view mirror look toward the road ahead. God had great things in store for you; that’s what the battle in your life is all about. Jesus referred to Satan as a ‘thief’ in John 10:19.

He had already stolen too much from you; don’t let him steal anymore. And watch as God’s blessings begin to happy.

I wasted 25 years if my life, wallowing in regrets, longing to go back and fix things – to make things right with people. Don’t make the same mistakes I did. Look toward and future and look forward to the blessing of God to enrich your life.

Light In A Dark World

What’s the first thing you do when you walk into a dark room? Most likely, you turn on a light.

The world around us is getting darker, and darker. Where is the light? Light illuminates. It alleviates our fears of what or who might be lurking in the dark. And it shows us where hazards are located so we don’t get hurt. But in a world that’s dark where can we turn to find light. We don’t have to go any further than our television or the internet to see darkness. It’s everywhere.

The Bible uses the image of light to offer us a deeper understanding of God’s gift to us in Jesus. The stark contrast between light and darkness helps us better understand the gift of God’s light and the grace Jesus brings to the dark, sin filled world.

Isaiah 9:2 says “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.

I like the Scripture John 12:35-36, Jesus is telling His disciples before He was arrested by the Romans; “You are going to have the light a little while longer (Jesus was still on earth). Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left to go pray.

In these dark times, we have to look for the power of God’s light to bring wisdom and understanding. The unfolding of His words gives light; it gives us understanding to the world around us. We cannot survive in the darkness it will destroy us,

John 3:19-21 says, “This is Judgement: the light has come into the world, and the loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, least his works should be exposed. But whoever does what it truly comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen the works have been carried out in God.

This is the crisis we are in right now. God’s light is streaming into the world, but men and women everywhere are running for darkness.

The revelation of Jesus and His light in the world is of utmost importance for true believers, as it offers great hope and reminds them of our salvation. This event is so important that Jesus dedicated an entire season of showing light in the darkness -Christmas.

Titus 2:11 says, “For the grace of God had appeared that offers salvation and motivation that empowers us (Jesus) to live holy and upright lives until we wait for His return. In our humanness, we know that we are sinners, but God sent Jesus to die so that every sin can be forgiven.

Our job is to repent for our sins and turn away from them. Together we can grow in understanding of Jesus and learn how His light provides both purpose and motivation in our daily walk.

Uplift People, Don’t Tear Them Down

We need to be more aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledging their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everyone wins

We are living in a self-serving, self-centered, and self-obsessed modern day rush-rush society filled with negativity and the constant tearing down of others. If people really want to differentiate themselves in this world, they need to be people-oriented and start to Focus on building others up,

We are created to be relational beings, it’s our greatest privilege to enjoy companionship with the people who truly matter in our lives. How can we be a source of encouragement to everyone around us?

Here a few simple ways to uplift others

1. Esteem others higher.

Leaders esteem others hight than themselves. Have high regards, great respect, and favorable thoughts of the people around them of trust and influence.

2. Be wise with your speech.

Communicate more effectively by thinking before you speak. If there’s a word that’s more appropriate in a conversation, use it. Whoever you are speaking to, start with a praise use something like, “You look so good today.” Never confront others. Instead, point out on how both of you can make things better. Speak at the same level as the people around you, giving them respect. There’s no need to cone in with an authoritarian voice to get your message heard.

3. Be encouraging.

Encouragement is an expression and assurance of one’s hope and future in words, presence, and sincerity,

4. Be quick to forgive.

When others make a mistake, be quick to forgive and forget; releasing them from guilt and shame that may take root on one’s heart when not dealt with over time. The Bible says, “Forgive and you will be forgiven.”

5. Be understanding.

Wisdom and understanding go hand in hand. Understanding starts by being an active listener (not planning a reply as one is speaking), asking intelligent questions to gain further insight, and being accepting of what the other is sharing. Then, answer without condemning. Or don’t answer at all and decide to a listening ear,

6. Zero gossip.

Keep other’s secrets. Never speak anything that causes unnecessary hurt to others by speaking unclaimed rumors behind their back.

7. Share knowledge.

Sharing knowledge helps others to learn, discover, and understanding things that are interesting. They have immediate application for better result in our work and life, it edifies our soul, and improves our daily conversations.

8. Stay humble.

Humility and maturity are synonymous. A dignified person accomplishes much, but brags little. They are secure in their standing without needing to make noise, often treating everyone with respect, regardless of their position.

9. Be positive.

Positive thinking goes beyond having the drive and motivation for personal success. Positive thinking is explicit, definite, and outspoken. It’s contagious. Building people up with your positiveness, allowing them to be open for better things to come.

Never push your beliefs on others. If you choose a lifestyle, don’t expect everyone else need to follow your lifestyle.. It’s a “I’m doing this, so therefore everyone else needs to be doing it.” Stance.

Above all choose love. Be Patient, And treat everyone that way you would like to be treated.

What Scriptures Say About The Power Of Prayer

Prayer Is Powerful

God, is His mercy and kindness continues to answer the prayers of His children. Occasionally, however, it seems as though there were some confusion at what prayer is and what it is not.

Imagine that you are on the Family Feud. Your family is amp up and excited about the prospect of winning $10,000 and possibly a new car. The first survey question is presented to both families by Steve Harvey.

“Give me Sarah give me Bob. The top 12 questions on the board? What kind of question resulted in so many different answers? Okay let’s get to the question. we asked 100 random customers exiting a Chick-fil-A this question: “What is prayer?”

The Bible is filled with scripture on prayer, if you look at there are 367 specific Bible verses about prayer. This does not include the word “ask” when it is used as a substitute for prayer,

What are the truths about prayer according to the Bible.?

Prayer is simply communication between us and God. The Lord’s prayer is a great outline for us to use to structure our prayers. Jesus use this outline, according to Luke’s Gospel, to teach His disciples to pray.

The Lord’s prayer begins with a call to honor Him.

Matthew 6:9, in this manner, therefore, pray; “Our Father in Heaven Hallowed be Your Name.”

Next, we are encouraged to prioritize His will over our own will.

Matthew 6:10, Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

It’s perfectly fine to ask God to help me or physical needs.

Matthew 6:11, Give us this day our daily bread.

It’s about to get real in our prayers. We get to the point in the prayer where we ask God for forgiveness of our sins. This is also a time where we willingly and intentionally forgive others.

Matthew 6:12, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

The world is getting darker and darker. We need God’s mercy and grace to keep it on the narrow Path. When we pray, we need to ask Him to keep us from the evil one.

We can finish our prayers with a timer praise, adoration, and thanksgiving to our King.

Matthew 6:13, Or yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Prayer is powerful! Fortunately, it has nothing to do with our spiritual strength but with God’s unlimited power. Here are a few examples of powerful prayers that are recorded in the Bible:

Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for 3 1/2 years. Again he prayed, and the Heaven’s gave rain, and the earth produced crops.

James 5:17-18

And Hezekiah answered, “It is an easy thing for the shadow to go down to go down ten degrees; No, but let the shadow go backward ten degrees.” So Isaiah the prophet cried out to the Lord, and He brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz.

2 Kings 20:10-11

So they took away the Stone. Thank you just looked up and said, Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I know that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, Jesus called out in a loud voice Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet were wrapped in strips of linen. ans cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off your grave clothes and let him go.”

John 11 41-44

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and seeing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were open and everyone’s chains were loosed

Acts 16:25-26

Gratefully, God is still in the business of healing and doing miracles.

Many of us have forgotten how to pray, And earnestly seek God. Or have doubt and unbelief in our hearts.

I was diagnosed with bladder cancer 10 years ago. I had a prayer group praying for me when I was diagnosed. I had surgery and had a grapefruit sized tumor removed from my bladder. The cancer doctor told me I would be dead in one year. I had young children I did not accept that prognosis. This prayer group and I prayed seven nights a week for my healing. After some chemo treatments I was sent home and was told to come back in a few weeks. Slowly but surely my cancer was healed within the year I had no sign that I even had cancer. God is awesome!

Why He healed me and not others, I do not know. But I knew God had a destiny that I had not fulfilled yet.

Confess to one another, therefore, your faults, your slips, your false steps, your offenses you are sins and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored (to a spiritual tone of mind and heart). The earnest heart, continued prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available (the dynamic on its working.

James 5:16

A man with leprosy came and kneeled before Him and said, “ Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touch the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.

Matthew 8:2-3

Psalm 30:2 is known as the scripture for healing, “Lord my God, I called to you for help, and You healed me.”

Is anyone among you sick? Let them call on the elders of the church to pray over them and anointing with oil in the name of the Lord. and a prayer offered in faith will make this sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have send they will be forgiven.

James 5:14:15

This is a particularly thorny issue. There are families who have prayed and received the blessing of children . Others are still praying,

Here are three biblical instances where God intervened in times of infertility.

Did Abraham prayed to God, and God healEd Abimilek, his wife and his female slaves so they could have children again.

Genesis 20:17

No Sarah was childbirth because she was not able to conceive. The Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised and bore son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him,

Genesis 11:30; 21:1-2

In her jeep anguish Hannah Prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. And he made vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servants misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor what ever be used on his head.” So in the course of time, Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying “Because I asked the Lord for him.,

1 Samuel 1:10-11; 20

The daily grind of life could easily wipe us out physically and emotionally. That is one of the reasons why we must spend some time talking to God as often as possible. During prayer, we unburden our hearts and our transformed by God’s grace. God gives us strength. Prayer is a powerful weapon,

Ephesians 3:16 says, I pray out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Inner in your inner being.

The power of prayer is in the One who hears it and not the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference. – Max Lucado.

Spiritual Warfare

Sometimes it is hard to truly comprehend a threat that comes from things that are not seen. However, God warns us that the threat of spiritual ware fare is very real and to arm ourselves which what He has given us.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against authorities, and against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:12

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but divine power to destroy strongholds We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. -2 Corinthians 10:3-5.

Be sober minded by watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring Lion, seeking someone to devour. -1 Peter 5-8.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7

As it said in Ephesians 6:12, our struggle is ultimately against “spiritual forces of evil,” meaning the real battle is the spiritual warfare of good vs evil. There is a spiritual war they is ongoing for the heart of people as the forces of evil want us to turn us away from God and separate us from Him. But for those with God throuyJesux, the battle is already one ad Christ overcame death with the resurrection. We must be born again of spirit with faith on Jesus to be saved from the “second” death of the spirit. – John 3.

If you remember that Jesus had walk in the desert for fourth 40 days. And He fought of the devil with the words written by His Father (The Bible). When the devil tried to tempt Jesus in the desert with food (turn that stone into bread. Jesus replied “man does no live by bread alone.”. And again when the devil told Jesus to throw Himself off the cliff, Jesus replied “You shall not tempt the Lord God. Jesus fought the devil by the word of God (The Bible).

The Bible tells to be watchful and guard our hearts against the iniquity of sin. The devil wanted Jesus to sin and He fought back with God’s words and prayer. Evil can only enter up when we allow it to live in our hearts, like a vampire who must be let into your house. The first step to engage in the grand spiritual warfare is recognizing it exists and to exam e your heart.

For in the Gospel of the righteousness of God is revealed -a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.

Romans 1:17

The Devil Is A Liar

Admittedly, the topic of Satan and spiritual warfare is one that some find challenging and evil difficult to consider. However, one must consider truth: bBy choosing to ignore that Satan exists and that his goal is to ruin us, we set ourselves up to fall victim to his ploys. In particular, this use of lies that makes us doubt God and His promises to us. In Hosea 4:6, it states, “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge,”

The devil uses our mental space as his battlefield to wage war against us. One of his favorite tactics is to tell us lies and then speak them so convincingly that we hold them as truth. One of Satan’s strategies is present us with a worst-case scenario of our future in order to arouse fear in us. He can take advantage of our vulnerabilities and circumstances, and even use people to make us worry, instill hopelessness, and rob us of joy. However, by far the worst lie of the devil is his effort to convince us to believe him over God, and that our Father is no match for him. In addition to Satan’s deception toward Eve in the Garden of Eden, the Bible reveals other instances of the devil telling lies to God’s children through people or circumstances.

The Power of Prayer In Spiritual Warfare

Understand that there is a war and you are in it. Like it or not, all of us are caught up in the spiritual war that is taking place between good and evil. If you don’t engage in the war, you’ll still be affected by it and you’ll be much more vulnerable to evil than you would if you decided to fight as God call you to do. So be active; not passive. Engage in spiritual warfare with the confidence that God’s power working through you is greater than any evil working against you. Through prayer you can help prevent bad things from happening to people and usher good things into our lives and other peoples lives. Listen to the Holy Spirit’s promptings for guidance about how best to pray for what’s needed, and then pray to advance God’s kingdom on and stop the spread of evil.

Tip: if we can pray outward- the truth is power of in our words and God says the power of life and death are in our words. If you are having a difficult time hearing God, the Bible says fasting and pray can help us hear from Gods more clearly. To listen to God as you refrain from eating consider combining a time of fasting with a practice of prayer.

Fasting is a way to humble yourself in the sight of God (Psalm 35:13; Ezra 8:221). King David said in Psalm 69:10 says “I humble my soul with fasting. You may find yourself relying on God more fully when you fast.

I suggest fasting for 3 days and keep close to God, by listening for His voice. If you have medical problems there is something called the Daniel fast that works great. I will add a chart on the next post. So keep an eye out for it.